Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

Fascinating look at the life and work of Hedy Lamarr. About five years ago, I distinctly remember reading in an electrical engineering journal about the inventions of Hedy in the field of telecommunications. I rushed to the local library and sure enough there were several books about her. It was such a pleasure to see this documentary. It tied it all together for me. We learn a good deal about her early life and upbringing and her start in the European Film business. Like many European artists, Hedy was alarmed at the rise of Fascism and decided for a better life in America. We also learn about the early studio system, both the positive aspects and also about some of the negative ones, which are front and centre with the public these days. Hedy was a multi faceted artist/inventor and we see her forming collaborative relationships with all sorts of people from avant-garde pianists to airplane designers! She was certainly a modern day Ada Lovelace.

I mentioned that the documentary was even-handed because all too often, I've seen biographies of various celebrities which either only focus on the bad or only the good about folks. Folks have positive and negative qualities...and Hedy Lamarr is no exception.

The film is a biography of the actress that also focuses on her inventing the concept of rotating frequencies...enabling a sub, for example, to launch a radio-guided torpedo without worries about the enemy jamming the signal. It's a strange invention for an actress to have made...and the film helps to show that Lamarr was not just a pretty face. It also, sadly, talks about her personal life...which was filled with husband and husband and disappointment after disappointment. And, it talks about Lamarr's drug use (created by the studio) and her odd personality quirks. All put together, it makes for an intriguing look at a fascinating lady. Well worth seeing...and a nice film about a feminist in 1930s-40s Hollywood.

A well directed documentary on the life of Hollywood icon Hedy Lamarr. Viewing her life in its entirety, the documentaries main focus is to shed light on who she was outside of the limelight. Most notably her contribution to science. The doc doesn't shy away from the bad times either, and goes through her decline after her Hollywood years were over. A truly beautiful but complicated woman. An interesting watch.

Many film lovers ONLY know Hedy Lamarr the actress whose face lite up the silver screen. Few knew of her contribution to our digital/wireless/blue-tooth enabled world through her inventive mind. Bombshell is that very story wrapped around her cinematic career. The director delivers a wonderful documentary of the great Hedy Lamarr.

No trick photography, no special gimmicks. Nothing out of the ordinary is needed when the life story we're presented with is so unique. The Hedy Lamarr story is way more than a biography of an old timer who used to be a Hollywood star. It's more than the story of "the most beautiful woman in the world" whose talents well exceeded her beauty.

It's a story of our failings as a society when faced with whatever defied the conventions we live by. And the tragedy of those that wouldn't fit under the labels we like to stick on whoever crosses our path. To put it in a single sentence it's a story most of us know nothing about but all of us should. If you do get the chance just go see it.