In 1914, a woman was born that would change the world of technology forever. Though for years she was known as nothing more than a pretty face, the truth of her brilliance has since come to light; this woman was responsible for bringing about the tech that would allow for things like wifi, bluetooth, and even naval sonar devices. Her name? Hedy Lamarr.
Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, or, as she would come to be called, Hedy Lamarr, was born to Jewish parents in Vienna, Austria in the midst of the First World War. From a young age, she was remarked as being stunningly beautiful, and began to appear in local theater productions and musicals. This early introduction would prove to be lucrative. By the age of eighteen, Lamarr was starring in films in Berlin. Her film Ecstasy, a risque piece in which Lamarr was featured nude and in the throes of pleasure several times, would catapult her into the spotlight.
These films garnered her many fans and admirers, including the man she would go on to marry, Friedrich Mandl. Though Mandl was charming and (initially) quite doting, the marriage would turn out to be quite disastrous. Once they were wed, the tone of her husband changed almost immediately. Even though it had been her appearance on the silver screen that had originally drawn him to Lamarr, Mandl forbade her from continuing her career. He would also go on to develop close ties to dictators Benito Mousillini and Adolph Hitler, despite his wife’s Jewish identity. Eventually, the control became too much to bear; though it is disputed as to how, Lamarr managed to escape her husband and fled the country. From there, she resumed her career in film.
Eventually, Lamarr ended up in London. It was here that she made connections with several MGM talent scouts, all of whom were taken with her beauty and charm. These encounters would open the doors to Hollywood for the young actress. Upon arrival in the United States, hoping to separate herself from her previous work and begin anew and reputation (Ecstasy, after all, had been quite… well… ecstatic), she changed her name from Hedwig Kiesler to Hedy Lamarr. Under this new name, she would go on to star in many blockbuster films throughout the 1930s and early 40s.
Then, of course, came the war. Though WWII would prove to be a turbulent time for Hollywood, it would also provide the young actress an opportunity to develop her other talents away from the screen. Despite being known for her looks and cinematic prowess, there was another interest which captivated Lamarr: science. Inventing and experimentation fascinated her, and, with the war putting a stop to most productions, she was able to explore those avenues. In fact, one of her greatest inventions came as a direct result of a war-related problem. The Navy was proposing a
series of torpedos, controlled by radio waves, with the thought that it would allow for more precise remote control and fewer American casualties. However, Lamarr saw a clear flaw in this idea- enemies could easily gain access to these radio frequencies, and either jam or interfere with them, rendering the torpedoes useless. Aware of this short sight in the design, she set about finding an alternative. And, with the help of a friend she met in showbusiness, George Antheil, she did just that.
The alternative she proposed was frequency hopping, or switching between radio frequencies when sending information. Small portions would be delivered over each frequency, making it much more difficult for outside listeners to decipher what was being transmitted. It was a brilliant idea, and one not being used in combat at the time. But, unfortunately, the military would not pick up on Lamarr’s proposals until the 1960s.
Eventually, the war was won and life returned to some semblance of normalcy. Lamarr continued to appear in films for many years, until her eventual decline in the 1960s and 70s. She also continued inventing during this time, though none of her drafts would see the light of day until after her death. Her later years were rife with scandal, including shoplifting charges and a dispute over the true authorship of the ‘autobiography’ Ecstasy and Me, with Lamarr insisting that she had nothing to do with the book and that it was entirely fictitious. She spent her final years in seclusion, speaking only to a handful of close friends and family members. and eventually, in 2000, she passed away in her Florida home.
Lamarr did not receive the credit for her inventions until after her death. But, thankfully, the world is beginning to remember her as more than just a Hollywood actress. Though her career in cinema was impressive, and certainly deserving of the applause it earned her, it is also important to credit Lamarr for her innovations in the world of technology. Without her work and research in the various applications of frequency hopping, we would not have many of the devices we now take for granted. Bluetooth earbuds would not be possible. Wifi routers would not be possible. Drones would not be possible. Even early forms of GPS would have failed without her ideas. So, let Hedy Lamarr and the duality of her career be a message to everyone: women are more than capable of being beautiful and smart. The two are not mutually exclusive. If a woman noted as one of the most stunning actresses in the history of film can also be one of the mothers of modern technology, then no woman should be limited in what she can achieve.