Highly regarded as “the most beautiful woman in the world” in the 1940s, many associate actress Hedy Lamarr with Hollywood glamour. However, her legacy goes far beyond her on-screen presence, as she was also a brilliant inventor who pioneered the creation of modern-day technologies. In honor of Women’s History Month, let’s delve into the life and accomplishments of “the mother of Wi-Fi.”
Lamarr was born in Vienna, Austria on November 9, 1914. Privately tutored at a young age, she was a proficient pianist, dancer and could speak four languages by age 10. As a child, she developed a passion for inventing, and would dissect and reassemble her music box to understand how it operated. Her father would take her on long walks to discuss how different machines work, encouraging her to “look at the world with open eyes.” At 16, Lamarr enrolled in a Berlin drama school and made her on-screen debut in the 1930 film, “Money on the Street.”
She had several stage and screen roles in Europe before marrying Fritz Mandal in 1933. Mandal, an Austrian munitions manufacturer, prohibited Lamarr from acting and attempted to destroy all existing prints of one of her films, “Ecstasy.” In 1937, she left her husband and moved to America, appearing in many films over a two-decade-long career, often typecast as a femme fatale.
During her time in Hollywood, Lamarr was introduced to Howard Hughes, an aerospace engineer and pilot, and they bonded over their shared love for inventing. Hughes gifted Lamarr a set of equipment for her trailer so she could fuel her interest in between takes. Howard wanted to increase his planes’ velocity so they could be sold to the U.S. military. Inspired by a book about fish and birds, Lamarr designed a new wing shape for his planes, making them more aerodynamic.
In 1940, Lamarr met film composer George Antheil, who also had a passion for inventing. They discussed their concerns with World War II and began brainstorming ways to fight the Axis powers. They invented a communications system that minimized the jamming of radio signals, allowing torpedoes to stay undetected by the intended target. They were granted a patent for their invention in 1942, and though it was never used in the war, it became the precursor to Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth.
In 1997, The Electronic Frontier Foundation awarded Lamarr and Antheil with their Pioneer Award. She was the first woman to receive the BULBIE Gnass Spirit of Achievement Bronze Award and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.
The 2017 documentary “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” focuses on Lamarr’s life as an actress and inventor and features newly uncovered audio recordings of Lamarr, giving her the chance to tell her story.