‘Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story’ unveils a feminist way ahead of her time

Category: Television and Streaming

Can you name some Old Hollywood Glamour? My picks would be Hedy Lamarr, Ingrid Bergman, Vivien Leigh, and Grace Kelly. I’ve seen Bergman, Leigh, and Kelly in action, but I’ve never seen Lamarr’s works. According to PBS’ American Masters – Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, Lamarr never had her Casablanca, and surprise, surprise, Leigh was one of Hedy Lamarr wannabes!

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story is literally a bombshell of fascinating eye-openers. You’ll be shell shocked at one alluring tidbit after another. Who would have thought? Hedy Lamarr (1914 – 2000) is the Hidden Figure behind secure WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth technologies, yet she never publicly talked about her acute interest in inventing a wide range of things from compressed Coke cube (although she admitted this attempt was ‘one of my boo-boos’) to revolutionary frequency hopping. What makes this documentary so intimate and endearing is that Lamarr herself gets to tell her untold story thanks to journalist Fleming Meeks who kept his phone interview tapes for 25 years.

The show opens with her quote: “Any girl can look glamourous. All she has to do is stand still and look stupid.” Lamarr’s astute observation embodies not only Hollywood but also the universal culture toward women. She desperately wanted to make her mark, but did not get the R-E-S-P-E-C-T she craved as someone who contributed to the wellbeing of humankind. Instead of accepting her secure communications system, the Navy told her to sell kisses for war bonds. MGM Studios used Lamarr as a money-making distraction for the troops. How humiliating and demeaning that must have been! We’ve been there more or less, haven’t we, ladies? But we’re talking about the most recognizable face of her time being ‘handled’ and never seen for who she was.

I don’t think I’m reading too much into her remarks; I certainly detected disappointment and resigned sadness in her voice. The saving grace of this documentary is that Lamarr seemed to have come to grips and made her peace with the grim reality of the patriarchal society. Dim our lights. Dumb ourselves down, way down. We don’t want to be labeled as ‘difficult,’ do we now?

They say “beauty knocks many doors.” Lamarr innocently walked into the first door that opened wide for her, but the Studio System did not appreciate her ‘being herself.’ She had too many faces to fit the traditional Hollywood Glamour mold. So she jiggled many more doors, but unfortunately her stunning beauty held her back in the doorways. Lamarr was a trailblazer for feminism; ingenious inventor and fiercely independent problem solver who refused to be just a pretty face. I wish I could tell her things have changed, but regrettably not much.

PBS’ American Masters – Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story premieres on Friday, May 18, 2018.

About the Author

Meg Mimura is a TV critic who actually watches shows zealously in search of human drama worth watching. She is a member of Television Critics Association as well as Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.