Besides the First Orgasm, Do You Know Google Doodle Hedy Lamarr?

There is much more to Hedy Lamarr than starring in the first on-screen orgasm.

Why should you know about a woman called Hedy Lamarr, who lived and ruled nearly a century before you were born?

For one, she starred in the first on-screen orgasm ever captured on celluloid (in a non-Leone-esque 1930s). For another – that song you just got your friend to transfer to you through the ever-indefatigable Bluetooth? You’d do well to thank Lamarr for it.

All good reasons for Google to create a doodle dedicated specially to her, on her 101st birth anniversary.

Here’s what’s interesting. Lamarr was called a series of names – “the most beautiful woman on the planet” (long before Aishwarya Rai staked her claim on that one), on-screen siren, simulator of orgasms… but perhaps nothing described her better than “siren by day, inventor by night”.

Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler on November 9, 1914 in Vienna, Australia, Lamarr went on to star in numerous popular feature films, romancing Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Stewart – among a slew of other early Hollywood hotties.

Here’s why we think you should know about her:

She was the Simulator of the First On-screen Orgasm

In early 1933, at the age of 18, Hedy Lamarr starred in a movie called Ecstasy where she played the role of a young woman married to an indifferent older man. The most infamous part of the movie? The camera panning in on the face of an eager Lamarr in the throes of an orgasm. Lamarr’s husband was reportedly so furious with what he termed the “exploitation of his wife” that he even bought as many copies of the film he could find to restrict its public viewing. Fleeing from who was clearly a jealous and authoritative husband, the young actor landed up in Paris in 1937.

She Invented the Technology Now Used in WiFi and Bluetooth

“She’s just so cool,” Jennifer Hom of Google who designed the fancy doodle, enthused about the star. We couldn’t agree more.

Lamarr took an active interest in the Allies’ efforts against the Nazi forces, and with her background in military munitions, wanted to work on an idea that would stop the Germans from blocking their radio-controlled missiles. She teamed up with her composer friend George Antheil and used his knowledge of how pianos work to create a fascinating piece of technology. This was called ‘frequency hopping’ and is the groundwork for what we call modern WiFi. But the Navy reportedly dismissed the idea – and it was only in 1998 (long after the patent had expired) that the duo were given credit for it.

She Spoke Famously About the Ills of Plastic Surgery

The most tragic bit of history was probably when Lamarr finally succumbed to the evils of tinsel town. Anthony Loder, the screen goddess’ son, revealed how, while to the world his mother was a diva,

...behind closed doors she was addicted to drugs and terrified of losing her looks. She had her breasts enlarged, her cheeks raised, her lips made bigger, and much, much more. She had plastic surgery thinking it could revive her looks and her career, but it backfired and distorted her beauty.

Anthony Loder, Hedy Lamarr’s son

Loder herself, however, was the first to speak of it – when she confessed in her autobiography: “My face has been my misfortune. It has attracted all the wrong people into my boudoir and brought me tragedy and heartache... My face is a mask I cannot remove”.

Strong words for a plastic-obsessed industry insider.

My personal favourite, though? Lamarr’s words on her inventions – which eerily enough, sound like they could have been spoken today:

The world isn’t getting any easier. With all these new inventions I believe that people are hurried more and pushed more... The hurried way is not the right way; you need time for everything – time to work, time to play, time to rest.

Hedy Lamarr