Hedy Lamarr, Her Movies and Her Co-Stars

Hedy Lamarr was one of the most stunning actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She was born Hedwig Kiesler in Vienna, Austria on November 9, 1913. Young Hedwig was catapulted to worldwide fame before her 20th birthday due to the scandal surrounding her nude scene in the 1932 German film, “Ecstasy”. Soon thereafter, she landed a contract with Louis B. Mayer’s MGM studio and changed her name to Hedy Lamarr.

Hedy Lamarr and Charles Boyer

Hedy made several movies for MGM and was cast right away with some very memorable leading men. We can only imagine how “heady” that must have been for Hedy! She was introduced to American audiences in “Algiers” (1938), opposite French import Charles Boyer. “Algiers” has had a rather significant impact in various ways. It’s been said that without “Algiers”, there never would have been a “Casablanca”. It was well-known for “Come with me to the Casbah”, the famous quote that Charles Boyer never uttered in the film. (He said it in the trailer.) Certainly, there never would have been that great Looney Tunes lover, Pepe Le Pew, whose existence was inspired by Boyer’s role as the jewel thief Pepe le Moko.

Hedy co-starred with Robert Taylor in “Lady of the Tropics” (1939) and “White Cargo” (1942). Frank Morgan (“The Wizard of Oz”) appeared in the latter film as a doctor.

In 1940, Hedy married Spencer Tracy in “I Take This Woman”. Her character has what sounds like a male name but is spelled Georgi. Two years later, she co-starred with Tracy again in “Tortilla Flat”. However, in this one, John Garfield was her man. Frank Morgan was in it as well and earned an Oscar nomination.

In 1940, Hedy co-starred as Clark Gable’s gal in the comedy “Boom Town”. Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert and Frank Morgan were also in this comedy. Another comedy, “Comrade X”, came out that same year, featuring Hedy as Theodore, Gable’s wife.

In 1941, Hedy co-starred with James Stewart in “Come Live With Me” (1941). Her character in this one was named Johnny. Later that year, “H.M. Pulham, Esq.” came out. Her character’s name? Marvin! This was Hedy’s favorite film and the first one for Hedy to get top billing over her male co-star (Robert Young). After that, she got top billing in almost all her films. Two notable exceptions are “Copper Canyon” with Ray Milland and “My Favorite Spy” with Bob Hope.

In “The Strange Woman” (1946), Hedy wasn’t a very nice child and, before regretting her selfish and manipulative ways as an adult, she married a rich old man and put her stepson up to murder. Then she married George Sanders, her best friend’s boyfriend!

Hedy played a somewhat more sympathetic character in “Dishonored Lady” (1947). A murder she didn’t commit threatens to destroy a happy future with Dennis O’Keefe. John Loder, Hedy’s real-life husband, was the murder victim. That undoubtedly had nothing to do with this, but they divorced not long after this film. Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West) was Hedy’s landlady. A young Natalie Schafer (Mrs. Howell in Gilligan’s Island) was Hedy’s best friend.

Margaret Hamilton in Dishonored Lady

What was perhaps Hedy Lamarr’s most famous role came in 1949 when she portrayed Delilah to Victor Mature’s Samson, and yes! She did something very bad in that film that she later regretted. Perhaps, by this time, it was just a Hedy thing. That’s not what happens in the biblical account of Samson and Delilah (Judges 16).

Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature