Hedy Lamarr (1913-2000)
Born in Vienna, Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, made a literal and metaphorical splash with her role in Ecstasy, a 1933 Gustav Machat´y film which featured close-ups of the nineteen-year-old's face in the throes of orgasm (according to Hedy simulated with the aid of the director jabbing a safety pin in her behind!).
The film was equally notorious for showing its youthful star swimming naked - this time most assuredly not simulated.
Full frontal nudity at a time when, in the USA, the Hays Code was coming into force was bound to cause a stir.
Perhaps the other amazing thing is that the "scandal" did not prevent her becoming a Hollywood star.
That's a mystery for which we can all be grateful.
Bright and beautiful
Our admiration for 'the most beautiful woman in Europe', must not overlook her intelligence. Hedy Lamarr was a mathematician and inventor who contributed to what would later become mobile phone and laptop technology (such as Bluetooth and WiFi).
