Inquiry: Stephen Michael Shearer: BEAUTIFUL: THE LIFE OF HEDY LAMARR

Hedy Lamarr was one of the iconic actresses of the 40s and 50s in American film. She was considered one of the most beautiful women in cinema, but often this came at the price of directors, lovers and other actors thinking that Hedy was all looks and no brains. Because of this, Hedy Lamarr was never given the complex roles she deserved. She should have been the female lead in Casablanca, and therein lies just part of the complicated life of this very complicated woman. In her later years, she was adrift, almost forgotten except for being the subject of a joking reference in Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles. Yet she has left behind a rich legacy of work in films like Algiers and Ziegfeld Girl. Surprisingly, she was also a technological inventor whose patents were decades ahead of their time paving the way for cell phones and most of the modern communication devices we know today. Tonight, on Inquiry, we welcome writer and actor STEPHEN MICHAEL SHEARER who talks about his wonderful new biography that finally gives us the complete picture of this enigmatic actress BEAUTIFUL: THE LIFE OF HEDY LAMARR.