The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

eventdetail
Photo courtesy of Zeitgeist Films

The MFAH hosts the opening night of the inaugural Bechdel Film Festival, organized by 14 Pews, with the premiere of an acclaimed documentary celebrating an extraordinary woman: Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story.

What does the most beautiful actress of the 1930s and 1940s have in common with the inventor whose concepts were the basis of cell phone and Bluetooth technology? They are both Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000), the glamorous Austrian movie star whose ravishing visage was the inspiration for Snow White and Catwoman. Less well-known are her accomplishments as a technological trailblazer who perfected a radio system to throw Nazi torpedoes off course during World War II. Fillmmaker Alexandra Dean weaves a riveting story of a woman who was a feminist before the term was coined.

Lamarr’s film career is traced in reflections from her children; close friends including late TCM host Robert Osborne; and the voice of Lamarr herself, thanks to an extended interview recorded late in her life. From a scandalous nude scene in the 1933 film Ecstasy, to a glittering Hollywood life, to groundbreaking but uncredited inventions, to the later years when she became a recluse, Bombshell pays tribute to Lamarr as the strong and inspiring person she was.

The MFAH hosts the opening night of the inaugural Bechdel Film Festival, organized by 14 Pews, with the premiere of an acclaimed documentary celebrating an extraordinary woman: Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story.

What does the most beautiful actress of the 1930s and 1940s have in common with the inventor whose concepts were the basis of cell phone and Bluetooth technology? They are both Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000), the glamorous Austrian movie star whose ravishing visage was the inspiration for Snow White and Catwoman. Less well-known are her accomplishments as a technological trailblazer who perfected a radio system to throw Nazi torpedoes off course during World War II. Fillmmaker Alexandra Dean weaves a riveting story of a woman who was a feminist before the term was coined.

Lamarr’s film career is traced in reflections from her children; close friends including late TCM host Robert Osborne; and the voice of Lamarr herself, thanks to an extended interview recorded late in her life. From a scandalous nude scene in the 1933 film Ecstasy, to a glittering Hollywood life, to groundbreaking but uncredited inventions, to the later years when she became a recluse, Bombshell pays tribute to Lamarr as the strong and inspiring person she was.

The MFAH hosts the opening night of the inaugural Bechdel Film Festival, organized by 14 Pews, with the premiere of an acclaimed documentary celebrating an extraordinary woman: Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story.

What does the most beautiful actress of the 1930s and 1940s have in common with the inventor whose concepts were the basis of cell phone and Bluetooth technology? They are both Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000), the glamorous Austrian movie star whose ravishing visage was the inspiration for Snow White and Catwoman. Less well-known are her accomplishments as a technological trailblazer who perfected a radio system to throw Nazi torpedoes off course during World War II. Fillmmaker Alexandra Dean weaves a riveting story of a woman who was a feminist before the term was coined.

Lamarr’s film career is traced in reflections from her children; close friends including late TCM host Robert Osborne; and the voice of Lamarr herself, thanks to an extended interview recorded late in her life. From a scandalous nude scene in the 1933 film Ecstasy, to a glittering Hollywood life, to groundbreaking but uncredited inventions, to the later years when she became a recluse, Bombshell pays tribute to Lamarr as the strong and inspiring person she was.

WHEN

WHERE

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
https://www.mfah.org/calendar/bombshell-the-hedy-lamarr-story/201802150700PM

TICKET INFO

$10
All events are subject to change due to weather or other concerns. Please check with the venue or organization to ensure an event is taking place as scheduled.