​​            Hedy Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler on  November 9th, 1914 in Vienna, Austria (Cheslak). Her interest in inventing began when she was a young child and “she could be found taking apart and reassembling her music box” (Cheslak). “Lamarr’s brilliant mind was ignored, and her beauty took center stage when she was discovered by director Max Reinhardt at age 16” (Cheslak). “She studied acting with Reinhardt in Berlin and was in her first small film role by 1930, in a German film called Geld auf der Straβe” (Cheslak). She married Fritz Mandl in 1933, but she found him controlling and they divorced in 1937 (Severo). This was the first of six marriages and divorces for Lamarr (King). In 1941, an era dubbed “the dark years”, Lamarr wanted to help her adopted country against German submarines (Rhodes 3). The famous pianist and composer, George Anthiel, whom Lamarr had met at a dinner party wanted to help also (King). “With radio signals hopping about different frequencies like notes on a piano, Lamarr and Anthiel believed they could create a jam-proof homing system for torpedoes” (King).