Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr - Hedy Lamarr: 3. Inventing Hedy

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A Hollywood deal transforms Hedy Kiesler into Hedy Lamarr - her greatest invention yet? After a daring escape from her husband and the advance of Hitler’s Nazis into Austria, Hedy Lamarr arrives in London broke and alone. She still has a plan to hit the big time. After a last-minute dash to France she blags her way onto the Normandie, a luxury liner bound for New York. She’s trying to persuade a fellow passenger - the movie mogul Louis B. Mayer - to sign her up to MGM. It’s a glamorous voyage, complete with Oscar winners and industry insiders, but when Hedy makes her entrance in the dining room, all eyes are on her.

What makes someone a “true legend”? Untold Legends gives legendary status to those who deserve it – and tells their story.

Untold Legends is from the BBC World Service, Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

An earlier version of this episode contained factual and editorial errors. This episode was updated on 22 July 2025 to correct them.

Published on Monday, 30th June 2025.

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