Hollywood (1942)

Ms Hedy Lamarr liii^vtMl By ■ If there's a tragic gleam in Hedy Lamarr's eyes these days and unhappiness is written unmistakably across her beautiful face, the reason is obvious. Hedy is a woman scorned by love and done wrong by that fickle little guy with the dangerous arrows, Mr. Dan Cupid. Though she is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood — maybe in the world — when it comes to love, Hedy is definitely jinxed. Every time she falls in love, she ends up behind the eight ball. Her two attempts at matrimony ended in the divorce courts. Her three romances fizzled out at the very sight of the altar. And now, all Hollywood is beginning to wonder just what's wrong with its leading glamour girl — is she a total washout where romance is concerned? Hedy herself is not to blame. Like every other woman in the world, she wants love — real and enduring. She has everything else any woman could hope for — fame, fortune and a superabundance of beauty. But when she was born there must have been an evil spirit present that promised her all a person could want, but one thing. And without romance, what good are beauty and fame and riches? Long before Hedy even came to this country, the black spell had been at work. At the age of seventeen, she already knew heartbreak and disappointment. In Vienna, her almost incredible beauty attracted the attention of every man who gazed upon her. But there was one man in particular who succumbed more than the rest. He was a dashing Austrian officer — a noble Though considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, Hedy Lamarr has yet to find true happiness. Why? ARTHUR MacKENZIE man. Franz Ritter von Hochestetten completely lost his heart to Hedy. But it so happened that Hedy had just met Max Reinhardt, the producer, and felt that the opportunity had at last presented itself for her to start her theatrical career. But, Franz von Hochestetten wanted Hedy to marry him and to abandon all thought of a career. It was not at all proper for a young lady of good background and breeding to seek a career on the stage, he said. But Hedy was too enthusiastic about her budding career and saw nothing wrong in being an actress. After arguing about it one evening, Franz went home and put a bullet through his head! To forget this tragedy, Hedy found work in films. She threw herself into it with all her youthful zest and enthusiasm. She made Ecstasy, the picture that was later to spread her name throughout the entire world. But soon after it was completed, she met the wealthy European munitions millionaire, Fritz Mandl. He fell deeply in love with Hedy and induced her to become his wife. But as mistress of one of the most magnificent mansions in Europe where she played hostess to the great and near great of the world. Hedy was far from being happy. She still yearned for the realization of her childhood ambition — to be an actress. And then the bombshell fell! Ecstasy was released. Her husband was shocked. He didn't think the rest of the world should share the sight of his beautiful wife and spent a fortune hurriedly buying up prints of the picture. But the more prints he bought up, the more were made. Hedy's marriage to producer Gene Markey, her second husband, was very brief It's rumored he even solicited the aid of Mussolini and Hitler to ban the distribution of the picture in their countries. But nothing helped. And soon the marriage itself crashed. Hedy and Mandl were divorced. Her first attempt at matrimony was a failure. After that Hedy came to America. In Europe, the blitz of Hitler washed away most of Mandl's huge fortune and eventually forced him to flee to the New World in search of something that all of his money couldn't buy for him — security. Hedy, meanwhile, was startling all America with her breathtaking beauty. When Algiers appeared, her name was on the lips of every person in the country. Her name became a synonym for glamour. And then the gossips started whispering about the many men in love with her. They were wrong. Every man in the country was in love with Hedy. But of all the suitors who wooed her, Gene Markey, ex-husband of Joan Bennett, succeeded in winning her. For the second time in her life, Hedy took the trip to the altar. She was happy and gay, thinking that at last she had found the most coveted thing in life — love. She settled down to a peaceful domestic existence. She even adopted a baby. But then a sudden storm broke. The world awoke one morning to learn that Hedy and Gene were splitting up. It was one of those mutual things. By common consent, they were divorced. All the fond dreams of Hedy vanished in the courtroom. Back she went to the life of a lonely, lovely lady. The jinx was still dogging her footsteps. She was still unlucky in love. In an effort to forget her unhappiness, Hedy joined the circle of Hollywood's night life. She was seen around town frequently. By this time, she and John Howard had discovered each other. And Handsome John Howard won Hedy's heart — but not for long Her engagement to George Montgomery amazed Hollywood. then was mysteriously called off