It's no secret that Hedy Lamarr was a screen goddess and icon of the 1930's, the 1940's, and even into the 1950's. A career which spanned decades, author Devra Hill was one of the few individuals granted access by Hedy into the private moments of her legendary life. Most people knew about the public Hedy, the persona that made headlines in the newspapers. But only Devra Hill got close enough to know her intimate secrets revealed to her through many shared moments of conversation they had together. Devra says "A cunning and brilliantly manipulative woman as exemplified in my chapter involving Hedy's tryst with Adolph Hitler." Although initially taken by him against her will, Hedy remained in his good graces long enough to receive a diamond encrusted cigarette case as a gift from one of the most hated men of the twentieth century. Only Hedy could soothe the savage beast". In "What Almost Happened to Hedy" the reader is faced with some fascinating questions ie; What was it that Hedy Lamarr knew during her liaisons with Adolph Hitler? Why did she know men but never really knew love? Was she really as sexual as everyone imagined? What was it inside the mind of Hedy Lamarr that really made her tick? Hedy Lamarr fans will truly enjoy author Devra Hill's excellent writing and perhaps come to understand a more intimate side of the actress that most of us will never know..
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
What Should Have Never Happened To Hedy Lamarr,
By Emanuel D. Elias "Emanuel D. Elias" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: What Almost Happened to Hedy Lamarr (Paperback)
Hoping that this would be a long anticipated biography on one of my all-time favorite movie stars, Miss Hedy Lamarr, I eagerly began reading this book by author Devra Z. Hill, who claims to have been friends with the late Miss Lamarr.
From the bizarre, unattractive neo art cover of what was a stunning Hedy Lamarr photograph, it all gets worse after that. But then, the dreadful cover is totally adept to the book, which makes no sense. As I read on I kept expecting (and hoping) that the book would return to a "normal" biography once I passed the first 30 pages. Instead of attempting a true and tried account of Lamarr's life, Devra Z. Hill resorts to fictional writing and skips everything known about Hedy Lamarr; including birth and parents, important years in her life, her films, the actors she knew and worked with, her frequency hopping invention that led to today's cell phone. Even the names of Lamarr's husbands and children are omitted. But I wondered why? This book has a few studio-standard photographs, nothing revelatory. What's left after that you might ask? Well, the answer is obvious: nothing. And that is sad, as Hedy Lamarr was one of Hollywood's most beautiful, fascinating and intelligent women of all times. She truly deserves a real biography. This book is supposed to chronicle the years of 1940 to 1967 but nothing relevant is to be found. I recommend any admirer of Miss Hedy Lamarr or anyone who is even remotely interested in her life to skip this one and opt for her ghost-written autobiography, Ecstasy and Me. Or better yet, The Films of Hedy Lamarr by Christopher Young. Those are certainly worth your time and money.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disapponting,
By
This review is from: What Almost Happened to Hedy Lamarr (Paperback)
I have so many issues with this book in terms of the many ways it failed to live up to expectations:
1. At a most basic level, the book is filled with mis-spellings. "Choked" is spelled as "choaked" and there are many more such errors to find throughout the book. Totally unacceptable. 2. The writing is so simplistic and contrived. A character who is implied to be Greta Garbo uses "I want to be alone" as part of the first thing she ever says when introduced -- and repeats this several times for the few pages she occupies this novel. This book is so full of tired cliches, it's so disappointing. 3. Given the press and the publisher's description of the book, I really thought it was going to be more biographical rather than sensationalizing on a dead celebrity with mostly made-up trash. 4. Perhaps most egregious, I learned the author based this story on notes she had taken back in the 60s when she was invited by Hedy Lamarr to write her biography. Shortly thereafter, Lamarr was arrested for shoplifting and that somehow ended the author's associations with the actress. I can't help but feel the author is doing a disservice to someone who is dead and who can not defend herself. She used information that Lamarr gave her in confidence over 40 years ago to profit by writing a completely sensationalistic book. Looks like Lamarr is being used once again.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Rubbish,
By
This review is from: What Almost Happened to Hedy Lamarr (Paperback)
I'm merely writing to echo what the other 1-star reviewers have to say about this poorly written, poorly researched and poorly formatted book. It makes me question if there is any veracity to the gossip and speculation appearing on these pages. Certainly, the author/s have no ability to write or think. This poor attempt at exploitation is insulting(we are talking about a book replete with 3rd and 4th grade spelling errors, written for a reading audience of about 11 years old and based on a foundation of inaccuracy, hearsay and gossip).
Among other obvious attributes and talents, Hedy Lamarr possessed a mathematical brain with a refined scientific appitude. This is insulting trash and should in no way be associated with Hedy's legacy. You are foolheardy to even consider spending a cent or a kopeck on this trash.
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