6 As the conflict raged on and escalated, Lamarr continued to work in Hollywood. She appeared in a number of films, including Lady of the Tropics (1939) and White Cargo (1942), before her contract with MGM expired. She also worked hard to help the American forces by selling war bonds. These bonds helped the government supply troops with weapons and other gear they needed in combat. In one night, Lamarr sold an amazing $7 million in war bonds to help the troops.
7 The actress was also thinking about another way to help defeat the Germans. In 1940 she met an American composer named George Antheil, who had lived in Germany and also fled Europe as the Nazis rose to power. Antheil was also a curious person and had many interests. He had worked in Europe as a reporter and was an expert in the study of human glands—he even wrote a science book about them. In Hollywood, he wrote music for movies. Lamarr and Antheil discussed a variety of subjects, including torpedoes, which were very important in the war effort. Controlling these missiles with radio signals would make them more likely to hit their targets, but radio signals could be intercepted by the enemy, who could deliberately throw them off course. Lamarr remembered all she had learned about radio transmissions and weapons during her first marriage. She had some ideas about how to make radio signals more reliable and harder to jam. Antheil also had a mathematical mind and saw the logic in Lamarr's ideas.
8 Lamarr and Antheil put their heads together for two years and came up with an idea that seemed very complicated, but is really very simple. They realized that changing the radio frequencies very quickly and unpredictably would make it impossible for anyone to find the radio signals that controlled the torpedoes. Antheil was known for composing music for player pianos, which operate by reading holes punched in rolls of paper—each hole is a key strike on the instrument. He and Lamarr invented a way to use the player-piano method on the missiles. They created "frequency hopping." They programmed the torpedoes to change frequencies very quickly. Only those who knew the program would find the missiles.
9 Lamarr and Antheil developed their idea, which they called a Secret Communications System. They received a patent, which meant nobody could use their idea without their permission for seventeen years. Because they wanted to stop the Germans, they gave their idea to the US military for free. But military leaders did not see the brilliance of the idea. Maybe they didn't understand how a player piano was like a missile-guidance system. Lamarr believed the military leaders did not take her idea seriously because she was a famous actress. Antheil later said his description of how a player piano worked must have confused them. In fact, the invention was technologically well ahead of its time. Lamarr and Antheil had developed a system to work with electronics, which really didn't exist yet. Though the military did not use the idea, it classified the system as a military secret, meaning no one else could learn about it.
10 Lamarr reportedly turned down leading roles in two major films—Casablanca and Gaslight. The roles made Ingrid Bergman a star, and Lamarr found herself being offered very few quality film roles. She always felt that her looks held her back, both in her career and in her personal life. Studios felt they couldn't cast her in such ordinary roles as a shop worker or heartbroken woman, so instead, Lamarr was cast over and over as a beautiful woman who lacked intelligence. She rarely had a chance to show her skill as an actress.
11 In 1945, the Allied forces finally defeated the Nazis and World War II ended. Lamarr continued to act for several more years, though not as often as before. In 1949, she starred in Samson and Delilah. Paramount Pictures made a fortune on the film. It was the studio's most profitable movie, but Lamarr was paid just $100,000 for her work. In 1953, the actress became an American citizen. She moved to Europe for a few years, acting briefly, but soon returned to the United States, where she made a few more movies. Again, she did not earn much money for her work, and she struggled with finances for the rest of her life.
12 During the late 1950s, after the patent on the Secret Communications System had expired, the US military finally developed the device. The US Navy put it to use during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and it became a crucial aspect of all military defense systems. After appearing in The Female Animal (1958), Lamarr retired and moved to Florida. She passed away on January 19, 2000. She continued to act but also tried to satisfy her insatiable curiosity. She was a voracious reader who had shelves of books on engineering. She even set up a scientific laboratory in her home. Which statement best describes the author's point of view in this passage?The author is doubtful that Hedy Lamarr actually accomplished all the deeds that are attributed to her.The author is doubtful that Hedy Lamarr actually accomplished all the deeds that are attributed to her.
B The author is clearly in awe of Lamarr's ability to not only be a movie star, but also be a pioneer in science.The author is clearly in awe of Lamarr's ability to not only be a movie star, but also be a pioneer in science.
C The author invites the reader to see both sides of Hedy Lamarr, both how she helped society and how she hurt it.The author invites the reader to see both sides of Hedy Lamarr, both how she helped society and how she hurt it.
D The author presents a primarily negative perspective on Lamarr's life, regardless of her contributions to science.The author presents a primarily negative perspective on Lamarr's life, regardless of her contributions to science.
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B The author is clearly in awe of Lamarr's ability to not only be a movie star, but also be a pioneer in science.
The passage highlights Lamarr's achievements in both her acting career and her groundbreaking work in developing a communications system during World War II, portraying her as a multifaceted individual who made significant contributions beyond her Hollywood fame. The author's tone conveys admiration for Lamarr's intellect, creativity, and contributions to society.
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