Hedy Lamarr

A major star under contract with MGM during the 1930s and 1940s, Hedy Lamarr first started acting in her native Austria. She later made her way to Hollywood and began appearing in a number of pictures, most notably "Algiers" (1938), "I Take This Woman" (1940), "Ziegfeld Girl" (1941), "Boom Town" (1940) and "White Cargo" (1942). Lamarr was often cast as the desirable woman of mystery, which perfectly suited her strikingly dark exotic looks. In fact, she was hailed as the "world's most beautiful woman." Lamarr also gave a strong performance in King Vidor's "H.M. Pulhan, Esq." (1941). She was also an inventor, working with composer George Antheil to develop a radio guidance system for guided missiles. Although the Navy did not start using her technology until the 1960s, it is still in use today, and in 2014, Lamarr and Antheil were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.