This film is part of Rentals
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
Fascinating documentary about the glamorous Hollywood star who was also a genius inventor of military technology.
Documentary 2017 89 mins
Director: Alexandra Dean
Overview
Hedy Lamarr was one of the leading female stars of 1940s Hollywood, but few would be aware of her off-screen accomplishments as an inventor of frequency hopping during WWII, which later became the basis for wi-fi and bluetooth. Alexandra Dean’s documentary charts Lamarr’s fascinating life, from her youth in Vienna, the pivotal transatlantic journey that landed her a lucrative contract with MGM, her struggles for more challenging roles, to her determination to contribute to the war effort.
Through her own words and those close to her (and with her letters voiced by Diane Kruger), Bombshell paints a picture of a strong woman who defied expectation and earned her place in the history of both Hollywood and science. Supported by The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
moderate sex references, nudityAccessibility
Related
Documentary
Polio
Documentary 1958 13 mins Director: Rollo Gamble
Daniel Farson meets people affected by polio in a series of studio interviews and a filmed report with a man paralysed after contracting the disease.
Behindert
Documentary 1974 98 mins Director: Stephen Dwoskin
The account of a close, personal relationship as experienced by a disabled man.
No Future
Documentary 1958 13 mins Director: Rollo Gamble
Despite the bleak title, there is some hope in this film about disabled schoolchildren.
Epileptics
Documentary 1958 14 mins Director: Rollo Gamble
Daniel Farson interviews people affected by epilepsy and discusses the social stigma attached to the condition.
Disabled
Documentary 1967 14 mins Director: Vic Hughes
Paul Hunt, the Rosa Parks of the UK disability rights movement, talks about living in a disabling society.
RBG
Documentary 2018 99 mins Director: Julie Cohen
Revelatory documentary on an unexpected hero - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Inside Film
Joshua Tree, 1951 A Portrait of James Dean
Biopic 2012 94 mins Director: Matthew Mishory
A sensuous and sexy snapshot from the life of James Dean, capturing moments from the years before his career took off.
A Fuller Life
Documentary 2013 80 mins Director: Samantha Fuller
James Franco leads the eulogies in this profile of the larger-than-life filmmaker Samuel Fuller, who also had eventful stints as a journalist and serviceman.
Thursday's Child
Drama 1943 79 mins Director: Rodney Ackland
Sally Ann Howes plays the 12-year-old spotted by a casting director, setting her on the way to stardom.
A Bit of Scarlet
Documentary 1996 71 mins Director: Andrea Weiss
Mapping how British film and TV depicts the gay and lesbian lifestyle, Andrea Weiss raids the archives for her funny and persuasive documentary.
Altman
Documentary 2014 96 mins Director: Ron Mann
An illuminating documentary about American cinema’s maverick genius Robert Altman, featuring unseen home movies and extensive interviews.
Night of the Filmmakers
Documentary 1995 51 mins Director: Edgar Reitz
From the director of Heimat, a mini-epic about the history of German cinema.
Featuring Peter Bogdanovich
78/52
Documentary 2017 92 mins Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
This superb, in-depth documentary devotes 90 minutes to analysing one of cinema’s most famous sequences – the shower scene in Psycho.
Hitchcock/Truffaut
Documentary 2015 80 mins Director: Kent Jones
Kent Jones’ excellent documentary about a historic encounter between two cinema greats.
New
Monsters and Men
Drama 2018 96 mins Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Unravelling the aftermath of a police killing of a black man - and how it affects the lives of three separate individuals. With John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman).
Outcasts
Drama 2008 25 mins Director: Ian Clark
A girl in love, a pop star in peril and a gang on the run - watch it play out!
Walter
Drama 1982 73 mins Director: Stephen Frears
Ian McKellen stars in Stephen Frears' TV play as Walter, a man with learning difficulties who's put in an institution after the death of his mother.
Polio
Documentary 1958 13 mins Director: Rollo Gamble
Daniel Farson meets people affected by polio in a series of studio interviews and a filmed report with a man paralysed after contracting the disease.
Behindert
Documentary 1974 98 mins Director: Stephen Dwoskin
The account of a close, personal relationship as experienced by a disabled man.
No Future
Documentary 1958 13 mins Director: Rollo Gamble
Despite the bleak title, there is some hope in this film about disabled schoolchildren.