Ecstasy and Me: My Life as a Woman
Book by Cy Rice, Hedy Lamarr, and Leo Guild
"How I understand poor old Beast. My face has been my misfortune. It has attracted six unsuccessful marriage partners. It has attracted all the wrong people into my boudoir and brought me tragedy and heartache for five decades. My face is a mask I cannot remove: I must always live with it. I curse it. So I concluded that night so I believe."-Hedy Lamarr
About 12 years ago, I heard the a major Public Library was having a major book sale; naturally I had to scope it out. I looked in non fiction and found volumes and volumes of old starlets and old hollywood stars books. They were overlooked because they were not recognized but to me, I knew who they were. ❤ I had to pick this book up.
This book tells the story of Hedy Lamarr an Austrian born actress. Her struggles through 6 marriages and overcoming struggles in the business along the way. It spares no detail on abuse she faced from people who saw her for her beauty and pushed their desires on her. The recounts of near/rape scenarios still haunts me to the core.
Above every circumstance it shows her determination to succeed. How she knew early on she was beautiful and knew she had to fend for herself and became a strong woman. She's the mother of wifi unfortunately no details on her inventions were here. She spares no detail on her romantic life either. This book is definitely a product of it's time and some excerpts will not carry well now.
Even then, it was scandalous because it was a tell all. I didn't care for the writing but after awhile got used to it. There are two chapters solely transcripts from conversations and another on newspaper clippings detailing things one could easily look into. I think I left this book with a new understanding of who she was. How tragic her life was although she didn't see it that way sometimes. It was an interesting read.
8/10
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