Sunday 12 January 2014

Lamarr: from Plain Jane to glamorous beauty



Hedy Lamarr didn't look very attractive in her early photographs. Even in her "scandalous" movie Ecstasy, she looked pretty ordinary.
Supposedly Hedy herself once said: "My mother always called me an ugly weed, so I never was aware of anything until I was older. Plain girls should have someone telling them they are beautiful. Sometimes this works miracles."


So, how did she transform from a Plain Jane to the glittering Hollywood diva, "one of the most beautiful women in the World"?
Her early photographs show a young girl with rather full cheeks, almost thin lips, non-arching eyebrows, broad forehead, the unflattering hairstyle, which even emphasised the slight asymmetry of her face. The make up and the photography were unprofessionally executed and they didn't exploit the possibilities of the good angle, good lighting and shades.
Comparison with her later photographs reveals that she had blossomed into a gorgeous beauty. There wasn't any surgery involved. She just came into the hands of professionals. The hair was grown longer and curly, the eyebrows were defined to be high and fully arched, the long eyelashes were added, she lost some weight so her face became more elegant and the glossy dark lipstick was carefully placed slightly over the natural margins of her lips to make them fuller. Rest of the makeup was a masterpiece and Hedy learnt how to pose under the flattering lights. Usually holding her chin up and the head slightly tilted sideways.

2 comments:

  1. Yes, this is pretty much the formula still followed. And there is a huge difference between snapshot and a carefully set up photo by a skilled photographer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Also, as women age, they soften. A few wrinkles and dimples adds to their exquisiteness. We men, on the other hand get soft and pudgy. Works for women. Just not us.

    ReplyDelete