The face of illicit ecstasy? Hedy Lamarr.

Hedy Lamarr (1913-2000)

Born in Vienna, Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, made a literal and metaphorical splash with her role in Ecstasy, a 1933 Gustav Machat´y film which featured close-ups of the nineteen-year-old's face in the throes of orgasm (according to Hedy simulated with the aid of the director jabbing a safety pin in her behind!).

The film was equally notorious for showing its youthful star swimming naked - this  time most assuredly not simulated.

Full frontal nudity at a time when, in the USA, the Hays Code was coming into force was bound to cause a stir. 

Perhaps the other amazing thing is that the "scandal" did not prevent her becoming a Hollywood star.

That's a mystery for which we can all be grateful.

Bright and beautiful

Our admiration for 'the most beautiful woman in Europe', must not overlook her intelligence. Hedy Lamarr was a mathematician and inventor who contributed to what would later become mobile phone and laptop technology (such as Bluetooth and WiFi).