"Hedy Lamarr: The Most Beautiful Woman in Film" by Ruth Barton (University of Kentucky Press, $29.95) Reviewed by Larry Cox Hedy Lamarr was so breathtakingly beautiful, she was never expected to be much more than set dressing in most of her films.

Throughout the 1940s, Lamarr was epitome of glamour and sex appeal and had one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. Her image dominated magazine covers, her misadventures made international news headlines and her hyper-sexualized roles seemed to mirror her own tumultuous life.

After several insignificant roles, she appeared in "Ecstasy," a notorious Czech art film issued in 1933. It launched her acting career. In Hollywood, she eventually co-starred in several major productions that included "Boom Town," "White Cargo" and Cecil B. DeMille's "Samson and Delilah." Between her film projects, she managed to find time to marry six times and have a substantial number of well-publicized affairs.

This is a fascinating biography about this rather elusive star. Although a biographer can never really tell the complete story of a celebrity, Barton comes as close to the truth as we are likely to get.

Lamarr, who died in 2000, was much more complex than the simplistic image often portrayed, and that is why she continues to fascinate.

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.