Anthony Loder mit Danielle Spera

Goodbye Anthony

To put my feelings into words has seldom been as as difficult for me as today. Last night I received the news that Anthony Loder had passed away. Even if he had been marked by a serious illness for many years, he had always recovered until now. Apparently, his strength had left him. In the past seven years there has been almost no day that I haven't communicated with him. Not always easy, but ultimately with a conciliatory conclusion.

Anthony Loder was born in 1947, the second child of Hedy Lamarr and her third husband, John Loder. With a mother who was a celebrated Hollywood star and was considered the most beautiful woman in the world, the two children did not always have a carefree life. Not only their father figures changed, but also the places of residence, a turbulent life in which little remained constant. Hedy Lamarr loved her children, but the whirlwind of her career and the disrespect for her inventions and intelligence meant emotional hurdles for Anthony and his sister Denise. Anthony Loder wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps, but he was not destined for a great acting career. He became a producer and ended up in the telephone and communications business. His love for his mother became his profession. Anthony Loder collected her letters, notes, photos and bought memorabilia at auctions. And he fought for his mother's recognition as an inventor, a late recognition that Hedy Lamarr was able to experience. Anthony accepted the awards for the invention of the frequency hopping method, which made Bluetooth or GPS possible for us today, on her behalf. In her last years his mother had not left her house any more. She wanted to be remembered as the most beautiful woman in the world.

Together with the film producer Georg Misch Anthony created a wonderful cinematic memorial for his mother. "Calling Hedy Lamarr" is a touching film that documents his mother's last years and her isolation from the world, but also lovingly shows her as an impressive Hollywood beauty and briefly allows a painful look at the destroyed face of Hedy Lamarr. The scene in which Anthony and his sister Denise scatter Hedy Lamarr's ashes over the Vienna Woods remains unforgettable. The rest of the ashes was preserved. Anthony's fight with the city of Vienna for granting her an honorary grave should last 14 years. Over the years, Anthony's health has become unstable. While his wife Lise sacrificially took care of him, Anthony devoted the last few years of his life to fight for his mother's legacy

His greatest wish was that his mother would not be forgotten. Since Hedy Lamarr loved her former hometown Vienna so much, Anthony was keen to have a permanent memorial erected for her here: The project of a high-end department store in the style of the stores that Hedy Lamarr was so fond of frequenting will be opened to the public in the beginning of 2025. In addition to a public park named after her, the “Lamarr” on Mariahilfer Strasse will also acccomodate a museum/café in which many of her personal items will be on display and which will become a meeting place in the style of a Viennese salon. Anthony Loder's last message to me was as follows: "Sprinkle some Hedy Lamarr dust around the place, especially in the corners, dust and all!" I share my grief with his family, his wife Lise and their children, and his sister Denise. I am infinitely grateful that I was able to meet Anthony Loder and that he placed his trust in me. I will do everything in my power to implement his vision in the best possible way. I will never forget him.

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