Great Lives Folgen

Hedy Lamarr was described by her studio as the most beautiful woman in the world. A recent film, called Bombshell, argued that she was a brilliant inventor as well. But what was going on behind that wonderful face? Suzy Klein, host of the BBC Proms, tells Matthew Parris that this was an intriguing woman who continually reinvented herself. She left her native Austria before the Second World War but, despite a successful Hollywood career, what she really wanted was to be known for being clever. Recent newspaper headlines - including 'Sex Symbol by Day, Scientific Trailblazer by Night' - suggest her wishes may have finally come true. But Professor Hans-Joachim Braun isn't so sure. Film critic Antonia Quirke joins Matthew Parris in the studio to discuss a truly extraordinary life.The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde.

For soul singer Mica Paris, when she first dreamt of becoming a singer it was Josephine Baker who inspired her most. Baker was a young black American dancer who became an overnight sensation in Paris in 1925 after performing wild, uninhibited routines in the skimpiest of costumes.So can Mica Paris make the case for Baker who wore a string of bananas and little else while performing the 'banana dance? Joining presenter Matthew Parris to help tell the story of Josephine Baker is author Andrea Stuart.Producer: Perminder KhatkarFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4 May 2018.

Actor Simon Callow joins Matthew Parris to nominate the life of a giant of Hollywood's golden age, Orson Welles. Aged just 26, Welles wrote, directed and starred in Citizen Kane. He once recalled how he 'started at the top and worked his way down' - never managing to recreate his initial film success.Welles's friend and collaborator Henry Jaglom talks about knowing him for the last years of his life.The movie industry had turned its back on him leaving him strapped for cash and looking for work.Producer: Maggie AyreFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2018.