Few are the girls who never dreamed of becoming an actress, a movie star, a Hollywood icon. Even fewer are the girls who never swooned over a hot movie star. Whether we like it or not, Hollywood is still the film-making capital of the world, and if you look at many of today’s starlets you would believe that all it takes is a nice face and a lot of well-placed silicone. However, Hollywood became the stuff of dreams decades ago when the movie stars were larger than life. This series is about the Golden Era of Hollywood and the legends on whose blood, sweat and talent the success of the modern film industry was built upon.
Natalie Wood spent all her life in the limelight and even now, almost four decades after her mysterious death, the papers and the Internet are still rife with speculations about her ultimate fate. Her story is typical for a child-star who enjoyed tremendous success at an early age, then struggled to reinvent herself and be accepted as a serious actress.
Born in 1938 to a couple of Russian immigrants, Natasha Zakharenko spent her childhood as America’s favorite daughter. It was her mother’s ambition to make her a movie-star from the earliest age, moving the family closer to Hollywood and always looking for opportunities. Her name was changed to Natalie Wood, a move which did not sit well with her father, who disapproved of his wife’s ambitions for the little girl.
Before she was five, little Natasha got a 15 seconds scene in a movie, just enough to get her noticed by director Irving Pichel, who befriended the family and offered advice. It was his idea to have Natalie audition for a part in an Orson Welles movie and by the age of seven the girl got her first real part in the post-war drama ’Tomorrow is Forever’(1946).
As a child-star in 'Miracle on 34th Street'
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The kid was considered so talented she immediately got a role in one of America’s favorite movies ’Miracle on 34th Street’(1947), to this day one of the Christmas season’s staple programs.
All in all, Natalie Wood appeared in over 20 movies as a child, playing the daughter of major Hollywood stars, from Maureen O’Hara to Bette Davis. She was so popular she was invited to take part in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a major event in American culture.
With James Dean, in 'Rebel Without a Cause'
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By the age of 15, Natalie Wood was promoted to teenage parts and the transition went smoothly. Her major appearance as a teenager was in the ’Rebel Without a Cause’, where her character falls in love with James Dean. The sweet child America loved had acquired the rebelliousness of the 1950’s disenchanted teenagers, a mix Hollywood was quick to exploit by casting her in several parts similar to the one in ‘Rebel Without a Cause’. However, Natalie Wood spent most of the 1950s playing ‘girlfriend’ parts in mostly irrelevant movies, which she found unsatisfactory.
With Robert Wagner, the love of her life
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If her career didn’t go exactly as she would have wanted it, her love life was a great success, at least by her own standards. In the summer of 1956 she had a brief romance with Elvis Presley, but, by the time she turned 18 she saw her greatest dream come true. She met her childhood idol, actor Robert Wagner, and one year later they got married. Although very handsome, Wagner never rose to real stardom, many of his movies turning out quite disappointing, but he was luckier with his television endeavors.
It was during her first marriage to Wagner that Natalie Wood made her best movies. In 1961 she starred in ’Splendor in the Grass’, opposite Warren Beatty. One of the best movies of the era, ‘Splendor in the Grass’ tells the story of a teenage romance gone wrong, the character played by Wood is torn between her boyfriend's sexual advances and her strict parents' warnings to repress her own sexual needs, and suffers a mental breakdown following a rape attempt. The movie brought her an Academy Award nomination.
As Deanie, in 'Splendor in the Grass'
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The same year, she played in the famous ’West Side Story’, one of the best musicals of all times.
Her marriage to Robert Wagner was falling apart and they divorced in 1962. A few years later she met British screenwriter Richard Gregson, and married him in 1969. Two years later, they separated after she accused him of infidelity. By 1972, Natalie Wood was back with the love of her life, Robert Wagner. Apparently, this time around they were more mature and determined to make their marriage work.
Everything came to an end with her sudden death in 1981. Officially she drowned during a boating trip to Catalina Island on the family yacht, ‘Splendour’, named after Natalie’s most memorable film. Her family refused to accept her death was an accident and have always accused Wagner of killing her, especially as there were several bruises on her body. The only witnesses to the events on the night she died were fellow actor Christopher Walken and the boat’s captain. At the time, they all maintained Wagner had gone to bed before his wife’s disappearance. As she had been drinking and taking various pills, the case was closed as an accidental drowning.
With Christopher Walken, her partner in her last movie 'Brainstorm'
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In 2011, the boat’s skipper, Dennis Davern, recanted his original story and declared in a televised interview he believed it was Wagner who killed Natalie Wood. He said he heard the two fighting that night and later found Wagner alone on deck. The actor quietly informed him his wife was missing and she might have fallen into the water, a story Davern was instructed to tell the police. The reason of the couple’s fight might have been Christopher Walken. He was filming with Natalie Wood at that time and Wagner suspected they might be having an affair. Walken, however, supported Wagner’s version of the events and refuses to talk about that night.
Following the skipper’s revelation, the case was reopened and the cause of death was amended to ‘drowning and other undetermined factors’.
In February 2018, Robert Wagner was named a ‘person of interest’ in the case, but in any case it is too late to speak of justice being done, as the actor is almost 90. And he’s had a pretty good life since Natalie Wood’s death, with many movies and TV shows. In 1990 he married actress Jill St.John and they remain together to this day.
With Natalie Wood dead at the age of 43, the question remains what movies she might have made? She had looks and talent, but in the end she didn’t have enough time.
Post authored by @ladyrebecca.
References:Wiki, USA Today
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The primary reason why Wood's family suspected Wagner of having a hand in her death was his story that she had probably taken the dinghy out by herself, when it was well known to those who knew her that she was afraid of the water, especially dark water, and would never have done so at night, especially when she had been drinking.
He also said that maybe she fell overboard trying to tie up the dinghy, if it was knocking against the hull keeping her awake, but as the captain said, she would simply have asked him to do it.
Then there was the fact that her autopsy showed multiple bruises on her arms and face consistent with wounds of self-defense.
I remember her death well, as I was still in L.A. when it happened, and knew the part of Catalina Island where she drowned pretty well.
Personally, I agree with her family, and believe Wagner to be responsible.
There are several L.A. cops who kept the case alive, because they thought so as well, including one who kept up with developments well after he retired. He was instrumental in helping with the investigation once the case was reopened.
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Thanks for taking the time to provide so much additional information to this tragic story. Personally, I chose to leave out the whole dinghy story as it seems so far-fatched. I doubt it that justice will ever be done, but at least it's good to know that some cops hold on to this case and try to do their job.
When talking about the mysterious deaths of Hollywood, this unfortunate accident is pointed out which to this day is still remembered as one of the saddest and most impressive mysteries and tragedies in the history of the show. Although people and experts talk about accident, the homicide version has always been around this case. And everyone points to Wagner as the culprit. Still, much has been said about Natalie Wood's addictions. According to him, many of the mother's mistreatments and abuses would lead her to a problem of drug and alcohol addiction combined with a depressive state according to many witnesses and friends. It is said that when a pythoness read Wood's mother's luck when she was pregnant, she predicted Natalie's success, but also her early death. Quite a mystery. As always, excellent post, @ladyrebecca.
A rather sad and regrettable end of life is that of Natalie Wood, that beautiful actress that we still remember with her splendor in West Side Story and some other films. In fact, it's one of those stories where it's hard to know the truth, although as the colloquial saying goes: "Everything is known...". Thanks for your post, @ladyrebecca.
The fatal end of a talent and a beauty, who have thought she would meet death like this. Confusion, doubts still remains....and the untold story of the talent which must remain a screen attraction in every movies she appeared. She has a charm that can pull anyone.....Still after so many years...I would say RIP Natalie
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@ladyrebecca, Some lives always stay as mystery. And this mysterious world have many mysterious lives which always travel ahead with mystery only.
@adsactly Team, Keep encouraging more and more.
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Thanks @adsactly for this nice blog!! Star is always star ☺☺
Hi, @adsactly!
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A rather sad and regrettable end of life is that of Natalie Wood, that beautiful actress that we still remember with her splendor in West Side Story and some other films. In fact, it's one of those stories where it's hard to know the truth, although as the colloquial saying goes: "Everything is known...". Thanks for your post, @ladyrebecca.