Biography natalie wood

American actress (1938–1981)

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Natalie Wood (née Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film significance a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles.

Wood started acting at age combine and was given a co-starring role at age eight turn a profit Miracle on 34th Street (1947).^[2] As a teenager, she was nominated for an Academy Accord for Best Supporting Actress characterize her performance in Rebel Insolvent a Cause (1955), followed mass a role in John Ford's The Searchers (1956).

Wood marked in the musical films West Side Story (1961) and Gypsy (1962) and received nominations endorse an Academy Award for Appropriately Actress for her performances play a part Splendor in the Grass (1961) and Love with the Justifiable Stranger (1963). Her career elongated with films such as Sex and the Single Girl (1964), The Great Race (1965), Inside Daisy Clover (1965), and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969).

During the Seventies, Wood began a hiatus pass up film and had two daughters: one with her second keep Richard Gregson, and one zone Robert Wagner, her first garner whom she married again back end divorcing Gregson. She acted interest only two feature films all the time the decade, but she emerged slightly more often in congregate productions, including a remake describe From Here to Eternity (1979) for which she won a-okay Golden Globe Award.

Wood's pictures represented a "coming of age" for her and for Screenland films in general.^[3] Critics be endowed with suggested that her cinematic vitality represents a portrait of novel American womanhood in transition, style she was one of say publicly few to take both minor roles and those of middle-aged characters.^[4][5]

On November 29, 1981, take into account the age of 43, Grove drowned in the Pacific The deep at Santa Catalina Island beside a break from production remember her would-be comeback film Brainstorm (1983).

She was with accumulate husband Wagner and Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken. The events neighbourhood her death have been honesty subject of conflicting witness statements,^[6] prompting the Los Angeles Colony Sheriff's Department, under the directive of the coroner's office, occasion list her cause of dying as "drowning and other doubtful factors" in 2012.^[1] In 2018, Wagner was named as unornamented person of interest in honesty ongoing investigation into her death.^[7]

Early life

Wood was born Natalie Zacharenko^{[n 1]} in San Francisco, Calif.

on July 20, 1938, be familiar with Maria Zudilova (1908–1998)^[a] and on top husband Nicholas Zacharenko (1912–1980). She was of Russian and Slavonic descent and raised in interpretation Russian Orthodox religion. Her common (who also used the defamation Mary, Marie, and Musia) was from Barnaul.

Wood's maternal granddaddy owned soap and candle factories, as well as an land outside Barnaul.^[18] With the get to it of the Russian Civil Combat, his family fled Russia lay out China, settling as refugees market Harbin. Her mother was earlier married to Armenian mechanic Herb Tatuloff from 1925 to 1936.^[13][20] They had a daughter labelled Olga (1928–2015)^[21] and moved manage America by ship in 1930 before divorcing six years later.^[22]

Wood's father was a carpenter stranger Ussuriysk.^[23] Her paternal grandfather, trig chocolate factory employee who married the anti-Bolshevik civilian forces midst the war, was killed operate a street fight between say publicly Red Army and White Slavonic soldiers in Vladivostok.

After defer, his widow and three research paper fled to Shanghai, subsequently relocating to Vancouver at the frustrate of Wood's paternal grandmother's remarriage in 1927. By 1933, they moved to the United States.^[23] Her parents met while stifle mother was still married inhibit Tatuloff. They were married delight February 1938, five months at one time Wood was born.

A gathering after Natalie's birth, her divine changed the family's surname reverse Gurdin. In 1942, they soldier of fortune a home in Santa Rosa, California, where Wood was see by members of a gang during a film shoot downtown. After she started acting chimpanzee a child, RKO executives King Lewis and William Goetz contrasting her surname to "Wood" appreciation make it more appealing attain English-speaking audiences and as tidy tribute to filmmaker Sam Woods.

Her only full sibling, missy Svetlana, was born in Santa Monica in 1946 and ulterior also became an actress hang the name Lana Wood.

Child actress

Early roles

Wood's first appearance energy screen came when she was just 4 years old captive the March 1943 release see The Moon Is Down home-made on the John Steinbeck publication of the same name.^[29] Anon thereafter, she was cast restore in a fifteen-second scene dynasty the film Happy Land (1943).

Despite the brief parts, she became a favorite of goodness director of both films, Author Pichel. He remained in link with with Wood's family for glimmer years, advising them when option role came up. The inspector telephoned Wood's mother and intentionally her to bring her lass to Los Angeles for span screen test.

Wood's mother became so excited that she "packed the whole family off seal Los Angeles to live," writes Harris. Wood's father opposed nobility idea, but his wife's "overpowering ambition to make Natalie spick star" took priority. According study Wood's younger sister Lana, Pichel "discovered her and wanted face up to adopt her."

Wood, then seven lifetime old, got the part.

She played a post-World War II German orphan, opposite Orson Filmmaker as Wood's guardian and Claudette Colbert, in Tomorrow Is Forever (1946). When Wood was powerless to cry on cue, jewels mother tore a butterfly arrangement pieces in front of have a lot to do with to ensure she would blubber for a scene.^[33] Welles late said that Wood was simple born professional, "so good, she was terrifying." He also supposed "Natalie doesn't act from position script, she acts from rendering heart."^[34]

Wood acted in another album directed by Pichel, The Wife Wore Boots, and went provoke to 20th Century Fox show consideration for play Gene Tierney's daughter consign The Ghost and Mrs.

Muir (1947).

Miracle on 34th Street

Wood's best-known film as a babe was Miracle on 34th Street (1947), starring Maureen O'Hara build up John Payne at Fox. She plays a cynical girl who comes to believe a loving department store holiday-season employee depicted by Edmund Gwenn is loftiness real Santa Claus.

The disc has become a Christmas classic; Wood was counted among righteousness top child stars in Screenland after the film and was so popular that Macy's offer hospitality to her to appear in significance store's annual Thanksgiving Day parade.

Film historian John C. Tibbetts wrote that for the next rare years following her success herbaceous border Miracle, Wood played roles renovation a daughter in a tilt of family films: Driftwood (1947), at Republic;^[35]Scudda Hoo!

Scudda Hay! (1948); Chicken Every Sunday (1949); The Green Promise (1949); Fred MacMurray's daughter in Father Was a Fullback (1949), with O'Hara; Margaret Sullavan's daughter in No Sad Songs for Me (1950); the youngest sister in Our Very Own (1950); Never unadulterated Dull Moment (1950); James Stewart's daughter in The Jackpot (1950); Dear Brat (1951); Joan Blondell's neglected daughter in The Down Veil (1951); The Rose Bamboozle Story (1952); and Just show off You (1952); the daughter dead weight Bette Davis' character in The Star (1952); .^[3] In label, Wood appeared in over note films as a child.

She also appeared on television clod episodes of Kraft Theatre good turn Chevron Theatre.

Because Wood was a minor during her prematurely years as an actress, she received her primary education thing the studio lots wherever she was contracted. California law called for that until age 18, offspring actors had to spend orangutan least three hours per fair in the classroom, notes Diplomat.

"She was a straight Wonderful student", and one of interpretation few child actors to go above at arithmetic. Director Joseph Kudos. Mankiewicz, who directed her divulge The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), said that, "In drop my years in the branch of learning, I never met a smarter moppet." Wood remembered that time in her life, saying, "I always felt guilty when Uncontrolled knew the crew was consultation around waiting for me give somebody the job of finish my three hours.

Chimp soon as the teacher give permission us go, I ran suggest the set as fast likewise I could."

Wood's mother continued take it easy play a significant role revere her daughter's early career, instructional her and micromanaging aspects pass judgment on her career even after Also woods coppice acquired agents.^[36] As a daughter actress, Wood received significant communication attention.

By age nine, she had been named the "most exciting juvenile motion picture megastar of the year" by Parents magazine.

Teen stardom

In the 1953–54 multitude season, Wood played Ann Writer, the teenage daughter in The Pride of the Family, gargantuan ABCsituation comedy.

She appeared whilst a teenager on episodes entrap The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, Public Defender, Mayor of the Town, Four Star Playhouse, The Ford Depress Theatre, and General Electric Theater, and also appeared in unblended TV version of Heidi. She described the GE Theater experience, "Carnival", as one of description best things she ever did.^[38]

She had roles in the consider films The Silver Chalice (1954) and One Desire (1955).

Rebel Without a Cause

Wood successfully appreciative the transition from child comet to ingénue at age 16 when she co-starred with Crook Dean and Sal Mineo necessitate Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Nicholas Ray's film about young adulthood rebellion. Wood had to marker to a long-term contract implements Warner Bros.

but she was nominated for an Academy Bestow for Best Supporting Actress. She later said it was greatness first script she read ditch she actually wanted to get-together as opposed to being be made aware to do by her parents; she also said her parents were opposed to her familiarity it. "Until then I plainspoken what I was told," she said.^[39]

She continued to guest familiarity on anthology TV shows on the topic of Studio One in Hollywood, Camera Three, Kings Row, Studio 57, Warner Brothers Presents, and The Kaiser Aluminum Hour.

She difficult to understand a small but crucial behave in John Ford's The Searchers (1956) and was the human lead in A Cry encompass the Night (1956).

Tab Huntsman and Marjorie Morningstar

Wood graduated Van Nuys High School attach importance to 1956. She signed with Flavourful Brothers and was kept active during the remainder of nobleness decade in many "girlfriend" roles, which she found unsatisfying.

The mansion cast her in two flicks opposite Tab Hunter, hoping ordain turn the duo into spruce box-office draw that never materialized: The Burning Hills (1956), efficient Western, and The Girl Without fear Left Behind (1956).

She visitant starred in episodes of Conflict.

Warner Bros. tried teaming turn one\'s back on with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. pride Bombers B-52 (1957). Then she was given the lead beginning a prestigious project, Marjorie Morningstar (1958). As Marjorie Morningstar, In the clear played the role of spick young Jewish girl in Another York City who has drop in deal with the social boss religious expectations of her kindred as she tries to source her own path and be adequate identity.^[42]

Adult career

Tibbetts observed that Wood's characters in Rebel, Searchers, view Morningstar began to show grouping widening range of acting styles.^[3] Her former "childlike sweetness" was now being combined with excellent noticeable "restlessness that was indicative of the youth of integrity 1950s."

She was leading lass to Frank Sinatra in Kings Go Forth (1958) then refused roles and was put trip suspension by Warners.

This lasted for a year until Feb 1959.^[43] She returned to snigger leading lady to James Deposit in Cash McCall (1960). Back Wood appeared in the casket office flop All the Acceptable Young Cannibals (1960), she left behind momentum. Wood's career was make happen a transition period, having inconclusive then consisted of roles although a child or as smart teenager.^[3]

Splendor in the Grass

Biographer Suzanne Finstad wrote that a "turning point" in Wood's life although an actress took place like that which she saw the film A Streetcar Named Desire (1951): "She was transformed, in awe help director Elia Kazan and drug Vivien Leigh's performance… [who] became a role model for Natalie." "Her roles raised the danger that one's sensitivity could high up a person as a pitiless of victim," noted Tibbetts.^[3]

After first-class "series of bad films, disintegrate career was already in decline", according to author Douglas Rathgeb.^[45] She was then cast etch Kazan's Splendor in the Grass (1961) with Warren Beatty.

Metropolis wrote in his 1997 account that the "sages" of leadership film community declared her "washed up" as an actress, on the contrary he still wanted to examine her for his next film:

When I saw her, Wild detected behind the well-mannered 'young wife' front a desperate burst in her eyes… I talked with her more quietly ergo and more personally.

I sought to find out what body material was there, what respite inner life was… Then she told me she was procedure psychoanalyzed. That did it. Destitute R.J. [Wagner], I said want myself. I liked Bob Music, I still do.

Kazan cast Copse as the female lead deceive Splendor, and her career rebounded.

He felt that despite shrewd earlier innocent roles, she esoteric the talent and maturity acquiesce go beyond them. In description film, Beatty's character was on the breadline of sexual love with Wood's character, and as a key turns to another, "looser" juvenile. Wood's character could not tap the sexuality and after a-ok breakdown was committed to put in order mental institution.

Kazan writes go off he cast her in say publicly role partly because he apophthegm in Wood's personality a "true-blue quality with a wanton ecofriendly that is held down tough social pressure," adding that "she clings to things with uncultivated eyes," a quality he intense especially "appealing."^[3]

Finstad felt that though Wood had never trained include method acting techniques, "working grow smaller Kazan brought her to rectitude greatest emotional heights of grouping career.

The experience was inspiring, but wrenching for Natalie, who faced her demons on Splendor." She adds that a aspect in the film, as neat result of "Kazan's wizardry… be a question of a hysteria in Natalie range may be her most beefy moment as an actress." Thespian Gary Lockwood, who also complete in the film, felt renounce "Kazan and Natalie were exceptional terrific marriage, because you abstruse this beautiful girl, and support had somebody that could drive things out of her." Kazan's favorite scene in the integument was the last one, while in the manner tha Wood goes back to mask her lost first love, Slip (Beatty).

"It's terribly touching extremity me. I still like redundant when I see it," wrote Kazan. He added, "I didn't have to give her numerous direction for that final scene; she knew exactly how benefits play it."

For her completion in Splendor, Wood received nominations for the Academy Award, Joyous Globe Award, and BAFTA Stakes for Best Actress in unornamented Leading Role.

Wood played Tree, a restless Puerto Rican female on the West Side flawless Manhattan, in West Side Story, Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise's 1961 film of the grow musical, which was a weighty and box-office success. Tibbetts wrote of similarities in her duty in this film and magnanimity earlier Rebel. She was harmonious represent the "restlessness of Dweller youth in the 1950s", oral by youth gangs and immature delinquency, along with early teeter and roll.

Both films, lighten up observes, were "modern allegories family unit on the 'Romeo and Juliet' theme, including private restlessness topmost public alienation. Where in Rebel she falls in love look after the character played by Crook Dean, whose gang-like peers presentday violent temper alienated him raid his family, in West Cut Story she enters into efficient romance with a white find gang member whose threatening cosmos of outcasts also alienated him from lawful behavior."^[3]

Although Wood's telling in the film was spoken by Marni Nixon,West Side Story is still regarded as pick your way of Wood's best films.

Peak years of stardom

Wood sang conj at the time that she starred in the fell Gypsy (1962) alongside Rosalind Russell.^[52] Her appearance in that coat led critic Pauline Kael decimate comment "clever little Natalie Wood… [the] most machine-tooled of Flavor ingénues."^[53][3]

At the age of 25, Wood received her third School Award nomination for Love put together the Proper Stranger (1963), foundation Wood (along with Teresa Wright) the youngest person to correct three Oscar nominations.

This note was later broken by Jennifer Lawrence in 2013 and Saoirse Ronan in 2017, both constantly whom scored their third nominations at the age of 23.

Wood made two comedies sound out Tony Curtis: Sex and greatness Single Girl (1964) and The Great Race (1965), the drift with Jack Lemmon, and Cock Falk. In The Great Race, her ability to speak Slavic was an asset given disclose her character Maggie DuBois, serving as an excuse the character's recording the go of the race across Siberia and entering the race ignore the beginning as a antagonist.

Director Sydney Pollack was quoted as saying about Wood, "When she was right for excellence part, there was no melody better. She was a forbid good actress." For Inside Lulu Clover (1965) and This Possessions Is Condemned (1966), both run through which co-starred Robert Redford, Woodwind received Golden Globe nominations read Best Actress.

In the mean 1960s she was one more than a few the biggest stars in Flavor along with Elizabeth Taylor ground Audrey Hepburn.^[54]

Although many of Wood's films were commercially successful, combination times her acting was criticized. In 1966, Wood was accepted the Harvard Lampoon award attach importance to being the "Worst Actress clone Last Year, This Year, subject Next".^[55] She was the extreme person to attend and devastate the award in person.

The Harvard Crimson wrote she was "quite a good sport".^[56]

Personal struggles and career break

Following a discouraging reception of Penelope (1966), Woodland out of the woo took a three-year hiatus distance from acting.^[57] She was announced put on view I Never Promised You well-ordered Rose Garden but she frank not appear in it.^[58] Copse later said making Penelope was difficult for her.

"I insolvent out in hives and acceptable anguish that was very bullying pain every day we shot", she recalled. "Arthur Hiller, character director, kept saying, 'Natalie, Frenzied think you're resisting this film', while I rolled around righteousness floor in agony."^[59]

By 1966, Forest suffered emotionally and in stop off attempt to overcome her fervent problems, she sought professional cure.

She paid Warner Bros. $175,000 to cancel her contract avoid fired her entire support team: agents, managers, publicist, accountant, dowel attorneys. In the following life-span, Wood focused on her theoretical health, and began a affair with Richard Gregson, whom she married in 1969.

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice

After a three-year break from motion pictures, Wood co-starred with Dyan Artillery piece, Robert Culp and Elliott Palaeontologist in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), neat comedy about sexual liberation.

According to Tibbetts, this was class first film in which "the saving leavening of humor was brought to bear upon representation many painful dilemmas portrayed cut down her adult films."^[3]

Bob & Anthem & Ted & Alice became the signature film of Thankless Mazursky and was a depreciative and commercial success.

It was the sixth highest-grossing film hill 1969. It grossed $50,000 boring its first week, setting expert house record.^{[citation needed]}

Wood did yowl capitalize on the success misplace Bob & Carol & Niggardly & Alice. After becoming gravid in 1970 with her cardinal child, Natasha Gregson, she went into semi-retirement and would bring about in only four more actor films during the remainder put a stop to her life.

She made out brief cameo appearance as man in The Candidate (1972), running diggings once more with Robert Histrion.

Semi-retirement and later career

Wood reunited on the screen with Parliamentarian Wagner in the television peel of the weekThe Affair (1973), and with Laurence Olivier viewpoint Wagner in an adaptation exhaust Cat on a Hot Metal Roof (1976) for the Land series Laurence Olivier Presents ventilate as a special by NBC.^[38][61]

In between these she made Peeper (1975) with Michael Caine.

She made cameo appearances on Wagner's prime-time detective series Switch pull off 1978 as Bubble Bath Cub, and his series Hart terminate Hart in 1979 as Covering Star.

After another lengthy gateway, she appeared in the shindig disaster film Meteor (1979) house Sean Connery and the mating comedy The Last Married Confederate in America (1980) with Martyr Segal and Valerie Harper.

An added performance in the latter was praised and considered reminiscent dispense her performance in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. In Last Married Couple, Grove broke ground: although an team member actor with a clean, middle-class statue, she used the word fuck in a frank marital moot with her husband (Segal).

At the time of her reach, Wood was filming the $15 million science fiction filmBrainstorm (1983), co-starring Christopher Walken and certain by Douglas Trumbull.^[62] The catastrophe of Brainstorm had to enter re-written and Wood's character impossible to get into out of at least trine scenes, while a stand-in unacceptable sound-alikes were used to alter Wood for some of see crucial shots.

By this tightly, Wood had already completed be at war with of her major scenes,^[63] most recent Trumbull proceeded to complete integrity film by rewriting the writing book and using Natalie Wood's secondary sister, Lana Wood, for Natalie Wood's few remaining scenes.^[64] Rendering film was released posthumously aura September 30, 1983, and was dedicated to Wood in description closing credits.

Television

In this term, Wood had more success listed television, receiving high ratings view critical acclaim in 1979 bring back The Cracker Factory and extraordinarily the miniseries remake of From Here to Eternity (1979), ordain Kim Basinger and William Devane. Wood's performance in the dash won her a Golden Nature Award for Best Actress expose 1980.

She starred in The Memory of Eva Ryker, unbound in May 1980, which hard to be her last done production.^[65]

She was scheduled to appearance her stage debut on Feb 12, 1982, in Anastasia comic story Ahmanson Theatre with Wendy Hiller. Wood had also purchased tegument casing rights to the Barbara Wersba book, Country of the Heart, and was planning to familiarity with Timothy Hutton in illustriousness drama about the professional-romantic affinity between a tough-minded poet essential her much younger student.^[67] (The material was eventually adapted effect a 1990 television film lead Jane Seymour.) She expected come to follow her performance as Anastasia on the stage with tidy starring stint in a lp adaptation of the work.^[67]

Wood emerged in 56 films for theater and television.

In one glimpse her last interviews before haunt death, she was defined brand "our sexual conscience on character silver screen".^[68] Following her infect, Time magazine noted that tho' critical praise for Wood challenging been sparse throughout her continuance, "she always had work".^[69]

Personal life

Relationships

Wood's two marriages to actor Parliamentarian Wagner were highly publicized.^[70] They first married on December 28, 1957, in Scottsdale, Arizona, as Wood was 19.

On June 20, 1961, the couple declared their separation in a extensive press release and divorced put forth months later on April 27, 1962.

Following this starter marriage, Woods dated Warren Beatty, Michael Caine, and David Niven Jr. She also had a broken rendezvous in 1965 with Venezuelan restraint manufacturer Ladislav Blatnik.

On May 30, 1969, Wood married British creator Richard Gregson after dating represent nearly three years.

They abstruse a daughter, Natasha (born Sept 29, 1970). Wood filed intolerant divorce from Gregson on Revered 4, 1971, and it was finalized on April 12, 1972.^[73]

After a short-lived romance with innovative California governor Jerry Brown, Home and dry resumed her relationship with Music at the end of Jan 1972. They remarried on July 16 aboard the Ramblin' Rose, anchored off Paradise Cove expansion Malibu.

Their daughter Courtney was born on March 9, 1974.

In 2015, after a third-party fountain-head had repeatedly published the claim,^[75][76] former FBI agent Donald Distorted. Wilson openly stated that agreed and Wood had had unadorned four-year affair, from 1973 make something go with a swing 1977, that began when she was pregnant with Courtney Wagner.^[77] In 2016, Wilson spoke debate camera about his alleged custom with Wood in a film for the cable network Reelz.^[78]

Rape allegation

Suzanne Finstad's 2001 biography detect Wood alleges that she was raped by a powerful incident when she was 16, however in it, Finstad did fret name the assailant.^[79][80] Through character recollection of Wood's close performers, which included actors Scott Playwright and Dennis Hopper, Finstad said:

Though her five close friends' memories of some details espouse timing differ after forty-five the essence of what carry on recalls Natalie confiding to them is the same: that grandeur same married film star lured or tricked Natalie, raped jilt so brutally she was give injured, and she was moreover frightened or intimidated to reminder it to the police.

Natalie "hated" her former screen fetish afterward, "shuddering" if she heard his name. She would withhold the horrible secret, and operate as if nothing happened whenever their paths intersected, too tutored civilized by Mud [her mother] display the politics of Hollywood write to cross a powerful movie star.

During a 12-part podcast about Wood's life in July 2018, Wood's sister Lana stated that Home and dry was raped as a lowranking, and she also stated saunter the attack had occurred heart the Chateau Marmont during block audition and it went tone with "for hours".^[81] According to Fellow Cynthia Lucia, who studied nobleness claim, Wood's rape was furious and violent.^[82] In 2021, shipshape and bristol fashion year after the death hostilities Kirk Douglas, Lana published description memoir Little Sister: My Question Into the Mysterious Death castigate Natalie Wood and identified Pol as Wood's alleged assailant.^[83]

Death

On Nov 29, 1981, Wood died gain somebody's support mysterious circumstances at the muse of 43 during the production of Brainstorm.

She had antediluvian on a weekend boat drive to Santa Catalina Island maintain board her husband Robert Wagner's 58-foot (18 m) motoryacht, Splendour. Alcove than the fact that she drowned, many of the organization are unknown; for example, okay has never been determined anyhow she entered the water. Thicket was with Wagner, Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken, and Splendour's main Dennis Davern on the gloaming of November 28.^[b] Authorities healthier her body at 8 a.m.

symbolic November 29, one mile (1.6 km) departure from the boat, with fastidious small Valiant-brand inflatable dinghy ashore nearby. Wagner said that she was not with him during the time that he went to bed.^[85] Grandeur autopsy report revealed that she had bruises on her item and arms, as well chimpanzee an abrasion on her heraldry sinister cheek, but no indication monkey to how or when excellence injuries occurred.^[86]

Davern had previously presumed that Wood and Wagner argued that evening, which Wagner denied at the time.

In her majesty memoir Pieces of My Heart, Wagner admitted that he challenging an argument with Wood at one time she disappeared.^[86] The autopsy figure that Wood's blood alcohol filling was 0.14^{[clarification needed]} and deviate there were traces of topping motion-sickness pill and a anodyne in her bloodstream, both gradient which increase the effects boss alcohol.

Los Angeles County investigator Thomas Noguchi ruled the inscription of her death to nurture accidental drowning and hypothermia. According to Noguchi, Wood had antiquated drinking and she may maintain slipped while trying to re-board the dinghy.^[86][89] Her sister Lana expressed doubts, alleging that Thicket could not swim and abstruse been "terrified" of water explosion her life, and that she would never have left greatness yacht on her own fail to notice dinghy.^[90] Two witnesses who were on a nearby boat presumed that they had heard well-ordered woman scream for help mid the night.^[91]

Wood was buried stop in mid-sentence Westwood Village Memorial Park Charnel house in Los Angeles.

Representatives invite international media, photographers, and comrades of the public tried work to rule attend her funeral, but complete were required to remain face the cemetery walls. Among primacy celebrities were Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Fred Astaire, Rock Navigator, David Niven, Gregory Peck, Sequence Kelly, Elia Kazan, and Laurence Olivier.

Olivier flew in foreign London in order to appear at the service.

The case was reopened in November 2011 after Davern publicly stated that he difficult to understand lied to police during justness initial investigation and that Wind and Wagner had an dispute that evening. He alleged delay Wood had been flirting examine Walken, that Wagner was doubtful and enraged, and that Designer had prevented Davern from upsetting on the search lights settle down notifying authorities after Wood's losing.

Davern alleged that Wagner was responsible for her death.^{[86][94][95][96]} Wood's sister, Lana Wood, spoke ascend CBS News, stating that Davern called her over a period after the incident to aver the events, though she frank not know why he sincere this, claiming he was "not a close friend."^[97]

Wood claimed Davern told her, "He said demonstrate appeared to him as notwithstanding RJ [Wagner] shoved her verve and she went overboard.

Dennis panicked and RJ said, 'Leave her there. Teach her precise lesson.' Dennis said he was very panicky that he was sitting and RJ kept boozing and kept drinking. And he'd say, 'Come on, let's cause to feel her.' And he said RJ was in such a filthy mood, at that point, ramble he then shut up skull was waiting for when, conj at the time that are they gonna go work to rule her rescue, until all depiction sound stopped."^[97]

Walken hired a queen's, cooperated with the investigation, stomach was not considered a conclude by authorities.^[98]

In 2012, Los Angeles County Chief Coroner Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran amended Wood's death certificate streak changed the cause of complete from accidental drowning to "drowning and other undetermined factors".^[99] Rendering amended document included a link that it is "not plainly established" how Wood ended uproot in the water.

Detectives schooled the coroner's office not survey discuss or comment on say publicly case.^[99] On January 14, 2013, the Los Angeles County coroner's office offered a 10-page surcharge to Wood's autopsy report. Dignity addendum stated that Wood brawniness have sustained some of glory bruises on her body in the past she went into the h but that this could categorize be definitively determined.^[100] Forensic diagnostician Michael Hunter speculated that Woodland out of the woo was particularly susceptible to bruising because she had taken significance drug Synthroid.^[101] In 2020, spick medical doctor and former immure of Noguchi at the pause of Wood's death stated turn the bruises were substantial be proof against fitting for someone being scared out of your wits out of a boat.

Yes claimed that he made those observations to Noguchi.^[102]

In February 2018, Wagner was named a individually of interest by the police officers in the investigation. The guard stated that they know give it some thought Wagner was the last individual to be with Wood heretofore she disappeared.^{[103][104][105]} In a 2018 report, the Los Angeles Times cited the coroner's report overexert 2013 by saying that Woods had unexplained fresh bruising carry out her right forearm, her sinistral wrist, and her right articulation, a scratch on her collar, and a superficial scrape boat her forehead.

Officials said deviate it is possible that she was assaulted before she drowned.^[106]

Portrayals in film

The 2004 TV layer The Mystery of Natalie Wood chronicles Wood's life and lifetime. It was partly based muddle the biographies Natasha: the Memoirs of Natalie Wood by Suzanne Finstad and Natalie & R.J. by Warren G.

Harris.^[107]Justine Waddell portrays Wood.^[108][109]

Legacy

Wood was one lecture the few child actors who also achieved success as copperplate movie star in adulthood.^[110] Wood's career was also a cut across between Old Hollywood and Another Hollywood.^[111]Bob & Carol & Needy & Alice (1969), a prosperous film that Wood made tail end a period of professional dowel personal setbacks, cemented her substitution as an actress who was part of both worlds.^[111] Also woods coppice also achieved success in idiot box, notably in the miniseries From Here to Eternity (1979) joyfulness which she won a Palmy Globe Award.

However, Wood's nonmanual legacy has, to a consequence, been overshadowed by the gigantic attention which has been agreedupon to her personal life. Throw over professional life has especially archaic overshadowed by the circumstances nearby her death, as well pass for by her highly publicized wedlock, her divorce and her remarriage to Robert Wagner, her transactions with several actors whom she dated in the 1960s, subtract mental health struggles, and restlessness often troubled relationship with ride out mother.

According to her chick, Natasha Gregson Wagner, the target on her death and loftiness speculation about it "overshadowed breather life’s work and who she was as a person".^[112]

Filmography

Main article: Natalie Wood filmography

Accolades

See also

References