Natalie Wood


Actor
Natalie Wood

About

Also Known As
Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko, Natasha Gurdin
Birth Place
San Francisco, California, USA
Born
July 20, 1938
Died
November 29, 1981
Cause of Death
Drowning

Biography

A doe-eyed, brunette beauty, Natalie Wood was one of Hollywood's brightest stars and a legend both on and off the silver screen. Born to Russian immigrants, Wood found herself in the spotlight as a child, capturing audience's hearts in the holiday classic, "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947). Maintaining a successful career as an adult, she went on to turn in Oscar-nominated performances in ...

Photos & Videos

The Green Promise - Movie Posters
Sex and the Single Girl - Publicity Stills
Inside Daisy Clover - Movie Poster

Family & Companions

Robert Wagner
Husband
Actor. Married on December 28, 1957; divorced c. 1962; remarried on July 16, 1972.
Henry Jaglom
Companion
Director, screenwriter.
Richard Gregson
Husband
Producer. British; married in May 1969; divorced.

Bibliography

"Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood"
Suzanne Finstad, Crown (2001)
"Natalie: A Memoir by Her Sister"
Lana Wood
"Natalie Wood: A Biography in Photographs"
Christopher Nickens
"Natalie and RJ: Hollywood's Star-Crossed Lovers"
Warren G Harris

Biography

A doe-eyed, brunette beauty, Natalie Wood was one of Hollywood's brightest stars and a legend both on and off the silver screen. Born to Russian immigrants, Wood found herself in the spotlight as a child, capturing audience's hearts in the holiday classic, "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947). Maintaining a successful career as an adult, she went on to turn in Oscar-nominated performances in the films "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) and "Splendor in the Grass" (1961), as well as charming audiences as Maria in the hit musical "West Side Story" (1961). Wood's storybook marriage to fellow actor Robert Wagner delighted movie fans - first, in the late 1950s, and later, following their divorce, when the couple reunited for a second go at marriage in the early 1970s. With a personal life rivaling the plot of any Hollywood movie, Wood was one of the most beloved actresses of her time, even long after her mysterious drowning death in 1981, which left behind more questions than answers. Although investigations into Wood's mysterious death seemed to be re-opened every few years, with Wagner being named a "person of interest" in early 2018, it remained officially unsolved.

Born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko on July 20, 1938 in San Francisco, CA to her Russian parents, father Nikolai Gurdin, an architect and set designer, and mother, ballet dancer Maria Gurdin. Wood's parents later changed their surname to Gurdin while Wood was still a baby. Spending the early part of her childhood in Santa Rosa, CA, Wood was introduced to film at the age of four when he mother took her to a film audition to work as an extra. She landed a bit part as a little girl who drops her ice cream in the film "Happy Land" (1943), which was shooting locally. Convinced that her daughter was meant for stardom, Wood's mother pushed for the family to move to Hollywood so Wood could pursue acting. Landing her first credited role in 1946, Wood appeared alongside Orson Welles and Claudette Colbert in "Tomorrow is Forever." As was the norm back then, the studio gave her a new name: Natalie Wood. Hailed as Hollywood's newest child star before the film's release, Wood's career took off very quickly. The following year, she gave touching performances in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (1947) and the holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) - the latter being her most famous film as a child actress.

Having filmed 20 movies by the age of 16, Wood spent most of her adolescence on a movie set, being tutored in between takes. Hoping to break away from her child star image, Wood accepted the role of rebellious teenager Judy in "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955). Cast opposite young heartthrob James Dean, the film proved to be a turning point for Wood; the role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, a first for the young star. It also gave audiences a chance to see her in a new adult light. Staging her own rebellion while filming "Rebel," Wood began to date the film's director, the notorious Nicholas Ray, who was more than 25 years her senior. Ray was only the first in a string of affairs Wood had with older men; she was soon linked to actor Scott Marlowe and The King himself, Elvis Presley. Set up with handsome actor Robert Wagner on a studio-arranged date for her 18th birthday, Wood quickly fell head over heels in love. After a year-long relationship, the pair wed on Dec. 28, 1957 when Wood was only 19 years old.

Making a successful transition into more adult roles, Wood starred as a Hollywood actress in "Marjorie Morningstar" (1958) opposite Gene Kelly and as a sexually awakening and mentally disturbed teen in Elia Kazan's racy "Splendor in the Grass" (1961) opposite Warren Beatty. Earning her second Academy Award nomination for "Splendor," the film proved to be one of Wood's most popular pictures. Further cementing her reputation as not only a true beauty, but a true talent as well, Wood went on to star as Maria in the Leonard Bernstein musical "West Side Story" (1961) and as burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee in "Gypsy" (1962). Though Wood had originally signed on to do her own singing in "West Side," the studio later dubbed over her voice with that of singe Marni Nixon. Portraying pregnant salesgirl Angie Rossini in "Love with the Proper Stranger" (1963), Wood earned a third Oscar nomination. Though her career was at a high point - especially considering the fact that she was a one-time child star - Wood's personal life began to slip. Struggling to maintain a career and marriage simultaneously proved to be a difficult task for the young actress. After reported infidelity on Wagner's part, Wood filed for divorce from the actor in 1962, and like many young stars of the time, took up with former "Splendor" co-star and renowned ladies' man Beatty for a brief time. Following a number of box office disappointments including "Inside Daisy Clover" (1965) and Sydney Pollack's "This Property is Condemned" (1966), Wood fell into a deep depression. Always an emotional girl - based in no small part on her questionable upbringing - the heartbroken Wood overdosed on sleeping pills in the summer of 1966, waking up in a hospital and later confessing that she had not wanted to live.

Rebounding, Wood went on to star in Paul Mazursky's critically acclaimed "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" (1969). Having found love once again, Wood married English producer and theatrical agent Richard Gregson on May 30, 1969. Giving birth to her first child, Natasha, in 1970, it seemed that Wood had finally found a stable personal life that she had heretofore lacked. Unfortunately for Wood, the stability did not last long. After discovering that her husband was having an affair, she filed for divorce from Gregson in 1971. Finding solace and friendship in ex-husband Wagner after running into the former flame at a party, Wood and Wagner began to rekindle their relationship. Taking a second shot at marriage, the pair remarried on July 16, 1972 in Malibu, much to the delight of true believers and resulting in many "love is better the second time around" headlines. Wanting to spend more time raising a family, Wood began to take on fewer roles. She gave birth to her second daughter, Courtney, in 1974. Working onscreen with husband Wagner, the pair appeared together in the television version of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1976) alongside Laurence Olivier.

Hoping to revive her acting career, the 40-something Wood appeared in a string of films, none of which rivaled her earlier success. She starred in the 1979 television miniseries version of "From Here to Eternity," a role that earned Wood a Golden Globe award, and appeared opposite Sean Connery in the Cold War-era sci-fi film "Meteor" (1979). Her next film, "The Last Married Couple in America" (1980), received less than favorable reviews from critics and was poorly received at the box office; the film was also unfortunately, the last film Wood would complete in its entirety, though no one knew this at the time.

During the shooting of the sci-fi thriller, "Brainstorm" (1983), Wood and Wagner met up for a weekend cruise to Catalina Island in the fall of 1981. Joined by Wood's "Brainstorm" co-star Christopher Walken, the trio set out on the couple's yacht, the Splendor, over Thanksgiving weekend. Late on the night of November 29th, Wood went missing. After a distraught Wagner alerted the Coast Guard, an overnight search for Wood ensued. Searchers found Wood's body the following morning, floating less than 200 yards offshore, still garbed in her nightgown and down jacket. Though speculation of foul play, cover-ups and a possible lover's quarrel implicating Walken came about after Wood's death, it was later concluded that she had simply been intoxicated and had likely slipped overboard when trying to board the yacht's dinghy. After falling into the water by the boat and trying to get into the dinghy, she drifted out of earshot and drowned. With a lifelong and well known fear of water, Wood was reportedly not a skilled swimmer, and with the tragic combination of alcohol impairment and an extremely heavy-when-wet jacket weighing her down, it proved to be a recipe for disaster. A devastated Wagner and their three girls mourned for Wood along with the rest of the world, shocked by her premature demise. She was laid to rest in Westwood Memorial Cemetery, not far from Marilyn Monroe's crypt.

Wood's death also impacted her final picture, considering the fact that "Brainstorm" was near the end of principal photography at the time of her death and she had yet to film a few critical scenes. Thus, a new ending had to be constructed from scenes shot earlier. Studio executives tried to kill the film and claim the insurance, but director Douglas Trumbull insisted on completing the film, using a stand-in and changing camera angles for the few remaining shots of Wood's character - a similar practice utilized in 1937 when Jean Harlow died of uremic poisoning at age 26 during the filming of "Saratoga." Not a critical or commercial hit, "Brainstorm" - which was dedicated to Wood - was finally released in 1983 and, at the very least, served as a memorial to her spirit on screen. Although speculation remained among various circles, any theories in regard to foul play in the actress' death had been put to rest for years until Lana Wood and Dennis Davern, the then-captain of Splendour, publicly urged authorities to reopen the case in March 2010. Davern, both in interviews and in his 2010 book about the tragedy Goodbye, Natalie, Goodbye, Splendour, claimed that he was urged by Wagner to be less than truthful with police at the time of the initial investigation and that he believed that Wood's husband was indeed responsible for her death to some degree. In November 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced that it would be reopening the 30-year-old case, based on "comments worthy of exploring," according to Sheriff Lee Baca. Although that investigation was eventually closed, a new flurry of headlines centered on Wagner's shifting testimony to investigators briefly reignited public interest in early 2018.

By Melaina Mace

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Brainstorm (1983)
Memory Of Eva Ryker (1980)
Claire Ryker; Eva Ryker
Willie & Phil (1980)
The Last Married Couple In America (1979)
Cracker Factory (1979)
Cassie Barrett
Hart to Hart (1979)
Movie Star
Meteor (1979)
Peeper (1976)
Ellen Prendergast
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976)
Margaret
The Candidate (1972)
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)
Carol Sanders
Penelope (1966)
Penelope
This Property Is Condemned (1966)
Alva Starr
Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
Daisy Clover
The Great Race (1965)
Maggie DuBois
Sex and the Single Girl (1964)
Helen Brown
Love With the Proper Stranger (1963)
Angie Rossini
Gypsy (1962)
Louise [Gypsy]
West Side Story (1961)
Maria
Splendor in the Grass (1961)
Wilma Dean Loomis
All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960)
Sara "Salome" Davis McDowall
Cash McCall (1960)
Lory Austen
Marjorie Morningstar (1958)
Marjorie Morningstar, also known as Marjorie Morgenstern
Kings Go Forth (1958)
Monique Blair
Bombers B-52 (1957)
Lois Brennan
The Searchers (1956)
Debbie Edwards
The Burning Hills (1956)
Maria Cristina Colton
The Girl He Left Behind (1956)
Susan Daniels
A Cry in the Night (1956)
Liz Taggart
One Desire (1955)
Seely [Dowden]
The Silver Chalice (1955)
Helena, as a girl
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Judy
Just for You (1952)
Barbara Blake
The Rose Bowl Story (1952)
Sally Burke
The Star (1952)
Gretchen
Dear Brat (1951)
Pauline [Baxter]
The Blue Veil (1951)
Stephanie Rawlins
The Jackpot (1950)
Phyllis Lawrence
Our Very Own (1950)
Penny [Macauley]
Never a Dull Moment (1950)
Nan [Heyward]
No Sad Songs for Me (1950)
Polly Scott
Father Was a Fullback (1949)
Ellen Cooper
The Green Promise (1949)
Susan Matthews
Chicken Every Sunday (1949)
Ruth Hefferen
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948)
Bean McGill
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
Anna Muir as a child
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Susan Walker
Driftwood (1947)
Jenny [Hollingsworth]
The Bride Wore Boots (1946)
Carol Warren
Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)
Margaret

Cast (Special)

One Man in His Time: A Tribute to Laurence Olivier (1990)
The American Film Institute Salute to John Ford (1973)
Performer
Heidi (1955)
Klara Sesseman

Cast (Short)

Penelope Featurette (1966)
Herself

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

From Here to Eternity (1979)

Articles

More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood


By Natasha Gregson Wagner

The heartbreaking, never-before-told story of Hollywood icon Natalie Wood's glamorous life, sudden death, and lasting legacy, written by her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner.

More Than Love is a memoir of loss, grief, and coming-of-age by a daughter of Hollywood royalty. Natasha Gregson Wagner's mother, Natalie Wood, was a child actress who became a legendary movie star, the dark-haired beauty of Splendor in the Grass, Rebel Without a Cause, and West Side Story. She and Natasha's stepfather, the actor Robert Wagner, were a Hollywood it-couple twice over, first in the 1950s, and then again when they remarried in the 70s.

More Than Love begins on the morning after her mother's death in November 1981 when eleven-year-old Natasha hears the news on the radio that her mother's body has been found off the coast of Catalina after her parents had spent the weekend on the family boat, The Splendour.

From this profound and shattering loss, Natasha shares her memories of her earliest bonds with her mother; her warm, loving, and slightly chaotic childhood as the daughter of two stars; the lost and confused years of her adolescence; and her halting attempts to move forward as a young woman.

Beautifully told, More Than Love is an emotionally powerful tale of a daughter coming to terms with her grief, as well as a riveting portrait of a famous mother and a vanished Hollywood.


Natasha Gregson Wagner has acted in such films as Another Day in Paradise, High Fidelity, Two Girls and a Guy, and David Lynch's Lost Highway, and she has received acclaim for her stage work and television appearances in Ally McBeal, House MD, and Chicago Hope. In 2016, she coauthored a coffee table book titled Natalie Wood: Reflections of a Legendary Life. She is one of the producers of the upcoming HBO documentary of her mother's life: What Remains Behind. Wagner lives in Los Angeles with her family.

More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait Of My Mother, Natalie Wood

More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood

By Natasha Gregson Wagner The heartbreaking, never-before-told story of Hollywood icon Natalie Wood's glamorous life, sudden death, and lasting legacy, written by her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner. More Than Love is a memoir of loss, grief, and coming-of-age by a daughter of Hollywood royalty. Natasha Gregson Wagner's mother, Natalie Wood, was a child actress who became a legendary movie star, the dark-haired beauty of Splendor in the Grass, Rebel Without a Cause, and West Side Story. She and Natasha's stepfather, the actor Robert Wagner, were a Hollywood it-couple twice over, first in the 1950s, and then again when they remarried in the 70s. More Than Love begins on the morning after her mother's death in November 1981 when eleven-year-old Natasha hears the news on the radio that her mother's body has been found off the coast of Catalina after her parents had spent the weekend on the family boat, The Splendour. From this profound and shattering loss, Natasha shares her memories of her earliest bonds with her mother; her warm, loving, and slightly chaotic childhood as the daughter of two stars; the lost and confused years of her adolescence; and her halting attempts to move forward as a young woman. Beautifully told, More Than Love is an emotionally powerful tale of a daughter coming to terms with her grief, as well as a riveting portrait of a famous mother and a vanished Hollywood. Natasha Gregson Wagner has acted in such films as Another Day in Paradise, High Fidelity, Two Girls and a Guy, and David Lynch's Lost Highway, and she has received acclaim for her stage work and television appearances in Ally McBeal, House MD, and Chicago Hope. In 2016, she coauthored a coffee table book titled Natalie Wood: Reflections of a Legendary Life. She is one of the producers of the upcoming HBO documentary of her mother's life: What Remains Behind. Wagner lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Life Events

1943

Made her first film appearance in a bit part in "Happy Land"

1946

Made her major acting debut opposite Orson Welles and Claudette Colbert in "Tomorrow Is Forever"

1947

Acted in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and the holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street"

1952

Made TV debut on ABC's "Gruen Guild Theater"

1955

Had her breakthrough film role playing rebellious teenager Judy opposite James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause"; earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role

1958

Cast as a Hollywood actress in "Marjorie Morningstar" opposite Gene Kelly

1961

Co-starred with Warren Beatty in Elia Kazan's "Splendor in the Grass"; received second Oscar nomination, for Best Actress in a Leading Role

1961

Landed the starring role of Maria in the Leonard Bernstein musical "West Side Story"; Wood signed on to do her own singing, but the studio later dubbed over her voice with that of Marni Nixon

1962

Portrayed burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee in "Gypsy"

1963

Earned her third Oscar nomination, for Best Actress in a Leading Role, in "Love with the Proper Stranger"

1969

After several box office misses, saw a career resurgence in Paul Mazursky's critically acclaimed "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice"

1976

Starred as Maggie opposite husband Robert Wagner in televised adaptation of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (NBC)

1979

Appeared opposite Sean Connery in the Cold War-era sci-fi film "Meteor"

1979

Was cast in the NBC miniseries version of "From Here to Eternity"; won a Golden Globe for Best TV Actress - Drama

1980

Shot her final film, "The Last Married Couple in America" opposite George Segal

1983

Made her final film appearance, opposite Christopher Walken in "Brainstorm", in a posthumous release

Photo Collections

The Green Promise - Movie Posters
The Green Promise - Movie Posters
Sex and the Single Girl - Publicity Stills
Sex and the Single Girl - Publicity Stills
Inside Daisy Clover - Movie Poster
Inside Daisy Clover - Movie Poster
Gypsy - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Gypsy (1962), starring Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.
Splendor in the Grass - Movie Posters
Here are a few original movie posters from Elia Kazan's Splendor in the Grass (1961), starring Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty.
Miracle on 34th Street - Movie Posters
Here are a few movie posters from Miracle on 34th Street (1947), starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwynn, and Natalie Wood.
Kings Go Forth - Movie Posters
Here are a few original release American movie posters for Kings Go Forth (1958), starring Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood.
Girl He Left Behind (1956) - Final Draft Screenplay
This is a 'Final" draft version screenplay for the 1956 WB title "The Girl He Left Behind" starring Tab Hunter. This screenplay contains some colored pages indicating that there were likely last minute changes, and that this version may still deviate slightly from the finished film.

Videos

Movie Clip

Gypsy (1962) -- (Movie Clip) You'll Never Get Away From Me Chasing Vaudeville bookings cross-country in the 1930's, crazy stage-mother Rose (Rosalind Russell) at a New York Chinese joint with Herbie (Karl Malden), her persistent suitor and manager of her two daughters, finds another Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim original from the Broadway smash, in Gypsy, 1962.
Gypsy (1962) -- (Movie Clip) If Momma Was Married Manager and virtual-spouse Herbie (Karl Malden) of their tiger stage-mother Rose (Rosalind Russell) reassures sisters (Natalie Wood as less-gifted Louise, Ann Jillian as star
Searchers, The (1956) -- (Movie Clip) We've Seen Scalps Before Big reveal here as Mexican trader Figueroa (Antonio Moreno) leads the title characters (John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter as Ethan and Martin) to meet Comanche chief Scar (Henry Brandon), who is suspected of holding kidnapped Debbie (who’s grown up to be Natalie Wood), and who brandishes a medal long ago given to the girl, in John Ford’s celebrated Western The Searchers, 1956.
Sex And The Single Girl (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Dirty Delusions Of Grandeur First scene for Natalie Wood as "Dr. Brown," only her name inspired by author Helen Gurley Brown, with colleagues (Otto Kruger, Mel Ferrer, Edmund Glover), angry over a scandal sheet's coverage of her work, in Sex And The Single Girl, 1964.
Sex And The Single Girl (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Not Because I'm Attractive Tabloid reporter Bob (Tony Curtis) is posing as his married friend Frank Broderick, trying to entrap newly famous sex therapist Dr. Brown (Natalie Wood) in an affair, in their second official session, in Sex And The Single Girl, 1964.
West Side Story (1961) -- (Movie Clip) America The show-stopping number for Rita Morena in her Academy Award-winning role as Puerto Rican Anita, George Chakiris similarly honored as her boyfriend Bernardo, the song by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, in West Side Story, 1961.
West Side Story (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Tonight Enraptured on the night of their meeting, Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood) on the fire escapes, director Robert Wise mingling the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim song with Ernest Lehman's script, singing voices by Marni Nixon and Jimmy Bryant, in West Side Story, 1961.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Opening, Now Scream! With Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, co-writer and director Paul Mazursky is expressing a certain sort of Southern California irony, opening his landmark comedy, with Bob & Carol (Robert Culp, Natalie Wood) headed to the new-age “Institute," with nudity, and Mazursky himself learning to scream, in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, 1970.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) -- (Movie Clip) We Had Intercourse Home from a trip north, documentarian Bob (Robert Culp) in L-A with spouse Carol (Natalie Wood), shortly after their experience at the new age “institute,” having put their son to bed, feels a need to confess, Paul Mazursky directing from his screenplay written with Larry Tucker, in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, 1970.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) -- (Movie Clip) The Gazpacho Was Astonishing Another flourish in the screenplay by director Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker, as Bob and Carol (Robert Culp, Natalie Wood) pull out the weed for Ted and Alice (Elliott Gould, Dyan Cannon) after the stuffier guests split, in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, 1969.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice -- (Movie Clip) What Do You Feel? In the first scene for their co-stars (Dyan Cannon and Elliiott Gould as Ted and Alice), Bob and Carol (Robert Culp, Natalie Wood) try out the liberating truth-telling rules they've learned at "The Institute,” at a restaurant somewhere in LA, Lee Bergere the waiter, early in Paul Mazursky's Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, 1969.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice -- (Movie Clip) I'm Your Guide Following the credits, Greg Mullavey steers his group at the Southern California “institute,’ Robert Culp and Natalie Wood, as Bob and Carol, Diane Berghoff as Myrna, Andrè Philippe as silent but obsequious Oscar, in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, 1969, directed by Paul Mazursky from his screenplay with Larry Tucker.

Trailer

This Property Is Condemned - (Original Trailer) A small-town girl (Natalie Wood) fights her mother's opposition when she falls for a big-city businessman (Robert Redford) in This Property Is Condemned (1966).
Great Race, The - (Original Trailer) A bumbling villain (Jack Lemmon) plots to win an early 20th-century auto race in Blake Edwards' The Great Race (1965).
Brainstorm (1983) - (Original Trailer) A scientist battles the military for control of a machine that records sensory experiences-including death in Brainstorm (1983).
Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The - (Original Trailer) A spirited widow (Gene Tierney) rents a haunted cottage and builds an emotional bond with the resident ghost (Rex Harrison) in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Gypsy - (Original Trailer) A domineering mother (Rosalind Russell) pushes her two daughters to burlesque stardom in Gypsy (1962), with Natalie Wood playing the title role of Gypsy Rose Lee.
Searchers, The - (Original Trailer) An Indian-hating Civil War veteran tracks down the tribe that slaughtered his family and kidnapped his niece in director John Ford's masterpiece, The Searchers, starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter and Natalie Wood.
Never a Dull Moment - (Original Trailer) A female music critic (Irene Dunne) marries a rancher (Fred MacMurray) but her life out West has Never a Dull Moment (1950).
Inside Daisy Clover - (Original Trailer) A girl on the road to stardom fights the dehumanizing effects of Hollywood life in Inside Daisy Clover (1965) starring Natalie Wood, Robert Redford and Christopher Plummer.
Rebel Without a Cause - (Original Trailer) An alienated teenager has trouble finding his place in society in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) starring James Dean.
Penelope - (Original Trailer) Neglected wife Natalie Wood turns to bank robbery to get her husband's attention in the comedy Penelope (1966).
Kings Go Forth - (Original Trailer) Original Trailer for Kings Go Forth, 1958 in which soldiers Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis fall in love with the same French girl (Natalie Wood) then discover a family secret.
Cash McCall - (Original Trailer) A corporate spoiler (James Garner) makes a play for a failing company and the owner's daughter in Cash McCall (1960).

Family

Nicholis Gurdin
Father
Architect, set and stage designer, specialist in film props. Of Russian descent; alcoholic.
Maria Gurdin
Mother
Ballet dancer, fortune teller. Of French descent; abandoned by first husband; emigrated to USA from Siberia; died of pneumonia on January 6, 1998 at age 85.
Olga
Half-Sister
Older; from mother's first marriage.
Lana Wood
Sister
Actor. Younger.
Katie Wagner
Step-Daughter
Natasha Gregson Wagner
Daughter
Actor. Born on September 29, 1970; father, Richard Gregson; adopted by Robert Wagner after his second marriage to Wood.
Courtney Wagner
Daughter
Artist. Born c. 1974; father, Robert Wagner.

Companions

Robert Wagner
Husband
Actor. Married on December 28, 1957; divorced c. 1962; remarried on July 16, 1972.
Henry Jaglom
Companion
Director, screenwriter.
Richard Gregson
Husband
Producer. British; married in May 1969; divorced.

Bibliography

"Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood"
Suzanne Finstad, Crown (2001)
"Natalie: A Memoir by Her Sister"
Lana Wood
"Natalie Wood: A Biography in Photographs"
Christopher Nickens
"Natalie and RJ: Hollywood's Star-Crossed Lovers"
Warren G Harris