brittlestarr: Tribute

Tribute to Natalie Wood.

Natalie Wood was my mom's all time favorite actress. Elvis Presley was my dad's all time favorite entertainer. The combination of the two often makes me nostalgic, and now both Elvis and Natalie Wood are my favorites (now that I'm older). As a child, I thought nothing of it, and was mortified to discover my mom chose my name after her own favorite actress (MORTIFIED at school especially!) I'd always get teased that if ever I had a little brother, my parents would name the poor thing "Elvis"...!
Natalie Wood passed away on November 29, 1981. I was just a little baby, my mother was in her late 20's. For reasons unknown I still remember seeing devastating news footage on her untimely death due to drowning off of Catalina Island in Southern California, with mom in shocked horror of the news.

Natalie Wood was born in Santa Rosa, California and moved to so many different places prior to settling in Northridge then "ranch" community (Simi Valley) at the start of her soaring movie career.

She's left behind a legacy of film classics from Rebel Without A Cause, Miracle on 34th Street (which many of us still watch annually as a Christmas tradition) to West Side Story. She's costarred with and introduced many influential actors of the 20th century including Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford, Steve McQueen and the list goes on. She's from the Golden days of Silver Screen Films of hollywood classics we just don't experience today.

My mom (RIP), dad and I used to watch Natalie Wood films, Elvis and Shirley Temple films when I was little, so follow the rest of this journal entry into a place of nostalgia *sigh*...

Natalie Wood would have been 71 years old today :)

Natalie Wood with Betty Davis, in The Star, 1952

One of my favorite 1950's magazine cover is this one with her cute toy poodle :)

Dining with R.J., Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin, 1950's.

Nick Adams, Natalie Wood, and Elvis Presley, circa 1955. Natalie had spent the week at Graceland in Tennessee while they were dating eachother before Elvis met Priscilla. It didn't work out between Natalie and Elvis, though Elvis was completely smitten by Natalie Wood. Natalie was creeped out by Elvis' overbearing mother, and left Graceland Mansion a few days earlier than scheduled because she couldn't handle the strenuous behavior of Mrs. Gladys Presley.

This is where it all began for Natalie Wood...1947's Christmas Classic, Miracle on 34th Street, costarring Maureen O'Hara.

She worked with John Wayne in The Searchers, 1956. Natalie Wood's little sister, Lana Wood, portrayed the young Debbie Edwards (Natalie's character) in The Searchers.

She costarred with James Dean in 1955's Rebel Without A Cause.

Natalie Wood was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy award for Rebel Without A Cause in 1955, alongside Audrey Hepburn, but both lost to Grace Kelly.. The same would happen in 1962 for her portrayal as Deanie in Splendour in the Grass.

Natalie starred with Warren Beatty in his first breakthrough film, Splendour in the Grass. Years later, Warren Beatty asked Natalie Wood to play the part of Bonnie in 1967's fact based drama Bonnie and Clyde, but due to Natalie's unstable emotional psyche, she could not accept project at that time, and the role went to Faye Dunaway.

Starring in Gypsy with Rosalind Russell..
1962

In 1966, she starred in Penelope, in which she developed a solid working relationship with fashion/wardrobe designer Edith Head, who also did wardrobe for Elvis, Grace Kelly, as well as Audrey Hepburn's films in the 1950's and 1960's..

Natalie Wood and Edith Head would reunite again for wardrobe design during the filming of This Property Is Condemned. Also, during the filming of The Great Race costarring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood lobbied for Edith Head to do wardrobe to no avail. The director's final word was no.

This Property Is Condemned, 1966, is one of my favorite N. Wood films, so many degrees of emotions used in filming..true tearjerker movie classic must see. This movie also stars Robert Redford, his second film with Natalie Wood. The first would be 1965's Inside Daisy Clover, in which Natalie Wood introduced this method actor into studio type acting/films...

They both were dear friends until the end of her life.

1961's West Side Story is a true classic. Our english teacher forced us to watch this during class one day and right a report on it, however, I wasn't fond of her portrayal as Maria. Also, as uncomfortable as she looked for the role - she truly was in real life (according to several biography accounts). She was miserable during the entire filming of this movie. Part of the cast which considered themselves true Broadway stars, made it difficult for Natalie Wood to feel at ease with her "studio acting", as well as her non dance and non vocal training. They were merely bitter that she won the lead role as Maria because of her "name", not giving her the benefit of the doubt, but mainly shutting her out due to unnecessary jealousy.

...but for all the hateful, bitter comments she received in treatment and in words from her costars in West Side Story, the film was a big hit, which earned excellent reviews, allowing Natalie Wood to feel more confident about her career and move forward with other great film projects/classics.

She costarred in one of her more powerful and emotional performances with Steve McQueen in Love With The Proper Stranger, in 1963.

HILARIOUS movie: Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, 1969.

After filming of the above mentioned film in the late 1960's, Natalie wanted to focus her attention on her family and raising her children. Her children were her priority, and she always made it a point that it was very important that one parent should be home with their children while the other parent is away working. She and Dr. Laura would get along greatly (in my opinion) :D