The Case of Natalie Wood's Death, Reopened
On November 29th, 1981 near Santa Catalina Island, the body of 43 year old actress Natalie Wood was discovered by authorities a mile away from the yacht she shared with husband and fellow actor Robert Wagner. Near the body, they found the yacht's corresponding dinghy. Aboard with her the evening of her passing were here husband, her co-star of her upcoming film Brainstorm, Christopher Walken and the yacht's captain Dennis Davern, who waited a suspicious amount of time to report her missing.
With all the talk of Wagner and Wood's tumultuous relationship and her new-found friendship with Walken, it was determined that after a big fight with her husband, Wood decided to take the dinghy back to shore on her own, which due to her lack of experience lead to her demise. The only problem with that story? Wood was deathly afraid of the ocean after being told at a young age by the psychic who predicted her stardom, that she would one day drown in dark water, making the idea of her venturing off into the ocean alone at night, highly unlikely.
But for decades since this case was determined to have no foul play involved, the world has not bought the testimonies made by Wagner, Walken and Davern. Loved ones and fans of Wood's have always begged for a deeper investigation into the events of the night she died. And they may get just that soon.
Natalie Wood, the child of Ukranian and Russian immigrants, was born in San Francisco, CA (represent!) and grew up in the nearby town of Santa Rosa, where she was one day spotted and scouted by people making a film nearby. Her mother decided to move the family down to Santa Monica so that Wood could pursue an acting career. After the move, her mother gave birth to Wood's sister Svetlana who would later go by Lana Wood when her own acting career took off.
After doing a few bit roles, Wood's star took off and as a child she starred in films opposite Orson Wells, James Stewart and Bette Davis. The role she was most known for was Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street. She starred in a total of 20 films as a child.
As a teen, Wood had roles as girlfriends and daughters in varying television shows and films. She felt quite dissatisfied with these supporting parts, but doors started to open once she got her first Academy Award nomination for her role in Rebel Without a Cause. Before the age of 25, she landed two more Oscar nods for roles in Splendor in the Grass and Love With the Proper Stranger and starred in another film she was famous for, West Side Story.
Below are some shots of Wood in the films she was most known for. As Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), as Judy in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), as Maria in West Side Story (1961) and as Wilma Dean Loomis in Splendor in the Grass (1961).
Meanwhile as a young person Wood always had a major crush on actor Robert Wagner. In fact, she signed with the agent that she did because she heard that he represented Wagner. When she was 17 years old, the agent asked them to go on a date with one another, which is not at all uncommon in Hollywood. Wagner agreed to the date, having remembered admiring her at a fashion show and other Hollywood events. The night she turned 18, they went on a date on a boat that Wagner owned. According to him, they fell instantly in love. They married a year later, much to Wood's mother's dismay who warned her about the dangers of a relationship with someone like him. The couple remained married for five years and divorced in 1962. But that would certainly not be the last they would see of each other.
Wood would go on to date Warren Beatty and re-marry and have a child with producer Richard Gregson, who she quickly divorced after suspicion arose of an affair. Meanwhile Wagner would also go on to have an 8 year long marriage and a child with actress Marion Marshall, as well as a brief engagement to Tina Sinatra.
In 1972, Wood and Wagner reconnected and decided to remarry, both playing big roles in the lives of each other's children and having a daughter together. As time went on, both of them continued to act. While her career never quite reached the level it had in her younger days, she was still quite passionate about it and planned to act her whole life. Wagner however went on to do Hart to Hart, a television series that lasted past Wood's death and even played an Austin Powers villain in the 90's.
The couple enjoyed their lives as parents, with Wood claiming she finally felt fulfilled after becoming a mother. And to keep the spark in their marriage alive, they'd frequent their yacht, a boat that they called The Splendour, after Splendor in the Grass. They adored literally getting away from it all on the boat and spending time alone with each other. According to Wood it put her at peace to have that yacht to escape in.
It's surprising that Wood enjoyed being on the yachts so much considering she struggled with a fear of dark water her whole life. Her mother always reminded her that what the psychic had told her when she was little. And as a childstar, she once had a set bridge collapse beneath her dunking her into the water below. She sustained a scar on her wrist, which she always covered with hair-ties and bracelets to attempt to forget it. Wood was also known for being fearful of getting into her own swimming pool and even hated the feeling of water pouring down her head when she washed her hair. But it's possible that Wagner was just the person to get her comfortable on boats as their first date and second wedding were both held on boats.
One day, Wood was casted in what would infamously become her last film, Brainstorm: a science-fiction film about augmented reality starring the then young and handsome Christopher Walken. Wood and Walken developed a friendship which increasingly angered Wagner. Nevertheless, he one day invited Walken to join them on a weekend trip to Santa Catalina Island on The Splendour.
What occurred on their trip is now all speculation. Davern, the boat's captain, for many years only claimed to recall that Wagner, Wood and Walken were all heavily intoxicated and that there was a lot of yelling going on. Walken has remained quite quiet on the events of that evening. According to Wagner, he and Wood got into a lover's quarrel, and he proceeded to argue with Walken about politics and where they believed Wood should take her career in the future. He then admits breaking a bottle of wine on a table and leaving to go to his room, where he claims he saw Natalie at her vanity getting ready for bed. He said later on she wandered off and they never saw her again.
When Natalie's body was discovered, the whole world was told that there were no suspects and that the incident was considered an accident on Natalie's part. That perhaps she was trying to leave the yacht on her own and used the dinghy to do so, failing in her inexperience.
In 2011, the tabloids were full to the brim with talk that Davern had given more information up that may lead to finding foul play involved. However the details of that information was kept hidden from the public for the most part. He did however say that he believes that Wagner was with Wood the moment she got into the water, but that he and Walken heard no splash.
Now it's 2018, and there are more leads available to help solve this case.
During their stop in the town of Avalon on the island a couple of days before she went missing, the three actors began drinking heavily. According to Davern, Wagner was getting increasingly angry that Wood was paying more attention to Walken than him. Several witnesses claim that after that, with The Splendour parked close enough to residents and guests of the island, that they could see a fight between Wood and Wagner.
According to these witnesses who hadn't said anything until all these years later, Wood was the one putting on a big show and trying to get in Wagner's face. Apparently he was trying to stay away from her and calm her down. After being ignored, Wood got down on her knees and cried out to him. Davern claims this fight was over which side of the island they should park the yacht. Wagner wanted to move it to the other side of the island and Wood feared they'd be in danger if they did that so late at night, so she asked Davern to get them hotel rooms and use the dinghy to take her back to Avalon. She stayed there overnight, crying on Davern's shoulder telling him how difficult her marriage had become and how much she wanted to leave Wagner.
The next day, Davern and Wagner joined Wood and Walken at a restaurant for dinner. When Wagner saw Walken and Wood having a great time laughing together, he got furious. The four of them stumbled out of the restaurant in a drunken stupor, causing even the restaurant manager to contact the harbormaster to let him know about their state.
After getting back onto The Splendour, Wood changed into the nightgown and socks she'd later be found in and made herself a pot of tea. At this point Wagner and Walken began their fight that was confirmed to have ended in Wagner smashing the wine bottle. He yelled out in anger at Walken "What are you tryin' to do, f--- my wife?" At this point, Wood, embarrassed, leaves and heads down into her and Wagner's bedroom. He follows her and a screaming match begins. Items start to get thrown out of the room as well according to Davern. He claims he then left to go find somewhere on the boat to be alone.
Davern tried to mind his own business, but after a while when it sounded like someone was getting beaten, he ran down to their room to see Wagner in a crazed state yelling "Get out!" to him. Davern then left the area near their room stating that he feared for his life. Nameless witnesses and Davern all claim to have seen Wood and Wagner fighting on the outside of the ship. Finally, after things quieted down, Wagner told Davern that Wood was missing and so was the dinghy. Davern believed Walken didn't untie it and believed Wood wouldn't have for her fear of the water, which lead him to believe it was Wagner's doing.
Wagner told Davern not to contact authorities or turn on their searchlight, and told him it's possible Wood had gone to get a drink in Avalon with the dinghy. Lana Wood, Natalie's sister has responded to this claim with "She wouldn't do it. In a nightgown? …She didn't get the mail in a nightgown."
Finally, hours later in the middle of the night, they put out a search for her and her body was discovered, donning her nightgown and socks, wrapped up in a big jacket.
With Davern's accounts of what happened shifting over time, and some of the story not adding up, investigators have labeled him a problematic witness and Wagner a person of interest. Walken is still considered not to be a suspect. Investigators also are taking note of the several new credible witnesses coming forward all these years later and are calling their newly discovered existence suspicious.
But to me, this is progress. We now have a person of interest and are one step closer to finding the truth and truly looking into the possibility of foul play. This story infuriates me, as I believe all three of the men onboard know exactly what happened and aren't telling us all they know. It's possible that Walken and Davern were not around to see what exactly happen to Wood, but I definitely feel they've been kept quiet regardless. And of course there's a possibility they all played a huge role in her death. But all I can hope for is that the truth comes out and that we can one day prove something that will give closure to Wood's loved ones and life story.
