A terrible start to a career and a mysterious death: the story of Natalie Wood, a Hollywood actress with Russian roots
'03.05.2021'
Source: boom
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On December 3, 1981, Hollywood put on mourning. The capital of world cinema saw off one of the most talented actresses of its time. Natalie Wood, the legend of the scene, filming side by side with James Dean himself, went into that world. 43-year-old Wood accidentally drowned while traveling on her husband's yacht.
Many celebrities came to say goodbye to the beauty. Among the mourners were Frank Sinatra, Gregory Peck, and Lawrence Olivier. The wife of the deceased, actor Robert Wagner, burst into tears. Who would have thought that after 30 years the police would raise the Natalie Wood case again. Only now Wagner from a witness has become almost suspect.
Childhood actresses
Natalie Wood was born in 1938 year. Her parents, Nikolai Zakharenko and Maria Zudilova, are natives of the Russian Empire. Nikolai Zakharenko was born in Vladivostok in the family of a chocolate factory worker. His father fought for whites and died in one of the skirmishes in the fall of 1918. His wife and three children fled the violence that swept over the country to Shanghai. From there, she managed to contact her brother who lived in Canada and move in with him. Later, Nicholas grew up he moved to the United States, where he met his wife Maria.
Maria Zudilova was born in Barnaul into a family of a very wealthy manufacturer, who owned candle and soap factories in the city and surrounding areas. In 1918, the family left everything and fled to Harbin, where they lived until the end of the 20's. Later, Maria moved to America.
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Creepy career start
For the sake of her daughter’s career, Natasha’s mother was ready for anything. So, for example, in the film "Eternal Tomorrow" Natalie was to play a very vulnerable child. The girl needed to be able to cry as needed. And when Wood had problems with one of the crying scenes, her mother went to the trick.
She took her daughter to the side, took out a jar with a beautiful butterfly. After waiting for the baby to stare enchanted at the insect, the mother carefully pulled it out of the can and in one motion tore off both wings of the butterfly. Natalie hid in hysterics, and the woman waved to the operator: "We are ready, shoot!"
Crazy popularity
Mom tried to completely control the life of her daughter. But when Wood turned 16, she rebelled. The girl wanted to be a "real actress" and, bypassing her mother, she knocked out her main role in the film "Rebel for no reason." Once on the scene side by side with James Dean, Natalie did not hit the dirt in the face. The film became a hit, and the girl became famous throughout the world!
Money, popularity, lovers: Natalie enjoyed the newfound freedom. For some time, the beauty even met with Elvis Presley himself! And when Wood turned 21, the young star married actor Robert Wagner. This man has been a dream of her life.
Natalie Wood and her chosen one
For the first time, Wagner and Wood met in the hallway of the movie studio. He was then 19 years old, she was only 10. Later, Robert admitted that he did not even remember the little actress. And Natalie looked after him for a long time, after which she resolutely told her mother: “I will grow up and marry him!”
Wagner and Wood were a very beautiful couple. Spouses have become a living symbol of the then Hollywood. Alas, the tales did not work: after 5 years, the actors parted. The fault was Wagner's jealousy. The man was annoyed that his career was dying away, while his wife was becoming more popular day by day. Angry Robert was jealous of his wife for each of her partners on the set.
Farewell and Parting
Wood and Wagner broke up, started a new relationship. Natalie even gave birth in a second marriage to a child. But the feelings between the actors have not died out. In addition, Wood and Wagner continued to shine in society, and inevitably faced their foreheads at every reception.
Over time, both Robert and Natalie were again free. Former spouses did not resist feelings and again became husband and wife. This time, the couple’s relationship lasted 9 years. In marriage, Wagner and Wood had a daughter. And it all ended in 1981, when Natalie Wood drowned.
The sad secret of Natalie Wood
On that sad day, the acting couple was relaxing on their yacht in the company of hired captain Dennis Daverne and partner of the actress in the previous film Christopher Walken. In the evening just before the incident, a quarrel broke out on board. Walken insisted that Wood should be removed more. Wagner became jealous and, in the heat of passion, even slammed a bottle of wine on the table. Wood went to bed, the men in private cooled off and reconciled. And in the morning, the body of the actress was found in the water off the coast. The unfortunate woman was in a jacket draped over her pajamas.
According to Wagner, the men clutched Wood at night. They called the coast guard, but they found Natalie in the morning. The police considered the incident a tragic accident. And after 30 years, Captain Dennis outlined his version of events. If you believe him, the actors really quarreled, but Walken went to sleep after that. Wood and Wagner continued to curse. Dennis tried to reconcile them, but Robert sent him away. And later, when Wood clutched, Wagner deliberately hesitated half an hour before calling for help.
The captain justifies his silence by the fact that Robert, who at that time was a very influential person, shut up his mouth. Sister Natalie agrees with Dennis's version. Lana Wood always believed that Wagner was responsible for the death of his wife, believing that he had something to hide. Moreover, after two months, the merry widower met another actress and was not very similar to the inconsolable spouse. Nevertheless, no formal charges were brought against him.
But the daughter of Robert and Natalie, on the contrary, calls the captain's words a lie. Police resumed business 30 years ago. But the elderly Wagner refuses to cooperate with the investigation. It seems that the secret of Natalie Wood will not be revealed ...
