Natalie Wood: A Life

by Gavin Lambert

The Barnes & Noble Review
In this insightful biography, screenwriter Gavin Lambert turns an illuminating spotlight on the generous heart, fragile spirit, and underrated talent of Hollywood icon Natalie Wood, the glamorous star whose life was cut tragically short at age 43 by a mysterious drowning off the coast of Catalina.

Revealing a world of shocking exploitation, Lambert describes how Wood (born Natasha Gurdin) was "handled" all her life -- first by a stage mother straight out of Central Casting, a manipulative Russian fabulist who pushed Natalie into stardom at age five and instilled in her daughter lifelong fears and insecurities; then by a studio system that wielded power with draconian severity. One of the few movie moppets to successfully segue into adult films, Wood was a cash cow for Warner Bros., yet she had pitifully little control over her own career. Over four decades she appeared in more than 50 films, wringing quality performances out of lackluster roles and proving her acting chops in a handful of gems like Rebel Without a Cause and Splendor in the Grass.

Lambert examines how early betrayals and emotional abuse surfaced in pathological fears (especially of the "dark waters" that, ironically, claimed her life), in an unshakable "Russian" melancholy, and in her innate mistrust of people. Indeed, the one high point in a love life filled with spectacularly bad choices was Robert Wagner, the compassionate soul mate she married twice.

What distinguishes this biography from other Hollywood tell-alls is a conspicuous absence of malice. With the same affectionate understanding he brought to his lives of George Cukor and Norma Shearer, Lambert has captured the enigmatic essence of Natalie Wood. Anne Markowski

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Film, History

656 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Gavin Lambert was a British-born screenwriter, novelist and biographer who lived for part of his life in Hollywood. His writing was mainly fiction and nonfiction about the film industry.

Reviews

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wait wait wait
Someone is guilty here
BRUISES ALL OVER HER BODY PEOPLE oh let’s not forget the abrasions
Somebody was beating her before she went into that “dark water” of an ocean.
I’ve been reading while I’m listening but now this book has my full attention.
If she had been found on dry ground they would have easily told the difference between these bruises and livor mortis but once you’re dead your body will rarely bruise. From my research the only cases I’ve found when that does happen are from drowning bodies BUT typically they are from the hands grabbing the body on the arms pulling them out of the water because your circulatory system isn’t circulating. Bruising would not appear all over her arms and legs. That would be extremely improbable. So bloody abrasions would only occur if she had hit something or been hit with something on the face. I know this because two years ago my father had a massive heart attack and he fell face first into the corner of the television. He had scrapes down the middle of his entire face. OH WAIT I SO HOPE MS. PISSY WHEATIES jumps my ass again over my lack of science education. Anyone else out there that would like to correct me I would appreciate it since my sources of information are my true crime books. The cranky ass disrespectful chick I’d rather not discuss anything with her because she is rude .

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Natalie had such an interesting life and this book failed to show that. I'm a huge Natalie fan and this nearly put me to sleep. This book was written for one reason, and one reason only - to shine RJ Wagner's shoes. Finstad's bio "Natasha" told the truth and Wagner couldn't handle that so he had Lambert write this to clean up the dirt. It is written as though Wagner was literally standing over his shoulder the entire time. It's really sad that RJ is so obsessed with his ego that he had to sacrifice Natalie, his own wife, in order to look good. Don't waste your time with this, read "Natasha" instead.

[Natalie Shawver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always known a fair amount about my namesake, Natalie Wood. Child star, absolute beauty, iconic actress, fearful of water, tragic death. But it took reading this book (or listening to for that matter) for me to realize how similar we actually are. Her attention to detail, from a young age, was paramount in her acting - often prompting other actors with their forgotten lines. She was always up for learning as she often grew concerned about her voice and dancing talent so she took lessons and classes to prepare for her roles. Anxiety played a huge part in her life; she was fearful of flying and water (growing up she was told she told die by drowning not only from her mother but also a gypsy). She loved, and lost, and loved again. Her greatest joy was that of being a mother. What I learned about Natalie wasn't that she was hungry to be a star - but instead, wanting to make those around her proud of her. She struggled with self-doubt, but always tried to display an awareness that others were looking up to her (especially her two daughters). We may never know what happened the night she died - did she jump into the dark waters on her own after an argument with her husband, Robert "RJ" Wagner? Or did Christopher Walken (said to have had a crush on Natalie) play a part? Her sudden loss of life sent ripples through the world - even the President and Queen took notice. Clearly she made an impact. I'm humbled to be named after her; she was a classy woman with a lot of talent. Whether she was singing, "I Feel Pretty" in West Side Story or riding on the back of a motorcycle with James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, Natalie Wood had that special something. My favorite thing about her that I learned while listening? She gave RJ a fig tree as a wedding present. She may have been Russian, but there were some Italian roots in there somewhere ;)

[Farrah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has to be one of THE most boring Hollywood or celebrity biographies I've ever read. It was basically like a filmography of each of her movies, with a small dash of personal information thrown in. It didn't feel very in-depth, and it certainly wasn't well-written.

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This so-called "biography" of Natalie Wood is an insult to her memory and makes one wonder what she ever saw in Robert Wagner - or the late Gavin Lambert for that matter. I am in agreement the book is also boring and the pictures are the best thing about it. Lambert clearly was heavily influenced by Wagner (despite his denials), and if he really was a friend to her (which I doubt) he would have treated her memory with more respect. The book is written in a very patronizing, almost paternalistic tone, particularly toward the end, trying to make her death seem simple and seems to imply that she "brought it on herself". This quote by Wagner sums up his attitude - "How can you tell your wife that she can't have a mink coat when she makes more money than you?" He tries to act like some self-effacing gentlemen who never wanted intrude upon his late wife's fame but in fact he was very jealous of her career and her talent. This book has tried to say that Natalie had a drinking problem and that her liver was compromised - when her autopsy showed her liver was healthy. The paternity allegations are hurtful and so are the nasty comments and insinuations against Natalie's younger sister, Lana. Wagner seems threatened by anyone who sees through him and suspects him of foul play regarding Natalie's death. If you're looking for an indepth biography you won't find it here. Read "Natasha" by Suzanne Finstad, or better yet, "Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendor" by Marti Rulli to get a more complete picture.

[Donald Trump (Parody) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One HOT read! I know she ended up in the drink, and there's a lot of talk about how she ended up there, but thankfully this book doesnt dwell on any of that. I don't know who killed her, but I do know a lot of guys tagged her back in the day, including that Warren Beatty, who was at that John McCain bullshit funeral last week. I was out golfin', trying to keep my mind off it, so I kept my mind off it by thinking of Natalie. I thought about her in West Side Story, where she played one of those Puerto Ricans that my dad used to throw out of their buildings, get a higher class of clientele, you know? At least the music was good. I'm not blind you know, some of those chicks were pretty hefty, not just that Natalie. Lots of cushion, if you get the drift. Anyway, her moms was a bitch on wheels, putting her in movies before she even had her first period. Then she was in that Rebel Without a Cause, getting rammed by that Nick Ray, who Uncle Roy told me was a fuckin' Red! DISGUSTING! But I guess that's showbusiness. Anyway, this was a very good book with a lot of surprises, even if you know she fell off a boat like a sack of potatoes into the ocean. Jesus, learn to hold your liquor. Very sexy!!

[Mom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with some of the reviews that commented that the book was focused more on RJ and his point of view. Additionally, I didn't care for all the side references and stories about every person involved in the making of every movie that was covered. I'm not so much worried about the details of her death because he states that everyone involved was drinking and had been for several days so it's no wonder that they couldn't recall what happened.

[Kourtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a Natalie Wood fan so I eagerly dived into this - and I should have gone against that feeling. This book is so pointed and biased I could not even make my way through the whole thing. Skip it and find a different biography that is unbiased and just lists the facts.

[Christina McLain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting take on the life of one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Natalie Wood was one of the few people to survive child stardom and to live a life beyond it...yet you get the feeling from this book, written by her friend, the writer Gavin Lambert, that she never really escaped from her painful exploited childhood. Although Wood left us with a few memorable performances, notably in Rebel Without A Cause and Splendour in the Grass, Lambert makes us feel she could have done so much more creatively and in her personal life had she not been so terribly wounded by her narcissistic mother,her drunken father and later, to a lesser extent by her talentless manipulative sister. Certainly love could not save her; her marriage to-- who most people would agree was the love of her life- Robert Wagner suffered, for the most part because of her damaged soul. I didn't realize until I read this book that she was also, at times, a heavy drinker and a pill popper; her mysterious death is dealt with honestly and sensitively by the author but you certainly get the feeling that a lot of bad stuff happened the night she died and that her tragic death may never be resolved. Certainly Wood tried to overcome her past. She spent years in therapy and had some happy periods in her marriage and in motherhood. But apparently this was not enough. Like the writer Stevie Smith, she was almost always "drowning, not waving "and all her beauty, fame and money couldn't save her.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lack of a chronological timeline was horrible for my mind. It also begins with a long section before she’s born about her family that could probably be shorter. It’s strange, but a lot of information seemed to be what was happening around Ms. Wood and not absolutely her life. Oddly after discussing her passing we are thrown back in time and discuss her film making experience again. Again!

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been watching and reading about Natalie Wood since I was a little girl, and always intended to read this book, but for reasons unknown stalled on it until now, despite reading others that I purchased after it. It was not worth keeping around this long. Written by an associate of Wood's who also happened to be the man behind Inside Daisy Clover (one of my favorite Wood films), you would think it would be wonderful, but it isn't. It is at turns dull and offensively negative and condescending. All biographers have opinions about their subjects, and certainly in the case of someone like Lambert who *knew* Natalie, these opinions were bound to seep through. However, I found his constant interjections of personal judgment about her films obnoxious and his overt obsession with her mother's affair bizarre. Perhaps if he had labeled it a memoir about Natalie as opposed to a biography of her I would have been more forgiving, but as it stands the best thing about this book is its array of photographs.

I don't pretend to know exactly what happened on the Splendour in November of 1981 (though naturally I have formed hypotheses over the years), but it's hard to view a biography like this one as even remotely unbiased in its treatment of Natalie's death when it is written by a family friend whose first line in his acknowledgement section is "This book owes its primary existence to Robert Wagner, who once said to me: 'When you tell the truth about Natalie as you see it, I shall be a peace.'" While it doesn't guarantee that Lambert got the events wrong (and he lists his sources to backup his recreation of events) - it's possible he didn't! - it certainly makes it likely that he would not have said something Wagner would have disliked.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things left out that should have been in this book. Explanations concerning her death that I have never heard before. Somethings I was familiar with but some I am not sure was accurate. This may be that RJ didn’t want the truth told. I can’t say for sure, but It is a possibility that he had a lot more to do with her death than he says.

Wish Natalie had made better decisions and lived a life that she could have been proud of. I think she definitely had mental problems. So sorry for her and her children. CathyR

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

She once said of Marilyn Monroe: "When you look [at her] on the screen, you don't want anything bad to happen to her. You really care that she should be all right, and happy." Did Ms. Wood realize that the sentiment eventually would apply to her?

[Sammi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie was kinda... bitchy?

[Laurie Hoppe · Rating 3 out of 5]

When reviewing a biography, sometimes it's hard to separate my feelings about the book from my feelings for the subject. I'm a fan of Natalie Wood's, I grew up on her movies and find the circumstances of her death -- drowning in the dark water that always terrified her -- haunting. So I'm predisposed to like a book written by a friend and collaborator.

I found this a good, not great, biography. On the negative side of the ledger: too much of Natalie's parents. I get that her mother was a messed-up stage mother/monster. But I don't really care what made Maria "Mud" tick; I'm more interested in the impact she had on her daughter's life. Yet I found myself waylaid in the family's escape from Russia to Shanghai to the United States (where Natalie was born) and forced to keep my Zudilovs and Tatuloffs and Zepaloffs straight when I literally could not have cared less. There was also an error that was repeated so many times it could not have been a typo: Natalie's character in The Cracker Factor was Cassie, not Cathy. And while we're at it, the lyric Natalie scrawled in her diary was from "Dock of the Bay," sung by the sublime Otis Redding so it is NOT "a Ray Charles song." Didn't Knopf assign an editor to this book?

But there are pluses, too. This book puts Natalie in the context of her times. Child star of the 1940s, "Rebel" girl of the 1950s, superstar of the 1960s. She transitioned to TV in the 1970s, as she juggled acting with motherhood. She tried to make a movie comeback in the 1980s, but we'll never know if she'd find success. She was supposed to make her stage debut on February 1982, as Anastasia (Russia, again!), but she died the previous November at 43.

Lambert also spends as much time on Natalie as a woman and an artist as he does as a drowning victim. I admired her courage in facing her problems, and Lambert is clear that she insisted on getting therapy and then stuck with it. The last 18 pages are devoted to her as an actress. The woman earned three Oscar nominations before age 25. Her career deserves that attention and respect.

[Debbie Deissler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought I would enjoy this book but there was way too much information in it... it was 600 pages long and went into great detail about things that I thought weren't pertinent to Natalie's life... like what each of the movies she was in - who was in the movie, what the movie was about - I felt like I could have googled that informaiton if I really wanted to know. I also had a hard time figuring out who was speaking in quite a few chapters of the book - the index helped a little at the end but I really didn't realize it was there until the end..... interesting life - dog gone shame it ended way too early and the way it did...

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finally finally writing this review. I enjoyed learning more about Natalie Wood with this book and am going to be watching more of her films very very soon. I always thought she was so beautiful in Rebel Without a Cause. I feel like I say this every time I read a famous person's biography, but I wish her life wasn't so sad. Hollywood's most beautiful are always the saddest

[Terri Borkgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A factual summary of a beautiful woman and movie star. She was a complex girl,teen and woman. She always seemed searching to be loved. And she fell in love quickly and deeply. An emotional woman that unfortunately found solace in alcohol and painkillers. Another life that ended too soon.

[TERESA KRISTEK · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was difficult to get into this book, but overall worth the read. Slow beginning, but fascinating subject.

[Terrie Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written by someone who actually knew Natalie Wood.

[Tara Reed · Rating 1 out of 5]

This RJ Wagner under someone else’s name. Trash. Trash. Trash.

[James Biser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good review of the life and career of Natalie Wood as she originated in Russia and became a star in the Western World. It also includes the trials and lesser known details of her family life.

[Janie Wallick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, truthful, most current

[Bookmarks Magazine]

Most critics agree with The Washington Post that Natalie Wood "is splendid in every way." Capturing the real essence of another person is virtually impossible, especially when immersed in celebrity drama and pretense. In this moving and thorough examination of Wood's groundbreaking career and too-short life, Lambert, an accomplished novelist whose Inside Daisy Clover provided the basis for one of Wood's films, has come close to the impossible. With great empathy, he explores Wood the movie star and Wood the person, pointing out that all too often even she couldn't distinguish between the two. Natalie Wood, concludes the New York Times Book Reivew, "could be a model for a new way of looking at and thinking about today's movie stars."

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't heard a lot of the information in this book, written from the perspective of a friend and also a motion picture person. It was way too detailed about the films and the methods employed etc. The information about Natalie's background, her ancestors, in the beginning was very confusing and boring. As the book unfolded it was very revealing and occasionally confusing with the author going back and forth in time. Overall it was a fairly good read and gave the reader a lot to remember about this actress.

[Desiree Dominguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big Natalie wood fan, so I was excited to read this book. I had read a couple of reviews and most of them were good. I was extremely disappointed with this book. I didn't read it all because I just couldn't and it already had bore me. Most biography's talk about their subject in general, but this was different. All Gavin Lambert wrote most about was Natalie's mother Nina, and how she was natalie's stage mother. I didn't really even talk about Natalie until four long chapters after. So if you see this book, you might as well skip it.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did enjoy learning about Natalie's Russian heritage. Her life was full of ups and downs and addictions. She seems to have been haunted by many demons. A sad story about a very talented actress.

Although there were some interesting parts throughout this book suffered from poor writing. I wouldn't recommend it.

I gave this 2 stars.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phoenominal. Beautiful. This biography made me appreciate an actress I already love. This is honest, real, and not a fluffy, sugar-coated account of Natalie Wood's life and mysterious death. I highly reccomend this read.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her life was troubled. Her mom wanted her to make money and that is about it.

[Rachel Calhoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything a biography should be. Loved Natalie, and the mystery of her death makes her life ever more intriguing.