The circumstances surrounding Natalie Wood's death at the age of 43, almost 45 years ago on November 29, 1981, remain a mystery to this day. Initially, after her body, dressed in a nightgown and red parka, was discovered floating in the water a little before 8am just off California's Catalina Island, it was declared an accidental drowning. But over the years, new questions have been raised about the circumstances.
A New Book Revisits Hollywood's Tragic Losses
Her untimely death is one of those featured in a new book focusing on the stars who left us way before their time. Hollywood Stars Who Died Too Young examines 30 of the most tragic lost lives in showbiz. But the Natalie Wood story particularly resonates for many reasons.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, the author Katherine Bebo reflected on the mystery that still surrounds it and said she wanted to remind people about the star. "Some stars are remembered by everybody - like Marilyn Monroe or Elvis. But some stars are a bit forgotten. I think if you ask your average person who's not that into movies, they probably couldn't name any of her films or necessarily know anything about her."
The Mystery Deepens
"So I thought with the book, it's important to give these people the respect and the legacy that they deserve, because they were so talented and died so young. In Natalie's case, there is also the mystery which surrounds her death. There are still so many questions," she said.
Although the Los Angeles County Coroner initially ruled her death an accidental drowning, suggesting she may have slipped while trying to board a small dinghy, the case was reopened in 2011 after the captain reported Wagner and Wood had an argument prior to her disappearance. In 2012, 31 years after she died, the coroner amended her death certificate, changing the cause from "accidental drowning" to "drowning and other undetermined factors" due to bruises and unexplained circumstances.
Her husband at the time, Hart to Hart legend Robert Wagner, was named a person of interest in 2018, but was cleared of involvement in 2022 after investigators exhausted available leads. However, the case remains open and unsolved, adding an extra poignancy to the tragedy.
Her Final Film and Legacy
Although she was nominated for three Academy Awards by the time of her death, Natalie wasn't the box-office draw she had been previously, having significantly slowed her film work during the 1970s to raise her children. However, her final film, the sci-fi thriller Brainstorm, was an all-star affair featuring a high-profile Hollywood cast, including Christopher Walken, who was on the yacht when she died, Louise Fletcher, and Cliff Robertson.
Following her death, the studio initially tried to scrap the project before the director Douglas Trumbull fought to complete and release it posthumously. The ending of the film had to be rewritten, and her character was written out of at least three scenes, with soundalikes and a stand-in being used to replace her in some of her key shots. The closing credits include a dedication which simply reads "To Natalie".
As to where her career might have gone had she lived, Katherine says: "You just don't know how somebody's life or career is going to go. I think that's just that that's anybody's guess, really. But because she died young, we'll never know."
Hollywood Stars Who Died Too Young is released on September 30 and will be available from all usual outlets. Pre-orders are available from the Pen & Sword website.
