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A place to update and discuss facts surrounding the controversial, tragic death of legendary Hollywood film actress, wife and mother, Natalie Wood who drowned mysteriously Nov. 29, 1981 off Catalina Island. Thank you for visiting.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Splendour


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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 22, 2010 at 9:22 AM

    This is an excellent photo, which clearly shows the cleats mounted just under the rail. Conclusive visual evidence that it was not necessary for anyone to step out onto the swim step to retie a loosened dinghy. This photo shines a bright beacon on the multiple lies told about that night. JamesV

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2010 at 2:19 PM

    It also shows how unlikely one could accidentally fall over the sides as the walls are above waist high. Natalie went out that back door or was pushed over the side.

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  3. Marianne9January 23, 2010 at 4:21 PM

    The photo just reinforces how small the boat actually was and that this tragedy could've been avoided. I am tormented by "what ifs" and "if onlys" regarding the chain of circumstances around that fateful trip. If only Dennis hadn't turned on that music--surely he would've heard the commotion of her going overboard and her cries for help. He was in the bridge, so close to what was happening but sadly not watching. I know he felt he didn't want to intrude, but that bottle smashing by Wagner should've alerted all the others that RJ should've been left alone to cool off (or conversely, closely watched). Only Walken seemed to have picked up on the potential danger.

    Natalie was too enraged to not address it, as she sounded tired of his antics. Finstad's book gives further support for this idea of ongoing tension in their marriage over Wagner's drinking. Dennis didn't consider that she might've been in danger, even after the bottle smashing. How tragic and needless. I wish that Natalie had been able to put aside her anger and locked her stateroom doors to keep Wagner out. If only they could've all slept it off and started home the next day to deal with the consequences then. It would be a good guess to think that she probably mentioned the threat of divorce to Wagner, and that was the final straw. It makes sense, since he told her to "get off my f'ing boat." It sounded like he might've originally gone to the stateroom to apologize or "assess the damage," as Marti wrote. But Natalie was angry (and she should've been, but again it cost her life), and she probably said something that completely set him off again. I wish I could turn back the clock and warn her.

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  4. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2010 at 5:36 PM

    Marianne you appear to have a great ability to determine realistically how people would behave in real life situations. What you say makes so much sense; and highlights even more that Mr. Wagner's story does not. - JamesV

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  5. Marianne9January 25, 2010 at 4:13 PM

    James, nothing about what happened ever made sense to me until I read Marti's book. Even as a teenager when it happened, I thought there were too many gaps and vague scenarios given over the years (not only that but inconsistencies, too!) And the fact that Wagner didn't seem to want to talk or question it bothered me a lot over the years.

    I can't get over the idea that this actor I had a huge crush on from "Hart to Hart" caused Natalie's loss. He was supposed to love and adore her, but his drinking and jealousy took her away from us. His defenders claim that he couldn't and wouldn't have done that to the woman he loved. Why NOT? It happens every day, and it's called domestic violence.

    After reading Marti's book with Dennis, it's like I'm experiencing Natalie's death again but in a whole other way. This has been a very painful and depressing realization for me, knowing that the man she loved and ostensibly loved her more than anything would let her drown. I imagine her last moments, knowing that she was going to die in the way she always had nightmares about and that her husband was the reason she was in that water. And he was doing nothing to save her.

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  6. AnonymousMay 28, 2010 at 3:09 AM

    As I remember, once you step through the doors, the head board of the bed (built in) is against the Port side. There are closets to the left against the far bulkhead a door on the right up into the salon above the engine room. Then step across the salon to steps down forward to the guest rooms. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but that's not Wagner in the fish cockpit. That's Dennis as I remember him. You can also tell that's Wagner on the bridge!

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