Marti Rulli, Author: Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour (Natalie Wood)

Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour is the poignant story of a young, cavalier adventurer, Dennis Davern, who landed the position of Splendour Captain and how the Wagner family welcomed him into their hearts and home. Natalie’s death in 1981 sent shock waves throughout the world and remained an enduring mystery. Dennis reached out to me, his friend, and my mission to substantiate Dennis's account led me on a personal quest for truth that spanned decades. Many of the lingering questions are solved.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Splendour's Enclosed Bridge

This a photo taken on a sharp angle of a side wall of the wheelhouse bridge. To the side, the drop to the water is about 12 to 15 feet. This is the bridge Dennis stayed in to wait out the argument on the back deck below. He turned on music and would not have been able to hear any cries from the water. This photo was taken while Dennis was preparing the yacht (and bridge) for the off-season one year of his employmanship as Splendour Captain. I've posted it to show the distance from the bridge to the water. Natalie left the yacht from the back deck which was very close to the water.

1 comment:

ErkutFebruary 22, 2011 at 10:41 AM
It makes me want to say that this picture brings back nerve chilling memories from that miserable night as if I were there. I find myself so engulfed in this the past few days. If only Davern had not turned on the music, or he had turned on the floodlights without RJ's permission, or an extra guest had been invited to the boat that weekend in addition to Walken, or Natalie had not returned to the Splendor after Fridays "island excursion", or the island workers called the coast guard without permission from RJ, or Marilyn called for help or acted on impulse, or a number of other things, none of this would have happened. (I dont blame these people I gave examples about, but merely putting myself in their shoes as I gave those examples) It constantly tears me up to see the way things turned up the way they did due to absurd and nutcase motives. If I were the 5th person on that boat or replaced with anyone else on that boat, the outcome would be, with me or RJ being found face down in water in the early hours of the morning.
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