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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.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Natalie Wood's Young Daughters

This is a photograph Dennis Davern took of Natalie Wood's daughters, Courtney and Natasha, one afternoon aboard the Splendour. Courtney was brushing Natasha's long hair. There were many family cruises and outings aboard the Splendour. The quiet family cruises were when Natalie was most relaxed. She loved being a mother. The silhouette of Natasha resembles Natalie's profile.
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10 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 10, 2010 at 12:43 AM

    cute picture

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  2. Marti RulliMay 10, 2010 at 1:20 AM

    I love this photo of the girls. I have another like this where they are both sihouettes in it (taken at the same time). Dennis took hundreds of photos (his mom did too when she visited him every year). Many of the photos I have are Catalina landscape shots, the boat interior, and many from the Wagner home. I have hundreds of photographs of RJ and the girls, and many candid shots of Natalie she probably would have never wanted published so I didn't use them -- she's yawning or without make-up, so I chose only about a dozen of Natalie and let the editors decide which to use in the book and they used most of them. But Natalie is as beautiful in the candid photos with no make-up as she is on film.

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  3. Marianne9May 10, 2010 at 3:12 PM

    That's a touching photo of the girls. Before I even read your caption, Marti, I had the same thought--Natasha had the same profile as Natalie.

    I thought of the girls yesterday and wondered what it has to be like for them on Mother's Day. I especially thought of their first Mother's Day without Natalie and how horrible that must've been. Of course, on Mother's Day, 1982, RJ probably had Jill St. John at his side--sickening.

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  4. Marti RulliMay 10, 2010 at 6:50 PM

    Thank you, Marianne.
    I've heard I was chastised for posting this photograph. I thought Mother's Day was the perfect day to post it...to remind others of how truly tragic the loss of Natalie was for these girls, and in hopes of getting readers to know how important the petition to reopen the Wood case is.
    Are we supposed to hide the ugliness of what happened to Natalie just because a special day comes around? I believe the special days are the most important days to remember her.

    We all deal with painful truths and events in life. I lost my mother when I was the same age as Natasha was when she lost hers. In fact, I was completely parentless by that age. My father had died when I was 4. My mother and uncle (who raised me, too) both passed away within weeks of my turning 12. No one needs to remind me of how emotionally devastating such an experience is, as I know firsthand.

    Natasha and Courtney were left with a father to love and care for them because of an "Uncle Dennis-boat captain" who, in essence, spared them from losing a father, too. Thankfully, they also had a loving Nanny, Willie Mae. They also had two loving aunts, Lana and Olga, but Lana was unfairly banned from being a part of their lives only because she never believed Natalie "got drunk and slipped and fell."

    Dennis's conscience eventually caught up with him and it may have made things worse for his own credibility, but it sure offered Wagner the time to "enjoy" his life. Wagner garnered sympathy and his life went on while Dennis's life deteriorated into a ball of guilt for not having been truthful for Natalie from the get-go. Instead, he allowed hmself to be manipulated by Wagner. He doesn't regret that his silence spared those young girls more pain at that immediate time, though.

    Wagner may love his daughters, as he should. He is the reason they became motherless. The bottle smashing alone is evidence of that much. Even if Natalie had decided to secure a banging dinghy on her own rather than call one of the men onboard (which is totally untrue but...) the only reason she would've done so would've been because of the bottle smashing. But, truth is, the bottle smashing was only the beginning of the martial trouble that transpired that night.
    I am not responsible for what transpired that fateful night, but by way of fate, because the truth landed in my world, I feel obligated to present it, by conscience alone.

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  5. Marianne9May 10, 2010 at 7:25 PM

    Marti, there is nothing wrong with posting that photo on Mother's Day. Someone who finds fault with that is troubled. That's their problem.

    You certainly would be able to understand best what those girls experienced. You endured your own tragedies, and I can just imagine those events helped develop your sensitivity to Natalie's heartbreaking story, not to mention being a mom yourself.

    When I heard the news that Natalie had died, my first thought was, "How did that happen?" My next thought was, "She was a mother. What about her children?" I will never forget that.

    Of course, Wagner was left to lead his "charmed life," soon to include Jill St. John. So much for Natalie being "the love of his life."

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  6. AnonymousMay 10, 2010 at 8:12 PM

    I wonder why none of Natalie's friends or family except Lana have spoken out about this.

    After Natalie died, Natasha should have been raised by her father Richard, not Robert.

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  7. Marianne9May 10, 2010 at 8:18 PM

    In her will, Natalie asked that her daughters be allowed to be raised together in case something happened to her. Richard Gregson complied with her request.

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  8. Marianne9May 10, 2010 at 8:22 PM

    As for Natalie's friends and most of her family, they, too, were swayed by Wagner. Some friends were on his payroll. Others apparently were somehow frightened into keeping quiet. In interviews, they would just shake their heads and say little or nothing.

    Some of Natalie's family were influenced by Wagner and chose not to anger him because they were aware of his proclivity to cut people off. As you stated, Lana has been the only family member to speak up, and even then she has done that carefully. It just adds to the tragedy that her friends and family have not rallied to raise a ruckus. Lana couldn't do it by herself. Every time she tried to get an answer out of the "charmed one," he couldn't look her in the eye. "You have to believe me--it was an accident." That does NOT sound like an innocent person to me.

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  9. AnonymousMay 11, 2010 at 3:35 AM

    I agree with you Lana couldn't and can't do this by herself. But she's the only family member who has said anything about this...both of Natalie's parents have passed away, her half sister is elderly and doesn't want any trouble, and her daughters have a loyalty to Wagner.

    Have you tried to contact any of Natalie's friends? Or Olga? Or Richard Gregson? They should read this book.

    The police won't reopen it because it's nearly three decades ago and they don't want to admit they made mistakes - shame on them, it's pathetic. Robert Wagner has lived almost twice as long as Natalie now and had a very comfortable life. If he loved their daughter as much as he claims he does he would admit what he did instead of hiding it.

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  10. AnonymousMay 12, 2010 at 2:57 PM

    Wagner could not have loved Natalie. It was a show. He accepted a great deal of money from her to get him out of the debt he was in. A REAL MAN would have said "No" and taken care of his own financial issues. He talks about Lana being after money. I suggest he look in the mirror.

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