tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post4194502841881788550..comments2024-01-19T03:54:02.341-05:00Comments on Marti Rulli, Author: Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour (Natalie Wood): Lana (and Laurie)Marti Rullihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16585177424159444524noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-70382926248935367832011-03-07T18:44:54.075-05:002011-03-07T18:44:54.075-05:00I hate Knotts Berry Farm. Its not a farm and ther...I hate Knotts Berry Farm. Its not a farm and there are no berries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-87990506416752239692010-11-22T08:51:50.151-05:002010-11-22T08:51:50.151-05:00Natalie mentioned on numerous occasions how much s...Natalie mentioned on numerous occasions how much she loved Knotts Berry Farm. There seemed to be a bit of "little girl" left in her. probably a result of being burdened with adult responsibilities when she was a child.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-16271756306207836822010-11-21T20:32:26.130-05:002010-11-21T20:32:26.130-05:00:-) I remember when Dennis told me that part way ...:-) I remember when Dennis told me that part way back when, and he was smiling when he described it. He said they talked a lot about Christmas coming that night, about what Natalie was going to get the girls but Dennis couldn't recall what gifts she'd mentioned, only that she suggested he take them to Knottsberry Farm. He was so overwhelmed by the pieces of eight neck chain she had given him. He still wears it around his neck to this day.Marti Rullihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585177424159444524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-28951992979766036102010-11-21T18:54:32.067-05:002010-11-21T18:54:32.067-05:00Marti, that was my favorite part of the book, Denn...Marti, that was my favorite part of the book, Dennis memories of what he and Natalie said to each other at the Pavillion Lodge. I can picture her waving her finger at him, telling him that the clothes stay on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-89311423096003891902010-11-21T18:36:45.479-05:002010-11-21T18:36:45.479-05:00The Quaaludes were taken VERY early in the afterno...The Quaaludes were taken VERY early in the afternoon on Friday. Yes, Wagner took one and said he felt no different regardless. They were a mild tablet according to Dennis. For a few hours after everyone took a quaaludes, the mood did lighten. By later that night, Natalie was off the boat and in the motel room with Dennis. Imagine that. It still blows me away that Dennis shared Natalie's final bed with her, and I am comforted by the fact that I know he made her laugh a little that night, and subsided her fears and anger, and that he was there as a true friend to her. But, just imagine, being the person who spent Natalie's last night with her, and what you would think about on every anniversary of that night. It's heartbreaking.Marti Rullihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585177424159444524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-9713705918530940322010-11-21T14:45:06.372-05:002010-11-21T14:45:06.372-05:00Kashner made the big money from the Vanity Fair ar...Kashner made the big money from the Vanity Fair article. <br /><br />I recall reading some reference to Valium, I may be mistaken. I believe one of Wagner's fans made some accusation about Valium. <br /><br />The Quaaludes did not play a part in this as it was the night before that all members of the party indulged to lighten the mood created by Wagner's childlike behavior. Even St. Wagner popped a pill.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-90920463182099255982010-11-21T12:09:17.501-05:002010-11-21T12:09:17.501-05:00It was Quaaludes that were taken on the cruise, FR...It was Quaaludes that were taken on the cruise, FRIDAY, NOT Saturday. Dennis drank and shared a joint with Walken later on Saturday. Yes, Kashner played Dennis more than a bit, but I got along well with Sam after we met. Overall, Sam did a good job with Dennis's truth and should be considered the one who finally broke through to the truth of all the reporters out there. Also, contrary to what some believe, Dennis was NOT paid for the VF article. It was Dennis's attempt to put the truth behind him, but after Lambert's book of lies, I convinced Dennis that he had to do more, and he was very willing to do whatever it would take to help get the case reopened.Marti Rullihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585177424159444524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-12455158418938855802010-11-21T11:51:06.183-05:002010-11-21T11:51:06.183-05:00Dennis also mentioned Valium in the Vanity Fair ar...Dennis also mentioned Valium in the Vanity Fair article. Smoking a joint does not dull one's memory to the point that Wagner's fans would like everyone to believe nor would taking a few Valium, if he ,indeed, took the Valium. It seems like Katzner played Dennis a bit. <br /><br />We all need to vent and it's helpful to you here to clarify what is rumor and what is fact.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-66231908793057370492010-11-21T11:22:01.177-05:002010-11-21T11:22:01.177-05:00Yes, Dennis himself, from the horse's mouth, h...Yes, Dennis himself, from the horse's mouth, has said he was "high" that night -- to people who smoke pot, even one joint, that means "getting high" or "being high." Dennis was NOT incapacitated to the point he wasn't aware of what was going on around him...by the joint he shard with Walken or by the drinks he had at dinner. Dennis admits they were all drinking for many hours and that he smoked pot with Walken. No one was affected adversly from the booze and pot that night but for one. Everyone was socializing until the bottle smashing, no different from many other cruises. That Dennis was "high" is not gossip, but the way some people interpret it (i.e., he was delusional from it that night, he has stayed "high" forever since, he was and is a bum)is ABSURD. Dennis told the truth about the drinking and pot to Sam Kashner and to me. The poster who said people believe him about that but not about other things makes a good point. Yes, Dennis was "high" just as he said; Yes, he saw the bottle smashing, just as Wagner confirms; Yes, Dennis claims Wagner is at fault for Natalie dying, just as Wagner said those very words in his own book; Yes, Wagner was with Natalie when she went overboard, just as Dennis's polygraph tested. Yes, Dennis Davern's account is true. High or not that night.<br /><br />And, for the most part, I know I'm preaching this to "the choir" -- this post is more a vent. Thanks, Everyone, for letting me vent.Marti Rullihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585177424159444524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-79277383093470047832010-11-21T09:34:32.505-05:002010-11-21T09:34:32.505-05:00THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
You are absolutel...THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!<br />You are absolutely correct. Dennis stated he was high in the Vanity Fair article. It is not gossip. Dennis stated it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-7306990173093181602010-11-21T08:51:34.165-05:002010-11-21T08:51:34.165-05:00Hello, the person who said Dennis was high was Den...Hello, the person who said Dennis was high was Dennis himself. He made that statement is the Vanity Fair article. That's were those of us who have been following this story for decades got that information. It's not gossip, Dennis said it. <br />Who is saying that they don't believe Dennis? This is how arguments start on this blog. Put your spoon away, no one here is doubting Dennis credibility.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-49305656666938663932010-11-21T08:31:13.329-05:002010-11-21T08:31:13.329-05:00Wagner did more than walk away from Natalie in the...Wagner did more than walk away from Natalie in the water; it was his intention to let her die.<br />By covering up the fact that Ms Wood was, in fact, in the water, he prevented someone else from saving her.<br />I think it is important to understand the difference.Kevinrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-71259457552460436052010-11-21T08:12:01.391-05:002010-11-21T08:12:01.391-05:00Good morning, Marti. I caught exactly why you talk...Good morning, Marti. I caught exactly why you talked of your blind friend when I read GNGS. Although Dennis did not see "the deed" he of course was aware of all going on around him. He didn't know how to act or react. This is redundant, and I think you are a tad too worried about those who can't comprehend this on their own. You are a decent person to take your valuable time for this. Please don't misunderstand me. I think your comment is brilliantly put, and necessary, but might fall to stubborn deaf ears. Some people don't know how to use any of their senses. If they did, they wouldn't be crying to you over such fundamental issues. <br /><br />What cracks me up is the person who claims Dennis said he was high that night. (They believe him on that point, right?) I've been high before, very high, and never missed a beat. These people think Dennis has stayed high, no matter how many times you've explained that he hasn't. They think he financed his life on Natalie's death, no matter how well you explain that impossibility. They think you wrote GNGS for money, no matter how many times you've explained you put more into it than ever returned. <br /><br />I think you should go about your business without having to cater to these people who refuse to accept all you've done for the late great Natalie Wood. You, of all the characters in this godforsaken story, are a wonder. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday and a wonderful Thanksgiving. I happen to be invited on a boat for next weekend. I will think of Natalie.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-30426677998617242242010-11-21T08:11:56.604-05:002010-11-21T08:11:56.604-05:00That's exactly what I am trying to say, whethe...That's exactly what I am trying to say, whether she was pushed or thrown, whether she had fallen, is not the point. The point is that Wagner did nothing to save her. That half hearted radio call to say that "someone" is missing was not a search and rescue attempt. It was a necessity at that point that he do SOMETHING and he did as little as he could. Even at that, he waited 2 hours. That's a long time but 4 hours for a Coast Guard call is ridiculous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-80689129584674904222010-11-21T08:04:56.811-05:002010-11-21T08:04:56.811-05:00Also, I believe it was Wagner releasing the dinghy...Also, I believe it was Wagner releasing the dinghy that tells us exactly what his intentions were.Kevinrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-23582371418317865702010-11-21T07:00:10.108-05:002010-11-21T07:00:10.108-05:00HOW Natalie got into the water is important but w...HOW Natalie got into the water is important but we will never know unless the only witness to it comes forward, and that particular witness is not Dennis Davern. AlL WE CAN DO IS TO SPECULATE, GIVEN KNOWN INFORMATION, WHAT MAKES MOST SENSE.<br /><br />Dennis knows that Wagner was with her when it happened. Many people (including a professional editor) missed the point of my mentioning my blind friend, John, in GNGS. When we were teenagers, I asked John a lot of questions that in older age I would never impose on a blind person (comfort zones shrink with age?). Anyhow, as a kid, I learned a lot from John. I always asked about how he "knows things" being he can't see, and it would exasperate him that people were so ignorant about other senses. John once warned me (while we sat in the living room) that my toddler son had a fork in his hand in the kitchen. I couldn't see my son as a wall separated us. But John "knew" -- sure enough, my 2-year old was carrying a fork around. <br /><br />John usually responded to me with answers like, "How could I NOT know things? My senses are as strong as yours, only I can't see. When I hear a fork fall on the floor, I know it's a fork because I'm used to listening for what it is. You wait for your eyes, while I trust my ears. Both senses can be as accurate." <br /><br />So, as a writer, I only told about John in a brief sentence in GNGS to enhance my point that while Dennis may not have seen the exact moment Natalie got into the water, or heard the exact words being argued because the music was on, he DID hear the voices for the complete duration of the back deck argument...he HEARD the movement, FELT the movement right below him, and has NO DOUBT a terrible argument was transpiring. Within a minute after he didn't hear and "feel" things, he headed down. (Reminder: a couple of hits off a joint and a few drinks hadn't crippled Den's senses...yes, Dennis has said they were all drinking but that's another "debate" -- Dennis was aware of his surroundings: it's why he stayed up and hadn't gone right to bed.) <br /><br />No, Dennis didn't see Natalie's transfer from the boat, but he SAW and HEARD Wagner's behavior and words and actions after Dennis went to the deck (remember, he had been only a few feet away above the couple.) After all the fury of looking for Natalie onboard (because that's what Dennis hoped had happened...that she went forward) then hearing that the dinghy was missing and hoping she might be in it, Dennis still, instinctively, knew ALL was wrong, but he believed the man he had worked for for 8 years, a man he hardly recognized this night. <br /><br />HOW Natalie got into the water is not how she technically died. Technically she drowned. Even if she was thrown into the water, that throw is not TECHNICALLY the cause of death. And that's a huge part of all that went wrong in this case. NOT RESCUING HER OR CALLING FOR HELP TO RESUE HER IS WHAT KILLED NATALIE WOOD.<br /><br />So, if Wagner walked away for a minute and Natalie fell (unlikely scenario but, no, not impossible), there still exists the issue of leaving her in the ocean to die. That's the part that's not a waste of time to discuss because we know it's TRUE.Marti Rullihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585177424159444524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-78519253045031362272010-11-20T20:35:00.712-05:002010-11-20T20:35:00.712-05:00There was also a swim step to be thrown over. The...There was also a swim step to be thrown over. The swim step was there, either way. It would have taken a lot for him to pick her up and throw her in the water, over the swim step and along side or on top of the dinghy. We are talking about 2 people fighting on the rear deck of a boat with an opened gate. It is possible that in the heat of a very tempestuous argument she could have easily slipped and fallen over. If she fell, the water in her mouth and nose would have muffled the sound of the scream. If RJ picked her up and threw her in she would have screamed before she hit the water. If she was semi-conscious and placed in the water, them there would not have been a scream at all. We'll never know. Perhaps if the police had done their job we would know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-85187975621588344352010-11-20T20:14:47.740-05:002010-11-20T20:14:47.740-05:00Also, according to Dennis the dinghy was tied ther...Also, according to Dennis the dinghy was tied there--at the back of the boat.Kevinrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-36741544158875405132010-11-20T20:04:54.910-05:002010-11-20T20:04:54.910-05:00There was also a swim step Natalie would have had ...There was also a swim step Natalie would have had to go over. I just don't think it is possible without her being assisted by another person. The back of the boat was not that small; there was plenty of room for Natalie to stay safely away from the edge.<br />I keep coming back to the same conclusion.kevinrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-72423537245005925072010-11-20T19:17:29.450-05:002010-11-20T19:17:29.450-05:00She did not have to be standing close to the edge....She did not have to be standing close to the edge. She could have been a foot or so away from the edge, she could have been walking and slipped and fell in and he let her die. The state of mind he was in is defined by seeing her in the water and doing nothing, It's possible that she fell. He could have reached out to her in a violent manner and she could have moved and fallen off the boat or he could have thrown something at her and she moved to avoid it. Any way you slice it, he is responsible for what happened to her that night. <br />I have never bought that banging dinghy story. The fact that he felt the need to invent that tale tells me that he knew better. He needed a story to feed the public and the press as well as Natalie's family and friends.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-13829753740264695332010-11-20T19:05:06.532-05:002010-11-20T19:05:06.532-05:00I can't see that being the case. With her terr...I can't see that being the case. With her terrible fear of dark water, I don't think Natalie would have been standing so close to the edge that she could have fallen in--especially with the state of mind that Wagner was in. I keep coming back to the answer that Wagner must have been responsible for Natalie ending up in the water; not by accident.Kevinrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-25997717487325895602010-11-20T18:40:21.836-05:002010-11-20T18:40:21.836-05:00Very easily if she was standing in front of the op...Very easily if she was standing in front of the opened gate that led to the swim step. That gate was always left opened. She may have been walking and arguing with Wagner, moving quickly. She could have slipped and fallen in the water as Wagner turned to go back into the stateroom. The rear deck was not big. It's a possibility. I believe it was Wagner who untied the lines to the dinghy to make it look like she had left the boat. He was very drunk and he may have reacted differently than he would have if he was sober. Wagner's supporters scream about Natalie being drunk and Dennis being drunk, Robert Wagner was intoxicated. I believe Lyn Taylor's story about seeing them in the restaurant and observing how intoxicated Wagner was. Getting back to the rear deck, she could very well have fallen in the midst of the argument with Wagner. We don't know for sure, we never will. Robert Wagner will never admit that he argued with Natalie on the back deck much less admit that he saw her in the water. Dennis does not know for sure. As far as how she got in the water, it's all speculation. I would not, however, define her death as an accident even if she fell during a spat with Wagner.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-7933751937347602002010-11-20T18:11:06.181-05:002010-11-20T18:11:06.181-05:00How could Natalie have fallen in?How could Natalie have fallen in?Kevinrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-50566855434344652972010-11-20T16:08:33.268-05:002010-11-20T16:08:33.268-05:00I recall that some of the bloggers took offense wh...I recall that some of the bloggers took offense when I said we don't know how Natalie ended up in the water. People got angry and said that Dennis was there and he told us how it happened. I kept saying that Dennis never said that he was certain about how it happened and some of the bloggers got up in arms about it. They began defending the book and Marti and Dennis. I remember this very well. <br /><br />Why should anyone have to defend an opinion about how Natalie got into the water? I know that several people who post here feel that she was pushed or thrown in. That opinion was welcomed without a challenge. The poster who presented his opinion suggested that Natalie was not tossed or pushed, that she may have fallen during the argument with Wagner. That's possible and that does not make Wagner any less guilty, especially since he spent 4 hours scheming about a cover up and drinking rather than calling for the Coast Guard's assistance in finding her. It seems that posts that cast Wagner in the worst light are never questioned but when someone said that Natalie MAY HAVE fallen as Wagner walked away, people became incensed, taking it as an insult to what Marti and Dennis presented in the book. At the time of this spat we were all rather defensive because of the invasion of the blog by a few Wagner trolls. I suggest we put all of this behind us and start anew, looking forward to the paperback and it's promotion. The 29th anniversary of Natalie's death is on our doorstep. Let's remember HER. She is the reason we are here, right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866262301035927730.post-72521489822916795692010-11-20T12:44:18.652-05:002010-11-20T12:44:18.652-05:00I read this blog everyday and I am pretty sure I r...I read this blog everyday and I am pretty sure I remember the exchange you are talking about. NO ONE ever claimed that Dennis said how Natalie got in the water because nobody knows including Dennis. Someone asked a poster how they THINK Natalie got in the water and it was answered. I remember it got a bit heated but I don't recall name calling. You got mad and said basically what you have said in your above posts about differing opinions and people being thin-skinned. You were told you had ample chance to clarify and defend your opinions and people would listen. People can get overzealous sometimes but usually some calm opinions come in and the discussion returns to the facts at hand. I'm sure I will be accused of being an attacker, but to be honest, I find your posts to be defensive and at times self-pitying. I don't say that with malice it's just how I hear them. Also, the egg on your faces comment surely couldn't have been crafted to win friends. Stick to your opinion in a rational manner and don't give up so easily. Eventually, people will civilly agree to disagree.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com