It's all there - there is an excellent short bio called Natalie and RJ which has many of the basics that are here (including the account of Robert Wagner pulling over crying after seeing Natalie two years or so after their separation) but Lambert, who knew Wood, adds fresh insights: he argues (convincingly) Natalie's boozy dad wasn't her real dad, and also amazingly gets Warren Beatty to go on the record (not that it's much - he just ducks responsibility for her suicide attempt, which is what you'd expect); he also had Wagner's co operation, so the book doesn't follow the Robert-Wagner-killed-her argument (which I always thought was a bit silly and mean anyway).
It gets stuck into Lana Wood, who sounds like a money grabbing pain. Natalie Wood was blessed with many things in her life: stunning looks, talent (when used properly), a capacity for hard work, a love of her life in Robert Wagner (one of Hollywood's great love stories) - but she was punished, too - mum never happy, fear of drowning, dumped by Warren Beatty. A princess, to be sure, but one capable of great acting. I wonder how she would have done in the 1980s - my guess is she would have continued in TV.
I enjoyed reading about her troublesome experiences under Warners - she was tied to that studio for a long time in the 1950s and early 1960s. Lambert's prose feels occasionally a bit too voyeuristic, listing of the names of Natalie's lovers (Nick Ray who took Natalie's virginity at 16 - and who also slept with Lambert!, Dennis Hopper, Henry Jaglom, Steve McQueen, John Ireland) - it feels a bit too far when he talks about her periods, I dunno that just crossed the line for me.
1 comment:
Are you aware that Natalie's own unpublished notes for a memoir tell the real story about Warren Beatty? She refers to him as her "life safer" and it was SHE who moved on and ended their relationship, not him.
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