Customer Reviews

Natalie Wood: A Life

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

For me at least, this book is a huge disappointment. Who could possibly be interested in reading about Natalie Wood's gay male secretary Marty Crowley's sordid encounter with a call boy? Or page after Page of cruel unsubstantiated attempts to character assassinate and "out" Scott Marlowe - an actor the young Natalie Wood was in love with, who is not alive to defend himself?
Gavin Lambert, who has written about his own homosexual affairs, goes to extreme and transparent lengths to try to establish that his friend Robert Wagner (for whom I believe, he wrote this book) is a virile heterosexual - even including a sleazy account of a supposed encounter between Wagner and a (Japanese?) prostitute. Who are they kidding?
There are innumerable tasteless and pointless disjointed incidents of Natalie allegedly drunk and "swishing her tail" in front of men - a nasty ruse by Lambert, on behalf (perhaps?) of Robert Wagner, to try to shift the blame to Natalie for her horrible drowning and to deflect attention away from Wagner's suspicious and disgraceful behavior that night. What kind of "friend" of Natalie Wood's - as Lambert claims to be - would write a book about her to make a case that her father, who she loved dearly and who looks just like her, was not her biological parent? Lambert also trashes Natalie's mother and her sister Lana with tacky family gossip apparently provided by Wagner.

This book is a disaster: ditto its ghost writer.

As a devoted Natalie Wood fan (she was my childhood hero), I looked forward to reading a bio filled with new information and written by a friend who enjoyed a "twenty-year friendship" with Natalie. What a disappointment!
The book is a bore from start to finish. There are far too many stories about Hollywood wannabes and an endless rehash of details about her mother, father and sisters. There are no meaningful insights, no interesting details revealed.
Lambert's writing is so awkward frequently had to reread the sentence page. Paragraph transitions are disjointed as well, and there are many disconcerting examples of odd word useage such as: "Everett Sloane...had sounded authentically Hebrew in the small part of a rabbi in Morningstar." Authentically Hebrew?
His numerous inaccuracies are disturbing as well. One wonders whether Lambert actually watched Natalie's films before writing the book.
The premise of "Marjorie Morningstar," for example, concerns a wealthy Jewish girl's dreams of breaking away from family tradition. Marjorie's lover, played by Gene Kelly as the the son of highly respected Jewish parents (his father is a judge), tries, in his own way, to escape family expectations.
Had the author bothered to see this film he would never have written "For Wouk to make Marjorie (nee Morgenstern) Jewish seems more a gimmick than an essential part of her star-is-not-born story, and in the movie the Jewish element is so diluted that it has no effect on her WASP lover, who's only momentarily restive at the Morgenstern's Passover dinner."
Skip this one. Suzanne Finstad's "Natasha" is a far more interesting and well written exploration of Natalie's life.

When Suzanne Finstad's biography of Natalie Wood came out a couple of years ago, RJ Wagner refrained from commenting on it or giving his assistance because (we were told) a more authoritative biography was already in the works.

This is that more authoritative biography--an authorized biography, in fact, sanctioned by family and friends. What a disappointment. It is both bland and sketchy. Unlike Finstad, Lambert does not seem to have done any legwork in researching this, other than a couple of phone calls to Mart Crowley, Natasha Lofft, and a few other frequently quoted supporting players. The result is a book a plodding book short on revelation and telling detail.

I feel gypped by this book. We were led to believe it would set the record straight about the breakup of Natalie and RJ's first marriage (the Finstad book says it was precipitated by RJ's homosexual sidetrips); that it would give the final word on Natalie's mysterious drowning, in which RJ was a suspect; and maybe it would shed some light on the suggestion in Finstad's book that Kirk Douglas, or somebody like him, raped Natalie when she was a teenager.

So what news here? None at all. But be of good cheer, Gavin Lambert! You need never fear you'll be scratched off the Wagners' "A" list.

Gavin, why did you bother? Being a social friend of Natalie and RJ's does not qualify one to write her biography. If anything, quite the opposite--it curtails one's honesty, since most of the principals are still alive. Better if you had made this a personal memoir--"Natalie as I Remember Her"--and avoided the trap of a full-scale bio.

I waited to read this book and was totally disgusted with it. It was more of a history about her mother (who was no doubt certifiable). Ms Wood dedicated her life, for good or for bad, to the Screen. The least this author could have done was not to write it like someone was standing over his shoulder!

Well, I just received Gavin Lambert's book on Natalie Wood, and after trudging through this monotonous, overblown biography, the conclusion is as follows: it's boring as hell! (I can't say I haven't been warned). This is the "wonderful" biography of Natalie that is supposed to set the record straight? It boasts 78 photos, but instead of being included in a glossy pictures section, they are widespread on various pages in the book so that they appear grainy. It seems to me that it was written as a rebuttal, and to paint Lana Wood as a greedy, vicious person (she was obviously not interviewed), and to make childish slaps at her, when she was not given the opportunity to tell her side of it. Robert Wagner seems threatened by anyone who knew Natalie before he, Lambert and Mart Crowley did - dismissing all of the people Natalie befriended before who offered their insights in "Natasha: The Biography Of Natalie Wood" as vultures who barely made her aquaintance and who are weaving fantasies about her. Basically, Wagner is uncomfortable with the aspects of Natalie's life that he was not involved in. It doesn't really attempt to get behind Natalie's persona any, like "Natasha" did, and of course, it doesn't acknowledge Natalie's love for Jimmy Williams, her first boyfriend, the rape by a famous actor, or what happened on the night of her death, hastily tying up loose ends and making her death sound so simple. Lambert wrote this book for Wagner, there's no question, and Natasha and Courtney are hardly mentioned at all. Did Lambert actually do any in-depth research? As well, there are allegations that Nick Gurdin may not have been Natalie's or Lana's father, and then there's Natasha Lofft, who has not proven with DNA that she is actually Natalie's half sister, but Wagner and the girls have no problem believing that she is, but they dismiss Suzanne Finstad's book as speculation and trash? I'll believe this claimant's story when I see proof! At least Finstad was able to remain somewhat objective and unbiased, since she did not know Natalie (and she did try to get Wagner's input, but he refused) which is obviously not the case with this pathetic attempt at a so-called "definitive" biography. Much of the book appears to be written quickly, but at least it does name the film Natalie turned down, which was reputed to have the actor who raped her in the cast. And of course, it has to dispel all the allegations of Wagner's sexual orientation, and what played the role in the demise of his first marriage to Natalie (heaven forbid that anyone attempt to tarnish the reputation of Prince Valiant).

As much of a disappointment as this book is, I'm glad I purchased it so I can compare it to "Natasha" and Lana's book to try to decipher what is closer to the truth. At least I didn't have to spend too much money on it!

Whatever the truth, I hope that Natalie is at peace.

I was very disappointed with the author's version of Natalie's life. I think it can be sumed up by the fact that "Robert Wagner" gave his full cooperation to the author. In other words, all the real nitty gritty details of Natalie's life were deleted. Wagner I do not believe is as sentimental and as wounded by his wife's passing as he leads us to believe. I feel he has far more sinister reasons to remain silent. If you want to read a far more indepth, honest portrayal of Natalie's life, read "Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Woods" by Suzuanne Finstad. Once you have read her book, I think you will understand why this author has short cheated all Natalie's fans by misleading and avoiding the truth in her unfortnuate death. Natalie's death should never have happened. I hold Wagner responsible. His actions that evening will be his down fall when he faces his final curtain call. My heart breaks for Natalie. The one person that should have protected and loved her, failed her miserably. In fact, her whole life she was let down by those that supposedly loved and cared for her. What a tragic ending to such a beautiful and talented woman's life. Skip this watered down version of her life and read the book I mentioned above. You will never view Natalie or Wagner the same.

Gavin Lambert has told of how he loved Natalie and how he wanted to tell her story...What he really wanted to do was wash off some of the dirt Suzanne Finstad threw on Robert Wagner in her much better bio, Natasha. He tries to make Wagner look like a macho knight in shining armor...in doing so he sacrificed Natalie. Finstad's Natasha was a page turner...and a more touching, more true, look at Miss Wood...This book is a bore. Lambert tells the story of Natalie's mother and the sea captain and the possibility that her Fahd may not have been her father. Lambert plays this for all it's worth. He also takes pot shots at Natalie's sister Lana. He undoubtedly worked closely with Wagner on this area of the book. Lambert tried his best to make the reader like Wagner...I liked him more before I read this book. I came away from it thinking that Wagner cared more about how the public sees him than he does about telling Natalie's story..He should be ashamed of himself for allowing Lambert to say things like "Natalie liked to swish her tail." It was vulgar and Natalie deserved better...After reading this book I felt that she deserved a better friend than Lambert and a better husband than Wagner....If you want to read a well researched biography about Natalie, read Finstad's Natasha.

Much of Gavin Lambert's account of Natalie Wood's life has already been explored in the 1996 "Natasha" by Susanne Finstadt. Still, there are new things revealed, and its definitely worth a read.

While I enjoyed the book, its worst failure is that it doesn't give the reader a true sense of the incredible woman that was Natalie Wood. I expected more from Mr Lambert, as he was a friend of Nat's for over two decades.

I longed for an intimate look inside of the tough, brave, rebelous, witty, fun loving, cute, humble, open, sweet and lovely, LONELY, hotheaded and sometimes slow to forgive and forget woman, who spent her career -- really her LIFE -- exploring all aspects of the "female" psyche on screen.

Nat was far from perfect (which she herself admitted with humor many times). She had her ups and downs, personal failings, lifelong mental struggles, and phobias.

But she survived a HORRENDOUS childhood, to be basically a loving lady, whose real life struggles and exploits are more passionate and interesting and compassionate than most of the plots of her films.

One real downer with Lambert's book is that this is Natalie's story, NOT her sister Lana's. So, why was it necessary for the author to discuss whether or not Nick Gurdin is Lana's biological father?

And on that subject, Mr Lambert seems to "out" Natalie as well. Can't the Wagner family afford DNA testing? Unless its a PROVEN fact, why bother even contemplating that topic? It was simply in bad taste to this reader.

Speaking of family -- where IS the Wagner family in Mr Lambert's account? Barely there is the answer.

Robert Wagner is interviewed fairly extensively (a positive for the book), but Natalie's daughters are barely mentioned. And Lana is persona non grata (Lambert should have interviewed Lana to get her side of the many awful claims about her)!!!!

My least favorite part of the book is Mr Lambert's "bonus" discussion of Nat's films. Frankly, he could have skipped this entirely!

Personally, I wish that the publishers had included the full AFI Interview with Nat that Mr Lambert refers to throughout the book.

Why do I care what Gavin Lambert thinks of Nat's performances on film?! I wanted to know what NATALIE WOOD thought of her films and the people she worked with!!!!!

Natalie was a wonderful actress (in my opinion). If a reader wants to get a sense of who Nat was -- see her wonderful films (there's nearly 50 to track down from her childhood through her final film "Brainstorm")!

You'll get a sense of her from sweet and innocent but manipulated young child, to a disturbed and perhaps lonely but always humorous and loving resillient woman! That was Natalie Wood to this fan!

Nancy J
Culver City, CA

Having read 'Natasha' by Suzanne Finstad and 'Natalie, a memoir by her sister' by Lana Wood I was very disappointed with this book. The two books I mentioned were both great, and gave in detail many new and suprising facts on Natalie and her life. This book by Gavin Lambert is horribly boring. The ending chapters on her death make no sense, it sounds as though Robert Wagner himself wrote the end, in which it only defends Wagner, and brings nothing new to what the public already knows. The author also goes on to throw out all of the evidence that pointed to something 'more' then just an accident. The only good thing about this book was the gorgeous pictures of Natalie throughout the book. Bottom line- this book was awful, one of the worst bios I have read. If you want a book on Natalie buy 'Natasha' by Suzanne Finstad.

I've been struggling to finish this book for over 3 months. A book of this length would typically take me a week to finish. This book, however, seems painfully endless. This was my first adventure into the world of biographies. I warn others who may choose this book as their first biography, STOP, put the book down and look for some other biography. However, if you want boring account of Natalie Wood's script selection, give Lambert's book a try, at the very least you can use it to treat insomnia. Lambert has done a grave injustice to such a fascinating Hollywood icon.