Among Friends

[Annabellethecat66]

@Oznell When I heard about Robert Wagner being a 'person of interest' in the Natalie Wood death, I thought about you and how much you enjoy the old movies.

I know one doesn't have anything to do with the other, but I know he's been in some of the old(er) movies you watch.  I also know (as a 71 year old); things are different now (more forgiving) than they used to be back when these stars were famous.

A lot of young(er) people don't realize how famous the people involved in all of this were at the time of her death.  This made headlines for a long time.  It lasted quite some time.  Unusual, especially when you consider there wasn't the social media there is now (to keep things going and going).

I just wonder (as a student of wonderful former actors and movies) what you think about all of this?  Any thoughts?

[Oznell]

Gosh, @Annabellethecat66, I'm afraid I'm not "up" on this case the way a lot of people here are.  I've looked at a few of the threads, of course.  Loved Natalie Wood.

The events of that night seem to be so unfortunate, and so muddy, and of course, the presence of massive amounts of alcohol just compounds the capacity for things to go so very, very wrong.

All that to say that I don't have any insight or decisive information!  Paradoxically, I often find the lives of actors and performers, directors, etc. to be baffling, tragic, and/or off-putting, despite the magic they produce onscreen.  For the most part, it's their product, their acting and their films that I put most of my focus on.   Not that I'm immune to some juicy Hollywood stories, especially those from the Twenties, Thirties, Forties, the truly golden age... 

In fact, I'd love to have a fantasy dinner party with three denizens of that world--  David Niven, Ronald Reagan, and silent screen siren Louise Brooks-- for the very reason that all three were known as brilliant raconteurs and daring story-tellers about the people and the industry of film-making.  What a subversive tale-telling out of school that would be!

I'm sorry, though, to be disappointingly bereft of theories on the tragic Natalie Wood case, @Annabellethecat66.

[Annabellethecat66]

@Oznell You didn't disappoint me at all.  It wasn't that I was asking you to discuss the incident.

I was curious what YOU would think about the way the studios would handle things now versus then.

You see, I'm a person who is always interested in the back story (i.e. how 'things' are being managed).  Not so much on this, but I'm always more interested in how a story came to be written, etc.

When I was young James Garner was my hero.  My best friend growing up worshiped Clark Gable.  We knew things about the two of them most people had no idea (we were only around 10 years old or so).  Ha!

We wrote letters to them and would received autographed 8X10 black and white pictures (signed with a note).

It wasn't as easy back then to find out about people and/or places (no computers or social media).

I guess I carried that (curosity) over from then.  I know a lot of useless information about things most people are like, "OK!  Hummm??  That's interesting".  Ha!

[Oznell]

Oh, OK.  How the studios would handle it now, versus then?  Let's see-- it happened in the Eighties, right?  If I'm not mistaken, the studios even by then had lost their great power both over their contractees, (the actors) and over the media that covered them.

It used to be that all kinds of things could be hushed up, like certain stars' proclivities for various drugs, and other stars being arrested for accosting people in men's rooms, etc..  But with the break-up of the big studios, that seems no longer possible, and everyone is sort of free-lancing and on their own.  Publicists do what they can, of course.

Perhaps if it had happened in the Forties or Fifties, fewer of the details would have leaked out, or it would have taken much longer.  That would be my guess.

As far as having a head full of possibly extraneous and arcane information, that I am in total sympathy with!  It's what makes you such a fascinating conversationalist, @Annabellethecat66!

[Lindsays Grandma]

Do you mind if I put my two cents in the conversation?  I worked for Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Ca from 1990 to 2001.  How would they have handled the situation regarding Robert Wagner?  Well, I believe the first thing they would have done was to minimize his position.  Studios always attempt to protect themselves and their stars and certainly don't like bad press.  I also believe they would do everything possible to make the situation go away, the less said the better. For all concerned,  I hope they will come to some conclusion this time and put it to rest.

[Oznell]

It's great to get an insider's point of view, @Lindsays Grandma, thanks!

[yock]

Oh how I remember those beautiful pictures. We'd make a scrap book.  I loved Veronica lake cause of that hair over her eye and because she was blond. Clark gable for sure.  If any of them stepped out of line I'm sure we would have not known it.  

I doubt they will be able to solve Natalie's case since they've gone over this so many times.