Here is a cringe-worthy piece on Natalie Wood. [web site defunct]
I’ve always liked Natalie and I’ve liked her work generally, though she should never be confused with a serious actor.
Here, the narrator points out that Natalie has a lot of work to do when it comes to choosing her next picture: she also has to choose the director, her co-stars, the production company, and so on. He forgot: and write the script, compose the music, select the film and lenses, edit, and actually produce a story that is worth watching. This is the art form turned on it’s head. This is the sunflower telling the artist how to paint.
You can tell she really thinks this is all “art” and so very serious and all that, which is a shame, because what she did quite often– as in “The Great Race” was good fun and digestible, and she worked okay in “Splendor in the Grass”, at least partly because that was such a strange story.
Of course, Marni Nixon dubbed her vocals in “West Side Story” but why would that be a problem? “West Side Story” isn’t about anything real in any case. We’re entering an era where they will also dub your nose, your eyes, your breasts: the public does not care about “real” or “authentic”. The public cares mainly about fantasy.
She just shouldn’t get mixed up about just what it is she does.