I didn’t really know I liked Natalie Wood until about a week ago. Setting into the Warner Brothers Natalie Wood Collection I had no real idea what to expect. I’d already seen Inside Daisy Clover and Love with the Proper Stranger, and to be honest I only liked the latter. So her track record with me was 50/50. When I put those films up against all the other classic cinema I enjoyed, Inside Daisy Clover just seemed to fall short. Luckily, in the Natalie Wood Collection the quality is a pretty even split.
Bombers B-52 (1957)
I felt that the inclusion of Bombers B-52 in the Natalie Wood Collection mislead me. Considering the plot revolves around Sgt. Chuck Brennan (Karl Malden) and his grudge against Col. Jim Herlihy (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) – why is this considered a Natalie Wood film? Her role, as Brennan’s daughter, may get a maximum screen time of 15 minutes compared to the remaining 1.5 hours spent on the men’s rivalry. Despite that, it’s still an entertaining film. Sgt. Brennan’s dislike for Col. Herlihy begins back in the Korean War when the hotshot pilot jock lands and forces the men to embrace certain danger for what they assume to be his own ego. Years down the road, the two men wind up at the same air base and must find a way to co-exist as they test the new experimental B-52 Bombers. It's important to note the film quality has suffered at the hands of time - there are more than a few discolorations noticeable throughout the film.
Sex and the Single Girl (1964)
In my opinion, this may be the best film in the collection. With performances by both Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis that rival some of the best Romantic Comedy performances of today, Sex and the Single Girl has everything going for it. Bob Weston (Curtis) works for a huge gossip magazine and decides to go undercover to find the facts behind Helen Gurley Brown (Wood) and her recent blockbuster book which shares its title with the film. Using the marital problems of his neighbors (as played by Henry Fonda and Lauren Bacall) he begins seeing Helen as her patient and slowly but surely seduces her – only to have the truth of his identity come out in the end. For me, this one rivals anything ever done by Audrey Hepburn. The comedy’s spot on and the acting from the two leads is perfect.
Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
As I’ve said, I was less than wowed by Inside Daisy Clover when I saw it years ago – and it holds true today. It isn’t news that a star can rise and fall in Hollywood before they have a chance to enjoy it. Inside Daisy Clover follows the titular character’s career (as played by Wood) as she finds herself at the top and then nowhere at all. What can a star do to recapture lost fame? For that matter, what can a star do to never lose the fame at all? Inside Daisy Clover examines the idea, but in a way that doesn’t entertain quite as much as it should.
Gypsy (1962)
Repairing Natalie Wood and Karl Malden, this Broadway play-to-film adaptation of Gypsy carries off the music well enough but never really rises above or captures the liveliness of the original. Circumstance pushes Louise (Wood) from a raucous life on one stage to another. Rose (Rosalind Russell), Louise’s mother, yearns for a successful daughter; and when June, Louise’s more talented older sister marries and leaves showbiz, Rose’s sights turn to Louise. Can Louise shift from a career as an exotic dancer to a more glamorous form of showbiz? Karl Malden features as the love swept salesman fallen for Louise along the way.
Splendor in the Grass (1961)
To help the younger readers, who I hope have stuck by reading the review, I will now compare Natalie Wood’s performance in Splendor in the Grass to that of Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada. I maintain that Wood’s performance in Splendor in the Grass was superior but the roles marked a turning point in both actresses’ careers. For both these films marked a transition from more childish fare to lead adult roles. In the case of Natalie Wood – it’s one of her finest. As Deanie, Wood finds herself overwhelmed by her feelings for Bud (Warren Beatty) and discovers that the way she attempts to express them to be too strong and outward for her small Kansas town – even for Bud. This is a truly fantastic film.
Cash McCall (1959)
This was the strangest of all the Natalie Wood Collection for me to watch. At given times during the film I had to remind myself this was made about 50 years ago despite several of the themes being so rampant in modern society. Cash McCall (James Garner) has the business world banging at his door with a successful company and everything going his way. He loves what he does and what he does is business. Up until now, his entire life has circled around this pursuit – but now he wants something more: love. Lory Austen (Wood) fills that gap and introduces a new facet of life Garner must change to deal with. While not the best film in the group, its relevance to modern takes on life and business resonate loudly.
DVD Bonus Features
One of the best quirks of the Natalie Wood Collection is the inclusion of a Merry Melodies / Looney Tunes cartoon on each disc. While I remember all of these from the countless Looney Tunes reruns on Saturday Mornings, seeing them on these discs brings a smile to my face. The fact that 4 of these were Oscar Nominated animated shorts is even more stunning and interesting when weighed against the contenders you see today.
Beyond the cartoons, only Gypsy has an extra feature that isn’t a Theatrical Trailer or optional language and subtitle track. The Gypsy disc features two outtake musical numbers, “You’ll Never Get Away From Me” (Duet Version) and “Together Wherever We Go”. More interesting for the true Gypsy fans, for others these are one-time watches. Fun, to be sure, but there could have been more – though back then there wasn’t any foreknowledge that people would want to see behind the scenes material.
Overall the Natalie Wood Collection gives an above average selection of film but not without its share of clunkers. However, the ability to watch a selection of films from a high-point of her career gives you a good perspective on the actress’s achievements.
"The Natalie Wood Collection" is on sale February 3, 2009 and is rated NR. Comedy, Drama, Romance. Directed by Elia Kazan, Joseph Pevney, Richard Quine, Robert Mulligan. Written by Various. Starring James Garner, Karl Malden, Natalie Wood, Robert Redford, Rosalind Russell, Tony Curtis, Warren Beatty.
