“I wanted to cringe”: the 1961 movie that left Natalie Wood “absolutely furious”
Before Natalie Wood’s life was tragically cut short when she was just 43 after drowning under mysterious circumstances, the actor racked up roles in many classic Hollywood hits.
In fact, she bagged her first unforgettable classic as a kid when she starred in her sixth film, Miracle on 34th Street, in 1947, which has become a timeless festive favourite – as a 16-year-old, she then landed Rebel Without A Cause, which earned her an Oscar nomination, which remains a defining document of youth rebellion from the ‘50s.
Some actors would be grateful to have two such influential films under their belt at any point in their career, so it was pretty impressive that Wood ticked them off when she was just a teenager… In the coming years, roles in everything from John Ford’s beloved western The Searchers to the period drama Splendor in the Grass asserted Wood’s rightful place in Hollywood, although there was one movie that left her furious.
In 1961, Wood had the chance to demonstrate her talents as more than just an actor when she was cast in the leading role of the musical romance West Side Story. Yet, things turned sour when she was eventually informed – way after filming had been completed – that her singing voice wasn’t going to be the one featured in the movie.
Behind her back, the production had decided that Marni Nixon would sing Wood’s numbers instead, although the actor was still brought in to record everything initially. Wood really had no idea that she was going to be slighted in such a cruel and unprofessional way.
While Wood was able to sing, she just didn’t have the vocal chops to pull off what was required to sing the tracks on the West Side Story soundtrack. It was too demanding, and she just didn’t have the correct range.
As a result, Nixon served as a ghost singer, which she hated, too. Talking to NPR in 2003, Nixon said, “It created an atmosphere of… I felt very uneasy. I just felt like I wanted to cringe.” The singer was brought in under the guise of ‘helping’ Wood with her singing abilities, shadowing her on set in an attempt to coach her, so Wood was shocked to discover the truth.
Nixon admitted that it was hard to go along with the lies, but it was never going to be a smooth-sailing situation for anyone involved. It’s a perfectly representative example of how Hollywood really does just chew you up and spit you out. No actor should ever feel entirely safe in their position in the industry – you never know what’s happening behind the scenes.
“From what I’ve heard, she was just absolutely furious and stomped out of the studio in a total rage,” Nixon revealed. It sounds like a scene from Valley of the Dolls or something; you can certainly imagine a movie much like Singin’ in the Rain depicting a scene just like this. Show business is not for the faint of heart, and Wood was unfortunately betrayed by the producers of West Side Story, who didn’t have the guts to simply be honest with her.
