GEORGE Chakiris and Natalie Wood in “West Side Story”
Veteran show biz observers and fans think they’ve seen and heard it all, but events sometimes conspire to prove them wrong and jolt them into startled attention. Precisely that belated and retroactive epiphany recently came to the pass when police investigators announced that they had decided to reopen the Natalie Wood “death by drowning” case—after 30 years!
Natalie was the former child star who grew up to top-bill movies like “Gypsy” and “West Side Story,” married the similarly young and popular Robert Wagner and appeared to live a charmed celebrity existence—until she fell off Wagner’s boat and perished.
For decades, it was regarded as a clear case of “accidental” drowning until, just this year, new evidence reportedly surfaced that hinted at a cover-up and murder.
The new evidence includes the new motive of jealousy, since Natalie was allegedly flirting with coactor Christopher Walken, and her hubby had resented their public display of affection. In addition, a new witness swears that she heard the actress crying out for help on the fateful night of her death.
Expectedly, Christopher has denied all of the retroactive allegations, but the shame and scandal that they have belatedly caused have given all of Hollywood pause, and belied its carefully cultivated aura of unimpeachably golden glamour.
Now that the bloom is again off the show biz rose, people with elephantine recall are bringing up other scandalous cases involving errant celebrities, like Roman Polanski and Errol Flynn dallying with pubescent girls, Hugh Grant being serviced in his car by a prostitute, OJ Simpson offing his wife’s paramour, etc.
Other run-ins
Other celebrities’ scandalous run-ins with the law:
Director-choreographer Busby Berkeley ran head-on into a car while driving drunk, and all three of the other vehicle’s occupants were killed.
Tim Allen sold $43,000 worth of cocaine to an undercover agent, but served only a limited sentence, because he agreed to help the police arrest other drug dealers.
Tony Curtis was nabbed at Heathrow airport after cannabis resin was found in his shaving kit.
Richard Dreyfuss was arrested for cocaine possession.
Farrah Fawcett was arrested twice for shoplifting.
Sophia Loren was jailed in Italy for tax evasion.
Roseanne Barr was busted for shoplifting.
Addictions
Stars’ addictions? It’s said that Drew Barrymore may have been the youngest addict in Hollywood: She began drinking at age 9, smoking pot at 10, snorting coke at 12, and ultimately landed in rehab at 14.
Other celebs’ addictions: Ray Charles, heroin—he was “hooked” at age 18; Robert Downey Jr., alcohol, cocaine, opium, heroin, hallucinogenic mushrooms; Michael Douglas, alcohol, cocaine, sex—not necessarily in that order.
What about stars’ secret fears and phobias? Woody Allen takes his temperature every two hours. Ironically, Alfred Hitchcock, who directed crime thrillers, was afraid of policemen.
Howard Hughes was notoriously terrified of germs. Burt Lancaster had hydrophobia. Steven Spielberg is scared of insects. And Johnny Depp freaks out when he sees clowns—and “little babies with their rolling heads.” Huh?!