Hollywood tragedies, they’re a dime a dozen, right? But some refuse to fade, clinging to the collective consciousness like a damp fog on the Hollywood Hills. Natalie Wood’s death is one of those. It’s the kind of story that fuels whispered conversations at industry parties, the kind that gets resurrected every few years with a new theory or a rehashed detail. And now, Investigation Discovery, is focusing on it again for People Magazine Presents 50th Anniversary: The Iconic Cases.
The facts, or what we think are the facts, are these: Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1981, actress Natalie Wood drowned off the coast of Catalina Island. Her husband, Robert Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and the yacht’s captain, Dennis Davern, were also on board. The initial verdict? Accidental drowning. Case closed, right? Not quite. Whispers of marital discord, a possible argument between Wagner and Walken, and Wagner’s changing accounts of the night have kept the rumor mill churning for decades.
This upcoming episode, airing Monday, December 2nd, isn’t promising any earth-shattering revelations – and frankly, I’d be wary of any documentary that did – but it’s a decent bet it will rehash the known details, trot out some talking heads, and maybe offer a few dramatic recreations. For those unfamiliar with the specifics, the special will cover the alleged tensions between Wood and Wagner, the odd presence of Walken on their Thanksgiving getaway, and the ever-shifting narratives surrounding the night of the incident.
So, if you’re a connoisseur of Hollywood intrigue, or just morbidly curious about what happened on that fateful night, tune in to Investigation Discovery at 10 pm on Monday, December 2. Just don’t expect any definitive answers. Some mysteries, it seems, are destined to remain just that.
“People Magazine Presents 50th Anniversary: The Iconic Cases” airs Mondays at 10:00 pm on Investigation Discovery.
