Stars’ night of drink, drugs and quarrels

THE death of movie star Natalie Wood remains one of Hollywood’s biggest real-life mysteries.

Miss Wood, 43, boarded their yacht Splendour with Wagner and their friend, actor Christopher Walken, for a weekend trip in 1 81.

The trio, accompanied by skipper Dennis Davern, moored the yacht at Catalina Island, 50 miles of the coast of California, and went to a fashionble local restaurant.

The actress is believed to have drunk at least eight glasses of wine that night as well as swallowing barbiturate tablets.

The group returned to the yacht around 10pm, and the two actors were later drawn into an argument where Wagner allegedly told Walken: ‘What do you want to do? **** my wife, is that what you want to do?’ In his 2008 autobiography, Wagner said he was jealous because Walken was trying to encourage Wood to pursue her career, while he wanted her to look after their family. Wagner said he last saw Wood getting ready for bed in their cabin, but when he returned she had gone.

Later Mr Davern claimed he heard further arguments and a ‘thumping’ noise.

In a 2011 dossier sent to police, Mr Davern said he had seen the couple arguing outside. When Wagner told the skipper his wife was missing, Mr Davern said he was ‘tousled, sweating profusely, as if he’d been in a terrible fight, an ordeal of some kind’. He claimed there was a four-hour delay before the coastguard was called.