BEST NATALIE WOOD MOVIES

“Miracle on 34th Street” (1947) A very young Wood is part of this holiday staple as a Macy’s executive’s (Maureen O’Hara) skeptical daughter, who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus ... until she meets the real deal (Oscar winner Edmund Gwenn).

“Rebel Without a Cause” (1955) Wood started to come of age as a friend of a deeply troubled town newcomer (James Dean) in this Nicholas Ray-directed drama classic.

“The Searchers” (1956) Regarded by many as the greatest Western ever made, John Ford’s saga features Wood as the Comanche-abducted niece of the Civil War veteran (John Wayne) who pursues her.

“Splendor in the Grass” (1961) Speaking to a generation, and still doing so today, Wood’s performance for director Elia Kazan as a 1920s Kansas teen facing social pressures – and not doing particularly well in handling that – remains a milestone among the credits of both Wood and her leading man, Warren Beatty.

“West Side Story” (1961) Steven Spielberg’s version earned acclaim and awards more recently, but director Robert Wise’s Oscarwinning musical is destined to remain forever beloved for elements including Wood’s portrayal of lovestruck heroine Maria.

“Gypsy” (1962) Wood does dynamic work as a burlesque performer striving to live out the dreams of her pushy mom (Rosalind Russell), the ultimate “stage mother.”

“Love With the Proper Stranger” (1963) Forming a dynamic duo with Steve McQueen, Wood is affecting as a saleswoman dealing with an expected pregnancy and the musician who’s the father.

“Inside Daisy Clover” (1965) In her first teaming with Robert Redford – who credits her with having been a major proponent of his screen career – Wood plays an unlikely movie star who has a hard time dealing with the trappings of the Hollywood of the 1930s.