Splendor in the Grass (1961).

After performing in, the movie flop, Fine Young Cannibals. Wood's career was saved by her wonderful performance in one of my favorite movies, Splendor in the Grass (1961)with Warren Beatty. The story is about a teen-aged girl living in a small town in Kansas in 1928, who tries follows her mother's advice of not giving into her boyfriend. Bud, follows the advice of his father, who suggests that he find another kind of girl.

Bud's parents are heartbroken, with his older sister Ginny, who is promiscuous, smokes and drinks while pressuring Bud to attend Yale University.

Bud does find a girl and when Deanie finds out, she is driven out of her mind and institutionalized. Bud's family loses its fortune in the Great Depression, which is the down fall of the family. Natalie's performance in this film earned her, Best Actress Nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards.

Fun Fact:

Film debuts of Warren Beatty, Sandy Dennis, Phyllis Diller, Marla Adams and Eugene Roche.

I always loved Natalie Wood and felt that there was a real chemistry between her and Warren Beatty. Natalie Wood, gives one of her a strongest performance that tells the story of a great love of a life time.

Warren Beatty.

Warren Beatty, began his career in television series, Studio One (1957), Playhouse 90(1959), and the TV show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959),which was one of the first TV shows about the lives of teenagers. Warren Beatty was on the first few episodes, playing rich kid... Milton Armitage.(((sigh))).

Warren Beatty went on to perform in his first film, Splendor in the Grass (1961). Beatty was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category Best Motion Picture Actor. Next he went on to produce and star of Bonnie and Clyde (1967), which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards. A crime film about Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, bank robbers who became popular during the Great Depression. The film was directed by Arthur Penn. Cast: Warren Beatty as Clyde Barrow and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker.

Beatty is one of the few people to receive Oscar nominations in the Best Picture, Actor, Director, and Screenplay categories for a single film. This feat is all the more impressive since Beatty achieved it twice—in 1978 for Heaven Can Wait, where he won none of the awards; and again for Reds in 1981, where he won the directing award. He received Best Picture and Best Actor nominations for both Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Bugsy (1991), and received Best Original Screenplay nominations for Shampoo (1975) and Bulworth (1998).

After a six-year hiatus following Reds, Beatty s performed with Dustin Hoffman in two films: Ishtar (1987) and in the film, Dick Tracy(1990).

In 1991, he performed as the real-life gangster Bugsy Siegel. His next film, Love Affair (1994). In 1998 he wrote, produced, directed and starred in the political satire Bulworth which earned him another nomination for Best Original Screenplay. In 2001, he performed in his last film to date, Town and Country.

Julie Christie

Julie Christie, is a British actress and sex symbol. A pop icon of the "swinging London" era of the 1960s, she has won the Academy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. My favorite Julie Christy film is, Shampoo(1975). Written by Robert Towne and directed by Hal Ashby. Cast: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and Goldie Hawn, with Lee Grant, Jack Warden, Tony Bill and Carrie Fisher.

The film is about the day(1968), when Richard Nixon was first elected into the White House. George Roundy a very popular Beverly Hills hairdresser, whose occupation and charm provided him with the perfect opportunity to meet women. George wanting a salon of his own, is forced to play second fiddle to the "nickle-and-diming," hairdresser who owns the place. George turns to his wealthy lover Felicia and her husband Lester for the money. In George's meeting with Lester he meets his mistress, Jackie(played by Julie Christie), who once was George's former girlfriend.

Lester, who assumes George is gay, invites him to escort Jackie to a Republican Party election night soiree. Later that night,(in my favorite scene in the movie) they wind up at another type of party and the night quickly turns into drugs, alcohol and sexual indulgence.

George realizes that Jackie is his true love and proposes to her. Unfortunately by then it is too late. Jackie tells him that Lester is divorcing Felicia and taking her to Acapulco. With all the women in his life gone, George is left standing alone.

Warren Beatty gives a wonderful performance as a guy who sincerely does not want to hurt anyone, but he becomes a victim of his own actions.



Fun fact:

Julie Christie, a feminist, reportedly disliked the role of Jackie but did it for Warren Beatty, who at the time was her lover.