Natalie Wood’s 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Natalie Wood was one of the most luminous stars to grace the big screen in the history of Hollywood. The San Fransisco native began her career as a child actor at the age of five, appearing in such classic films as The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Miracle on 34th Street before she reached the age of ten.

As she matured, Wood became one of the most sought-after actresses during the ’50s and ’60s, earning three Oscar nominations for her stellar performances in this stretch of time. One year prior to her tragic and mysterious death in 1981, Wood earned a Golden Globe for her turn as Karen Holmes in the TV adaptation of From Here to Eternity. For more, here are Natalie Wood’s 10 best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

10 Love With The Proper Stranger (1963) – 80%

Wood earned the third and final Oscar nod of her decorated career for her performance in Love With the Proper Stranger, in which she starred as a department store clerk who gets pregnant following a one-night stand.

When conservative Italian-American Angie Rossini (Wood) has a passionate tryst with sexy musician Rocky (Steve McQueen), she is stunned to learn that she is pregnant following their one night. She confronts Rocky to tell him the news, but he doesn’t even recall who she is. But over time, the couple learns to love each other in earnest.

9 Splendor In The Grass (1961) – 81%

Wood landed the second Oscar nomination of her career after starring opposite Warren Beatty in the romantic drama Splendor in the Grass.

Directed by Elia Kazan from the Oscar-winning Original Screenplay by William Inge, the story concerns the unrequited love affair between Bud (Beatty), an alpha-male from the richest family in town, and Wilma (Wood), a soft and sensitive schoolgirl from the wrong side of the tracks. With marital pressure on their mind, the couple must navigate adolescence while dealing with the demands of their parents.

8 Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) – 83%

In Paul Mazursky’s swinging-sixties sex-comedy, a foursome of close friends gathers in a Los Angeles home to get in touch with their inner feelings. Bob (Robert Culp) is a documentary filmmaker married to Carol (Wood), both of whom frequent a therapy group that expands their sexual horizons.

When returning home, Bob and Carol invite their buttoned-up pals Ted (Elliot Gould) and Alice (Dyan Cannon) over to get in touch with their true desires. A comedic romp ensues to the tune of four Academy Award nominations.

7 The Candidate (1972) – 87%

Although she appears as herself in a brief cameo appearance, the fact remains that The Candidate ranks among Wood’s best cinematic outings, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

Robert Redford stars in the film as Bill McKay, a U.S. Senator from the state of California running for President of the United States. Given zero chance at winning, McKay uses his campaign to tell the unadulterated truth, devoid of political spins, obfuscations, lies and backstabbing. The more truthful he is, the more powerful his message becomes en route to a potential upset.

6 Tab Hunter Confidential (2015) – 88%

This is admittedly a strange entry, but it counts nonetheless. Although she tragically drowned off the coast of Santa Catalina island in 1981, Wood appeared through archival footage in the 2015 documentary, Tab Hunter Confidential.

Tab Hunter was a sexy pin-up matinee idol of the ’50s and ’60s. He made movies and recorded music, and was the most in-demand star in the late 50s. His rise to the top of the box-office is explored in the documentary, which also features the likes of Clint Eastwood, John Waters, Debbie Reynolds, and many more.

5 West Side Story (1961) – 92%

Although Wood failed to nab a nomination, the classic gangland musical West Side Story won an astounding 10 Oscar Awards in early 1962, including Best Picture and Best Director (Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins).

With a remake directed by Steven Spielberg due this December, the original film entertains the clash between street gangs the Jets and the Sharks as they sing, dance, and prepare for a battle for supremacy over hallowed turf in New York City. With each gang set to fight to the death, complications arise when rivals Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Wood) fall in love.

4 Miracle On 34th Street (1947) – 96%

At the age of eight, Wood appeared in the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Story (Valentine Davies), Best Screenplay (George Seaton), and Best Supporting Actor (Edmund Gwenn).

The film follows a jolly, white-bearded man named Kris Kringle (Gwenn) who claims that he is the authentic Santa Claus. Deemed crazy and consigned to a mental asylum, a lawyer (John Payne) decides to defend the man and prove that he is the real Santa Claus. Wood plays little Susan Walker, the daughter of Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara), a woman who is slowly convinced that Kringle is the real deal.

3 Rebel Without A Cause – (1955)

Wood landed the first Academy Award nomination of her career for her work as Judy in Rebel Without a Cause, the definitive ’50s high-school coming-of-age story. Wood also won a Golden Globe honor for Most Promising Female Newcomer.

The film follows Jim Stark (James Dean), a rebellious and independent-minded new kid in a California town. As he struggles to make friends and keep the bullies off his back, Jim becomes close with Judy despite her popular clique. Jim also befriends Plato (Sal Mineo), a demure classmate who is constantly picked on in and outside of class.

2 The Searchers (1956) – 98%

John Ford’s unanimously hailed western adventure film The Searchers stars John Wayne as Ethan Edwards, a hardened Confederate Army vet seeking solace in his brother’s homestead in Texas.

When Ethan arrives to find his family slaughtered, the house torched, and his nine-year-old niece missing, he sets out on an epic five-year search-and-destroy mission to kill Scar, the ruthless Commanche leader responsible for his losses. Wood plays Debbie, the older version of Edwards’ niece whom he finally locates after a harrowing journey.

1 The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1947) – 100%

In the comedic haunted house yarn The Ghost And Mrs. Muir, Wood plays the young version of Anna Muir, the daughter of a recently widowed woman who moves into a quaint seaside abode.

Upon relocating, Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) quickly discovers the presence of a ghost living inside the cottage. But rather than being frightened off the premises, Lucy forms a strange bond with the spirit of a deceased sailor (Rex Harrison), who happens to be the former owner of the home.