Splendor in the Grass

Right.

You know? If, what was your, like, my sister was obsessed with Splendor in the Grass-

Oh

... with Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood.

And like, it's just what, what she represents is just like, I can't really describe it.

So anyway, I think, um, uh, She's an interesting character because she had these different sort of roles that she had played throughout her life.

When she was very young, she came from sort of, you know, lower class kind of working class.

Yeah.

American cinema, yeah.

Yeah.

And then he had been, he started casting her in some roles Splendor in the Grass, obviously, that was kind of maybe the biggest one that really made an impression.

And she did TV, she did some other parts, and then eventually she was cast in the Arthur Miller play after the fall at Lincoln Center, where she was playing the fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe, Elia Kazan directed it and cast her in the role.

You know what? Actually, I'm going to say, touche to that one.

Nice to see the Splendor in the Grass is on.

What a movie.

I got an

So I will be watching that.

And secondly, I fell in love with Warren Beatty in Splendor in the Grass.

Is it Splendor in the Grass or Splendor of It's In? I fell in love with him with that film.

So this is tough to hear.

But I mean, I believe it.

Uh, w- no, West Side Story wasn't done at Warner's.

I'm trying to, um, they were doing, um, they were showing stuff from like The Great Race and Splendor in the Grass and-

Oh, okay

...

Uh, this weekend, it was Natalie Wood's turn.

And, um, I caught probably for the third or fourth time Splendor in the Grass.

It was made or released in 1961.

It was set in 1929.

I first saw Splendor in the Grass, I was probably about 12 or 13.

Um, and like I caught it on one of those like old like Channel 9, like late Sunday afternoon, early evening, you know, retro old movie things.

And, um, I was just mesmerized by Splendor in the Grass because even though it was set in 1961, sorry, released in '61, set in '29, it felt and feels so modern.

And, um, when we were putting this episode of The Nerve together, I, Natalie, I, I knew I wanted to talk to you guys about Splendor in the Grass, but then I was like, "Oh, no, Natalie fits here too." And not for what you might think, not for, not in the way you might think.

Mm.

Natalie Wood was cast as Maria after Wise saw her in Splendor in the Grass.

And Richard Beymer, despite having no history of singing or dancing-

[laughs]

You can watch him in a thousand movies and be like, "Is he gonna act at any point, or are we just supposed to wait here till that kicks in?" [laughing] Because Warren Beatty'll go...

[sighs] For like an hour in a movie, and then you're like, "Certainly at some point we're gonna get something." Now, there's a couple of movies, right? Uh, uh, what's the one with Natalie Wood, Jennifer? Splendor in the Grass.

Splendor in the Grass.

He's wonderful in Splendor in the Grass, and Shampoo is a perfect role for him, uh, because he plays a hairdresser, uh, who wants to b- um, be a grown boy.

[laughing] And it's kind of a Pinocchio thing or whatever.

[laughing] It didn't matter at all because it had Goldie Hawn and Julie Christie, and they were so fucking awesome in it.