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TwitterRobert Wagner's secret affair with film icon Barbara Stanwyck
May/December romances -- now called cougar attacks -- are as old as the Hollywood Hills.
Robert Wagner, 78, is now revealing a secret affair with a much older Hollywood screen legend in his new autobiography, "Pieces of my Heart," co-authored by Scott Eyman. Click here to see Wagner speak about the book.
Wagner writes about his four-year romance with tough-gal actress Barbara Stanwyck. They met on the set of the 1953 movie, "Titanic," when he was 22 and she was 45. She was divorced at that time from Robert Taylor.
It had been rumored that Stanwyck was a lesbian, which she denied until her death in 1990. But she was, as Time's Richard Corliss points out, often referred to as "too much woman for one man," and he describes her as the screen's "toughest, tastiest cookie," and recalls the line in "Ten Cents a Dance" when she sniffs, "You're not a man. You're not even a good sample."
Wagner writes that Stanwyck gave him "self-esteem." What did he give her? Worth thinking about. But he admits it was she who broke it off after four years because they were both busy working and the age difference was too great.
Wagner writes he "would always have been Mr. Stanwyck" and they both knew it.
Are you surprised by any of this news? I am. Who knew Robert Wagner was working a lot in his mid-20s.
For the first time, Wagner also writes about the controversial drowning death of his wife, Natalie Wood, which plunged him into a long and deep depression.
Photos: Top: Lionel Stander, Stefanie Powers, Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Wagner at the Emmys in 1983. Bottom: Wagner and Natalie Wood at the premiere of "The Godfather" in 1972. Credit: WireImage
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Robert Wagner KNEW a good thing, and they BOTH had fun, maybe LOTS OF FUN, FUN FUN!!! No big deal. Lasted longer than most Gollywierd 'marriages.'
Mr. Wagner's relationship with Ms. Stanwyck was hardly a secret. The TV series "Biography" seemed to know all about it when his bio aired in 1999.
As for Ms. Snead's ignorance of Wagner's mid-20s career--I guess she never caught "Prince Valiant", or "The Mountain" and "Broken Lance" (both with Spencer Tracy), or his poignant turn with Susan Hayward in "With a Song in My Heart" on the tube. Her loss. Man, was Bob ever pretty back then.
Hmmm, I thought Wagner was gay or at least bi.
Why would you take your wife on a boat who made it very obvious she was afraid of water since she was a child? Also, why not tell the real truth and say that Robert and Christopher were fighting over her? They were drunk, she wanted to get away and tried to leave.
I hope Robert takes some responsibilty for her death in his book, cause he sure didn't in real life!
WOW, He was incredibly handsome. Better looking than any of today's leading hearthrobs. Simply, WOW.
You go dude! She was hot back in the 50's, unlike what you have in Hollywood now, she was a real woman!! =)
Robert Wagner probably
had more of those beautiful
leading ladies, I am sure.
They were all so beautiful,
classy, and sexy back then.
He is still going strong, in
television ads, and he was
very good on Two and a
Half Men last season.
I have always had a thing
for Cloris Leachman, don't
ask why, but Cloris is still
going strong too.
Way to go Bob I bet she was a ball of fire in the
sack.
I didn't know it was an honor to be in line behind the First Army.
Good for him, great for her! She was a beautiful, tough cookie and I'm sure she taught him a lot! And she got herself an insatiable younger man in return. Gotta love Hollywood! And what's wrong with an older woman, younger man? Men have been doing it for years! If I looked now like she looked back then, I'd get me a young fella, too!
So?