Editing Natalie Wood (section)

==Teen stardom==
[[File:Natalie Wood and Lana Wood 1956.jpg|thumb|With younger sister [[Lana Wood]], 1956]]
In the 1953–54 television season, Wood played Ann Morrison, the teenage daughter in ''[[The Pride of the Family]],'' an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[Sitcom|situation comedy]]. She appeared as a teenager on episodes of ''[[The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse]]'', ''Public Defender'', ''[[Mayor of the Town (TV series)|Mayor of the Town]]'', ''[[Four Star Playhouse]]'', ''[[The Ford Television Theatre]]'', and ''[[General Electric Theater]]'',  and also appeared in a TV version of ''Heidi''. She described the ''GE Theater'' episode, "Carnival", as one of the best things she ever did.<ref name="affair"/>

She had roles in the feature films ''[[The Silver Chalice (film)|The Silver Chalice]]'' (1954) and ''[[One Desire]]'' (1955).

===''Rebel Without a Cause''===
Wood successfully made the transition from child star to [[ingénue]] at age 16 when she co-starred with [[James Dean]] and [[Sal Mineo]] in ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]'' (1955), [[Nicholas Ray]]'s film about teenage rebellion. Wood had to sign to a long-term contract with Warner Bros. but she was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]]. She later said it was the first script she read that she actually wanted to do as opposed to being told to do by her parents; she also said her parents were opposed to her doing it. "Until then I did what I was told," she said.<ref name="promo">Natalie Wood Hits Promo Trail: Natalie Wood
Blume, Mary. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' (1923–1995); February 8, 1970: q10.</ref>

She continued to guest star on anthology TV shows like ''[[Studio One in Hollywood]]'', ''[[Camera Three]]'', ''[[Kings Row (TV series)|Kings Row]]'', ''[[Studio 57]]'', ''[[Warner Brothers Presents]]'', and ''[[The Kaiser Aluminum Hour]]''.

She had a small but crucial role in [[John Ford]]'s ''[[The Searchers]]'' (1956) and was the female lead in ''[[A Cry in the Night (1956 film)|A Cry in the Night]]'' (1956).

===Tab Hunter and ''Marjorie Morningstar''===
Wood graduated from [[Van Nuys High School]] in 1956.{{sfn|Lambert|2004|p=102}} She signed with [[Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]] and was kept busy during the remainder of the decade in many "girlfriend" roles, which she found unsatisfying.{{sfn|Lambert|2004|p=115}}

The studio cast her in two films opposite [[Tab Hunter]], hoping to turn the duo into a box-office draw that never materialized: ''[[The Burning Hills]]'' (1956), a Western, and ''[[The Girl He Left Behind]]'' (1956). She guest starred in episodes of ''Conflict''.

Warner Bros. tried teaming her with [[Efrem Zimbalist Jr.]] in ''[[Bombers B-52]]'' (1957). Then she was given the lead in a prestigious project, ''[[Marjorie Morningstar (film)|Marjorie Morningstar]]'' (1958). As Marjorie Morningstar, Wood played the role of a young Jewish girl in New York City who has to deal with the social and religious expectations of her family as she tries to forge her own path and separate identity.<ref>Natalie Wood Still Up for Plum
Dorothy Kilgallen:. ''[[The Washington Post and Times-Herald]]'' April 13, 1957: D11.</ref>