West Side Story (1961)
Starring
Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood
Director
Robert Wise
Awards
Academy Awards
Best Art Direction / Set Decoration
Best Cinematography
Best Costumes
Best Direction - Robert Wise
Best Editing
Best Picture
Best Scoring - Leonard Bernstein
and Stephen Sondheim
Best Supporting Actor George
Chakiris
Best Supporting Actress Rita Moreno
Academy Award Nominations
Best Best (Adapted) Screenplay -
Ernest Lehman
Plot Synopsis
This ground-breaking modernization of Romeo and Juliet,
set on the sidewalks and byways of New York City, is one of the most critically acclaimed
and successful musicals of all time. On the harsh streets of the upper west side, white
and Puerto Rican gangs battle for control of the turf, and two of the most powerful are
the Jets, led by Riff, and the Sharks, led by Bernardo. Now they're ready to fight it out
once and for all. They have only to set the time and place and the rumble will begin. But
the situation suddenly becomes more complicated and dangerous when Tony, one of the Jets,
meets Bernardo's sister Maria and falls in love. At her urging, he attempts to make peace
between the two camps. But then things go terribly wrong, and, like Shakespeare's
star-crossed lovers, it appears that Tony and Maria may not be able to overcome the world
of hate that surrounds them.
Film Notes
"The winner of 10 Academy Awards, this 1961 musical by
choreographer Jerome Robbins and director Robert Wise (Sound of Music) remains irresistible. Based on a
smash Broadway play updating Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
to the 1950s era of juvenile delinquency, the film stars Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer
as the star-crossed lovers from different neighborhoods and ethnicities. The film's real
selling points, however, are the highly-charged and inventive song-and-dance numbers, the
passionate ballads, the moody sets, colorful support from Rita Moreno, and the sheer
accomplishment of Hollywood talent and technology producing a film so stirring. Leonard
Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim wrote the score." (Tom Keogh, Amazon.com)
Shot in color and Panavision. George Chakiris (Bernardo) played
Riff in the London theatrical production. Jerome Robbins walked out in the middle of the
film's production. He had already shot the major dance numbers, including the Prologue, America,
I Feel Pretty and Cool. Reportedly, the play was originally going to be
called East Side Story and deal with a Jewish and Irish Catholic interfaith
romance. Additional cast members include Penny Santon (Madam Lucia); Jose De Vega (Chino);
Jay Norman (Pepe); Robert Thompson (Luis); Larry Roquemore (Rocco); Jamie Rogers (Loco);
Eddie Verso (Juan); Nick Covacevich (Toro); Rudy Del Campo (Del Campo); Tucker Smith
(Ice); Bert Michaels (Snowboy); Scooter Teague (Big Deal); Tommy Abbott (Gee-Tar); Harvey
Hohnecker (Mouthpiece); David Bean (Tiger); Sue Oakes (Anybodys) and Gina Trikonis
(Graziella).
Rated: NR
Rated: NR