West Side Story (1961)

Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.

Directors:

Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Writers:

Ernest Lehman (screenplay), Arthur Laurents (book)

Stars:

Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer

Won 10 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Natalie Wood	...	Maria
Richard Beymer	...	Tony
Russ Tamblyn	...	Riff
Rita Moreno	...	Anita
George Chakiris	...	Bernardo
Simon Oakland	...	Schrank
Ned Glass	...	Doc
William Bramley	...	Krupke
Tucker Smith	...	Ice
Tony Mordente	...	Action
David Winters	...	A-rab
Eliot Feld	...	Baby John
Bert Michaels	...	Snowboy
David Bean	...	Tiger
Robert Banas	...	Joyboy

Storyline

West Side Story is the award-winning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy "Romeo and Juliet". The feuding families become two warring New York City gangs--the white Jets led by Riff and the Latino Sharks, led by Bernardo. Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding. But when Riff's best friend (and former Jet) Tony and Bernardo's younger sister Maria meet at a dance, no one can do anything to stop their love. Maria and Tony begin meeting in secret, planning to run away. Then the Sharks and Jets plan a rumble under the highway--whoever wins gains control of the streets. Maria sends Tony to stop it, hoping it can end the violence. It goes terribly wrong, and before the lovers know what's happened, tragedy strikes and doesn't stop until the climactic and heartbreaking ending.

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Plot Keywords:

young man | virility | sexuality | love interest | girl | 

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Taglines:

The Screen Achieves One of the Great Entertainments in the History of Motion Pictures

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

23 December 1961 (Japan)

Also Known As:

West Side Story

Filming Locations:

Church of Saint Paul the Apostle, Columbus Avenue & West 60th Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$207,145, 24 June 2018

Gross USA:

$44,055,492

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$44,061,777

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Corporation, Seven Arts Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

153 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marni Nixon (who dubbed for Natalie Wood) had to do the end of quintet for Rita Moreno. The reason was that Betty Wand and Moreno both had colds and could not sing, so the filmmakers asked Nixon to do the end. So she is singing two voices at once.

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Goofs

In the final scene, they show Maria, then pan over to the Jets and Sharks. When they come back to Maria, a large portion of her hair has magically come out of place.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[the Jets dance across the streets of New York, eventually coming to a playground where they toss around a basketball. The ball is intercepted by Bernardo, leader of the Sharks]
Riff: [snaps fingers at Bernardo] Come on.
[Bernardo drops the ball, Riff picks it up]
Riff: Beat it.

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits; a stylized, tinted aerial still of Manhattan is shown as the overture plays. The background changes color as the themes change throughout the overture. As the overture ends, the tinting is blue, the title appears, and the shot segues to aerial photography of Manhattan streets and landmarks.

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Alternate Versions

In 2011, as part of the 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray release, a new score, closer to the original theatrical version, was orchestrated by the Leonard Bernstein Estate. It was performed live by the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics at screenings with the original score excised. (The original vocals were retained.) The New York performance was at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, built atop the movie's filming locations.

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Connections

Version of Romeo and Juliet (2012)

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Soundtracks

Cool
(1957) (uncredited)
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Performed by Tucker Smith

User Reviews

First time to watch? Get ready to have a feast for the eye, the ear, and ultimately the heart!

WestSide Story is an American icon, that reveals how today's world became global, that every modern democratic country of the Earth has every different culture mixed to live together in peace. So as you might guess WestSide Story is one socio-political movie that symbolizes post-modernism. This masterpiece also reveals the most frightening question that non-Americans -and undemocratic- keep in their mind, but afraid to ask: "What if America has never been existed?" Once you watched WestSide Story, you'll realize how post-modernism changed the world, that racism and vendetta are no longer conceptual.

As a matter of art, WestSide Story combines a walloping score with exuberant choreography and spectacular screenplay to create a transcendent fusion of Realism and Fantasy, that will forever be a feast for the eye, the ear, and ultimately the heart. As a matter of movie concepts, the story line has the perfect progress beginning with the introduction of the two confrontational 1950s' New York city gangs, continuing with the love occurring between a girl from an immigrant group and a boy from a fanatical nationalist group, ending with the death of the gang leaders and the lover boy. When the story begins to progress, it becomes more and more fascinating through focusing of the lovers struggling to come together. There we admire successful acting of Rita Moreno(supporting actress), Susan Oakes and George Chakiris.

9 out of 10.