West Side Story (1961)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Directors:

Jerome Robbins
Robert Wise

Writers:

Ernest Lehman (screenplay)
Arthur Laurents (book)
(more)

Release Date:

23 December 1961 (Japan)

Genre:

Musical | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

"BEST PICTURE!" Winner of 10 Academy Awards! - 1961 (post-Oscar)

Plot:

Musical about two youngsters from rival NYC gangs who fall in love.

Plot Keywords:

Love | New York City | Rival | Tragedy | Dance

Awards:

Won 10 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Natalie Wood	...	Maria
Richard Beymer	...	Tony
Russ Tamblyn	...	Riff
Rita Moreno	...	Anita
George Chakiris	...	Bernardo
Simon Oakland	...	Lt. Schrank
Ned Glass	...	Doc
William Bramley	...	Officer Krupke
Tucker Smith	...	Ice
Tony Mordente	...	Action
David Winters	...	A-rab
Eliot Feld	...	Baby John
Bert Michaels	...	Snowboy
David Bean	...	Tiger
Robert Banas	...	Joyboy
Anthony 'Scooter' Teague	...	Big Deal (as Scooter Teague)
Harvey Evans	...	Mouthpiece (as Harvey Hohnecker)
Tommy Abbott	...	Gee-Tar
Susan Oakes	...	Anybodys
Gina Trikonis	...	Graziella
Carole D'Andrea	...	Velma
Jose De Vega	...	Chino
Jay Norman	...	Pepe
Gus Trikonis	...	Indio
Eddie Verso	...	Juano
Jaime Rogers	...	Loco
Larry Roquemore	...	Rocco
Robert E. Thompson	...	Luis (as Robert Thompson)
Nick Navarro	...	Toro (as Nick Covacevich)
Rudy Del Campo	...	Del Campo
Andre Tayir	...	Chile
Yvonne Wilder	...	Consuelo (as Yvonne Othon)
Suzie Kaye	...	Rosalia
Joanne Miya	...	Francisca
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Astin	...	Glad Hand (uncredited)
Jimmy Bryant	...	Tony (singing voice) (uncredited)
Christopher Culkin	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Elaine Joyce	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Priscilla Lopez	...	Child extra (uncredited)
Marni Nixon	...	Maria (singing voice) (uncredited)
Lou Ruggiero	...	Police Officer #3 (uncredited)
Penny Santon	...	Madam Lucia (uncredited)
Lee Theodore	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Betty Wand	...	Anita (songs 'A Boy Like That' and 'I Have a Love') (singing voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Jerome Robbins
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)
Arthur Laurents		(book)
Jerome Robbins		conception &
William Shakespeare		uncredited (play "Romeo and Juliet")

Produced by
Saul Chaplin	....	associate producer
Robert Wise	....	producer
Walter Mirisch	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Leonard Bernstein

Cinematography by
Daniel L. Fapp		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thomas Stanford

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Set Decoration by
Victor A. Gangelin		(as Victor Gangelin)

Costume Design by
Irene Sharaff

Makeup Department
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist (as Emile La Vigne)
Alice Monte	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Allen K. Wood	....	production manager
Hubert Fröhlich	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert E. Relyea	....	assistant director
Jerome M. Siegel	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sam Gordon	....	property master
Maurice Zuberano	....	production artist (as M. Zuberano)
Leon Harris	....	production illustrator (uncredited)
William Maldonado	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound
Gilbert D. Marchant	....	sound editor
Murray Spivack	....	sound
Vinton Vernon	....	sound
Richard Gramaglia	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Fred Hynes	....	sound recording supervisor (uncredited)
Gordon Sawyer	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Saul Bass	....	visual consultant
Linwood G. Dunn	....	photographic effects (as Linwood Dunn)

Stunts
Eli Bo Jack Blackfeather	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Linwood G. Dunn	....	title photographer (uncredited)
John Finger	....	camera operator: title sequence (uncredited)
Ernst Haas	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Louis Kulsey	....	dolly grip: title sequence (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bert Henrikson	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Marshall M. Borden	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	music editor
Saul Chaplin	....	music supervisor
Johnny Green	....	conductor
Johnny Green	....	music supervisor
Irwin Kostal	....	music supervisor
Irwin Kostal	....	orchestrator
Sid Ramin	....	music supervisor
Sid Ramin	....	orchestrator
Stephen Sondheim	....	lyricist
Robert Tucker	....	vocal coach (as Bobby Tucker)
Betty Walberg	....	music assistant
Pete Candoli	....	musician (uncredited)
Jack Dumont	....	musician (uncredited)
Walter A. Gest	....	production music playback operator (uncredited)
Shelly Manne	....	musician (uncredited)
Red Mitchell	....	musician (uncredited)
Albert T. Viola	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Tommy Abbott	....	dance assistant
Margaret Banks	....	dance assistant
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Robert E. Griffith	....	stage producer
Howard Jeffrey	....	dance assistant
Tony Mordente	....	dance assistant
Harold Prince	....	stage producer (as Harold S. Prince)
Jerome Robbins	....	choreographer
Stanley Scheuer	....	script supervisor (as Stanley K. Scheuer)
Roger L. Stevens	....	produced by arrangement with
Hal Bell	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)
John Flynn	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Gerald Freedman	....	assistant: Mr. Robbins (uncredited)
Peter Gennaro	....	co-choreographer (uncredited)
Eliot Hyman	....	production executive (uncredited)
Howard Jeffrey	....	assistant choreographer: Mr. Robbins (uncredited)
George Lake	....	assistant stage manager: stage production (uncredited)
Harold Mirisch	....	production executive (uncredited)
Marvin Mirisch	....	production executive (uncredited)
Howard Newman	....	press representative (uncredited)
Arthur Rubin	....	assistant stage manager: stage production (uncredited)
Wallace Siebert	....	assistant: Mr. Gennaro (uncredited)
Ray Stark	....	production executive (uncredited)
Lee Theodore	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mirisch Corporation, The (as Mirisch Pictures)
• Seven Arts Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• United Artists (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rank Filmes de Portugal (1962) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• United Artists Films (1962) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1962) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (pan/scan)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2000) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Cine Qua Non Films
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• FS Film Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1987) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• Scanvideo (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Film Effects of Hollywood (photographic effects)

Other Companies

• Stalmaster-Lister Co.  casting

Runtime:

152 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #19949) | West Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:MG6 | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 (re-rating) (1970) | Sweden:15 (original rating) | Ireland:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Peru:PT | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986)

Filming Locations:

10th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

Chita Rivera originated the role of Anita when West Side Story premiered at New York's Winter Garden Theatre (September 26, 1957). Rita Moreno later played Anita in the film adaptation of the show.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Doc says, "What are you doing there?" after stopping the Jets from taunting Anita in the drugstore, his lips actually mouth, "What are you doing now?" which was the line in the original stage script.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

A Boy Like That/I Have a Love

Dynamic and exhilarating landmark musical offering a still-topical spin on the age-old "Romeo and Juliet" story.

It is a testament to the musical and theatrical brilliance of "West Side Story" that this teenage urban love story, set to Shakespeare's classic "Romeo and Juliet," has survived its outmoded 50s-style book (Arthur Laurents) replete with "Dead End Kids" posturings and corny, streetwise lingo (I still cringe when I hear the word "daddio"). For nowhere will you experience such electrifying, jaw-dropping choreography (Jerome Robbins). Nowhere will you thrill to a more exhilarating, passionate, full-throttled score (Leonard Bernstein, with Stephen Sondheim providing the libretto). And nowhere will you find a more dynamic, better-crafted musical that arguably surpasses its Broadway stage predecessor from overture to finale.

Maria, a lovely, innocent Puerto-Rican girl ("Juliet") and sister of a formidable gang leader, falls for an opposing though reluctant white-skinned gang member Tony ("Romeo") with tragic results. Set in a tough New York neighborhood where the two disparate groups, the Jets ("the Montagues") and Sharks ("the Capulets"), battle for street territory armed with knives, zip guns and rocks, the determined love affair sets off a calamitous chain of events that, in the end, manage to instill hope in diversity. Topical enough?

The strength of "West Side Story" is that it does not try to hide its stage roots. It still unfolds like a musical play. The film is expanded but the talented cast is not dwarfed by on-location surroundings or panoramic camera work ("South Pacific" fell victim to this). On the contrary, the cast lights up every single playing space with sure-footed aliveness and plenty of 'tude. Co-directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins stay true to the original, having the sense not to alter or butcher the score ("Man of La Mancha") or haul in a slew of new, untried songs ("On the Town", which actually worked for that musical). In a particularly "Wise" move (sorry), two numbers were repositioned to enhance or intensify the narrative flow. In the film version, the "Officer Krupke" number sparked by a goofy Three Stooges-like levity, is moved earlier into the proceedings BEFORE the serious rumbles start, serving neatly as a light and humorous anti-establishment statement. The tightly-coiled, finger-snapping "Cool" number is pushed way back, giving both song and situation a heightened impact as it goads and ignites the Jet's feelings of pent-up rage and retaliation AFTER their leader is murdered. Smart move, daddio.

The late Natalie Wood has been crucified by critics for her ethnic portrayal of Maria ever since day one. It was not because of any political incorrectness at the time (reigning Hollywood white glamour queen goes Latino) for that hot issue didn't erupt until decades later. It was her limited range as an actress. But over the years, I have grown accustomed to Wood. Yes, despite the melodramatic leanings, the necessity of vocal dubbing (by the incomparable Marni Nixon), the flawed Puerto-Rican accent and the general overuse of Coppertone, I still feel for this Maria. What Wood does offer is utmost sincerity and heartfelt poignancy. So I'm one person who has gotten off the Natalie Wood-bashing wagon. Richard Beymer is another matter. An extremely weak, uncool choice for Tony, his toothy, freshly-scrubbed, chipmunk-like mug and awkward gait reads more like library assistant than gang member. Who would have thought Beymer would be the one to dazzle us much later in the totally cool and offbeat "Twin Peaks"? Still, Wood and Beymer commit themselves 100% and manage to create a credible, if not charismatic, love duet that doesn't get in harm's way.

Since the film's emphasis is really on dance, it's the flashy second leads who provide the real firepower. Rita Moreno's smouldering Anita ("The Nurse") is a spitfire of anger and attitude, while George Chakiris as her Shark leader boyfriend Bernardo ("Tybalt") demonstrates slick, controlled menace. Both Oscar-awarded here, Chakiris, in his debut, proved a lightweight acting talent himself, never finding a role like this again. Russ Tamblyn as Riff ("Mercutio"), the recently inaugurated leader of the Jets, is a hotbed of jaunty, scrappy impatience. Both he and Chakiris are riveting as they demonstrate poetry in motion, leading a pack of Edward Villela-like tough guys into athletic, gravity-defying dance moves.

"Romeo and Juliet vs. the 'Hood" should be required viewing for all grade-school children solely on the basis of art and education. The adults already know the value of this treasure.