West Side Story (1961) | |
| Director(s) | Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise |
| Producer(s) | Saul Chaplin (associate), Robert Wise, Walter Mirisch (executive uncredited) |
| Top Genres | Crime, Drama, Musical, Romance |
| Top Topics | Based on Play, Coming of Age, New York, Romance (Drama), Romance (Musical), Tragic Love |
Featured Cast:
West Side Story Overview:
West Side Story (1961) was a Crime - Drama Film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins and produced by Robert Wise, Walter Mirisch and Saul Chaplin.
West Side Story was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1997.
Academy Awards 1961 --- Ceremony Number 34 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Supporting Actor | George Chakiris | Won |
| Best Supporting Actress | Rita Moreno | Won |
| Best Art Direction | Art Direction: Boris Leven; Set Decoration: Victor A. Gangelin | Won |
| Best Cinematography | Daniel L. Fapp | Won |
| Best Director | Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins | Won |
| Best Film Editing | Thomas Stanford | Won |
| Best Music - Scoring | Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Sid Ramin, Irwin Kostal | Won |
| Best Picture | Robert Wise, Producer | Won |
| Best Writing | Ernest Lehman | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
West Side Story (2021)
By Alyson on Feb 10, 2022 From The Best Picture ProjectLike many, I had my doubts when I heard that Steven Spielberg was directing a remake of West Side Story. First of all, the man has never taken on a musical. Second, West Side Story is already a masterpiece. How could he, even the great Spielberg, improve such a wonderful film? Long story short, he d... Read full article
Musical Monday: West Side Story (2021)
on Dec 13, 2021 From Comet Over HollywoodIt?s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week?s musical:West Side Story (2021) ? Music... Read full article
Musical Monday: West Side Story (1961)
on May 3, 2021 From Comet Over HollywoodIt?s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week?s musical: West Side Story (1961) ? Mus... Read full article
Classic Conversations: Two Award-Winning Costume Designers Re-Imagine ‘Rebecca’ and ‘West Side Story’
By Danny Miller on Nov 14, 2019 From Classic Movie Hub BlogAs classic movie lovers, we can be a very sensitive group when it comes to messing with our favorites. Even movies that seem to get a new version for each successive generation get severely criticized by those of us who are devotees of the originals. While Lady Gaga received a lot of acclaim... Read full article
Field Trip: “West Side Story” at AMC River East 21 on the big screen June 24
By Stephen Reginald on Jun 11, 2018 From Classic Movie ManField Trip: “West Side Story” at AMC River East 21 on the big screen June 24 West Side Story on the big screen Date: June 24 Where: AMC River East 21, 322 East Illinois, Chicago, IL Time: 2:00 p.m. This electrifying musical, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics from Stephe... Read full article
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Quotes from
Maria: [singing] I feel pretty, oh so pretty! I feel pretty, and witty, and gay!
[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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Facts about
Riff and Tony repeat an oath of loyalty to each other: Riff says "womb to tomb" and Tony answers "birth to earth." On stage Tony's original answer was "sperm to worm," but this was changed for the movie because it was beyond the censorship standards of the time.
Opening dance sequences were shot on the upper west side of Manhattan where Lincoln Center stands today. This area was condemned and the buildings were in the process of being demolished to make way for Lincoln Center. The demolition of these buildings was delayed so that the filming of these sequences could be completed.
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