West Side Story
All team (44)
Short description
West Side Story is set in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the 1950s, where two street gangs compete for control of the neighborhood. The Jets are made up of white Americans, largely of Polish, Irish and Italian background, while the Sharks are Puerto Rican newcomers led by Bernardo. Tony, a former Jet who has pulled away from the gang, falls for Bernardo's sister Maria, and their relationship puts them between two sides that will not back down. The story draws on Romeo and Juliet.
Robert Wise directed the film, his seventh of thirteen in chronological order, between Run Silent, Run Deep and The Haunting, with Jerome Robbins sharing directing duties. Ernest Lehman, Arthur Laurents and Robbins wrote the screenplay, and Wise produced. Natalie Wood plays Maria, Richard Beymer plays Tony, Russ Tamblyn plays Riff, Rita Moreno plays Anita, George Chakiris plays Bernardo and Simon Oakland plays Schrank, among a credited cast of 51 and a credited crew of 45.
Made for about 6 million dollars, the film took roughly 44 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for its time. It holds a 7.6 rating on IMDb from around 127,000 votes and a 7.2 on TMDB from just over 2,000 votes. A critics' rating of 8.5 from 115 reviews places it above both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is based on William Shakespeare's play 'Romeo and Juliet' (The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, 1597).
- This film is ranked #2 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest movie musicals of all time.
- Warren Beatty, Tab Hunter, Anthony Perkins, Russ Tamblyn, Burt Reynolds, Troy Donahue, Bobby Darin, Richard Chamberlain, Dennis Hopper, and Gary Lockwood all auditioned for the role of Tony.
- The film was shot in the West Side of Manhattan, around 61st and 110th streets. At that time, it was a slum area that was evicted and slated for demolition. After demolition, Lincoln Center was built on the site of the neighborhood.
- After the film's premiere, actors Natalie Wood, Richard Beyer, and Rita Moreno became A-list stars overnight.
- The film was shot in the West Side area, around 61st and 110th Streets. At the time, there were slums there that were slated for demolition. After they were torn down, the Lincoln Center was built on the site of that block.
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