West Side Story
1961 film by Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins
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"West Side Story" is a 1961 film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins that adapts the famous musical about rival gangs in New York City. It remains culturally significant as an acclaimed film adaptation of an influential stage musical that brought serious dramatic depth to the musical theater genre.
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Film · TMDB
7.2In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love.
Released: 1961-12-13153 minDir: Jerome RobbinsCrime, Drama, RomanceBudget: $6.0MBox office: $43.7M
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Cast
- Natalie Wood as Maria
- Richard Beymer as Tony
- Russ Tamblyn as Riff
- Rita Moreno as Anita
- George Chakiris as Bernardo
- Simon Oakland as Schrank
Themes
Article
West Side Story is a 1961 American musical romantic drama film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, written by Ernest Lehman, and produced by Wise. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same title, which in turn was inspired by Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris and was photographed by Daniel L. Fapp in Super Panavision 70. The music was composed by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
Released on October 18, 1961, through United Artists, the film received praise from critics and viewers, and became the highest-grossing film of 1961. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10, including Best Picture (in addition to a special award for Robbins), becoming the record holder for the most wins for a musical. West Side Story is regarded as one of the greatest musical films of all time. The film was designated as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1997. A second film adaptation by Steven Spielberg was released in December 2021.