WEST SIDE STORY (DVD/W-GOLD O-RING) DVD

West Side Story
Romeo and Juliet is updated to the tenements of New York City in this Oscar-winning musical landmark. Adapted by Ernest Lehman from the Broadway production, the movie opens with an overhead shot of Manhattan, an effect that director Robert Wise would repeat over the Alps in The Sound of Music four years later. We are introduced to two rival street gangs: the Jets, second-generation American teens, and the Sharks, Puerto Rican immigrants. When the war between the Jets and Sharks reaches a fever pitch, Jets leader Riff (Russ Tamblyn) decides to challenge the Sharks to one last "winner take all" rumble. He decides to meet Sharks leader Bernardo (George Chakiris) for a war council at a gymnasium dance; to bolster his argument, Riff wants his old pal Tony (Richard Beymer), the cofounder of the Jets, to come along. But Tony has set his sights on vistas beyond the neighborhood and has fallen in love with Bernardo's sister, Maria (Natalie Wood), a love that, as in Romeo and Juliet, will eventually end in tragedy. In contrast to the usual slash-and-burn policy of Hollywood musical adaptations, all the songs written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim for the original Broadway production of West Side Story were retained for the film version, although some alterations were made to appease the Hollywood censors, and the original order of two songs was reversed for stronger dramatic impact. The movie more than retains the original choreography of Jerome Robbins, which is recreated in some of the most startling and balletic dance sequences ever recorded on film. West Side Story won an almost-record ten Oscars, including Best Picture, supporting awards to Chakiris and Rita Moreno as Bernardo's girlfriend, Anita, and Best Director to Robbins and Wise. Richard Beymer's singing was dubbed by Jimmy Bryant, Natalie Wood's by Marni Nixon (who also dubbed Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady), and Rita Moreno's by Betty Wand. The film's New York tenement locations were later razed to make room for Lincoln Center. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Natalie Wood as Maria Richard Beymer as Tony Russ Tamblyn as Riff Rita Moreno as Anita George Chakiris as Bernardo Simon Oakland as Lt. Schrank William Bramley as Officer Krupke Ned Glass as Doc John Astin as Glad Hand, social worker Penny Santon as Madam Lucia Jose de Vega as Chino Jay Norman as Pepe Gus Trikonis as Indio Robert Thompson as Luis Larry Roquemore as Rocco Eddie Verso as Juano Andre Tayir as Chile Tucker Smith as Ice Tony Mordente as Action Eliot Feld as Baby John David Winters as A-Rab Bert Michaels as Snowboy Robert Banas as Joyboy Anthony Teague as Big Deal Thomas Abbott as Gee-Tar David Bean as Tiger Sue Oakes as Anybody Gina Trikonis as Graziella Carole D'Andrea as Velma Yvonne Othon as Consuelo Suzie Kaye as Rosalia [The Sharks] Joanna Miya as Francisca

Crew Saul Chaplin - Associate Producer Jerome Robbins - Choreography Johnny Green - Conductor Irene Sharaff - Costume Designer Robert E. Relyea - First Assistant Director Robert Wise - Director Thomas G. Stanford - Editor Leonard Bernstein - Composer (Music Score) Irwin Kostal - Musical Direction/Supervision Sid Ramin - Musical Direction/Supervision Johnny Green - Musical Direction/Supervision Saul Chaplin - Musical Direction/Supervision Boris Leven - Production Designer Daniel L. Fapp - Cinematographer Robert Wise - Producer Victor A. Gangelin - Set Designer Fred Lau - Sound/Sound Designer Murray Spivack - Sound/Sound Designer Fred Hynes - Sound/Sound Designer Vinton Vernon - Sound/Sound Designer Ernest Lehman - Screenwriter John Flynn - Script Supervisor Irene Caine - Costumes Supervisor Harold Prince - Play Author Robert E. Griffith - Play Author Stephen Sondheim - Lyricist Arthur Laurents - Book (Musical)

West Side Story
West Side Story is remarkable for its seamless transference from stage musical to screen classic, with the complete Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim song score intact, as well as the choreography of Jerome Robbins. The story, derived from Romeo and Juliet, works on a symbolic rather than realistic level; there is no pretense that this is a true representation of what New York City gangs were like circa 1960. Veteran director Robert Wise is probably the person most responsible for the film's success, and for retaining the best qualities of the stage production, though co-director Robbins, who feuded with Wise throughout the production, would likely disagree. After several weeks of delayed production due to Robbins' insistence on extra rehearsals, Wise tired of the Broadway legend and had him removed from the set. West Side Story swept the Oscars, taking ten awards, including awards for Best Picture and its decidedly non-cordial co-directors. The Academy gave a special choreography award to Robbins, who thanked a great many people in his acceptance speech, noticeably failing to mention Wise. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
 

Boris Leven: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Art Direction (winner) Daniel L. Fapp: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Cinematography (winner) Ernest Lehman: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Adapted Screenplay (nominated) Fred Hynes: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Sound (winner) George Chakiris: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (winner) George Chakiris: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (winner) Gordon Sawyer: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Sound (winner) Irene Sharaff: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Costume Design (winner) Irwin Kostal: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Musical Score (winner) Jerome Robbins: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Director (winner) Jerome Robbins: Golden Globe, Best Director (nominated) Johnny Green: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Musical Score (winner) Richard Beymer: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com (nominated) Rita Moreno: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Supporting Actress (winner) Rita Moreno: Golden Globe, Best Supporting Actress (winner) Robert Wise: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Director (winner) Robert Wise: Golden Globe, Best Director (nominated) Saul Chaplin: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Musical Score (winner) Sid Ramin: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Musical Score (winner) Thomas G. Stanford: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Editing (winner) Victor A. Gangelin: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Color Art Direction (winner)

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Picture (winner) American Film Institute, 100 Greatest American Movies (winner) British Academy of Film and Television, Best Film - Any Source (nominated) Golden Globe, Best Picture - Musical (winner) Library of Congress, U.S. National Film Registry (winner) National Board of Review, Best Picture (nominated) New York Film Critics Circle, Best Picture (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: cc Original theatrical trailer English: 5.1 Surround French: Mono Spanish: Mono English, French & Spanish language subtitles DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 152 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Overture/Main Title 2. Prologue 3. Snowing the Coppers 4. How to Hold Turf/Jet Song 5. Something's Coming 6. Not Giving an Inch 7. Dance at the Gym 8. Love Across the Lines 9. Riff's Challenge 10. Maria 11. America 12. "I Don't Wait" 13. Tonight 14. Gee, Officer Krupke! 15. The War Council 16. Sweet Land of Liberty 17. I Feel Pretty 18. What Anita Can't See 19. One Hand, One Heart 20. Tonight (Ensemble) 21. The Rumble 22. Breaking the News 23. Somewhere 24. "I'm Scared" 25. Cool 26. Gotta Find Tony 27. A Boy Like That/I Have a Love 28. Detaining Maria 29. Anita's Message 30. No Cure From Doc 31. Finale 32. End Credits