Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story became a massive hit. Four years later, the play was transformed into a movie.
Released 65 years ago today, Oct. 18, 1961, West Side Story was an immediate success in theaters. Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ on-screen adaptation reeled in more than $44 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1961.
A tale as old as time
West Side Story depicts the story of two rival street gangs battling for control of New York’s Upper West Side. Tony, played by Richard Beymer, a leader of the all-white Jets, falls for Maria (Natalie Wood), the younger sister of Bernardo (George Chakiris), who is the head of the Sharks, an all-Puerto Rican outfit.
Even if you were unfamiliar with the plot, you can see the obvious Romeo and Juliet tie-in. Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, Simon Oakland, Ned Glass, William Bramley and others also have major roles.
The movie was a critical success as well
In addition to its massive box office performance, West Side Story won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Wise and Robbins also won Best Director, with Chakiris and Moreno taking home Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively. Both performers earned the same honor at the Golden Globes.
Widely-regarded as one of the greatest musical movies of all-time, West Side Story was picked for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 1997 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” A second film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, was unveiled in 2021.
“So the dancing is remarkable, and several of the songs have proven themselves by becoming standards, and there are moments of startling power and truth,” the legendary Roger Ebert wrote in 2004. “West Side Story” remains a landmark of musical history. But if the drama had been as edgy as the choreography, if the lead performances had matched Moreno’s fierce concentration, if the gangs had been more dangerous and less like bad-boy Archies and Jugheads, if the ending had delivered on the pathos and tragedy of the original, there’s no telling what might have resulted. The movie began with a brave vision, and it is best when you sense that vision surviving the process by which it was turned into safe entertainment.”
