At the time of its opening, one respected critic called West Side Story “the best film musical ever made,” and many thought that it represented something of a new maturity for a kind of film often dismissed as “only entertainment.” For certain, its greatest moments, such as the prologue, “America,” and “The Rumble,” are at the summit of musicals’ achievements. Robbins’s choreography fully warrants its landmark status, especially when danced by George Chakiris and the other gang members, and Rita Moreno is a complete knockout as Anita. It might be noted that, in hindsight, there are some touches of Hollywood gloss that peek through occasionally, and an over-reliance on dubbed voices. In a film as ambitious and finely wrought as this one, such compromises were probably deemed unavoidable.
The overall accomplishment will always be what matters the most, and in this case a great and difficult show was put onto film with an extraordinary amount of commitment by artists working at the peak of their powers. Few other films, musical or not, can boast of this great a distinction.
George Chakiris and co-director/choreographer Jerome Robbins on the set
WHAT’S MORE
Movie folklore holds that the Manhattan locations where the street scenes were shot were demolished to make way for Lincoln Center. Almost, but not quite. The massive renewal project that created Lincoln Center was indeed underway in 1960, when filming occurred, but the actual street where the action was staged was a few blocks north, on a block that no longer exists. It used to be West 68th Street, between West End and Amsterdam Avenues, and is now the site of Lincoln Towers.
George Chakiris, who had played Bernardo in the London production of West Side Story, was greeted in 1961 as an exciting newcomer, which was half right. Audiences who did not know his name had already seen him dancing in a dozen 1950s musicals, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, where he’s alongside Marilyn Monroe in “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer
MUSICALLY SPEAKING
As with Leslie Caron in Gigi, Natalie Wood was crushed when she learned that her vocals of Maria’s songs would be dubbed by Marni Nixon. In a later time, Wood’s sweet if underpowered singing voice would probably have been enhanced and allowed to stand. A similar fate befell one of Wood’s costars, Russ Tamblyn, when his own “Jet Song” was replaced by that of Tucker Smith, who plays Ice onscreen. Tamblyn’s version, it should be noted, is really quite good.
Richard Beymer, George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn