West Side Story

Starring: Natalie Wood Russ Tamblyn Rita Moreno George Chakiris Richard Beymer Director: Robert Wise Jerome Robbins Rated: PGRunning Time: 2 hours 32 minutes

Winner of ten Academy Awards including Best Picture, this electrifying musical sets the ageless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in the slums of 1950s New York and stars Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer.

The stage show was a resounding success. So, it was inevitable that it would take the journey from stage to screen.

Ernest Lehman adapted the screenplay with some minor changes that make cinematic sense. Robert Wise joined Robbins on directing chores. They worked with the original stage crew and the result is a very faithful adaptation. Some of Bernstein's musical passages had to be shortened while some were extended for the reworked film scenes. This is also where the film's greatest advantage comes into play. Not limited by a pit Orchestra's size, Bernstein's music was re orchestrated for a massive sound.

Some of the casting seems haphazard. 3 major roles would need their singing dubbed (Moreno, Wood and Beymer). And Beymer's Puerto Rican physicality made his "Jets" membership questionable. Maybe those casting questions are actually positives as the film was a resounding success (taking in 10 Academy Awards).

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