West Side Story (film) West Side Story (film) West Side Story is a 1961 American romantic musical tragedy film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was inspired by William 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, A.S.C., in Super Panavision 70. Released on October 18, 1961, through United Artists, the film received high praise from critics and viewers, and became the second highest grossing film of the year
West Side Story was originally intended for Cunegonde in "Candide". The music of "Gee, Officer Krupke" was pulled from the Venice scene in "Candide". Laurents explained the style that the creative team finally decided on: The show was nearly complete in the fall of 1956, but almost everyone on the creative team needed to fulfill other commitments first. Robbins was involved with "Bells Are Ringing", then Bernstein with "Candide", and in January 1957 "A Clearing in the Woods", Laurents' latest play, opened and quickly closed. When a backers' audition failed to raise any money for "West Side Story" late in the spring of