West Side Story (film) Wise's dazzling direction, Leonard Bernstein's score, and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics, "West Side Story" remains perhaps the most iconic of all the Shakespeare adaptations to visit the big screen." The film earned $19,645,000 in North American rentals. Because of profit participation, United Artists earned a profit of $2.5 million on the film. Its ten Academy Awards make it the musical film with the most Academy wins, including Best Picture. Three other films ("Ben-Hur", "Titanic" and "") won 11 Oscars, but they were not musical films. Awards American Film Institute lists: The film's cast appeared and was honored at the 50th anniversary
The Big Day (1959 film) The Big Day (1959 film) The Big Day is an Australian television film, or rather a live television play, which aired in 1959. The fifth episode of the "Shell Presents" presentations of standalone television dramas, it originally aired 11 July 1959 on Melbourne station GTV-9, a video-tape was made of the broadcast and shown on Sydney station ATN-7 on 25 July 1959 (this was prior to the formation of the Nine Network and Seven Network). "Shell Presents" was a monthly series presenting locally produced television dramas and comedies. Most of these were adaptations of overseas dramas such as "Johnny Belinda"