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
1959 Cannes Film Festival 1959 Cannes Film Festival The 12th Cannes Film Festival was held from 30 April to 15 May 1959. The Palme d'Or went to the "Orfeu Negro" by Marcel Camus. The festival opened with "Les Quatre Cents Coups", directed by François Truffaut and closed with "The Diary of Anne Frank", directed by George Stevens. In 1959, the Marché du Film (lit. Film Market) was established as the business counterpart of the Cannes Film Festival, with the aim of helping meet the needs of film industry professionals. Before this year the market was held unofficially in the cinemas of the rue d'Antibes