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
Compulsion (1959 film) Compulsion (1959 film) Compulsion is a 1959 American crime drama film directed by Richard Fleischer. The film is based on the 1956 novel of the same name by Meyer Levin, which in turn was a fictionalized account of the Leopold and Loeb murder trial. It was the first film produced by Richard D. Zanuck. Although the principal roles are played by Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman, top billing went to Orson Welles. Close friends Judd Steiner (based on Nathan Leopold and played by Dean Stockwell) and Artie Strauss (based on Richard Loeb and played by Bradford Dillman) kill a boy