Romeo and Juliet on screen the story have also been filmed, most notably "West Side Story", Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet" and "Romanoff and Juliet". Several theatrical films, such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "Romeo Must Die", consciously use elements of Shakespeare's plot. Producer Irving Thalberg pushed MGM for five years to make a "Romeo and Juliet", in the face of the studio's opposition: which stemmed from Louis B. Mayer's belief that the masses considered the Bard over their heads, and from the austerity forced on the studios by the depression. It was only when Jack L. Warner announced his intention to film Max Reinhardt's
Romeo and Juliet (1964 film) good chase on horseback, he did not hesitate to cripple the horses , even though he owned a stable... he always came up with ideas which I hadn't thought of, both on set as in the editing room." "Romeo and Juliet" was released in Italy on 28 August 1964 where it was distributed by Titanus. The film grossed, 50 million Italian lire domestically which Curti described as "disappointing" and that the film "remained virtually unknown abroad." A few years later director Franco Zeffirelli directed his own adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet", which Freda commented on later stating that "No one