- West Side Story Filming Locations
- West Side Story Film Date
- West Side Story Film Guide Answer Key
- West Side Story Film
Release Date: October 18, 1961
Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, the 1961 film adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris.. Released on October 18, 1961, the MGM film received high praise from critics and viewers, and became the second highest-grossing film of the year in the United States. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10, including Best Picture (in addition to a special award for Robbins), becoming the record holder for the most wins for a musical.
The film has been deemed 'culturally significant' by the United States Library of Congress and was selected for the National Film Registry in 1997.
West Side Story won a total of 10 Oscars at the 34th Academy Awards in 1962, making it the musical film with the most Academy wins, including Best Picture. Jerome Robbins shared the Best Director Oscar with Robert Wise, becoming only the second director to win the Academy Award for Best Director for a film debut (after Delbert Mann for Marty). West Side Story, American musical film, released in 1961, that was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.The movie, filled with exhilarating dance sequences choreographed by Jerome Robbins and memorable songs—including “Tonight,” “Maria,” and “Somewhere”—by Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), won 10 of the 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated.
West Side Story won a total of 10 Oscars at the 34th Academy Awards in 1962, making it the musical film with the most Academy wins, including Best Picture. Jerome Robbins shared the Best Director Oscar with Robert Wise, becoming only the second director to win the Academy Award for Best Director for a film debut (after Delbert Mann for Marty). That same year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored him with a special award for his choreographic achievements on film.
Wins:
Best Picture – Robert Wise, producer
Best Director – Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins
Best Supporting Actor – George Chakiris
Best Supporting Actress – Rita Moreno
Best Art Direction–Set Decoration (Color)– Victor A. Gangelin and Boris Leven
Best Cinematography (Color) – Daniel L. Fapp
Best Costume Design (Color) – Irene Sharaff
Best Film Editing – Thomas Stanford
Best Original Score – Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Irwin Kostal, and Sid Ramin
Best Sound – Fred Hynes (Todd-AO SSD), and Gordon E. Sawyer (Samuel Goldwyn SSD)
Nominations:
Best Adapted Screenplay – Ernest Lehman
Other:
Jerome Robbins received an Academy Honorary Award 'for his brilliant achievements in the art of choreography on film'.
1962 Golden Globe Awards
West Side Story garnered seven nominations and three wins at the 1962 Golden Globe Awards.
West Side Story Filming Locations
Wins:
Best Motion Picture-Musical
Best Supporting Actress - Rita Moreno
Best Supporting Actor - George Chakiris
Nominations:
Best Director - Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins
Best Actor-Comedy or Musical - Richard Beymer
Most Promising Newcomer-Male - Richard Beymer
Most Promising Newcomer-Male - George Chakiris
1961 Grammy Awards
The film’s original soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album or Recording of Original Cast from Motion Picture or Television at the 4th Annual Grammy Awards in 1961.
For a complete list of awards, visit the film’s IMDB page.
‘West Side Story’ is initially inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ but before it became a sensation on the big screen, it made waves as a Broadway play. The premise follows two warring gangs in New York City. The white Jets led by Riff and Bernardo’s Puerto Rican Sharks have a shared animosity that makes co-existence impossible. However, when Riff’s best friend, and former Jet, Tony, meets Maria, Bernardo’s younger sister, the chemistry is undeniable.
Their love is the only hope of reconciliation between the two gangs, who move towards complete domination of the streets. Before it can be stopped, tragedy strikes as ‘West Side Story’ moves to a heartbreaking climax. The film’s setting accentuates the plot, making it iconic throughout the ages. Naturally, you might be curious about where ‘West Side Story’ has been filmed. We have the details right here.
West Side Story Filming Locations:
Parts of the movie have been filmed in New York while most of the scenes have been shot at the studios in West Hollywood. Without much ado, let us dive into the particulars of filming. However, before that, check out this beautiful picture of filming taking place on the streets of New York City.
https://twitter.com/moviesinmaking/status/837752457342115840
New York:
The scenes between the Jets and the Sharks concerning the ‘turf’ is supposed to include one block surrounding the school’s playground. However, it is filmed in two locations edited together. These include 110th Street on the east side of Manhattan, situated between 1st and 2nd Avenues, and 68th street on the west side of Manhattan. The latter is located between West End Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue. You can check out old footage of the film being shot there.
Notably, filming took place just before the buildings in the area were demolished. The area was redeveloped as the Lincoln Center Urban Renewal Project, located to the northwest of what is now the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Since the buildings were slated to be demolished, the filming crew got the greenlight to alter the paint or spray them with graffiti, capturing an authentic essence. Check out the official tweet from the Lincoln Center’s handle confirming that the film has been shot in the surrounding areas.
#DYK that the 1961 West Side Story film was shot in the neighborhood surrounding Lincoln Center? This Friday #LCOutofDoors celebrates Leonard Bernstein's iconic score at West Side Story Reimagined. #Bernsteinat100 >> https://t.co/faVPvLlBrHpic.twitter.com/b40vOKB39s
— Lincoln Center (@LincolnCenter) August 7, 2018
Other New York locations include Church of Saint Paul the Apostle, Columbus Avenue & West 60th Street where the dance scene takes place, and an aerial shot of Stuyvesant Town, Manhattan. Check out the aerial shot being filmed.
'Here come the Jets
Like a bat out of hell—
Someone gets in our way
Someone don't feel so well!'
Filming “West Side Story” (1961) pic.twitter.com/5miCkx7cbN
— James William ஜ (@veniveci) January 6, 2019
West Side Story Film Date
Los Angeles:
Most older movies relied more heavily on studios, and ‘West Side Story’ is no exception. Significant chunks of the film have been shot on sound stages at the Samuel Goldwyn Studio, which is now known as The Lot. It is located at 1041 North Formosa Avenue at Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood.
The Lot has a rich history tied to Hollywood and continues to host independent film studios. You can check out a tweet about the final scene of ‘West Side Story’ being filmed. It appears to take place on a sound stage.
Filming the final scene of WEST SIDE STORY (1961) pic.twitter.com/mnF6BIti7X
West Side Story Film Guide Answer Key
— Every Musical Ever (@everymusicalpod) November 7, 2017
In conclusion, it is clear that ‘West Side Story’ has made excellent use of the locations. Time and luck favored the production since they managed to film the scenes in New York’s West Side right before buildings were demolished. Similarly, the playground used happened to be the city’s hotspot for Puerto Rican immigrants. Therefore, despite technically being on the East Side, the playground on 110th Street fits right into the film’s narrative imagery. Overall, the factors combine to give us a movie that remains an indelible part of Hollywood’s history. Perhaps this is why ‘West Side Story’ is still talked about and has a cult following.
West Side Story Film
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