# How I Came to Love West Side Story:



## independent minded (May 4, 2016)

West Side Story,  a wonderfully famous late-1950’s Broadway stage musical about two warring street gangs on NYC’s West Side, and a love that developed, and then went up in smoke amid the conflict between the Ethnic American Jets and the newly-arrived Puerto Rican Sharks,  resulting in the deaths of three people, yet also presents hints of possible intergroup reconciliation, as difficult as it can be, has had a powerful grip on my imagination since the summer before I entered the sixth grade.  My initial introduction to this musical was through the musical score to the original Broadway stage production of West Side Story, while attending day camp out west (Tucson, AZ, to be exact.).  
One girl in the group I was with, who’d just received a copy of the LP Album of the soundtrack to the original Broadway *stage* production of West Side Story for her birthday, brought the album in and played it for the rest of the group.  My love for the music to WSS and the story behind it took off instantly.  

West Side Story-mania was in the air that summer, as kids frequently roamed the halls, snapping their fingers and singing the songs from WSS.  It was quite cool.  The songs from West Side Story regularly rang through the bus to and from day camp five days a week.  (My sister and I were staying at our grandparents’ house that summer, as well.

When I got home from day camp, I’d play my parents’ copy of that same West Side Story soundtrack LP album that they had, on their Hi-Fi whenever I could.  I also liked to bang around with some of the prominent songs from West Side Story on the piano, much to my parents’ dismay and chagrin.  
Four years after its first rendez-vous on stage, West Side Story came out as a spectacular motion picture,  in late October of 1961, winning well-earned ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, for that year.   Due to my relative social isolation from other kids I grew up going to school with, and to the fact that my parents didn’t consider West Side Story a kids’ movie (I was still a pre-teen back in 1961, when this film first came out.), I did not get to see it until seven years after it was first released, at around Christmastime of 1968, as a high school Senior, during a national re-release of the film  West Side Story, at a now-defunct cinema north of where my siblings and I grew up.  Little did I or any of my family know that this was the start of a love affair with this film that is still going strong today, much to the amusement, resignation and chagrin of my family!

Since I was still a teenager in high school when I saw the film West Side Story for the first time, I identified with the Jets, the Sharks, and their girls, regarding kids being kids and so on, but when I got a little older and began seeing this film in repertory movie theatres in and around Boston, I still appreciated the story behind this classic film, but I also began to appreciate it as the true work of art that it really is.

I graduated from a large suburban public high school roughly 20 miles due northwest of Boston, back in the spring of 1969,  before I sort of put West Side Story on the back burner and saw other films that I liked a great deal.   

Three years after I graduated from high school, the movie West Side Story came on TV for the first time, in two separate parts.  Someone in my evening Jewelry-making class that I was then taking at the Museum of Fine Arts School here in Boston had brought in a small black-and-white TV, and we all gathered around to watch it, enjoying ourselves and having fun.  

That summer, when I went on a six-week trip to Europe, someone in the group had brought a cassette tape of the soundtrack to the film version of West Side Story, which was played almost every evening, during free hours.   It was then that my love for this classic film was re-awakened.  Shortly after arriving home from Europe, I had a short conversation with my dad over dinner about my wish for West Side Story to come back again.   Our conversation went something like this:

Me:  Hey!  I wish the film West Side Story would  come back.
Dad:  You never forgot it, did you?
Me:  No.  

That fall, two days before Thanksgiving, I got my wish.  West Side Story came on TV, so I cut my evening Jewelry-making class to stay home and watch it, on our little black-and-white TV.  Need I tell everybody that I”ve been hooked on this classic film since?  Now, every time it comes to one of the independent, non-profit repertory movie theatres in my area, or at least within reasonable driving distance of me (I’ve even made special road trips to neighboring states to view screenings of the film West Side Story!), I go.  

As a devout fan of this Classic film, I’ve seen the film West Side Story more times than I can count, as well as several very good stage productions of the original Broadway stage production of WSS that I’ve liked a great deal.  ( The more up-to-date Broadway *stage* revival of this musical...hmmmm..not so much!)’

Much to the chagrin, amusement and resignation of my family and friends, I love this film still, and see it every time it comes around, especially to a movie theatre.  Imho, regardless of what anybody says or thinks about how wonderful these elaborate home theatre systems may be, *absolutely nothing* beats seeing the classic film West Side Story on a great big, wide screen, in a *real* movie theatre, with the lights down low, and sharing the whole experience with a bunch of other people, whether one knows them or not.


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## Granny (May 4, 2016)

Truly a good movie ... I have an old VCR version with Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn and George Chakaris (if I haven't slaughtered the spelling).


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## Hugo Furst (May 4, 2016)

Watched it once.

the idea of hoods doing ballet made it impossible to believe


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## The Great Goose (May 4, 2016)

Ive never seen it.


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## Hugo Furst (May 4, 2016)

Even sillier than this scene from It's Always Fair Weather



Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse


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## Hossfly (May 4, 2016)

WillHaftawaite said:


> Watched it once.
> 
> the idea of hoods doing ballet made it impossible to believe


Will, if you were a teenager during the mid Fifties and you hung out with a group, you probably would have done a lot of singing. Even the gangs. It was part of life.Everybody sang in groups.
A few early R&R groups became famous when someone in the music industry heard them and gave them auditions. Alan Freed was one of the early pioneers of R&R as a disc jockey and he and others started what was called Rock and Roll College. Many of the groups were poor city teenagers who went to the College and were taught such things as dressing properly, learning the proper way to eat and to use silverware, etiquette and many other social things, how to talk.
I could go on and on but you get the idea.  Google Alan Freed and see what a remarkable man he was with a vision and a purpose.


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## Hugo Furst (May 4, 2016)

Born in 49.

Didn't see any of that


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## independent minded (May 4, 2016)

Granny said:


> Truly a good movie ... I have an old VCR version with Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn and George Chakaris (if I haven't slaughtered the spelling).



I, too have a pretty old VCR version of the film _West Side Story_ that a friend of mine purchased for me (it was new at the time, of course.), as a present.  I used to occasionally rent a VCR from the Hollywood Express video store (which is now defunct) near where I live,  hook it up to my little 20-inch TV, and watch _West Side Story_  on it every night, for a week.  

One night, when I attempted to watch the movie again, however, my little TV went kaput.  Since VCR's are no longer made, I can't watch the VCR version of the film any more, but that's okay, because I love seeing _West Side Story_ (the film) in the movie theatres much, much more.


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## independent minded (May 4, 2016)

Hossfly said:


> WillHaftawaite said:
> 
> 
> > Watched it once.
> ...



Interesting story there!  Thanks for posting it!


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## independent minded (May 4, 2016)

The Great Goose said:


> Ive never seen it.



Well, the next time that the film _West Side Story_ either comes to a repertory movie theatre in your area, or even on TV, make it a point to see it.  We'd all love to hear what you think.


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## Granny (May 4, 2016)

Getting a little off-topic here ... but I have probably watched "Pretty Woman" about 500+ times.  Never get tired of it.  I wanted to be Cinderella when I was young and have my handsome prince rescue me from all the BS ... didn't happen ... but such is life.  Some movies just stay with you and inspire you and you love them forever.


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## independent minded (May 4, 2016)

Granny said:


> Getting a little off-topic here ... but I have probably watched "Pretty Woman" about 500+ times.  Never get tired of it.  I wanted to be Cinderella when I was young and have my handsome prince rescue me from all the BS ... didn't happen ... but such is life.  Some movies just stay with you and inspire you and you love them forever.



Well, Granny.   You're not off topic at all, really.  Lots of people, ourselves included, have favorite movies that we never, ever get tired of seeing over and over again.  _Pretty  Woman _is yours, and _West Side Story _ is mine.  I can't really put a finger on why I like _West Side Story_ so much, but I figure...what the heck...I'll just relax and continue to enjoy it.


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## hjmick (May 4, 2016)

The retelling of _Romeo and Juliet _has always been on my list of top ten musicals.


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## Granny (May 5, 2016)

I love the theme music from "Band of Brothers."  It takes my breath away - I have the entire series on DVD.


I look at our soldiers ... and I thank them for their sacrifice ... I think of my Dad who was in the Army Corps of Engineers (and who also served in the Korean War ... I think of two of his younger brothers who were KIA in France after D-Day ... exactly one month apart, both buried in different American Cemeteries in France ... my uncle who was an Army medic and also survived D-Day - and the carnage he must have seen.  I recently lost my uncle who died 6 months short of his 100th birthday. We owe all these people our thanks and respect.

But as to "Pretty Woman" - not my favorite - but still a great soundtrack.  I also have Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma, Chicago, Mamma Mia and others.


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## Hossfly (May 5, 2016)

Granny said:


> I love the theme music from "Band of Brothers."  It takes my breath away - I have the entire series on DVD.
> 
> 
> I look at our soldiers ... and I thank them for their sacrifice ... I think of my Dad who was in the Army Corps of Engineers (and who also served in the Korean War ... I think of two of his younger brothers who were KIA in France after D-Day ... exactly one month apart, both buried in different American Cemeteries in France ... my uncle who was an Army medic and also survived D-Day - and the carnage he must have seen.  I recently lost my uncle who died 6 months short of his 100th birthday. We owe all these people our thanks and respect.
> ...


I saw Westside Story on Broadway in June 1958 on my way to Germany. Great play and great movie. A couple years ago on a New England tour we overnighted in NYC and went to see Mama Mia. The movie was good but I thought the play was far better. It was 5 Star.


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## independent minded (May 5, 2016)

Granny said:


> I love the theme music from "Band of Brothers."  It takes my breath away - I have the entire series on DVD.
> 
> 
> I look at our soldiers ... and I thank them for their sacrifice ... I think of my Dad who was in the Army Corps of Engineers (and who also served in the Korean War ... I think of two of his younger brothers who were KIA in France after D-Day ... exactly one month apart, both buried in different American Cemeteries in France ... my uncle who was an Army medic and also survived D-Day - and the carnage he must have seen.  I recently lost my uncle who died 6 months short of his 100th birthday. We owe all these people our thanks and respect.
> ...



Thanks for an interesting story, Granny!  Glad you like the musicals that you've got.  Sorry about the loss of your uncle.


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## Granny (May 6, 2016)

independent minded said:


> Granny said:
> 
> 
> > I love the theme music from "Band of Brothers."  It takes my breath away - I have the entire series on DVD.
> ...



Thank you. He was a good man and lived a good full life - well loved, well respected by many.


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## independent minded (May 6, 2016)

Hossfly said:


> Granny said:
> 
> 
> > I love the theme music from "Band of Brothers."  It takes my breath away - I have the entire series on DVD.
> ...



Thank you for a neat reply, Hossfly!   While I never saw the *original* late-1950's Broadway *stage* production of _West Side Story, _I have also seen a number of Broadway stage productions thereafter  that I've liked a great deal.  The newer, more up-to-date Broadway stage revival of West Side Story


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## independent minded (May 6, 2016)

Hossfly said:


> Granny said:
> 
> 
> > I love the theme music from "Band of Brothers."  It takes my breath away - I have the entire series on DVD.
> ...


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## independent minded (May 6, 2016)

While I never saw the late-1950's *original* Broadway *stage* production of _West Side Story_ with Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert in it, I have, in addition to being a devout fan of the movie WSS, seen several stage production of the original Broadway stage production of _West Side Story_ that I've liked a great deal.  _West Side Story_, to me, is one of the very few musicals that have been really successful on both stage and screen.  Most musicals, however are far better on stage than on screen.  

I also saw the more up to date Broadway stage revival of _West Side Story_ five years ago, and well,  I didn't like it nearly as much.  

As I pointed out, there's something about the 1961 film version of _West Side Story_ that beckons me to see it, whether it's on a great big, wide movie theatre screen, *or* on TV.


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## Skull Pilot (May 6, 2016)

WillHaftawaite said:


> Watched it once.
> 
> the idea of hoods doing ballet made it impossible to believe


I especially like the wicked tough finger snapping


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## independent minded (May 6, 2016)

Skull Pilot said:


> WillHaftawaite said:
> 
> 
> > Watched it once.
> ...



I like the finger-snapping and the Jet gang whistles, too.  They're a *very* integral part of the story behind _West Side Story,  _and a big part of why _West Side Story_ is so special.


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## independent minded (Sep 19, 2020)

Hossfly said:


> Granny said:
> 
> 
> > I love the theme music from "Band of Brothers."  It takes my breath away - I have the entire series on DVD.
> ...


I'm generally not a huge fan of musicals on film.  Most musicals are better on stage.  West Side Story, however, is a rare exception, because it was successful on both stage and screen.  One of the things that gave the original 1961 film version of West Side Story is that when it was transferred from stage to screen, it was preserved as a larger-than-lifesized piece of theatre.


Granny said:


> Truly a good movie ... I have an old VCR version with Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn and George Chakaris (if I haven't slaughtered the spelling).


I, too, have a VCR version of the *original *1961 film version of _West Side Story_ that a friend/former co-worker gave me as a present many years ago.  Whenever I wanted to watch it on my little black and white TV, I rented a VCR from the now-defunct Hollywood Express store across the highway from where I've lived for over 30 years, and I live here still.  When that little black and white TV that I'd received as a present 15 years before went, and I got a newer, bigger TV, which still works after 15 years, I could not watch the VCR version of the 1961 film version of _West Side Story_ on it any longer, because VCR's became obsolete.


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## g5000 (Sep 30, 2020)

independent minded said:


> West Side Story,  a wonderfully famous late-1950’s Broadway stage musical about two warring street gangs on NYC’s West Side, and a love that developed, and then went up in smoke amid the conflict between the Ethnic American Jets and the newly-arrived Puerto Rican Sharks,  resulting in the deaths of three people, yet also presents hints of possible intergroup reconciliation, as difficult as it can be, has had a powerful grip on my imagination since the summer before I entered the sixth grade.  My initial introduction to this musical was through the musical score to the original Broadway stage production of West Side Story, while attending day camp out west (Tucson, AZ, to be exact.).
> One girl in the group I was with, who’d just received a copy of the LP Album of the soundtrack to the original Broadway *stage* production of West Side Story for her birthday, brought the album in and played it for the rest of the group.  My love for the music to WSS and the story behind it took off instantly.
> 
> West Side Story-mania was in the air that summer, as kids frequently roamed the halls, snapping their fingers and singing the songs from WSS.  It was quite cool.  The songs from West Side Story regularly rang through the bus to and from day camp five days a week.  (My sister and I were staying at our grandparents’ house that summer, as well.
> ...


There are only two musicals I like.  _West Side Story_ and _The Blues Brothers_.

West Side Story is a retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, by the way.

ETA: I see someone already pointed out the Romeo and Juliet connection.


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## independent minded (Jun 12, 2021)

The Great Goose said:


> Ive never seen it.





The Great Goose said:


> Through the courtesy of fathomevents.com and Turner classic movies, the original 1961 film version of West Side Story will be having a 60th Anniversary screening for two days in late fall of this year:  Sunday, November, 28th, and Wednesday, December 1st, at select movie theatres, nationwide, throughout the United States.  Tickets are presently on sale, after they went on sale on May 7th of this year, courtesy of fathomevents.com, online.  When you go on the fathomevents.com website, all one needs to do is to follow their directions on how to buy tickets at a movie theatre near you.


Since the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story is my all time favorite movie, hands down, I've already bought tickets for myself and some friends of mine for both evening screenings.  They will be screened at both 3:00 p. m. and 7:00 p. m., on both dates.  Hope I've been of some help here.


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## Oddball (Jun 12, 2021)




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## Flopper (Jun 13, 2021)

independent minded said:


> West Side Story,  a wonderfully famous late-1950’s Broadway stage musical about two warring street gangs on NYC’s West Side, and a love that developed, and then went up in smoke amid the conflict between the Ethnic American Jets and the newly-arrived Puerto Rican Sharks,  resulting in the deaths of three people, yet also presents hints of possible intergroup reconciliation, as difficult as it can be, has had a powerful grip on my imagination since the summer before I entered the sixth grade.  My initial introduction to this musical was through the musical score to the original Broadway stage production of West Side Story, while attending day camp out west (Tucson, AZ, to be exact.).
> One girl in the group I was with, who’d just received a copy of the LP Album of the soundtrack to the original Broadway *stage* production of West Side Story for her birthday, brought the album in and played it for the rest of the group.  My love for the music to WSS and the story behind it took off instantly.
> 
> West Side Story-mania was in the air that summer, as kids frequently roamed the halls, snapping their fingers and singing the songs from WSS.  It was quite cool.  The songs from West Side Story regularly rang through the bus to and from day camp five days a week.  (My sister and I were staying at our grandparents’ house that summer, as well.
> ...


People that love musicals always have one that is their favorite.  For me, it's My Fair Lady.  I saw West Side Story on Broadway and loved it and saw the movie and thought it was just as good.  I prefer musical comedies because I leave the theater with a smile on my face.  However, the two dramatic musicals that I really liked was Phantom of the Opera and the other is West Side Story.  Les Miserables and Carousel were great musical but a bit to sad for me.


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## Flopper (Jun 13, 2021)

independent minded said:


> While I never saw the late-1950's *original* Broadway *stage* production of _West Side Story_ with Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert in it, I have, in addition to being a devout fan of the movie WSS, seen several stage production of the original Broadway stage production of _West Side Story_ that I've liked a great deal.  _West Side Story_, to me, is one of the very few musicals that have been really successful on both stage and screen.  Most musicals, however are far better on stage than on screen.
> 
> I also saw the more up to date Broadway stage revival of _West Side Story_ five years ago, and well,  I didn't like it nearly as much.
> 
> As I pointed out, there's something about the 1961 film version of _West Side Story_ that beckons me to see it, whether it's on a great big, wide movie theatre screen, *or* on TV.


What I really like about the movie version was Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris.  I honesty don't remember who was in the Broadway production.


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## Flopper (Jun 13, 2021)

Has anyone seen "Stop the World. I Want to Get Off."  It was twice on Broadway, the London stage and was made into a movie. You hardly every hear it mentioned even thou there were a couple very well know songs from this musical such as "What Kind of Fool am I."

It's a musical, comedy, drama, the story of Littlechap from the moment of his birth until his death. Each time something unsatisfactory happens, he calls out 'Stop the world!' and addresses the audience with song and verse.  It's a different kind of musical but seems to have been very popular when it first played on Broadway.  My wife and I have seen it on stage  and would like see it again but haven't found it.


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## whitehall (Jul 9, 2021)

The principal character "Daniel" (Albert Brooks) from the movie "Defending your life" is listening to a West Side Story song by Barbara Streisand just before he runs into a bus and dies. Harmless trivia.


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## Flopper (Jul 12, 2021)

In general, I don't like musical dramas, preferring lighter stuff like My Fair Lady, The Music Man, etc but the music, choreography, and the story is so damn good, it's hard not to like it.


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