1.
First, earlier than filming started on West Side Story, a number of large Hollywood names have been reportedly interested in starring within the film, like Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Audrey Hepburn, Chita Rivera, Marlon Brando, and Robert Redford. In keeping with George Chakiris, attributable to the truth that these legends have been rumored to be starring within the film, numerous stage actors did not suppose they’d ever be forged.
2.
When it got here time to do chemistry reads for potential Tony, Maria, Anita, Riff, and Bernardo casting decisions, six scenes have been chosen to make use of. They have been the bridal store scene with Maria, Tony, and Anita, the hearth escape scene with Tony and Maria, the condo scene after the rumble with Maria and Chino, Tony and Riff at Doc’s, Maria and Bernardo within the condo, and Anita at Doc’s.
3.
Rita Moreno auditioned “many instances” for Anita in West Facet Story, the place she accomplished singing and appearing auditions to begin, which she says went rather well. The toughest half was when director Jerome Robbins stated she would additionally should do a dancing audition. She told The Hollywood Reporter in 2014, “I ran to the closest dancing faculty and I actually signed up for each class, actually, that that they had. I used to be really killing myself, however I needed that half so badly.”
4.
After Rita Moreno was formally supplied the position, she virtually turned it down as soon as she realized the opening line in “America” she must sing. It initially known as Puerto Rico an “ugly island” and an island of “tropic illnesses.” Nevertheless, Stephen Sondheim instantly modified the verse after her casting. The road modified to, “Puerto Rico, my coronary heart’s devotion, let it sink again within the ocean.”
5.
Earlier than being forged as Bernardo within the film, George Chakiris played Riff within the West Finish manufacturing of West Facet Story. Talking to Fox Information, Chakiris recalled learning for the position, saying, “I studied Ken LeRoy, the unique Bernardo on stage, each night time for a 12 months and a half. So in a manner, I used to be already studying and memorizing, which helped to make the position my very own.”
6.
The final most important position that was forged was Maria, with director Robert Clever initially insisting they discover a comparatively unknown actor. Casting for Maria was so troublesome that they thought-about hiring somebody who could not sing, they usually may dub the singing elements. According to Wise, they ultimately landed on Natalie Wooden after they noticed her whereas watching Warren Beatty’s Splendor within the Grass display take a look at, the place he was appearing alongside Natalie. Clever deserted the thought of an unknown actor for Wooden, recalling, “The minute Natalie walked on, we forgot all about [Beatty] and [said], ‘There’s our Maria!'”
7.
Regardless of taking intensive singing classes, Natalie Wooden’s singing voice was dubbed in the final version of the movie. Identical with Richard Beymer’s voice. Marni Nixon and Jimmy Bryant offered the vocals for Maria and Tony, respectively. Their vocals have been recorded dwell with the orchestra. In an interview with Nixon and Bryant in 2012, Nixon revealed that Wooden did document her personal model of each track, minus the excessive word in “Tonight,” and was reportedly initially instructed {that a} combo of her take and Nixon’s can be used within the movie.
8.
Russ Tamblyn, who performed Riff, initially examined for Tony, and it was a giant deal that he was even allowed to audition as a result of he was beneath contract with MGM, whereas the movie was with United Artists. Tamblyn told the Guardian that attributable to his contract with MGM, he was instructed he had a “status to maintain,” and he was virtually not allowed to signal on to play Riff due to particular strains he’d should sing in “Gee, Officer Krupke.”
9.
Rita Moreno was one of many few Puerto Rican actors who have been forged. Whereas speaking to NPR in 2001, Moreno recalled how, with a purpose to make forged members look, act, and sound “extra Puerto Rican,” they have been instructed to make use of an accent, placed on darkish make-up, and extra. She defined, “The factor that basically bothered me probably the most is that they put the identical very muddy, dark-colored make-up on each Shark lady and boy. And that basically made me very upset. And I attempted to get that modified. I stated, ‘Have a look at us. We’re all, , many, many alternative colours.'”
10.
Filming of the opening quantity came about on 68th and Amsterdam and one hundred and tenth and 2nd Ave in New York Metropolis. The 68th Road location is where Lincoln Center now stands. On the time of filming, the situation was razed for building, so the digital camera crews and administrators used it to their benefit. They even shoveled shallow holes for the digital camera crew to be in so they might seize the dancers up above. The flattened parts of the development zone made an ideal dance ground, too.
11.
The “Prologue,” which was shot in Manhattan, was initially scheduled to solely final three weeks, however ended up operating six. It put your entire film over finances proper from the beginning, since this was the very first thing they filmed. Jerome Robbins was used to directing for the stage, and did not understand how a lot time went into establishing cameras, filming the motion from a special angle, and so forth. Performers have been reportedly “pushed to their breaking level,” with many revealing that they had virtually handed out and/or vomited throughout filming.
12.
Within the authentic stage model of West Facet Story, the boys weren’t featured in “America,” solely Anita and the ladies. Jerome Robbins made the choice so as to add Bernardo and the boys, in response to Rita Moreno. She told The Talk in 2011, “Jerome Robbins put the boys in, and that is what actually, actually made ‘America’ stand out due to the competitors between the girls and boys.”
13.
The “America” set ended up being the most costly set that was constructed on one of many Goldwyn sound levels for the film. In keeping with West Side Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic, Jerome Robbins requested that the partitions on the set be modified on the final minute, and the tar paper ground that was used continually melted beneath the lights and needed to be modified. It took a very long time to movie the quantity, too, just because costumes typically needed to be dried and adjusted because of the forged sweating whereas dancing so exhausting.
14.
As a result of demanding nature of the dance scenes, there have been several injuries amongst forged members whereas filming West Facet Story. Susan Oakes, who performed Anybodys, suffered a punctured knee whereas filming “Cool” as a result of she fell on a nail. And, Gina Trikonis was hospitalized with mono whereas filming “Gee, Officer Krupke,” so a physique double was utilized in her place. If you happen to watch the quantity carefully, you will discover you do not see Graziella’s face due to this.
15.
Natalie Wooden reportedly “despised” Richard Beymer, who performed Tony, according to Russ Tamblyn. He recalled that Wooden had a “shit record” on her dressing room wall throughout filming, with Beymer’s title on the high of it. When Tamblyn requested her why Beymer’s title was up there, she reportedly instructed him, “I simply do not like him.” Some even speculated that Wooden’s animosity in direction of Beymer stemmed from Robert Wagner, who was Wooden’s husband on the time, not getting the position of Tony.
16.
Whereas choreographing the dance numbers, Jerome Robbins would give you “a number of variations of every part of every dance,” according to Rita Moreno. She instructed NPR, “If you happen to have been rehearsing ‘America’ with him, he would, after you probably did one model, would say, ‘OK, now let me see model B of part 2.’ So that you have been actually studying anyplace from two to 3 different dances beside the unique one.”
17.
“Cool” was one of many hardest numbers to film, merely due to the set. The parking storage was very vast (85 by 150 toes) and had a really low ceiling (eight toes). As a result of enclosed house, the storage acted as a “hellish sauna” for the actors as soon as the lights have been on. On high of the set, “Cool” was one of many numbers that Jerome Robbins had give you a number of completely different dances for. In keeping with Gina Trikonis, who performed Riff’s girlfriend, “We have been supposed to have the ability to pull out of our heads the one he needed to see immediately — be it model one or twelve, or any in between.”
18.
Whereas filming, Jerome Robbins instructed that the Jets and Sharks stay apart on set. Actually, Russ Tamblyn stated the teams of actors by no means actually talked to one another outdoors of the scenes they shared till filming had wrapped. He additionally told the Guardian, “There was by no means any animosity, however we used to play pranks on one another.”
19.
Jerome Robbins was notably fired halfway by way of the manufacturing, with Robert Clever taking on full-time. There have been a number of components that led to Robbins’ firing, particularly, how delayed and over finances the film was getting. Producer Walter Mirisch recalled telling Robbins he was fired, a “horrible scene.” Clever agreed to step up as co-director, working with Robbins’ assistants to complete the film. On the time, solely “Prologue,” “America,” “Cool,” “I Really feel Fairly,” and “One Hand, One Coronary heart” had been shot, with the remainder of the film needing to be filmed.
20.
The toughest scene for Rita Moreno to movie was the scene in Doc’s retailer, the place Anita is attacked by the boys. Moreno recalled to NPR that they rehearsed the quantity for weeks, and it took seven days to movie it. Throughout one take, after having the opposite actors curse and throw her round all day, Moreno stated she simply began to sob. In her documentary, Just a Girl Who Decided To Go For It, she recalled, “I couldn’t cease crying. And the entire wounds that I assumed had closed, all of the scars, opened once more. It was simply astonishing.”
21.
And eventually, because of the intense choreography and dance sequences, costume designer Irene Sharaff and her group needed to make a number of copies of tailored costumes. This made it so the costume finances for the movie was fairly excessive. In keeping with West Side Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic, the most costly costumes have been Natalie Wooden’s and Rita Moreno’s attire for the dance on the health club, with every costing round $4,000.
Is there one other West Facet Story behind-the-scenes truth that you simply love that is not talked about above? Inform us about it within the feedback under!
And you should purchase the ebook West Facet Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Basic by Richard Barrios and Turner Basic Films here.
