West Side Story

1961 · directed by Robert Wise

Rating

96/100

Hit

yes

Prestige lists

AFI 100, Oscar Winner, NFR

In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love.

West Side Story (1961), directed by Robert Wise, rates 96/100 — a hit. See how its director, cast and crew rate across their careers.

Cast

• Natalie Wood
• Richard Beymer
• Russ Tamblyn
• Rita Moreno
• George Chakiris
• Simon Oakland
• Ned Glass
• William Bramley
• Tucker Smith
• Tony Mordente

Crew

• Daniel L. Fapp — Director of Photography
• Thomas Stanford — Editor
• Leonard Bernstein — Original Music Composer
• Ernest Lehman — Screenplay

More from Robert Wise

1. The Sound of Music (1965) — 84/100 · hit
2. Executive Suite (1954) — 83/100 · hit
3. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) — 81/100 · hit
4. I Want to Live! (1958) — 81/100 · hit
5. The Set-Up (1949) — 79/100
6. Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) — 79/100

How these numbers work: Methodology