George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn and Ben Mankiewicz talk about the 60th Anniversary of West Side Story during TCM Classic Film Festival beginning on Thursday, May 6, 2021.
West Side Story (1961)
Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
Shown: George Chakiris (left), Russ Tamblyn (second from right)
Academy Award winner George Chakiris and Academy Award nominee Russ Tamblyn along with TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz (along with too many other credits to list in the film and broadcast industries) discuss the opening night film and 60th Anniversary of West Side Story during TCM Classic Film Festival press day.
The TCM Classic Film Festival begins on Thursday, May 6, 2021 on TCM and HBO Max giving a variety of options and interests virtually. The significance of this being the second virtual festival allows people who were not able to attend the events in Hollywood in person for whatever reason a chance to be apart of TCM and film history through the wonderment of technology.
Clip: West Side Story Reunion
The clip above was provided by TCM featuring the cast reunion of West Side Story with stars Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn. The Opening Night event premieres on both TCM and HBO Max on May 6th at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m PT.
Beginning its run on stage before being adapted as a full length feature film, West Side Story (for those who have not seen it yet) is essentially an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. A remake has been in the works for sometime and Rita Moreno, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film is also one of the executive producers on the new iteration.
In this short interview we discuss the legacy West Side Story has left on generation of film and musical fans and why people have no problem watching a stage performance multiple times with different cast members but are apprehensive in watching a movie remember.
The TCM Classic Film Festival begins on Thursday, May 6, 2021 and runs through Sunday May 9, 2021.
For the full list of films and events visit www.tcm.com or follow TCM on Twitter @tcm and Instagram @tcm.
