Set in the tenements of New York City, two rival gangs, the Jets and Sharks, are trying to settle a dispute over territory. The movie mimics Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" in that one of the male characters from one gang falls in love with the sister of the leader of the other gang, leading to tragic consequences.
Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, George Chakiris, Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn starred in "West Side Story."
The film includes highly praised dance numbers that closely parallel the choreography, done by Jerome Robbins, of the Broadway version of the play.
Rita Moreno won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and Chakiris won for Best Supporting Actor. In addition to Best Picture, the film took home the Academy Award for costume design, cinematography, art decoration, film editing, music and directing, among others.
Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, the two directors, shared the Oscar for Best Director--a first-time occurrence in the history of the Academy Awards.