Loosely based on the Shakespeare play, "Romeo & Juliet", West Side Story is a beautiful movie musical classic set on the pulsating, finger-snapping West Side of 1960's Manhattan. It entails the development of love and romance amid conflict between two warrning street gangs: the Euro-American Jets and the newly-arrived Puerto Rican Sharks.

The Jets claim their turf with a tough, macho bravado, determined to drive off the Sharks, who're also vying for a small piece of the turf that both gangs must share. A melee breaks out on the playground, which is broken up by Schrank and Krupke.

Tony, the founder/ex-Jet gang leader wants more than gang life and the streets, yet doesn't know what he wants. He's been hired to work fulltime at
Doc's Candy Store. Despite the elderly, kindly Doc's attempt to mentor the kids, it fails.

Back on their turf, the Jets debate what to do, finally deciding to challenge Shark gangleader, Bernardo, to a rumble. Riff decides that Tony will be his lieutenant and calls on his old friend to help out. He goes to Doc's Candy Store to enlist Tony, who turns him down several times. Riff finally persuades Tony to come to the dance that night with "Who knows? Maybe what you're looking for will be twitchin' at the dance tonight!" Reluctantly, Tony agrees.

. Tony and Maria meet at the dance, fall in love and begin to dance, only to be pulled up short by an enraged Bernardo. Then the sparks really begin to fly as steadily rising tensions between Jets & Sharks worsens.

Maria, the sister of Bernardo, is a pretty 17-year-old girl who has come to America to marry Chino, who is Bernardo's friend & righthand man and who is an assistant at the Candy Store. At the bridal shop where Maria & Anita work as seamstresses, Anita alters a white communion dress for Maria to wear to the dance. Despite Maria's pleas that the neck be lowered, her complaints that she'll be the only one there in white, and to get Anita talking about other stuff (to distract her), Anita continues with her work. Maria tries on the dress, loves it, and is enthused about coming to the dance. The Sharks finally come to call.

At the dance, social worker Glad Hand attempts a get-together dance with the Jets & Sharks, which fails. The dance quickly becomes a fierce competition between the Jets and Sharks. Tony, who has come in late, and been greeted and embraced by his old friend Riff and his girl Graziella, spots Maria from across the room. They meet, fall in love and start to dance, but are pulled up short by an angry Bernardo, who orders Chino to take Maria right home.

Riff intervenes at this point, insisting that he, the Jets and Bernardo and the Sharks meet at Doc's for a war council at midnight, to which Bernardo agrees.

After bringing Anita home, Bernardo, Anita and the other Sharks and their girls party on their tenement rooftop, arguing about the virtues of the American experience. On his way down from the rooftop, Bernardo invites Anita to meet him on the roof later, and Anita replies "I'm an American girl now! I don't wait!"

Tony & Maria meet on the fire escape of Maria's apartment, where they introduce each other and decide to meet at the Bridal Shop the next evening at six o'clock.

Riff, the Jets and their girls assemble outside the Candy Store shortly before midnight. Ofcr Krupke arrives, warning the Jets against troublemaking. He is lampooned by the Jets when he leaves. The Jets and their girls enter the Candy Store to wait for Bernardo and the Sharks, telling the girls that they must leave when the Sharks come in. Anybodys, a tomboy and sort of a Jet "wannabe" tries to make herself invisible by hiding, but is spotted by Riff, who gestures for her to go, despite a "let me stay" look. While the other girls exit quietly, Anybodys shoves the Sharks like a big tough guy. Doc's pleadings for the boys to talk it out instead of rumbling are ignored.

Riff challenges Bernardo to a rumble, which he accepts, and after a small spat that culminates in the exchange of racial/ethnic insults from both gangs, the war council resumes. The Jets & Sharks agree to meet the next night under the West Side Highway. Riff & Bernardo shake hands to seal the deal. As the gangs are calling weapons, Tony comes in, and, ignoring Riff's entreaties to line up with the Jets, he suggests that the rumble be a fair fight, a fist fight, involving the best man from each gang. The Jets choose Ice to fight Bernardo, despite Bernardo's obvious disappointment that he wouldn't be fighting Tony. Lt. Schrank pays the gangs a visit, displaying his overt prejudice against the Sharks for their culture/ethnicity by banishing them from the Candy Store. Schrank then asks the Jets where the rumble will be, declaring "I'm for you! I'll even lend a hand if it gets rough". The Jets refuse to disclose the rumble's whereabouts, and Schrank then insults the Jets about their ethnic/immigrant-family backgrounds, strongly indicating that he didn't like the Jets much better than the Sharks. Lt. Schrank angrily leaves the Candy Store, promising "I'll find out where you're gonna rumble! But be sure to finish each other off before I get there. "Cause if ya don't, I will!"

Tony, who's been cleaning up the store, tells Doc not to let it get him, and that he 's in love. Doc's not reassured.

The next afternoon at the Bridal Shop, Maria gaily prepares for her upcoming meeting with Tony. The other girls who work with her begin making fun of Maria for acting vain.

The next evening is the big evening, which will have different results and mean different things for different people. Tony & Maria meet at the Bridal Shop as planned, much to Anita's clear disapproval.
After admonishing Maria to "be home in 15 minutes", she goes home. Despite Tony's decision not to go to the rumble, Maria pleads with him to go and stop it. Tony agrees, and the effort has disastrous results.

The Jets and Sharks meet at the destined spot under the highway. AFter some encouragement and support from their respective gangs, Bernardo and Ice begin to fight. Just as the rumble is getting underway, Tony arrives, ignoring Riff's order to get with the Jets. Getting between Ice and Bernardo, he attempts to shake hands with Bernardo. Thoroughly enraged over Tony's interest in his sister, Bernardo pushes Tony away, roughs him up, slaps him around and insults him for his trouble.

Despite Riff's warnings to Bernardo to stop, Bernardo refuses. Losing patience, Riff hauls off and hits Bernardo. The forbidden switchblades appear, and the two gangleaders begin the knife fight. As Riff is about to decimate Bernardo, Tony, who has been held back by Ice and Tiger breaks free, trying to stop Riff. Bernardo stabs Riff, and Tony, to avenge his old friend Riff's death, stabs Bernardo. After a brief melee, the Jets and Sharks flee the cops, leave the bodies of Riff and Bernardo behind, and go into hiding. In a state of bewilderment and grief, Tony calls out Maria's name. Anybodys drags Tony away from the danger.

Now led by ice, the Jets who're hiding out in a garage and are determined to protect Tony from Chino, are advised to keep cool. Tony, who has been hiding out in Maria's bedroom, advises Maria to meet him at Doc's so they can elope, escapes through the window. Knocking on Maria's door and figuring that out, Anita severely upbraids Maria for allowing Tony to be near her.

Tony is found by Anybodys, who sends him over to Doc's, where he hides in the cellar. Spying around, Anybodys learns that Chino's gunning for Tony and reports it back to the Jets. who're determined to protect Tony.

Lt. Schrank stops by Anita and Maria's to question them about the dance the evening before. Maria says that she danced with a Puerto Rican boy named Jose. Anita learns that Chino is hunting down Tony with a gun to avenge Bernardo's death and then warns Maria. At Maria's request, Anita reluctantly goes to Doc's to warn Tony.

At the Candy Store, Anita encounters the Jets. Due to their prejudices against her culture/ethnicity, and their determination to protect Tony from Chino, the Jets refuse to listen to Anita's desire to help them out, and they begin to rough her up.
Enraged, Anita spits out the message that Chino has learned about Maria & Tony and shot her dead.

Awaiting Maria's arrival, Tony is met by Doc instead, who comes down to the cellar to relay Anita's message: That Chino learned about him and Maria and killed her. Devastated by the message, Tony runs to the street, calling Chino to come and get him also. Anybodys warns Tony to leave, but he refuses, still calling for Chino.

Maria appears, she and Tony embrace, and Chino appears from behind a building and shoots Tony dead. Tony dies in Maria's arms. The Jets & Sharks seem like they're about to clash once again, but Maria intervenes with the message that they all killed Tony, Bernardo and Riff with hatred. Holding Chino's gun and aiming it at several Jets and Sharks, she cannot fire it, and collapses with grief over Tony's body.

Several Jets & Sharks converge to carry Tony's body off--indicating at least a momentary understanding on the part of both gangs of tragedy.

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