West Side Story, American musical film, released in 1961, that was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The movie, filled with exhilarating dance sequences choreographed by Jerome Robbins and memorable songs including “Tonight,” “Maria,” and “Somewhere” by Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), won 10 of the 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including that for best picture. It also won three Golden Globe Awards, including that for best musical. The film opens with aerial shots establishing the setting, a working-class neighborhood of New York City. The Jets, a local white street gang headed by Riff (played by Russ