When Rita Moreno was filming the 1961 movie “West Side Story,” her skin color — as well as that of the numerous white actors playing Puerto Rican characters — was darkened with makeup. Moreno, who is Puerto Rican, questioned the makeup artist on set about the practice.

Did Rita Moreno wear dark makeup in West Side Story?

In the original “West Side Story,” many of the actors playing Puerto Rican characters were forced to wear the same dark brown makeup – even Rita Moreno, who is Puerto Rican and played the character of Anita.

Why didn t Rita Moreno play Maria in West Side Story?

Natalie Wood ended up starring in the film as Maria. Though Moreno praised Wood's acting, especially during the film's tragic finale, she took issue with an iconic Puerto Rican role going to a white actress. "I don't think she was anything like the Maria that I envisioned in my head.

How historically accurate is West Side Story?

In all of the West Side Story versions, several themes are spoken about at length, including love, race and culture. That said, West Side Story isn't based on a true story.

Who is the black actress in West Side Story?

In her first audition for the role of Anita in Steven Spielberg's “West Side Story,” Ariana DeBose stressed the importance of having her identity represented.

Rita Moreno on why West Side Story Is Such a Unique Film

What ethnicity are Maria and Anita in West Side Story?

They are both Puerto Rican. Anita is knowing, sexual and sharp. Maria is excited, enthusiastic and childlike, but also growing into an adult. Maria complains that the dress is too young-looking, but Anita explains that Bernardo, her boyfriend and Maria's brother, made her promise not to make the dress too short.

Was Rita Moreno the only Hispanic actress in West Side Story?

When Rita Moreno starred as Anita in West Side Story, the 1961 movie in which half of the characters are Puerto Rican, she was the only Latino performer among the cast. Still, she — and her white colleagues — were made to wear makeup that darkened their skin.

Who is the real villain in West Side Story?

Riff is one of the two main antagonists (alongside Bernardo) of the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story, as well as its film adaptations. He is the leader of a gang known as the Jets and is infamous for leading the Jets' turfs against a rival gangs known as the Sharks (led by Bernardo).

What is the message behind West Side Story?

The original West Side Story is a tale of how the simmering forces of poverty, societal apathy and abandonment, prejudice, and resentment can, when pressurized to the right level, bring even the most innocent and peaceful people to violence.

What do the sharks represent in West Side Story?

Two rival teenage gangs, the Jets (white Americans) and the Sharks (Puerto Ricans), struggle for control of their neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (Prologue). Police officers Krupke and Lt. Schrank warn them to stop fighting on their beat.

Why is West Side Story controversial?

As Brian Eugenio Herrera noted, since 1957, many Latinx view the problem with West Side Story and its adaptations as one of systemic racism at the level of text (stereotyping and story) and context (cultural appropriation and inability to access self-representation).

How old was Natalie Wood when she made West Side Story?

By the time 23-year-old Wood landed the role of Maria, she was already an established Hollywood veteran, a former child star (Miracle on 34th Street) who'd made the leap to more mature roles (Rebel Without a Cause).

Who sang for Natalie Wood in West Side Story?

Natalie Wood was the actress who starred in the 1961 film production of West Side Story, however, her vocals were dubbed over by ghost-singer, Marni Nixon.

Are Rita Moreno and George Chakiris friends?

“West Side Story” also stars Rita Moreno, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend. Chakiris has fond memories of working with Moreno. “Working with Rita was, of course, great! We've remained friends all these years, as has most of the cast.

Why did Steven Spielberg do West Side Story?

“I have been challenged by what would be the right musical to take on. And I could never forget my childhood,” Spielberg detailing why he wanted to put his spin on the musical. “I was 10 years old when I first listened to the West Side Story album, and it never went away.

Did Natalie Wood wear dark makeup in West Side Story?

That was Jerry's thinking at the time: if you were white, you had to be fair.” Notably, Natalie Wood did not wear slabs of dark makeup to portray Maria. And for the record, my Latinx mother has fair skin and green eyes. On the positive side, Moreno found her Latinx pride playing Anita.

Was Maria pregnant in West Side Story?

The witnesses to Tony's death will lie to provide Chino with an alibi as part of their efforts to reconcile. Maria is pregnant from sleeping with Tony before his death. A month or two afterwards, she'll realize she's late and give birth to a son, who she'll name Anton Bernardo.

How many Oscars did West Side Story win?

The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10, including Best Picture (in addition to a special award for Robbins), becoming the record holder for the most wins for a musical.

Why is West Side Story so famous?

Arguably, its greatest influence was in the theatricality of its presentation—the seamlessness and cinematic flow of its staging—and the integration of script, song, dance, and set.

Who killed Maria in West Side Story?

Does Maria die in West Side Story? The answer is no. Maria—Bernardo's younger sister and Tony's love interest—is alive at the end of West Side Story. Anita tells Valentina that Chino killed Maria, but the story was a lie.

Who conceived West Side Story?

The original idea for “West Side Story” dates back to 1949 when Jerome Robbins conceived of a musical update of “Romeo & Juliet.” Originally set on the New York's East Side, and conceived as a societal war between Jews and Gentiles, “West Side Story” eventually morphed into a tale of two street gangs, the mostly Puerto ...

How old are Maria and Tony?

How old were Maria and Tony? Both Natalie Wood (who played Maria) and Richard Beymer (who played Tony) were 23 at the time of the filming. In Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, the young couple were around 14, but the ages of Maria and Tony are never referenced. They are presumably in their mid-to-late teens.

Why is Rita Moreno so important?

Rita Moreno's extensive career in music, film and dance ranges from her Academy-Award winning performance as Anita in the 1962 motion picture "West Side Story" to her two Emmy Award-winning performances on "The Muppet Show." She is the only female performer to win all four of the entertainment industry's most ...

What did Rita Moreno want?

As an outspoken advocate for racial and gender equality, childhood education, immigrant families, relief for her homeland of Puerto Rico, and many other causes for which she is impassioned, Rita is a shining example of what can happen when you show up, shake things up, and give back to your community.

What are 5 facts about Rita Moreno?