George Chakiris re: Natalie Wood (Maria)& Richard Beymer's (Tony) relationship West Side Story
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 พ.ย. 2015
- George Chakiris (Bernardo) answers a question about the relationship between Natalie Wood (Maria) and Richard Beymer (Tony) on the movie set of "West Side Story" at a Q&A after a screening of the film at SVA Theater in New York City to benefit the Charge Foundation Charity to benefit Charge Syndrome:
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George Chakiris seems like such a sweet man. He was amazing in West Side Story....
ESPECIALLY in the Dance Sequences.
I met him last November on a Turner Classic Movies cruise.
He was lovely and kind and still a very handsome man. Told great stories about how he got the role, the making of the film and the Academy Awards.
Such a lovely gentleman.
George Chakiris"s performance was amazing. He is very generous here with the personalities that were clashing. Natalie was not a dancer, not a singer, not Puerto Rican but she was the name actress in the role who had the most at risk. She must have been terribly insecure alongside those stunning performers at home in their crafts. She was hampered by the singing and acting with that accent. Can you imagine being the only name star in a production where you aren't at home in your skill? Richard Beymer was exceptionally good in a difficult role. and Warren Beaty, Natalie's choice for the role would have not worked as well. Rita Moreno was absolutely wonderful and Chakiris matched her brilliantly.
If psycho Robert Wagner played Tony, the movie would have bombed. Natalie wanted him and he ended up killing her. Warren Beatty would have also been lousy as Tony. Richard was perfect for the part of Tony..
Richard Beymer did pretty well considering that he had no support or direction in the role. It just shows that a film can be successful even if the main players are not sympatico behind the scenes.
@@firenze5555 , Richard Beymer was Outstanding in the role of Tony. He should have won an award. Natalie, because she's so beautiful, looked very good with Tony, because he was good looking. Yucky Robert Wagner is a joke.
Natalie Wood had just finished making Splendor in the Grass with Warren Beatty and was very high on working with him. I think Beatty at that age could have done Tony as well as anyone. They overdubbed the singing parts for both Tony and Maria, so it wouldn't have been a stretch. I don't think Wagner would have been good, but Beymer was probably the best fit, lookswise for the role. It's not as demanding as other roles in WSS and whoever plays Tony usually gets panned anyway. The character needs rescripting to suit a more dynamic performer.
@@JohnHoulgate , Warren Beatty would have been horrible as Tony.
@@laurasmith7976 he wouldn't need to sing.
I am shocked and amazed at the awful things people write here about those of whom they know nothing . Richard Beymer was perfect in the role of Tony , he brought to it an innocence and softness which I very much doubt the two actors favoured by Natalie Wood for the part would have achieved -great as they were in other roles - think of Warren Beatty in The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone , a superb performance. Natalie Wood brought her own magic to the role of Maria . Let’s just remember West Side Story ( 1961 version) for what it is - a brilliant musical !
I agree with Russ Taymblyn ("Riff") who said Richard Beymer was miscast in the role. I did not buy him as a gang leader, much less a gang member, at all. I wouldn't have bought Robert Wagner or Warren Beatty in the role either.
Richard Beymer was, as George Chakiris in this video says, "wonderful in the role." When we first see him in West Side Story, Tony is an ex-Jet, now working aspirationally for Doc the candy store owner. Beymer is a perfect Romeo figure, a handsome romantic idealist, so for this main aspect of Tony perfectly cast. One salvo is that unlike fellow American heartlander Russ Tamblyn (who prior had played the youngest Seventh Brother and Tom Thumb), Beymer did not affect a NYC street kid accent--but neither did the actors playing Baby John or Ice.
While Chakiris had played Riff in a London WSS (that would be fascinating to see, if any video or stills survive), in the 1961 film playing Bernardo, his Spanish accent and look were spot on.
Robert Wagner? No way. lol
maybe it would be really cool to watch James Dean in that part
According to Richard Beymer, the director wanted him to play the role as the sentimental, soft and reformed type as opposed to some hardened street thug. But perhaps Wagner should have played it, it turns out he was a murderer afterall
Richard beymer was miscast he looked like a pretty boy not a gang member Natalie was right
HOW...is this guy in his 80's?
He is 91 years old.
Rif was supposed to be the ex gang leader who'd served time in jail. Richard just didn't look the part. Personally I found him very weak (the only weak cast member). Still I loved the film. Looking forward to this new version
Beymer was up and coming after his role as Anne Frank's boyfriend. He had looks and some height. Tony is meant to be a big guy, who's won a lot of fights. Beymer just wasn't very convincing and it didn't help that Natalie Wood didn't want him playing Tony. There was just no chemistry there. Yeah, Beymer was pretty much by himself. The majority of the cast was dancers, some holdovers from the Broadway musical, but otherwise Jerome Robbins's dancers.
Richard Beymar was definitely miscasted in West side Story. I don't understand how could such a big production can cast such an unfitted actor for the leading role.
Richard Beymer was great. If any kind of miscast exists, then that lies mainly in the way the couple was selected from the start. Wood either needed another leading man and Beymer needed another leading lady. Both were excellent in their performances and characterizations, especially Beymer. I'd personally cast a real latino girl and not Wood in that part. In any case West Side Story is a classic masterpiece.
@@AntoniosPapantoniou i agree
Richard Breymer was so very exceptional in this movie. Leonard Bernstein, Robert Wise thought so. Perhaps there was a misquote someplace. He's the perfect Tony in an exceptional movie.
@@cglouns8512 even Richard himself knows he was miscast. He refuses to speak about the movie. He complained that it made him look "fruity." He wasn't wrong. Robert Wise did him a disservice.
@@AntoniosPapantoniou It's funny that Natalie is put down for not being Latino, but George Chakiris doesn't get that same critisism.
Beymer probably slept his way up there...it was easy then...Robbins was gay....and had cast Larry Keri on Broadway who was also gay. He was awful but nice to look at. Bland
Richard Beymer was directed and told to play Tony as "nice" and not a street thug. It was the poor direction. His acting is good considering that and he had zero support from Natalie Wood because she was pissed that they didn't cast someone that she wanted.