Video: 'West Side Story' trailer

(Wednesday, October 18, 1961, 8:30 p.m. EDT) — West Side Story, an American musical romantic drama film adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, about a young couple from dueling street gangs who fall in love, had its world premiere tonight at Rivoli Theatre, 1620 Broadway at between 49th and 50th streets in Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City.

Video: 'West Side Story (1961) - Movie' (12 clips)

Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, the film stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and David Winters, and it was photographed by Daniel L. Fapp, A.S.C., in Super Panavision 70.

The music was by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.