Recalling a Directorial Pas de Deux

Robert Wise co-directed the 1961 film version of “West Side Story” with Jerome Robbins, for which the pair shared an Academy Award for best director. In an interview with Charles Champlin, he reminisced about the experience.

“He was a tremendous talent and it’s a big loss,” Robert Wise said. “I don’t know anyone who did a more brilliant job of telling stories on stage through dance and music.

“I was in New York finishing up ‘Odds Against Tomorrow’ when the studio [United Artists] called and asked if I would like to direct ‘West Side Story.’ I’d seen it on stage, of course, and found it very exciting, and I said I certainly would.

“Later Harold Mirisch, whose company was producing the film, called me and said what would I think about having a co-director on the film. I said, ‘Whoa, where did that idea come from?’ It didn’t make any sense to me. Harold said that Jerry had directed not only the original Broadway production but the London production as well. He felt very close to it, naturally, and he had the right of first refusal to be involved with the film. And he didn’t want to be involved if he couldn’t have a hand in the directing.

“I took off my director’s hat and put on my producer’s hat and asked myself, ‘What would be the best thing for the picture?’

“I went back to Harold and said I’ll talk with Robbins and we met in New York and then out here on the coast. We came to an arrangement: Jerry would do all the musical numbers and I would do all the book stuff.

“Well, we’d shot about 60% of the film and we were well over budget and behind schedule and UA felt that the problems all resulted from having co-directors, and the company insisted that Jerry leave. Natalie Wood was particularly upset about Jerry’s leaving. But he had rehearsed all of his numbers, and his dance assistants stayed on, and we finished the film.

“Jerry had editing rights and he worked for two weeks with the editor. When I had pretty much a final cut, I sent a print to him in New York. He had some suggestions, particularly on the ‘America’ number, which he wasn’t happy with, and we worked on that.

“He came out from New York for the Academy Awards and was very happy to accept his Oscar, and he also got a special award from the academy for his choreography.

“I don’t think I’d seen him since the night of the awards. He was a prickly guy, but he was also a huge talent and, again, it’s a big loss.”