The major problem with this picture is the painful lack of chemistry between the two leads, Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. Wood was very young (23) and just not accomplished enough as an actress to hide her anathema toward Beymer. She wanted her lover at that time, Warren Beatty, in the lead and thought Beymer should be fired. I have to concede she was right. He is oddly graceless and clunky in this part. Kind of a dork. Certainly not believable as a gang member. I'm no fan of Warren Beatty, but the film would have been a lot more compelling if he'd played the lead. There was not an ounce of real passion between Tony and Maria. All their scenes together are duds, and that detracted terribly from the story.
Review of West Side Story
