New Release: West Side Story 50th Anniversary Blu-ray

The Sharks dance to enforce a piece of their turf in West Side Story.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will release the Blu-ray edition of the MGM title West Side Story, the classic 1961 film of the equally renowned Broadway musical, on Nov. 15.

The upcoming release, a 50th Anniversary Edition, marks the film’s debut in a high-definition format.

The winner of 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Music, the modern, New York-based musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, was directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise and stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, George Chakaris, Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn.

New features for the Blu-ray release include a high-definition transfer, a 7.1 audio track, a collectible booklet, assorted art reproductions and new bonus materials focusing on the film’s renowned dancing (choreographed by Robbins) and music (composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics penned by Stephen Sondheim).

Disc Dish doesn’t have all the details on the specifics of the multi-disc set’s various bonus features, but we’re assuming it will contain everything that appeared on the MGM Collector’s Edition DVD that was issued back in 2003. Those features include the following:

• “West Side Memories” one-hour retrospective documentary containing Natalie Wood’s original vocal recordings and new interviews with the cast and crew, including Robert Wise and Stephen Sondheim
• original film intermission music
• storyboard-to-film comparison
• original release trailers and behind-the-scenes photos, plus production design and storyboard galleries

The West Side Story 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray will be priced at $29.99.

A boxed set, priced at $69.99, also will be available, with four discs, a colorful book and a series of postcards with images from the film.

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