Universal-International (Ross Hunter)
Oscar Nominations: 5
Cinematography (color): Russell Metty
Scoring of Musical: Alfred Newman and Ken Darby
Art Direction-Set Decoration (color): Alexander Golitzen and Joseph Wright; Howard Bristol
Costume design (color): Irene Sharaff
Sound: Fred Hynes, Waldon O. Watson
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context
“West Side Story” is one of the few winners in the Academy's history to receive awards in all (ten) but one of its nominations, writing: Ernest Lehman lost to Abby Mann for Stanley Kramer's courtroom drama, “Judgment at Nuremberg.”
A double honoree, Irene Sharaff was also nominated for (and won) the costumes of “West Side Story.”
In 1961, the four other Best Picture nominees were the old-fashioned melodrama “Fanny”; the WWII adventure “The Guns of Navarone”; the poignant feature “The Hustler” starring Paul Newman at his best; and the courtroom drama “Judgment at Nuremberg,” which was the most nominated film of the year.
In the Academy's annals, “West Side Story” ranks alongside “Ben?Hur,” “Titantic,” and “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,” as one of the most Oscar?honored film.
