On Tuesday last week I went and saw West Side Story at the movies. In a cinema. Don't you just love it when new cinemas play old movies? Well our beautiful Regent Cinema here in Brisbane is closing and they are playing some old movies to see it out with a bang.
Last Tuesday it was West Side Story. I had never ever seen it before (something which I now consider a travesty) and it is just divine. It is based on Romeo and Juliet, but all singing all dancing Romeo and Juliet. It is funny and moving and fabulous and if you can find an old scratchy copy to watch, I really think you should. Here is the preview.
Natalie Wood plays the beautiful Maria and although she doesn't actually sing her bits, she is divine. Did you know that the person who dubs her in this film is the same person who dubbed Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady and Deborah Kerr in The King and I? And another interesting fact about Natalie Wood, she had a terrible fear of water due to a near drowning in her childhood and she passed away at age 43 after she drowned in a yachting accident. I find that so sad.
West Side Story is a wonderful movie and has inspired me to watch more old films, especially musicals, ESPECIALLY if Stephen Sondheim has anything to do with them. What is your favourite old film?
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6 comments:
I saw it years ago and did enjoy it I must admite! Your cinema sounds lovely.
Thanks for sharing
Hannah
Bet you cried. I would have done.
Saw a stage production many years ago in Melbourne. Lots of tissues needed.
Love these old musicals. I wish they still made them like this! How sad that your beautiful theatre is closing!! :(
My favorite movies are Sound of Music, The Music Man, and My Fair Lady.
Amy
Hi - thanks for this post - you dont see many people these days blogging about a musical. I love musicals and old movies and old movie theatres. My favourite old movie is anything with Audrey Hepburn in it - Sabrina, B@T and Roman Holday amongst my Favs. I think I could sing every song from the Music Man (My mum's fav from when we were kids).
Hannah, it is such a beautiful cinema. It has sadly closed now :(
Beth, of course I cried!! I'm so predictable!
Amy, Sound of Music and My Fair Lady are two of my ultimate favourites as well!! I haven't seen The Music Man yet... must do so.
Tamara, I love a good musical and old movies!! Also a big fan of Audrey, she is rather fabulous!
Wow that's a gorgeous cinema. Love, love West Side Story (but I prefer all the rumble, America treats us like junk bits to the love story).
Old movies are my fav, so I'll just pick a few for now and say Spartacus, My Friend Flicka, Strangers on a Train, Rebel Without a Cause (and Greasers, which is a bit too recent to be really old I guess). Anything Hitchcock, or with Audrey Hepburn is golden in my book and there are some marvelous old films about the master painters out there.
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