West Side Story by Richard Barrios

Author:Richard Barrios [Barrios, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Running Press
Published: 2020-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

Natalie Wood (cigarette in hand) and Richard Beymer between takes

Natalie Wood as Maria

The connection that Natalie Wood did not feel with either Beymer or Wise she found in abundance with Robbins. She was elated that someone of his talent and achievement valued her ability, and he was enchanted with her. Essentially, he treated her as he did one of his special ballerinas, and under his guidance, she developed a physical characterization that proved to be more convincing than her vocal inflections. Their work together was close and at times intense, artistically fulfilling and personally complicated. Such situations were a way of life for Robbins, who fell into the category, not uncommon in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, of a neurotic man seeking the right woman to “rescue” him from being gay. Along with his string of male lovers, he had over the years become fascinated with and sometimes engaged to several women, usually dancers. This was not bisexuality as it is now understood; rather, it served as an attempt to eradicate and conquer something inexorable that was also held to be immoral and, at the time, illegal. Wood’s personal assistant, Mart Crowley, could see very clearly what was going on between the actress and her director/mentor: “In a way, he fell for her… and who wouldn’t? She was just so captivating, it was almost impossible not to. But Natalie was very hip, and she knew all about Jerry… She just knew that she had to handle that relationship very, very carefully because she didn’t want to humiliate him or alienate him—and she was crazy about him.”

Wood managed to negotiate that dynamic with such grace that the pair remained good friends until her death.

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