MOVIE REVIEWS

Theaters May Have an Uphill Battle After Pandemic

One has to wonder if movie theaters will survive the onslaught of illness and so-called progress. Such challenges are nothing new.

Although the flu pandemic of 1918 pre-dated the vast number of theaters around today, there were still movie houses at the time, even in the smallest of towns. As for progress, television proponents predicted the demise of theaters in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but innovation prevailed with wide and even wider screens, from Cinemascope to Cinerama, better sound and more comfort.

Today’s movie theaters, with their reclining, plush seats in stadium-type settings, are enticing, especially those serving food in the auditoriums and attempting to replicate a living room atmosphere with a giant screen. But television streaming and large home screens began to look better when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The next year or two may be critical for theaters.

Meanwhile, movie houses these days are offering more classic (or sometimes less than classic) movies on weekends throughout the year. Fathom Events, self-defined as an “entertainment content provider,” is owned by a combination of Cinemark, AMC and Regal theater chains, and for the past several years has brought back some well-loved films.

Recent Fathom Events have included “Stripes,” with Bill Murray; “Citizen Kane,” considered by some the greatest film of all time; and “Spirited Away,” along with other anime classics. “Silence of the Lambs” is scheduled for late October, and the Bing Crosby-Frank Sinatra-Grace Kelly musical “High Society,” will be screened in November.

We are here today to talk about a 60-yearold classic that will play in theaters Sunday, Nov. 28, and again Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, and then be followed nine days later by the premiere of a much awaited remake directed by Steven Spielberg. “West Side Story,” Academy Award winner for best picture of 1961, returns to theaters for that two-day run, and considering its major restoration a few years back, the big screen presentation should be spectacular.

The original film played at theaters on a reserved seat basis when it opened, 10 showings weekly, and only in large cities through most of 1962. The story is based on a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” but this time set in New York City. It was critically acclaimed and received 11 Academy Award nominations, winning 10, which still puts it among the top five Oscar winners in the Academy’s 93 year history.

The movie was made in a different era of thinking in Hollywood. Nationality casting held no sway. The screen adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Flower Drum Song” opened less than a month after “West Side Story” and became among the few movie musicals to base its casting on race, putting strictly Asian-Americans in Asian-American roles. But it was an anomaly that wouldn’t be repeated for years to come in major musicals.

For example, George Chakiris, born in Ohio and the son of Greek immigrants, played Bernardo, the leader of the Puerto Rican gang, in the 1961 “West Side Story.” To further illustrate the times in both movies and on stage, Chakiris had played the role of Tony, the caucasian gang leader, in the original London stage production. And, of course, Natalie Wood, of Russian descent, played Bernardo’s sister Maria in the movie.

In the upcoming version, Spielberg reportedly went to great lengths to put Latino actors in the Latino roles and cast the remainder accordingly. Although little more is known about this version, the screenwriter Tony Kushner as well as Spielberg have said in interviews that it will more closely follow the original Broadway version that opened in 1957. Such a statement leaves those who loved the first movie wondering about the lineup of the songs.

With lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s blessings, the 1961 movie rearranged placement of several tunes and gave some of them different voices, including the songs “Cool,” “Gee, Officer Krupke” and “I Feel Pretty.” Several lyrics were changed for censorship purposes and a major dance sequence was eliminated. Will all these be returned to original form? No one is talking. Recent press releases have noted that all the Leonard Bernstein composed music will be included in the new film.

Will Spielberg’s version overshadow the monumental reception and fond memories of the 1961 picture? It’s not impossible. Does anyone pay attention to the Spencer Tracy-Elizabeth Taylor “Father of the Bride” since Steve Martin starred in the 1990s remake? “Ocean’s Eleven” with George Clooney and an all-star cast pushed Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack version deep into hibernation. As for Disney films, notably Lindsay Lohan in “The Parent Trap” buried Hayley Mills’ 1961 hit.

Disney has a hand in this new version of “West Side Story.” When interest was originally shown in a remake, 20th Century Fox studios acquired the rights to film it. That studio, as “Star Wars” fans know, is now owned by Disney and is responsible for what comes.

The biggest question is, will this theaters-only release in an era of TV streaming premieres put people back into the seats of film houses? Both old and new versions will be testing that soon.

DON ELDREDGE is the retired editor of the Herald Democrat newspaper (Sherman-Denison, TX) and resides in Sherman. E-mail him at eldredgedon@gmail.com.

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