West Side Story (1961) - How Russ Tamblyn Became Riff
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- Опубліковано 17 лип 2016
- Actors George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn, Maria Jimenez Henley and producer Walter Mirisch at the Academy Event “West Side Story (1961)” on July 18, 2016 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
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Russ knocked that role out of the park - perfect casting. He was so memorable and believable.
I agree with you 💯%!
Did you ever see Russ dancing in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. He does an amazing routine with an axe whilst balancing on a suspended plank/beam where he jumps over the handle of the axe he's holding with both hands, back and forth whilst maintaining his balance on the beam at the same time. He was younger.... he needed to be to do that with ease. A superb show of balance and dance!
This man was born in 1935. Amazing vitality & life force.
how are you?
He was born in 1934 actually. Not 35
Russ was brilliant (though they all were, there wasn't one weak performance). His gymnastic ability brought a special quality to the way he moved. I would never have known he wasn't a pure dancer for his balance was exceptional. I was particularly in awe of the way he "flipped" at the beginning of the movie when he and the Jets were discussing the dance and he's sitting on a bar above their heads telling the boys his plan to wind up Bernardo "...its okay, I'm only going to challenge him!" "...In out, lets get cracking..." and he flips backwards and lands plumb on his feet with such ease and style. Personally the dancing in this movie set the bar for me. Nothing has ever come close to it or the moving performances in this Film. I would have been about 12. My sister bought the Stereo album. We had a new Decca Hi-fi with speakers in the corners of the room, and I almost played the grooves until the A side met the B side. This film is one in a million and the opening overture sets the pace as the static camera floats above New York and the rotating fans of vast air conditioners mesmerise. The ant like cars and buses wend slowly along the highways and people on the sidewalks are like dust. The camera closes in and a high pitched opening whistle still sends a tingle down the spine. If the opening rumble doesn't get the pulse pounding nothing will! Unforgettable!
I agree. Russ moved like a dancer and yet had the rugged look of a gang leader, so he came across so strongly and believably as the leader of the Jets. He and George Chakiris were a good match because they both came across as extremely believable in their roles and showed such strong screen presence.
Roger D. Dog Yeah, I loved the opening part also.
you doing good?
Check out 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. He was excellent in that too. Of the seven brothers four were stupendous dancers and Russ, as the gymnast was amazing.
@@voulafisentzidis8830 Yeah I know what you mean. Jumping over an Axe handle whilst keeping his balance on a beam, no mean feet. I had visions of 'skinned' ankles during rehearsals.
A fantastic performer all his working life.
I was obsessed with this film and soundtrack ... it came out when I was fourteen ... I saved up tp see it three times ... it was my first LP, and I drove my family bananas, playing it over and over again.
Hay, don't feel bad cause I was the same way, plus I started dancing all over the house and snapping my fingers! 😄👍
I had seen Russ Tamblyn in SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS and in TOM THUMB when I saw WEST SIDE STORY, and I was delighted to see him as Riff because his acrobatic moves distinguished him as the most physically agile of the Jets. Riff picks a bigger guy, Ice, for the proposed "fair fight" at the rumble, but Riff, as Russ Tamblyn played him, is so nimble you just know why he's the leader of the Jets.
Riff took over the fight though when Bernardo kept picking on Tony who was trying to bust up the fight bc of his love for Bernado's sister Maria.
I think Tamblyn was the reason the 61 film transposed Gee Officer Krupke with Cool. In the stage play, Cool comes before the Rumble as Riff leads it. Krupke comes after the Rumble when Riff is dead. The wackiness of the Krupke number well suited Tamblyn's gymnastics talents, whereas Cool is the most intense dance number, a real showcase for Jerome Robbins's choreography and his dancers. They changed the role of Diesel and named him Ice, the perfect moniker for who leads Cool. Interestingly enough, Tucker Smith, who played Ice, also did the overdub singing for Russ Tamblyn's singing parts.
Russ Tamblyn, a brilliant, gymnastic actor.
you doing good? :)
He could Definitely Dance.
Russ Tamblyn is one of the few people who could dance , do gymnastics / stunts and act . He's definitely up there with James Cagney as a multi talented and exceptional actor .
Watching him in Westside Story do all of the backflips and athletic feats , this guy was a real life Spiderman . In his heyday he'd have been perfect as Spiderman.
I just watched Tamblyn in the “When you’re a Jet” scene, that used his acrobatic skill. A nice touch.
Back in the day my parents went to a weekend treatment of a movie every Sunday. I fell hard for Russ Tamblyn and that continued through my teenage years. I never thought he got enough dancing credit for 7 Brides nor in West Side Story. Still waiting to meet you Russ !
West Side Story and Tom Thumb made me fans of Russ when I was just a boy and I've remained a fan my entire life. I was four when Tom Thumb came so if I remember correctly I saw it on TV when I was about 13 or 14. I was lucky enough to have gone to the theater in1961 (with my older brother & mom) to see W S Story in NYC. Loved them and him both.
Absolutely fantastic dancer. He was amazing in all his movies. So cute too.
West Side Story ....Magnificent Motion Picture.....One of the BEST Musicals of All Time....I believe I saw it 8 or 10 times
Lord A’Mercy!!! I adore that man!
I love Russ Tamblyn! West Side Story was one of the first movies of his that I saw, and I remember thinking how captivating he was & that he was really more interesting than Tony. My favorite moments of him were when he did some major tumbling in the gym dance sequence and his whole performance in "Gee Officer Krupke." Russ found a great balance with Riff's sense of humor & his dark side. That's why it made sense that he was the leader of the Jets. He was funny, charismatic, could be charming when he wanted to be, tough & he looked after those he cared about. Case in point when he picked Ice to face off against Bernardo instead of Tony because he knew Bernardo would probably do some real damage to Tony as he was ticked off at him during the dance. You can see why he inspired such loyalty before & after his death. Personally, of all the deaths in the film, Riff's hit the hardest. When he got stabbed, you can see shock, confusion and sadness roll across his face before he falls over. I cried the first time I saw that scene.
I love to watch him dance, and it's crazy that he says that he thinks that he cannot dance.....🤔🤔
Amazing in 7 brides and west side story.
Russ tamblyn should have won the oscar george chakiris was good but russ really nailed it
how are you
They both nailed it but yeah, he should have.
Can we talk about how Russ (1961) and Mike (2021), who both played Riff in their respective movies, started off auditioning for Tony?
Russ was brilliant in the western movie "The Fastest Gun Alive". If you haven't seen it please youtube Russ Tamblyn Dancing to see his incredible acrobatics.
「ウエストサイドストーリー」は、役者もよかった。しかし、映画史上最高の編集だ。ワイズ監督、ジェローム・ロビンス、バーンスタイン、最高の才能によって作られた傑作だ。
Thank God, Russ didn't get the part of Tony as he made Riff endearing, charismatic, charming and dynamic. And talk about history repeating itself Mike Faist, who was also phenomenal as Riff originally auditioned for Tony.
Je garde toujour dzns mon coeur ce tres bsau film ainsi que les visages de tous ces acteurs tres talentueux qui ont yparticipe vraimant il etait un tres grand film
I love this movie so much! Out of the Jets I had 3 favorites, Riff was my #1 favorite then I liked Baby John and Action, but Action did get on my nerves a little bit cause he was so hyper and a crazy temper!
Wow
Is there more of this interview?
Anyone here after the 2021 movie?
hey, how's it going?
I wonder if he can still do all those backflips and cartwheels
No. There's another good YT video where he explains that his knees are shot now. But he still does walking and Pilates.
Aging sucks. Dancers peak at 35. Dance until you drop while you can even during lockdown.
Riff is a better part than Tony, anyway.
I think he would make the best husband for snuggling
In his younger years, yes.
I had such a crush on him. Pictures on my wall! I use to fantasize about marrying him.💖
I had a crush on George Chakiris - he was/is so dark and handsome.
This man is a thief. I doesn’t fulfill is website orders.
Your weird sentence makes no sense.
WTF?
Brilliant sentence