#174 Oscar Winner George Chakiris Shares His West Side Story

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:31

All right, Judy, thank you so much for that amazing introduction, and you get the show going each and every week. And this week was no exception. Welcome, everybody, to Episode 174 of classic conversations. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Great to have you back for another classic conversation. And this one is certified classic. We have Hollywood legend and Oscar winner George Shakira is with us today. That's right. Bernardo from the original West Side Story. How amazing is that? George is also the author of his memoir, my West Side Story, we dive into his career, he shares a ton of stories. So much goodness, oh, and by the way, if you're listening to this on the air date, October 17, October 18 1961 is when Westside story was originally released. How about that for timing? I know. All right, my conversation was George is coming up in just a few seconds. And in these few seconds. I just want to do a quick commercial for last week's interview with the amazing Mindy Sterling. It was so fun talking to Mindy we talked all about Austin Powers and her time with the Groundlings and The Goldbergs eyes. So fun. Definitely check that out. But right now, let's turn our attention to George chick Karis. Enjoy. All right, everyone, my next guest star a big screen and theater a triple threat actor, dancer, singer, author of the new memoir, my West Side Story featured in dozens of films. We love them as Bernardo in the original and all time classic West Side Story, which earned my guests and Academy Award. Welcome to the show. George Shakira,

George Chakiris 2:30

thank you for that nice introduction. Thank you.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:33

Well, thank you all for hanging with me on my podcast. George much appreciated. I have to kind of understand sort of the backstory and the origin of where your love of dancing and movies came from and work into West Side Story. In your book. You talk about Eduardo caso he a mentor that got you into a wire? Yes, that's right. Gosh, that's. So that seems to have been a kind of a important part of the story in terms of kind of put you on that path.

George Chakiris 3:05

Absolutely. Yeah. It's funny how things happened in a really kind of nice way sometimes, but I don't recall it was 12 or 14. So we lived in Tucson, Arizona. And I don't remember how it happened. But I sang with the the Tucson boys choir. And then when we were moving from Tucson to California to Long Beach, Mr. Casa knew of wonderful boys choir at our fiscal church and Long Beach. And he told me to go there, and now you're trying to try to audition. So I took his advice. And I did go to the St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Long Beach, and I auditioned and I got to sing with that choir for almost five years every Sunday. So and one of the wonderful things about being in that Clara's is that quiet over the years had sung in quite a few different movies as well. And so my very first time on the movie set and a movie called Katharine Hepburn and Paul Emery and Robert Walker called song of love. Just being at a movie studio was kind of just such a momentous occasion for a young kid like that. It was great.

Jeff Dwoskin 4:12

You had an interesting kind of really cool start. I mean, some of your early stuff. You got to dance with Marilyn Monroe.

George Chakiris 4:19

Yeah, again, you know, one of my maybe my maybe my favorite credit, I know you'll understand this is being able to say I was one of the guys behind Marilyn Monroe and the diamonds are girl's best friend. Number from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes because, well, of course everybody before in the sense knows Marilyn Monroe. I mean her famous just so shortened, right? So yeah, I got to do one of the guys in that number. And that was, it was choreographed by Jack Cole, who was her favorite choreographer. And thereafter whenever she did anything usable, she always wanted to Jack Cole. And she was right. He was tremendous and really wonderful for her. It just felt so nice to be able to Say, obviously one of the big guys behind Maryland and that number,

Jeff Dwoskin 5:04

did you get to know Marilyn? Or was it more kind of you were there? And

George Chakiris 5:08

no, I've never spoke to her. And another that No, we're just we're just there to work. But I was around her other times after that as well, because I was also one of the dancers. And There's No Business Like Show Business. And of course, she was one of the stars in that. And a couple of other just kind of accidental times I was getting just in the same space one was, when we were working on There's No Business Like Show because at the end of the rehearsal day, one day, all the dancers were invited to join everybody in a kind of mood as sort of little cocktail party, so everyone could relax and have a nice time at the end of a rehearsal day. And so all the dancers got to go. And of course, I went to and she came and, you know, the thing I've managed to have the offensive talking about the law, the thing I've noticed in the few times, I wasn't around, there was how quiet she was, and how she did not draw attention to herself at all. She was modest and quiet and respect. I don't know, you know, she wasn't worth I guess what people kind of expect, but I love the fact that she was she was quiet. She didn't draw attention to herself. At the end of that rehearsal day, working on no business, like show business. During that cocktail party. You know, we were all just mingling around the girl, one of the girls who was my partner in that movie Drusilla, just little Davis said, you know, Marlon was in sort of hearing distance in that atmosphere, and facilitated by to go and ask her to give you a kiss on the cheek. And I said, no, no. and Drusilla was pretty aggressive. And she went over tomorrow anyway, and said, Would you get that point a kiss on the cheek. And, and I love this little anecdote about Marilyn Monroe, too. So when Priscilla said, where you get this boy kiss on the cheek, Marilyn Monroe, very quiet and very sweetly looked in my direction. And she said, but I don't know him. So that again, just underscores this thing of her being, not drawing attention to herself and being quiet. And I think the most important thing is how concentrated and the thing was, she was on the work. That's what she was there for. She didn't, you know, spend time socializing unnecessarily with people.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:21

It's probably a good thing. She didn't kiss you on the cheek, otherwise, you never would have been able to wash that cheek. So

George Chakiris 7:29

yeah, there's that.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:32

It's cool, though, that you were Yeah. Like, you've been near a lot of icons. But like, you know, yeah. There's something about Maryland to that just the fascination with Maryland just still hasn't gone away at all.

George Chakiris 7:46

Because there's never ending it's always I understand there's something new about her. Now. I don't know if there's a documentary, I know what it is. But, you know, again, there's just something that's going out. That again, is current and today, so she remains contemporary. You know, it's, it's, it's an extraordinary circumstance, and that she deserves it. She's quite amazing to see and film, you know, you know, the one thing that comes to mind when I'm just thinking about someone like her people get so taken by her personal life and all kinds of things like that. And I wonder Does anybody stopped to consider how talented she was? How incredible she was on the screen you because she, she was such an extraordinary professional. But again, just the word challenges anybody ever think of putting that word into a sentence as well? Because what she achieved is, is kind of amazing, but she achieved it because she was gifted and talented and she wasn't extraordinary. presence on the screen.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:53

Yeah, you're 100% right. She deserves to be remembered for both. Yeah. Betty Grable.

George Chakiris 9:00

Oh, better. Yeah, God. Well, when I was a kid, and you know, the movie music was my favorites. Star. Was that incredible, who was also by the way, you know, she, Eddie Kramer was another sort of really gifted, talented, really wonderful performer returned, I think in musical things that are what's a musical number. They're just dancing. They're just think we've never stopped again, to consider and think about how gifted and talented him how professional and how short they were, and their work. And Betty Grable was just, to me, another one who was just added, and that's why she was a huge star as well. You know, she was tremendous,

Jeff Dwoskin 9:38

an important moment, was working with Rosemary Clooney. Got to

George Chakiris 9:43

spend a little more time around Rosie and she, you know, I'm sure you can imagine what a darling person she was. She was just really, really funny and good and just and just quiet. No, too. So I got to know Rosie a little bit socially and I really loves that I really love her. Because, again, not just her are challenged in her case, but who she was as a person. She was really a nice person.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:09

What's interesting in the book, you talk about, you're working with Rosemary Clooney on White Christmas, and you have the opportunity to work with her. And it's so important to you to do that you pass on auditioning for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Yeah, but it's passing on that audition and being in thing with the dance number with Rosemary Clooney. That gets you noticed, because I was like, Who's that guy?

George Chakiris 10:39

Yeah, I just basically just followed my instinct, but I didn't. I wasn't I didn't have a professional point of view. You know, I was just a dancer, you know. But when this cuz we had done a one number commanding number had already been filmed on my Christmas and this number with Rosie with just four guys was coming up. And we all thought God, I'd love to be one of those guys. You know, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was in the process of being filmed at Metro and mathematics. Who was one of the brothers in Seven Brides. You know, I knew he I knew him from the school from class and all of that. And he called me and said, suggested that I, you know, audition for Michael Kidd that I know, I didn't know anything. I just thought, well, I don't want to do anything just in case, I get to be one of the guys in the number of Rosie for my Christmas love. You didn't do it by me. So. So I just followed my instinct. And I actually did it because I knew that was a friend. And he called me a couple of times. And finally, I didn't want to keep saying I can't audition for Michael Kidd, I got really felt stupid. So I did. I did go to Metro One day an audition for Michael Kidd. And I gave a really lousy audition. And I wasn't selected and I was not I didn't want to be. So it's funny how, when you're, you're new and you really didn't understand the workings of the business at all. You just without knowing that follow your instinct. And I've always thought since that it's important to pay attention. It's our instinct, because it usually can guide us pretty well.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:12

Oh, that's a great lesson. Yeah, instinct is there's so many stories where somebody's like I did this, even though some everyone told me not to. And that that led to the thing. All right, my intuition is saying take a quick break. And thank everyone for their support of the sponsors. When you support the sponsors, you're supporting us here classic conversations. And that's how we keep the lights on. And now back to my amazing conversation with George Shakira is so interesting. So you get tons of fan letters, which today with social media would have been a lot easier.

George Chakiris 12:51

Wow, yes.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:53

They're all like, Who's this guy? Of course, they mean, George. And so that gives you an audition at Parramatta, and then you sign a seven year deal at Paramount because you trusted your instincts.

George Chakiris 13:05

That's right. Yeah. In nutshell. That's exactly right. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:09

That's pretty cool. And then Danny Kaye gave us cufflinks. Oh, God

George Chakiris 13:13

down. Yeah. He wanted to help me because he was just a lovely man. And I've worked with the choreographer as the core of the system on on the Danny Kaye movie called the cord gesture. And so that's how I got to be around around Danny. Danny was just all for him supporting me and being able to be tested at Paramount because he kind of was in my corner, so to speak, and I appreciated that about him.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:38

That's awesome. It's always nice when people make it and then take the time to help others.

George Chakiris 13:44

I love those cufflinks isotypes course I still always have them. Because they're from Danny. And they're the history of complaints or any piece of jewelry or any kind of item takes on a different importance depending on where it came from. And those because those came from Danny, because every time I take them out or whatever, I just look at them. I remember how I got them. And to me, that's a really beautiful story.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:07

I can relate to that. Most of the jewelry I have, and I don't have a lot but a bracelet or this that was given to me my grandfather or something like that. Yeah. That sentimental tie. Absolutely. And then you got to work with Judy Garland also in

George Chakiris 14:26

order for almost forgot that. Yes. Because again, I was one of the assistants that Robert Olson, who for FTC parade and No Business Like Show Business in so many of the great movie musicals. When Judy Garland was doing her first appearance in Vegas. She wanted Robert Altman to do it for her because of course, she had worked with him on Easter Parade and different things. You know, these people knew each other well. And I think even at that time, unmistakeably, everybody pretty much recognized Judy Garland's extraordinary talents and she has some issues. Just something incredible though Robert Altman did her, her first Las Vegas appearance. And I got, I was one of his assistants. And so I never spoke to her either. But I got to be in her presence for quite a few weeks and go to the opening in Vegas, and I'll analyze it was just maybe 13 or 14 at the time, came to rehearsals, and with something new and she was so eager to learn something. And I would teach her some of the steps the guys were doing, and she and Liza at 13 or 14, if you taught her something, she'd learned it so fast. I'm huge, just amazing. And no surprise now, because we know her history and her own talent. So it was really another but it kind of really nice variance and time to be in the presence of people like Julian garden, says lucky to be around.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:52

That's amazing. So okay, so 13 year old Liza. And then later if we just jump ahead in the timeline for a second, you are at the premiere of Cabaret with Liza Minnelli, you sat when you

George Chakiris 16:04

go into university, small world. Over the years, I became very friendly with Liza as a stepmother, Lehmann, la Chu, who was now married to Vincent. And so I got to know Lee and she was always so nice to me. And I was invited to the house for a lot of different things. You know, that house was just a beautiful place with artists, you know, people, amazing people in that house. So Lee invited me to the premiere here. So I got to go through the premiere here for for cabaret. And as I recall, I think I sat next to Eliza for what it's worth. But my point is, again, just I continued to be able to be around some really extraordinary people. And Eliza is amazing. And he's likable. Well, we know we all know that.

Jeff Dwoskin 16:49

Oh, light. Yeah, lies is incredible. Yeah. All right. So back to the back back back in time. So now you you move to New York. Right. So we're like 1950s, you moved to New York and the hottest place in New York, West Side?

George Chakiris 17:04

Yeah, go work for dances in Los Angeles. That kind of, there wasn't much work. So that's when I and a lot of kids did the same thing. Oh, well, I guess I better go to New York and I Friendswood already made the move. The girl who said to Marilyn, can you get that book Islam that she drew has already moved to New York. And so I was able to stay in Drew's apartment and sleep on the couch and get to know people. When I made the trip to New York, I had a place to stay and I had had friends who were already there. And drusillas shared an apartment with girl called Marian McKay, who had Marian work for Roger L. Stevens was a huge theater producer. And so they knew everything that was going on in New York, everything. And what was going on was a West Side Story just come up. He was coming up to its very first year, it had opened in 57 songs. This was about November or something like that, or 19 or September in 1958. And they told me to go to the Winter Garden Theatre where recited was playing, and they knew everything. And so they told me to ask for Ruth Mitchell, who was the stage manager for West Side Story at the Winter Garden Theatre and see if I could meet her and ultimately audition for West Side Story. It's funny when you were young, you were kind of kind of fearless in a way. I mean, I was modest and quiet and shy and all of that. But at the same time, I didn't think twice about taking that advice. So one evening, I mentioned the Winter Garden Theatre close almost to the end of their, their their performance night it was about maybe 10 o'clock or something. I went to the stage door. And the very first person I saw if a stage door was the guy whose name was Howard Jeffries, who was now on West Side, assisting Jerry Robbins. I had known Howard from the American School of Dance here in Hollywood, so we weren't great friends, but we knew each other so when I got to the Winter Garden Theater was like I saw a friendly face and it was George Howard you know we said hello to each other. He introduced me to minstrel she looked at me she said I think you should read for Bernardo and she set that up for me to go in a little while later auditioned for Jerry Robbins. And she gave me a script. She said look at the robot Bernard. And of course that's what I did. Jerry was rehearsing ballets USA, the Alvin theatre. So I learned I think of his during his lunch break on whatever day it was, I auditioned for him I read for the role of Bernardo. And then he asked me to take a few minutes to go back into the wings. It was in the theater and look at the role of riffs. And so of course, I did that. And then I came back and read riffs. And then they asked, he asked me to learn in the show riff riff it's riffs who sings cool though. They gave me the sheet music to cool and work on that, learn that and come back and audition again. So I went back and auditioned another time maybe another two times for Jerry but this time as riff and then I love this. It was on my birthday, September 16 What you It was about 1958 I think on my birthday, I got a call from Ruth Mitchell telling me that I had the role of riff in the London company of West Side Story. And on that same day, I had seven checks for my California unemployment $35 Each, it was just I go I've never forgotten that birthday because of that, you know, so it was it was a great birthday and it opened the door to my association with Jerry and West Side Story down the line just unexpectedly as well.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:29

It's an amazing and it sounds like the best birthday ever and you're flush with unemployment cash.

George Chakiris 20:35

Absolutely. It was. Just makes me smile. Because it was so sweet.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:39

I love that you started as the leader of the jets and then you weren't later everyone knows you as the sharks, but okay, so so your art so you're now you're you moved to New York and then you're off to London, you're working with Chita Rivera.

George Chakiris 20:56

Oh god. Yeah, that my I first met cheetah rehearsing for for the London company in New York. I didn't get to know her at that time at all. I got to know her later. And she's she was just one of the I love the chick. Everybody loves cheater. You can't not love her audience. She's just such that's a terrific, extraordinary talent as well. But she's just such a great person. I never I don't get to see cheater anywhere near as much as I'd like to because she lives on the east. But I consider her a great friend. And so yeah, I got to meet a cheetah for the first time and you know cheetah had been left the Broadway show. She was performed during the Anita in the New York production of West Side, which was the original production, she got married. And she then she gave birth to her daughter, Lisa, but she had to leave the show to give birth to Lisa. And so after when we were rehearsing for the London company of West Side Story in New York, and then there was a presentation for all the people in all the performers in New York to come and watch that rehearsal. And the Broadway people hadn't seen cheetah for a few months because she had been out of the show. And but on that day that we all did that performance for the New York crowd or London chasm. West five people were so thrilled to see cheetah again, they that's why they wanted to come they couldn't wait to see cheetah. And they were so right. She's just I mean, she's so extraordinary. Again, as a person, but in the theater, she's just really something else on the stage. So that was that was my first time meeting cheater. And then I'm sorry, I don't get to see over a lot more often because she's just, she's the best sense of humor in the world. She's just fifth grade. Everybody loves cheetah.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:39

I'm sure they did. I'll go see cheetah but then later they were like, oh my god, we saw Georgia Karis. Because they had a bug and I go, Wait a minute, that guy in the movie looks familiar. Wait, we saw him. So boom, it was just delayed. It was just delayed. But eventually, eventually, they were like, they're bragging about that, too. They got one of the things in your book that I found really, really interesting was you kind of talk a little bit about the history of West Side Story, even before the play was made. When I didn't realize this. I didn't realize it originally, it was called East Side Story. And it was originally conceived as a Catholic gang member and Israeli girl, like and Jews. So which makes sense, because Jews wrote it. And then eventually, I thought I was like, Oh, I felt like I should have known that. Yeah. Why didn't they teach me that in Hebrew school? I don't know. It seemed like it would be an important thing to mention. That was so interesting to me. And then it was just that they sat there for six years. It just nothing happened. People weren't even that into it. And then it was just in that time, there was an eruption of violence gang turf wars in LA, but they want to keep in New York. And there was a whole Puerto Rican population boom in New York. And so they just reconceived the whole thing as West Side Story with the different gangs. I thought that was so interesting. I just

George Chakiris 24:01

rehearsing for the London company. We rehearsed in New York. And one of the things that Jerry told the guys, I don't know if that's the girls or not, but I know it's all the guys. There was a book out at the time called the shook up generation, which was about juvenile delinquents in in New York. So we were all told that we should get that book. And in fact, we learned something about whoever we're going to be playing in the theater. So I remember the jury that that book and it was called the shook up generation Jerry, London, great thing for me about being in West Side Story was that I got to work with Jerry Robbins, and as they say, It doesn't get better. He was so extraordinary and he was such a perfectionist, and you just knew that you had to keep trying to do more on a daily basis. So there was kind of a pressure in that way. Because if you could please Jerry you know the show me have you on the right track. So again, because I got to work with him for the London company and then again on the phone. Both of those were pretty long. So you know, the movie, I worked eight months on the movie. So I got to be around Jerry for a nice amount of time. And I felt that I got to know who he was pretty well, you know, there's some really difficult stories about him. But I, to me, these stories didn't have to be remembered who he was and the influence that he had over so many people on their artistic allies, because he was amazing.

Jeff Dwoskin 25:23

Sorry to interrupt this amazing conversation with George sicarius. But we have to take a quick break. And we're back with George Chuck Harris, to dive deeper into the meaning of genius. And we're back.

George Chakiris 25:36

I'm just now talking to you about these different names. And the two names that sort of pop out to me are Judy Garland and Jerome Robbins, because they were both very special given their circumstances, Judy, I mean, I think it's fair to use the word genius with both of those people and geniuses. In other words, it just tossed around, it really applied. I thought to both of those to Judy Garland and to Jerry Robbins, they were both above and beyond that they brought so much more to the table just by who they were and their extraordinary natural gifts. You

Jeff Dwoskin 26:10

know, you've been around some amazing people. Yeah,

George Chakiris 26:14

it's been really nice. That's why I say it's so nice to be able to talk to you, for example, because it reminds me of things that I sort of don't think about very much. And it's nice to be reminded, because to always appreciate the nice things that I've had

Jeff Dwoskin 26:28

amazing things I appreciate you reminiscing with me so interesting. They So alright, so you're in London, and then work gets out there making a movie, West Side Story, the movie, right? And all these names start getting thrown around. Right, Elvis?

George Chakiris 26:44

I remember that. Because obviously the show for you are in a house. All of us in that show of our friends or families would send us clippings from newspapers here in Los Angeles and put them on the bulletin board at the stage store. And I remember the two names that I think I remember correctly. Were being talked about SARS and West Side Story were Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley. I remember those two names that specifically and listen, they're both so huge and tremendous. That made sense. Of course, they a lot of other people were considered. But in terms of pain, those were the two most prominent people that I can remember people talking about,

Jeff Dwoskin 27:21

I looked up some information on Elvis, and they say Colonel Parker turned it down. And it was because Elvis would only sing six of the 12 songs and not own the rights to the soundtrack. You had kind of pointed me in that direction in your book. And so I dug in a little bit more. I love just random trivia about stuff.

George Chakiris 27:42

Well, you know, it's been such a long time. We know so much about Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. And we know so much about them because they've been famous for such a long time. There's lots of information out there about people like that.

Jeff Dwoskin 27:56

I also read that Audrey Hepburn was offered the role of I need to have it was pregnant and had to pass. There was a lot of big names that kind of came in went. I don't

George Chakiris 28:06

remember the Audrey Hepburn one but I don't remember everything by a longshot. But Andrea, yeah, my God, I would have been blessed. She was another one. My God. Audrey Hepburn was one of those in movie history. Movies are all the decades and so on. There are a few people who remained prominence in our minds. And she's one of them. She was just another extraordinary presence on the screen. She was just amazing.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:30

Absolutely. Absolutely. And then so not many people got a letter from the play. But you and four others got a letter? Hey, we want you to audition for West Side Story. The movie?

George Chakiris 28:42

Yes, that's right. Yeah. That was sent out from United Artists, I think it was and the letter asked me to do a test. And the letter told me to concentrate on a scene as riffs that I was playing Annecy as Bernardo. So of course, I did. One day, the five of us who got those medicine United Artists, when I went off to Elstree Studios, outside of London, to do our respective tests in the course of that day, what an amazing day that was for us. So incredible. Yeah, we all wrote went out to illustrate, and Kenroy the original Bernardo, who was just so tremendous, also tested for Bernardo. And there were five of us all together. At the end of the day when we each Finisar individual tests, and we went back into the city to do the show that evening. We were on wonderful kind of the high clouds because it had been such a such tremendous today.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:40

I read that I think during the play, and I think during the movie, the sharks and the Jets, they wanted you guys to not fraternize together. They wanted to kind of keep you guys separate and keep the tensions between you guys going.

George Chakiris 29:54

That's right. Yeah. Well, you're on the very first day of rehearsal for the London company. In New York, all arrive at the theater, the guys and the girls were all there to start rehearsing that morning. And Jerry put us in a semicircle around him on the stage. And I remember one of the things he said was I highlight the sharps over there. Basically, he, he started directing the piece even before I started working on it. And by that, I mean, he was creating as the director, what he wanted us expected from us, in terms of, of what it was about, and not as the hostility between these these two kinds, and to underscore and help us as a director, he also said, I wasn't just a suggestion, he was in his direction, I want to start over there and the Jets over there. And he basically was saying, I don't want to have socializing during the day between rehearsals, or during lunch or get nowhere. He said, I want you guys to keep separate all the time. So a wonderful piece of I can't think of as direction, because that's exactly what it was. It's so important in any production that in a theater or west side, that the audience feels the tension and feel they really have to, it's important that they feel it. But it's has to have to start with us. He wanted us to feel it. And that was direction I thought was just an extraordinary piece of direction, something before rehearsals even started, you know, but that was charity.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:19

It's an amazing thing. So here's my question for you, George. So you were ref right in the London production and based on all this, I know you love being Bernardo. That's not what I'm asking. But did you? Was it weird to be Bernards you feel like you're almost like betraying yourself because of all this? All this training that you had to be sharks versus jets? And now all of a sudden you're switching teams now. Now you're shot?

George Chakiris 31:44

Yeah. People have said, you know, it wasn't trained. Was it? Was it difficult, something like that? Every system open, natural thing to do? Because you're right, I first auditioned for Bernardo, and then Jerry asked me to look at ribs. You know, that's what ended up playing but doing for a year and a half. Before we even did a test you became without even knowing you were doing it. You became so familiar with the whole piece with every character in it. I've watched Canva Roy, the original Bernardo, I saw him every night. I saw him eight times a week for a year and a half before we ever tested so without realizing that I was learning about Bernardo just watching him he was amazing, because the making the transition to use that word from serif to Bernardo was just a very natural and comfortable move as it were that just it all felt right.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:36

Awesome. The movie comes out and it is a hit. Yeah. 10 Oscar nominations considered the best loved musical of all time. Yeah, one of AFI is top 100 movies ever. So let's talk about real quick. Alright, so it's Oscar night. You deliver what I believe the academy considers and read I think is right there with you. Doradus acceptance speech?

George Chakiris 33:07

Yeah, both of us are really short to Yes. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:10

This was your speech. I don't think I'll talk too much. I just want to thank you. Thank you very, very much. Thank you.

George Chakiris 33:17

That's it. That's right. There have been so many awards, award shows and all kinds of since you're learning how to deal with a situation like that. It was so new to us that, of course, our what we said was very short. I didn't think of thanking my family, and God knows who but didn't think of any of that. I just thanked the service itself, which didn't take long

Jeff Dwoskin 33:38

did you feel like so it was Bob Hope was the host of the Oscars, Shirley Jones and the party, that later the Partridge Family presented it to you. And then you were up against Montgomery Clift Jackie Gleason and Peter Falk and George C. Scott. So that's quite a group.

George Chakiris 33:54

What about that, for God's sake? I mean, yes, I mean, wow. Yeah. It was an extraordinary, an amazing year for performances in that category. But you know, any of us who were in West Side Story absolutely did benefit from this huge success of West Side Story itself. And of course, it rubs off on us, you know, that was a blessing.

Jeff Dwoskin 34:17

Do you ever think back like, Oh, this is what I should have said.

George Chakiris 34:21

Yeah, I think I have thought a couple of times. I should have thanked Jerry for God's sake. Because in my mind, if it wasn't for Jerry Robbins, I don't know. That should be a fact. That is really what I feel. And I think I'm right. I would not have been in West Side, sir, in the theater on the film if it weren't for jury. I think I was ultimately cast. Thanks to him. That's fun. I've always thought

Jeff Dwoskin 34:43

Jerry one best director with Robert Wise. Yes, it's pretty odd. That was the first time two people have ever won. And it what didn't happen again until 46 years later, Joel and Ethan Co. Yeah, Jerry

George Chakiris 34:56

Robins West Side Story for the theaters and you can It was his idea, having worked with him for the theater. And for the film, I always like to say, because I think this is true as well, it could never have been the same without him. To me the passion and the feeling of West Side Story comes from two places. That's the score, Leonard Bernstein score, which is just so incredible that from Jerry cos, and but he's a silent kind of figure. We don't always like to say that because to me, his passion and his feeling for his work, no matter what he was doing was key to who he was as, as a professional. He was a genuine artist. And that was passed on to us, too. We didn't realize we're learning that from him. But we were, but again, just the feeling and the passion to use those words. While there are two important words are helped tremendously, just by his presence, just by his presence. Jerry was an amazing, amazing, man.

Jeff Dwoskin 35:54

Jerry. Sounds amazing. I hear someone out there talking as nice about me as you talk about Jerry.

George Chakiris 35:59

Well, he was, he deserves that and so much more.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:04

So that's exciting. Then for the 50th anniversary, you got to put your hand France, brown Mann's Chinese Theater.

George Chakiris 36:12

It's just so funny how things happen. Because when I was first came to Los Angeles to study, I would never said Los Angeles at the time, we always say to Hollywood, we don't like to say Hollywood anymore, I guess I don't know, I was a student, the American School of Dance, I had a scholarship there. So I didn't have to pay for my classes, I would clean the studio at the end of the day, and clean the mirrors and all that kind of stuff, and then lock up. And then I walk so I rented a room at a house on the Hollywood Boulevard. And I pass that theater every night on my way home. And I have that forecourt with all those friends. I just haven't sent myself that was just really delicious, you know, because now you can't, you know, so full of tourists, you have to fight to look at anything. But in that time, when I walked home, at the end of the day, it was quiet. There was no one around. And the reason I'm saying this now is because who would ever thought read it and Russ and I would one day be there too. It's amazing how things happen sometimes

Jeff Dwoskin 37:11

written in the stars. It's yeah. How do you feel about the remake?

George Chakiris 37:16

I've seen part of it. So I can't comment on the thing itself. But listen, there have been remakes of stars born and so many things. And so I think if anybody was going to do it, taking Spielberg movies, I guess everybody thought the same thing was the right man to do it. You know, you can't not pay attention to Steven Spielberg just because, you know, he has a wonderful history as well. And also, I'm not trying to just come and gone since since the first premiere. And now I've forgotten that. Oh, my God, I haven't seen this movie. Talking to you. reminds me that I have to see this movie. I still haven't seen it.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:52

It's very beautiful. I met just from that. It's just to me, it's like sometimes it's like they just keep remaking things that were already amazing. And it was him he did I mean Spielberg's amazing and, and it was beautifully done and and but the originals still you look at the original you're like still beautifully done. I don't need to visit advisory make either you know what I mean? There's certain movies that are like just, you know, anyway,

George Chakiris 38:15

well listen to the Wizard of Oz. And it wasn't better movie A Dinah Ross The Wiz and I mean, so it was remade, but I never saw that either. But, but I would have thought that the way he called the original Judy Garland was

Jeff Dwoskin 38:28

right well, the ways is like the Wizard of Oz. Like Westside story is like Romeo and Juliet. Right? It's like kind of the same core but different, different direction.

George Chakiris 38:39

Today's world and film, there's all kinds of special effects and things. To me. One of the beauties about The Judy Garland was that the special effects were didn't feel like special effects. I mean, they felt it felt real. You didn't. You weren't tricked into a cinematic trick just to I'm putting this so badly, but the way it felt,

Jeff Dwoskin 38:59

it sounds organic. Right. That's Thank you. Yeah, that's right. Thank you. Kinda like how the first three Star Wars films were compared to the prequels, which is too much. Yeah. I feel you, George I gotcha. Hey, speaking of not tricks, but I read that the interior design of the interior sets, some of them were built, like off the ground for West Side Story, so they could get some interesting angles there.

George Chakiris 39:23

I don't know about that. But it makes sense. You know, I'm sure any filmmaker thinks well, ahead of any filming how he wants something to look and so you construct your setting, so accommodate what you want to do technically.

Jeff Dwoskin 39:38

And then my wife insisted my wife's a dancer. She wanted me to let you know that in her dance, and she's danced to the prologue cool opposite kratky and the dance of the gym and her recitals. So she wanted you. I'd say like we were watching. The family we were watching was the Thanksgiving Day Parade and one of the New York production was you know, they do the Broadway and so they wanted they were doing America and then the scene was like I liked the island Manhattan. You know, I know you do you know that. And so that big like that was so long ago and like it became like a thing and our family anytime one of us would see something goes, Oh, I really liked that shirt. Everyone else would go. No, you too.

George Chakiris 40:24

Well, you know that that's funny that that line from the American over from the 1960s to that line. I know you do. The girl who says that line. Her name is Yvonne Wilder. She was a really good friend and she was in the London deputy as well. But it's Yvonne in the red dress in the American number who says I know you do. And they kept it in. And so now whenever whenever anybody does production on the West Side Story, Evangeline is used currently as well. It's kind of funny how that kind of happened. I always like to give credit where credit is due. It's all out there is responsible for that line. I know you do came from Yvonne Wilder.

Jeff Dwoskin 41:02

Wow, this time has just flown. I can't thank you enough for hanging out with me, George these these stories were incredible. Thanks for going down memory lane with me.

George Chakiris 41:12

Well, thank you for because because I get to revisit it too. And, and I really appreciate that because it reminds me of how lovely it was a lot of time, you know,

Jeff Dwoskin 41:23

so and then everyone can get your book, my West Side Story available wherever books are found. Awesome. I'll put a link in the show notes so everyone can check it out. George, thank you so so much

George Chakiris 41:37

fun. It really has. Thank you.

Jeff Dwoskin 41:39

All right. How amazing was George Chuck Harris, if you want to check out his book, it's called My West Side Story. I will put a link in the show notes you can get right to it. Or you can go a Google in Georgia also has a website Georgia charisse.com is an amazing jewelry line as well. We didn't really get into it in the interview. Definitely check it out. It's beautiful. All right. Well, there you have it. Oscar winner George Chuck Harris. Boom. Well with the interview over it can only mean one thing. That's right. It's time for another trending hashtag from the family of hashtags. It hashtag round up, download the free always free hashtag roundup app at the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Follow us on Twitter at hashtag roundup tweet along with us and one day one of your tweets may show up on a future episode of Classic conversations, fame and fortune awaits you. This episode's hashtag is #FoodAMusical from weekly humorous, weekly Game On hashtag Roundup. Going back a couple of years for this delicious musical food pun hashtag #FoodAMusical take anything food, take a musical mash them together and deliciousness occurs. All right, tweet your own #FoodAMusical tag us at Jeff Dwoskin show on Twitter. I was raised in Twitter love and the meantime here are some #FoodAMusical tweets for inspiration. Frito lays miserables Blaze and he gets your gum west side salad story. Hello daddy Madison. The Book of Mormon Cook of Mormon based little warehouse in Texas. These are some amazing #FoodAMusical tweets. You get it both musical mash them up you get my fair lady finger Dreamsicle girls and he gets your bond fries and dolls grill around the roof. Little Shop of orders lives by bacon grease. And our final #FoodAMusical breast side story. Oh writes amazing #FoodAMusical tweets. All these tweeters will be retweeted at hashtag round up, go find them, show him some Twitter love to eat around. All right, well with the hashtag over with the interview over they can only mean one thing. That's right episode 174 has come to a close I can't believe it. So fun. Thanks to my special guest, George Securus. And thanks to all of you for coming back week after week. It means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai