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What are everybody's Favorite Quotes from the film West Side Story?

posted 11 years ago by friendoffilm
33 replies | jump to latest

Hey, everybody!

What are your favorite quotes from the film West Side Story? I'm just curious and would love some feedback here.

My favorite quotes from West Side Story are as follows:

(Ice, after having taken over the Jets' leadership following Riff's death during the Rumble)

Ya wanna live in this lousy world? Play it cool!

Bernardo (to Tony, during the War Council between the Jets and Sharks, in Doc's Candy Store):

When I get through with you, you'll be like a fish after skinning."

Maria, to Tony (At their mock wedding in the Bridal Shop)

"Tell her she's not getting a daughter. She's getting rid of a son."

Riff, to the rest of the Jets, in reference to Tony, when they make plans to challenge Bernardo

"He always came through for the Jets and always will."

Maria to the Jets and Sharks, after the rumble, when Tony is shot, and they seem ready to clash once again:

You all killed him (meaning Tony!) And my brother and Riff! Not with bullets and guns! With hate!

The Jets (in reference to Ofcr Krupke) while they're lampooning him:

Gee Officer Krupke...Krup you!

Doc to Riff and the Jets, who are in the Candy Store awaiting the Sharks' arrival for their pre-Rumble war council:

You couldn't play basketball?

Ice (to Anybodys) after the rumble, while he, the Jets and their girls are looking for Tony, in order to protect him:

Hey! Ya done good, buddy-boy!

[–] KatrinaW 11 years ago

My favorites were always the insults between the Jets gang and Anybodys. Particularly this one by Baby John, 'Aw, go walk the streets like your sister' It's even better when said in his Noo Yawk accent... "sistah'!

[–] friendoffilm 11 years ago

Ooh, you're right, KatrinaW. I forgot all about that one, even though I stand by my position about the rest of the quotations from West Side Story that I mentioned to my favorites.

I'll add the "Ahhhh, go walk the streets like your sister.",

Anybody's "Listen, jail bait, I licked you twice and I can do it again."

A-Rab's "Cracko-Jacko! Down goes a teenage hoodlum!"

[–] stevenackerman69 11 years ago

They are also in the musical, which I am currently in. I am playing Officer Krupke.
The first is Lt. Schrank saying, "Well, you try keeping hoodlums in line and see what it does to you."
The second is Doc screaming, "Is that the only way to get through to you? Do just what you all do? Bust like a hot water pipe?"
Yeah, in the film he says THIS instead of THAT, but it is the same thing.

[–] friendoffilm 11 years ago

Hi, stevenackerman69! Congratulations for getting the part of Officer Krupke in your upcoming production!

Well, you try keeping hoodlums in line and see what it does to you.

"Is that the only way to get through to you? Do just what you all do? Bust like a hot water pipe?"

Thanks for mentioning the above two quotes from WSS, stevenackerman69. I forgot about them.

When is the production of the stage version of West Side Story that you're going to be in having its official rendez-vous? Just curious.

[–] stevenackerman69 10 years ago

Sorry I didn't respond earlier. I played the role this past May in a community theater production in Brooklyn, NYC. It was a successful three week run and a lot of people loved my performance. I will tell you that we did not do the full stage ending, where Tony's body is carried out (it is also done in the film). Reason was that it was too difficult with the space to do that. We just had a bunch of Jets and Sharks come together, kneel down, hold hands in pairs, and cross themselves as it goes to black.

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

How cool! Congratulations on a performance job well done, stevenackerman69! It sounds like you all had a wonderful time at your production, especially since it got great reviews and was loved by the audience, especially your performance.
The improvised ending that you did on stage, considering your lack of stage space, with the Jets & Sharks coming together, kneeling down, holding hands in pairs and crossing themselves as the stage goes to black sounds like a really creative ending. You all proved to be very resourceful in this performance. Thanks for sharing it with us!

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

[–] stevenackerman69 10 years ago

Don't know why you wrote this twice. I see you put those smileys with the beer mugs in one. Maybe you wanted to add that after you posted the first message? Anyway, we did add a few things, like having an adult ensemble. We had a few people who the director liked personally in the show in small parts, for example, one woman played the boss of Maria and Anita and we had her come on stage to tell them it was quitting time. Yes, that is in the film, but not originally on stage. She also did the "house rules" we are supposed to do before a performance. There was also myself and Schrank running into Anita after she leaves Doc's pissed off and we try to calm her down and take her for help. That was to cover a set change. We had to do that several times, especially in the second Act. Oh, also, we didn't have Baby John and A-Rab push me over. They just pulled my hat down and took my nightstick and ran off. I pulled off my hat, dropping it on the ground, looked around to see which way they went, then just ran off blowing my whistle. My hat and nightstick were used then in the Gee Officer Krupke number. We didn't have a moment where I got them back, we did that offstage.

[–] footreads 11 years ago

Walk tall

[–] friendoffilm 11 years ago

"We always walk tall! We're Jets!"

[–] Beaucoul 11 years ago

Gotta be "I'm depraved on account of I'm deprived."

Happiness makes up in height, what it lacks in length.

[–] friendoffilm 11 years ago

Yup! This:

"I'm depraved on account of I'm deprived."

is another great one, Beaucoul!

Here are a couple of other great quotes from West Side Story, from Anybodys and Baby-John:

A-Rab:

Cracko-Jacko! Down goes a teenage hoodlum!

Baby-John: (to A-Rab)

Gee! Could a real zip-gun make you do like that?

Anybodys (to Baby-John)

You know what it could make you do! You better wear diapers.

Baby-John:

Ahhhhhh, go walk the streets like ya sistah!

Anybodys: (to Baby-John) :

Listen, jailbait. I licked you twice and I can do it again!

[–] wingster55 10 years ago

Doc

..You make this world lousy

Action

We didn't make it Doc

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

After the rumble:

Maria:

You all killed him, and my brother, and Riff! Not with bullets and guns! With hate! Well, I can kill too, because now I have hate!

The above-posted quote, by Maria, is an extraordinarily powerful quote, with a message that really packs a punch, if one gets the drift. Maria knocks it out of the park with that one!

Ice (to Anybodys, after the rumble, after she's found Tony among the shadows)

Hey! Ya done good, buddy-boy!

Anybodys (getting kind of dreamy-eyed) (to Ice):

Thanks, Daddy-o.

[–] dini0519 10 years ago

You beat me to it! Thanks Daddy-o! 

Dini

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

Doc:

Git outta here!

[–] stevenackerman69 10 years ago

True, God did. Actually, on stage, Action says, "That's the way we found it Doc."

[–] ZeoRangerFive 10 years ago

How do you fire this gun, Chino? Just by pulling this little trigger?! How many bullets are left, Chino? Enough for you? Or you? All of you! You all killed him, and my brother, and Riff! Not with bullets and knives, but with HATE! Well, I can kill now too, because now I have hate!

Dragonzord! Mastodon! Pterodactyl! Triceratops! Saber Toothed Tiger! Tyrannosaurus!

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

How do you fire this gun, Chino? Just by pulling this little trigger?! How many bullets are left, Chino? Enough for you? Or you? All of you! You all killed him, and my brother, and Riff! Not with bullets and knives, but with HATE! Well, I can kill now too, because now I have hate!

Wow!! I totally forgot about the above quotes! Thanks for jogging my memory.

[–] forvanityssake 10 years ago

These are my favorites from the movie...

This one because it's fun to say:

Action: Cut the frabba-jabba.

And this hilarious exchange, for self-explanatory reasons:

Bernardo: Everywhere grime in America, organized crime in America, terrible time in America--

Anita: You forget I'm in America!

In the buildup to Anita's line there, you could even see "Bernardo" fighting a smile in anticipation. Watch the scene over again; I kid you not.

"Please! This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let's not bicker and argue over who killed who."

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

Thanks for the heads up! I remember and like those quotes too, forvanityssake.

The only thing is that West Side Story, for me, is a movie in which re-watching certain scenes and fast-forwarding to other scenes is much too difficult to do, because of my intense love for this great classic film. West Side Story, for me, is a film that has to be viewed from the very beginning all the way to the very end, including the credits, without interruption. The Intermission, however, is an exception, since that's an integral part of the screening of West Side Story, and I'm glad it was put back in.

[–] LaZedBoy 10 years ago

Boy oh Boy! As if this neighborhood wasn't crummy enough!

Name me one NYC cop who wouldn't prefer to trade what they have now for two gay dance gangs!

Spock! Form an away team! You, me, Bones, Scotty and umm... Ensign Smith!

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

Name me one NYC cop who wouldn't prefer to trade what they have now for two gay dance gangs!

What about one cop from any large city here in the United States?

[–] stevenackerman69 10 years ago

Now maybe a lot of cops would use excessive force. There is a lot of that in the news lately.

[–] BrotherNumpsie 10 years ago

I have not yet learned to joke that way. I think now, I never will.

Barnardo is always so HEALTHY after a good fight!

made you look

[–] durgent 10 years ago

Maria: Chino, how do you work this gun? By pooling thees likle tree-gar? (Chino jumps back slightly)

Her accent, & his reaction always make me laugh at what's meant to be a serious, dramatic moment.

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

Maria, to Anita: (referring to the upcoming rumble between the Jets and Sharks):

They fight each other tonight?"

Anita:

"They don't play patsy."

[–] LeahJayne 10 years ago

I just recently re-watched this movie, and remembered how magnificent it is :) My favourite song in the movie is "The Balcony Scene" between Tony and Maria and therein lies my favourite line in the whole movie:

"Goodnight, goodnight. Sleep well and when you dream...dream of me..."

So beautiful and romantic! There is so much passion and yearning in their voices. I wish more movies were made like this.