Synopsis

Two street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, confront each other over control of a small cluster of blocks on New York’s West Side. The Sharks consist of Puerto Ricans who have recently moved to the city. Riff (Russ Tamblyn), leader of the Jets, enlists his friend Tony (Richard Beymer), the original founder of the Jets, to challenge the Sharks to a rumble to settle their differences. They plan to extend the challenge that evening at a local dance. Bernardo (George Chakiris), leader of the Sharks, brings his sister, Maria (Natalie Wood), newly arrived in America, to the dance. He intends her to be a date for his pal Chino, but Maria has no interest in him. She spots Tony at the dance, and the two of them fall in love at first sight. Bernardo is angry when he catches Maria dancing with Tony. Angrily, he accepts Riff’s challenge for a rumble. Later, Tony and Maria meet on the fire escape outside her window, and they declare their love for one another, despite the fact they come from different cultures.

When Bernardo and Riff meet for a war council at Doc’s candy store, Tony intervenes and gets the leaders to agree to a fair fight—no weapons—between the best men from each gang. The next day, when Tony meets Maria at the bridal shop where she works, Anita (Rita Moreno), Bernardo’s girlfriend, learns of their liaison, but agrees to keep quiet. Maria asks Tony to try to stop the planned fight. Tony heads to the scene of the battle, and tries to get the fight called off, but Riff and Bernardo get into a knife fight. Tony interferes, and Riff is stabbed. Dying, he hands his knife to Tony, who kills Bernardo as a full-fledged rumble breaks out. Chino heads off to tell Maria of her brother’s death, but is stunned when she seems more concerned about Tony. Chino gets a gun and vows to kill Tony. Meanwhile, Maria hides Tony in her room, deciding to elope with him. When Tony goes to Doc’s candy store to borrow money from the owner, Maria packs her bags. Lt. Schrank (Simon Oakland), investigating Bernardo’s death, visits Maria to question her. Maria sends Anita to warn Tony that she will be delayed. Instead, Anita is terrorized by the Jets when they encounter her at the store. Angry, she leaves a message for Tony that Maria was shot by Chino and is dead. When Tony hears this, he despairs and heads out into the night, hoping that Chino will kill him as well. Calling for Chino, Tony is startled to see Maria walking past the playground. They rush to greet each other, but Chino interferes and shoots Tony. The members of the two gangs come running at the sound of the shot and watch Tony die in Maria’s arms. She cries out in anger at all of them. The police arrive and arrest Chino. Three members of the Jets pick up Tony’s body, but when they falter, two members of the Sharks help them carry him off.