Research Catalog

Details

Description

1. 2 sound discs (ca. 81 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

1. Disc 1 (ca. 33 min.) Jerome Robbins discusses the problems with the final cut of the film West Side story (1961) and makes suggestions for re-editing the film. The main problem of the film, Robbins says, is the failure of the dance hall sequences to convey the rivalry between the Sharks and Jets. Comparing the film to the original Broadway show, Robbins critiques the lack of emotion and romance in Tony and Maria's meeting and in their balcony scenes, and the failure of the rumble scene to convey the "life-and-death" seriousness of the fight between the two gangs. Robbins concludes his discussion of the film with notes on the song "Something's coming" and the "Tonight" quintet. Remaining ca. 10 min. of disc contains two letters. In the first, to dancers Jay and Gwen Norman, Robbins expresses his disappointment in not being able to cast them in the European tour of his ballet company, Ballets: U.S.A. In the second, to writer and composer Paul Bowles, Robbins discusses his desire to use Bowles' score for a proposed, unrealized ballet entitled A visit of clowns. Robbins describes the ballet as a caricature of human beings expressed by American circus clowns, and he discusses his use of Bowles' score for the ballet.
2. Disc 2 (ca. 49 min.) [Audio is poor.] Robbins continues dictating letters and notes to his various friends and associates, including Doris Bedor. In a letter to Richard Buckle, Robbins discusses his ballet Events, set to a jazz score by Robert Prince; his desire to choreograph the ballet for dancer Eddie Verso; Verso's personality and qualities as a dancer; Robbins' desire to revive Claude Debussy's score, Six épigraphes antiques, originally used in his ballet, Ballade (1952) for a new ballet; and his desire to stage a pas de duex from his ballet, Summer day (1947); [Sound quality becomes poor ca. 25-27 min. into tape.] Robbins says more on the creation of his ballet Events, including his use of electronic music. Remainder of recording contains letters and notes to Barry Coughlin, Thatcher Clark, Jerry Maston and Pete Cameron, and instructions to his secretary. Letters end (ca. 46 min.) into disc. The remainder of recording contains an unidentified theatrical dialogue between a man and a woman.

Series statement

1. Jerome Robbins Collection

Alternative title

1. Dance Audio Archive.

Subject

1. Robbins, Jerome > Correspondence
2. Robbins, Jerome > Friends and associates
3. Robbins, Jerome > Career in motion pictures
4. Bernstein, Leonard, 1918-1990
5. Bowles, Paul, 1910-1999 > Correspondence
6. Buckle, Richard > Correspondence
7. Verso, Edward, 1941-
8. Ballets: U.S.A
9. West Side story (Motion picture)
10. Events (Choreographic work : Robbins)
11. Dance in motion pictures, television, etc
12. Dance > Production and direction

Call number

1. *MGZTL 4-3312 JRC

Note

1. Disc 1: 33 min. Disc 2: 49 min.
2. Dictated by Jerome Robbins to his secretary, Edith Weissman, probably in New York, N.Y.

Access (note)

1. Permission required.

Funding (note)

1. Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Source (note)

1. WNET/13

Biography (note)

1. Jerome Robbins co-directed the 1961 film West Side story with Robert Wise.

Author

1. Robbins, Jerome.

Title

1. Correspondence relating to the film, West Side story and other topics [sound recording]

Imprint

1. [1961?]

Series

1. Jerome Robbins Collection

Access

1. Permission required.

Funding

1. Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Local note

1. For transcript see *MGZMT 3-3312 JRC. The transcript was created by WNET/13 in connection with the documentary: Jerome Robbins: Something to dance about.

Biography

1. Jerome Robbins co-directed the 1961 film West Side story with Robert Wise.

Local note

1. Archival transcript: *MGZMTO 3-3312 JRC
2. Archive original: *MGZTO 7-3312 JRC
3. Preservation master: *MGZTP 10-3312 JRC
4. Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-3312 JRC

Source

1. Transcript Gift; WNET/13, 2008. NN-PD

Connect to:

1. Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Local subject

1. Audiotapes -- Robbins, J.

Research call number

1. *MGZTL 4-3312 JRC