Anita in West Side Story (1961 film)

E517589

Anita in *West Side Story* (1961 film) is the vibrant, sharp-tongued Puerto Rican girlfriend of Bernardo who serves as a key emotional and cultural bridge between the Sharks and the Jets.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional character
film character
affiliation Sharks
appearsIn West Side Story (1961 film)
linked to: West Side Story
associatedWithTheme assimilation
cultural identity
immigration
racial tension
basedOn Anita (West Side Story stage musical character)
costumeElement colorful dresses
createdBy Arthur Laurents
danceStyle Latin dance
jazz dance
ethnicity Puerto Rican
fictionalUniverse West Side Story
filmDirector Jerome Robbins
Robert Wise
filmReleaseYear 1961
gender female
hairColor dark
inspiredBy Rosalia (early drafts and stage variants)
languageSpoken English
Spanish
loveInterestOf Bernardo
lyricsBy Stephen Sondheim
medium live-action film
musicBy Leonard Bernstein
narrativeFunction cultural bridge between Sharks and Jets
emotional bridge between Sharks and Jets
nationality Puerto Rican
notableDialogue lines expressing disillusionment with America after Bernardo’s death
notableScene drugstore assault scene
occupation seamstress
performsInNumber Dance at the Gym
personalityTrait confident
pragmatic
sharp-tongued
vibrant
portrayalAward Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (won by Rita Moreno)
portrayedBy Rita Moreno
roleInStory friend and confidante of Maria
girlfriend of Bernardo
romanticPartner Bernardo
setting New York City
singsSong A Boy Like That
America

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Rita Moreno notableRole Anita in West Side Story (1961 film)
Valarie Pettiford notableRole Anita in West Side Story (stage)
linked to: Anita in West Side Story (1961 film)