Happy New Year to all our readers around the globe.

2017 is here. Now we begin the annual struggle to remember to write and include the New Year’s digits in all that we say and do. I wish you wonderfully and exceptionally well in all your do’s and say’s this year. You are the New Year’s people.

Tonight, we continue the viewings of the Oscar-award-winning Best Pictures. This project started last year on January 8, 2016 with the 1927-28 winner, the only truly silent film to win the outstanding picture award, “Wings.” On December 1, 2016, we finished the year with the sadly comedic winner, “The Apartment.” With and between the two in 2016, we watched thirty-three (33) Best Pictures in yearly order. I view this as an amazing accomplishment for 2016, and the resolution is to continue the process in 2017. A special “Thank You” to the thirty (30) brave souls who participated and completed the EthnoFamilyMovieOgraphy Survey form after the showings. We averaged 13.45 views per movie for a total of 444 in-crowd survey forms. Yes, the data is being tabulated.

Tonight is the 1961 winner, “West Side Story.”

“West Side Story” is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Natalie Wood plays Maria (Juliet) and Richard Beymer plays Tony (Romeo). The tale is of a turf war between rival teenage gangs in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen and the two lovers who cross the battle lines.

The film was nominated for 11 and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture at the 34th Academy Awards hosted by Bob Hope (his 7th time to host). “West Side Story” is the musical with the most Oscars and is consistently listed as one of the top musicals in cinema history. Only three films have received more Academy Awards at 11 (“Ben-Hur,” “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”).

Be here next week for some highlights from the survey results for “West Side Story.”

Also, next week I will give you the top-ten-rated Best Pictures of the 1920’s, 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s from the surveys and from a special one-time ranking by our viewing audience. Make your picks and be here to compare the results.

See you next week at the cinema.

And now, tonight’s show.

Grandpa Jim