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Computer Fun
West Side Story presents a classic version of "Romeo and Juliet", but with native New Yorkers pitted against immigrant Puerto Ricans instead of Montagues and Capulets. The ethnic battle rages as a music and dance contest, and Russ Tamblyn as "Rif" is the key to our question.
Say what you will about Russ Tamblin's gymnastics ability (as evidenced in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), singing was never his strong point.
Tamblyn was criticized for trying to artificially lower the register of his voice in many of the songs. In "Jet Song" his vocal range was pitched to a very "whale-like" low to scare away the "Sharks" (the competing gang to Rif's "Jets").
"Gee, Officer Krupke!" is quite like the whale songs of Orcas in Puget Sound, near where composer Leonard Bernstein was studying with marine biologists while writing the melody for this tune. No one is suggesting anything about the lyrics.
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