Natalie Wood was reportedly left furious after learning that much of her singing in the 1961 musical *West Side Story* had been replaced by the voice of singer Marni Nixon. The episode matters because it illustrates Hollywood’s long-standing practice of using uncredited “ghost singers”, even for a leading performer in one of the era’s most celebrated films.

According to Nixon, Wood believed she was recording the songs for the film while producers privately indicated that Nixon’s vocals would be used instead. Nixon said the producers’ behaviour made her uncomfortable, and that Wood later left the studio in anger when told; Nixon’s contribution was initially uncredited, despite the film’s major success and ten Academy Awards.