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Re-Using a Popular Film Name

So, I'm writing the script for my first feature, and I want it to be serious, it's a comedy but I want it to be taken seriously as a comedy, if that makes sense.

It's a film about rowing, and in Buffalo, the big rowing club is called the West Side Rowing Club.

So I figured I'd call the film "A West Side Story."

The film isn't a nod to the classic film, nor is it meant to be a joke or reference, do you think I can get away with using my name?
 
You can "get away" with it. You can feel free to use that name. But it will invoke images of "West Side Story" in your potential audience. The fact that it's a comedy will probably lead to it being taken less seriously than it would should it have a different name. But why do you figure you'd give it this title? Why not come up with something original?
 
There was a bit of hoo-har in the last year or so about film names. While a title itself isn't copyrightable, names that can be used in cinema is (if I understand this right) policed by the MPAA, which you'll need to go through if you want to show your movie in a American cinema without having an X/unrated rating. See the news about "The Butler" for more information on this topic.

As for names, you can also tread on trademarks. Since you're taking a name of another film, you may step on their trademark. For more on this, see the mock buster company (cannot remember their name at this time) that used the name Hobbit in the title. They were slapped with an injunction stopping the sale of any item with Hobbit in the title.

It's something you should consult with your entertainment lawyer / E&O insurer.
 
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