Cultural depictions of Philadelphia
Cultural depictions of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania range from depictions of major historical events to the city being used as a minor backdrop.
Painting and sculpture
Date | Title | Artist | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1771 | Penn's Treaty with the Indians | Benjamin West | Oil on canvas |
1811 – c. 1813 | Members of the City Troop and Other Philadelphia Soldiery | John Lewis Krimmel | Watercolor, gouache, and graphite |
1817 | Declaration of Independence | John Trumbull | Oil on canvas |
1827 | "William Penn's Treaty with the Indians, 1682" | Nicholas Gevelot | Sandstone frieze located in the United States Capitol rotunda. |
1875 | The Gross Clinic | Thomas Eakins | Oil on canvas depiction of Jefferson Medical College's amphitheater.[1] |
Literature
Date | Title | Author | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1798 | Wieland (novel) | Charles Brockden Brown | |
1844 | Morning on the Wissahiccon | Edgar Allan Poe | |
1844 | The Quaker City | George Lippard[2] | |
1899 | The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study | W. E. B. Du Bois | Sociological study of life for African Americans in late 19th century Philadelphia. |
1912 | The Financier | Theodore Dreiser | First volume of the Cowperwood trilogy. |
1939 | Kitty Foyle | Christopher Morley | Later turned into the film Kitty Foyle.[2] |
1942 | Liberty Belle | Don Cameron & Chuck Winter, creators | Charlton Comics superheroine whose powers were originally tied to the ringing of the Liberty Bell. First appeared in Boy Commandos #1 (Winter 1942). Rights currently owned by DC Comics. |
1956 | Down There | David Goodis | Later turned into the film Shoot the Piano Player. |
1957 | The Philadelphian | Richard P. Powell | |
1974 | Oreo | Fran Ross | |
1990 | Philadelphia Fire | John Edgar Wideman | Based on the events surrounding the 1985 bombing of the MOVE house by the Philadelphia Police Department. |
1993 | Flyy Girl | Omar Tyree | Features the character Tracy Ellison. |
1988 - 2003 | Badge of Honor (novel series) | W. E. B. Griffin | Series about detectives in the Philadelphia Police Department. |
1998–present | Heart of the City | Mark Tatulli | Daily comic strip.[3] |
1999 | The Resurrectionist (Old Philadelphia Mystery Series) | Mark Graham | |
2000 | For the Love of Money | Omar Tyree | Sequel to Flyy Girl. |
2001 | Epsilon | John J. Rust | |
2005 | The Woman in the Wilderness | Johnathan D. Scott | About the life of Johannes Kelpius. |
2005 | Boss Lady | Omar Tyree | Omar Tyree's third Tracy Ellison novel. |
2006 | The Blonde[4] | Duane Swierczynski |
Music
Date | Title | Artist/Group | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1818 | "Philadelphia Fireman's Cotillion" | Francis Johnson | |
1879 | "O Dem Golden Slippers" | James A. Bland | Theme song from the Philadelphia Mummers New Year's Day Parade. |
1958 | "Philadelphia Baby" | Charlie Rich | |
1963 | "South Street" | The Orlons | |
1964 | "Dancing in the Street" | Martha and the Vandellas | |
1970 | "Move Closer to Your World" | Al Ham | Theme song from WPVI-TV's "Action News" broadcast since 1972. |
1973 | "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" | MFSB | This tune and its subsequent cover versions served as the theme song from the dance and music television series Soul Train for much of the period from 1973 to 2006. |
1975 | "Philadelphia Freedom" | Elton John | Inspired by Billie Jean King and the Philadelphia Freedoms tennis team. |
1975 | "Lookout Joe" | Neil Young | Contains the line "Remember Millie from down in Philly? She took my brain, and forgot my name." |
1976 | "Gonna Fly Now" | Bill Conti | Theme song from the Rocky film series. The song is closely associated with the city of Philadelphia in general, and with the front steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in particular. |
1982 | "Atlantic City" | Bruce Springsteen | The first line, "Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night now they blew up his house too," refers to the murder of mobster Philip Testa in 1981. |
1982 | "Mt. Airy Groove" | Pieces of a Dream | Tribute to the Mount Airy section of Northwest Philadelphia. |
1983 | "Fo-Fi-Fo" | Pieces of a Dream | Inspired by the Philadelphia 76ers' NBA championship in the 1982-83 season, with the team winning the three rounds of the playoffs in "four, five, four" games, respectively. |
1985 | "Punk Rock Girl" | The Dead Milkmen | The lyrics reference Zipperhead and the Philly Pizza Company, both on South Street (Philadelphia) |
1985 | "The Roof Is on Fire" | Rockmaster Scott and the Dynamic Three | Though commonly assumed to have been inspired by the 1985 bombing of the MOVE house by the Philadelphia Police Department, the single predated the MOVE bombing by a year. |
1988 | "Parents Just Don't Understand" | DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince | Contains the line "We headed downtown to the Gallery Mall." |
1989 | "Beat Up Guitar" | The Hooters | The Lyrics mention several streets in Philadelphia, along with these lines in the chorus, "From the town that rocked the nation; Philadelphia, PA" |
1990 | "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" | DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince | Theme song from the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The title character notes that he is from "West Philadelphia, born and raised." |
1991 | "Motownphilly" | Boyz II Men | |
1991 | "Summertime" | DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince | Contains the line "Back in Philly we be out in the park, a place called the Plateau is where everybody goes" (reference to Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park). |
1993 | "Philadelphia" | Neil Young | Written for the film Philadelphia. |
1993 | "Streets of Philadelphia" | Bruce Springsteen | Written for the film Philadelphia. |
1994 | "All Around the World" | Boyz II Men | |
1996 | "Got My Mind Made Up" | Tupac Shakur | Contains the line "I rock from here to there, to Philly and back." |
1996 | "Long Island Degrees" | De La Soul | Contains the line "characters have the tendency to con themselves to think the East Coast is only New York and Philadelph." |
1996 | "Can't Knock the Hustle" | Jay-Z | Contains the line "High stakes, I got more at stake than Philly." |
2000 | "Right and Exact" | Dilated Peoples | Contains the line "from Cali to Philly to the Circus of Piccadilly." |
2001 | "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" | Beanie Sigel | Contains the line "'Bout to take over the city of Philly like John Street." |
2002 | "Block Party" | Will Smith | Mentions a plan to buy hundreds of cheesesteaks from Ishkabibble's Eatery, Jim's Steaks, and Pat's King of Steaks for a block party. |
2003 | "All My Life" | Freeway | Contains the line "From Cali to Philly, Philly to Cali, I deliver the goods, haulin' a milli. |
2005 | "Sound of Philadelphia" | Reef the Lost Cauze | Feature song on Philadelphia rapper's 2005 album Feast or Famine. |
2007 | "Ms. Philadelphia" | Musiq Soulchild | |
2007 | "Goodbye Philadelphia" | Peter Cincotti |
Music video
Date | Title | Artist/Group | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Everything Good Takes Time | Jeffrey Osborne | Tribute to Julius Erving upon his retirement from the Philadelphia 76ers. | |
1991 | Summertime | DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince | ||
1993 | Streets of Philadelphia | Bruce Springsteen | ||
1993 | Freedom of '76 | Ween | Spike Jonze directed this tribute to the soul groups of the 70's, showing Ween stealing the Liberty Bell. | |
2000 | Justfriends (Sunny) | Musiq Soulchild | ||
2000 | Gettin' in the Way | Jill Scott | ||
2001 | A Long Walk | Jill Scott | ||
2001 | Floetic | Floetry |
Theater
Date | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1848 | Philadelphia in 1848 | Text of play no longer exists.[2] |
1939 | Philadelphia Story | Play written by Philip Barry and later adapted into a film.[2] |
1969 | 1776 | Broadway musical, later adapted into a film. |
1980 | Zooman and the Sign | Off Broadway play written by Charles Fuller, first performed by the Negro Ensemble Company. |
2004 | Love on Lay-Away | Play written by David E. Talbert. |
Film
Date | Title | Country | Notes | IMDB |
---|---|---|---|---|
1926 | The Show Off | USA | Silent film based on the play by George Kelly. Stars Ford Sterling. | |
1933 | 42nd Street | USA | Busby Berkeley musical, ending takes place in Philadelphia. | |
1934 | The Show-Off | USA | Based on the play by George Kelly. Stars Spencer Tracy. | |
1940 | The Philadelphia Story | USA | Stars Jimmy Stewart, Katharine Hepburn, and Cary Grant. Takes place on the Main Line, based on a play.[2] | |
1940 | Kitty Foyle | USA | Based on a 1939 novel.[2] | |
1941 | The Big Store | USA | Stars the Marx Brothers. | |
1946 | The Show-Off | USA | Based on the play by George Kelly. Stars Red Skelton. | |
1957 | The Burglar | USA | Based on the book by David Goodis. | |
1959 | The Young Philadelphians | USA | Based on Richard P. Powell's novel The Philadelphian. Stars Paul Newman and Robert Vaughn. | |
1964 | Marnie | USA | Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. | |
1967 | The Happiest Millionaire | USA | Musical about Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Sr. | |
1968 | High School | USA | Documentary | |
1972 | 1776 | USA | Adapted from Broadway musical. | |
1973 | Trick Baby | USA | Stars Kiel Martin and Mel Stewart. | |
1976 | Rocky | USA | Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone.[5] | |
1978 | Dawn of the Dead | Italy/USA | Sequel to Night of the Living Dead. Directed by George A. Romero. | |
1979 | Rocky II | USA | Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. | |
1981 | Blow Out | USA | Directed by Brian De Palma.[5] | |
1981 | Bustin' Loose | USA | Stars Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson. | |
1982 | Rocky III | USA | Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. | |
1982 | Fighting Back | USA | Vigilante Picture. | |
1983 | Trading Places | USA | Stars Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy.[5] | |
1984 | Birdy | USA | Directed by Alan Parker. | |
1984 | The Philadelphia Experiment | USA | Based on the urban legend of the Philadelphia Experiment. | |
1985 | Rocky IV | USA | Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. | |
1985 | Witness | USA | Stars Harrison Ford.[5] | |
1986 | The Bombing of Osage Avenue | USA | Documentary on the 1985 bombing of the MOVE house by the Philadelphia Police Department, as told from the perspective of the neighboring residents of Osage Avenue. Written and narrated by Toni Cade Bambara. | |
1987 | Mannequin[5] | USA | ||
1988 | Stealing Home | USA | Starring Mark Harmon and Jodie Foster | |
1990 | Downtown | USA | Directed by Richard Benjamin. Stars Anthony Edwards and Forest Whitaker. | |
1990 | Rocky V | USA | Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. | |
1991 | Mannequin 2 | USA | ||
1993 | Money for Nothing | USA | Stars John Cusack. | |
1993 | Philadelphia | USA | Stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.[5] | |
1995 | Twelve Monkeys | USA | Directed by Terry Gilliam.[5] | |
1995 | Two Bits | USA | Directed by James Foley. | |
1996 | Up Close & Personal | USA | ||
1998 | Wide Awake | USA | Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. | |
1998 | Fallen | USA | Directed by Gregory Hoblit, starring Denzel Washington. | |
1999 | The Sixth Sense | USA | Directed M. Night Shyamalan, stars Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment.[5] | |
2000 | Best in Show | USA | Mockumentary about five entrants in a prestigious Philadelphia dog show. Directed by Christopher Guest. | |
2000 | Unbreakable | USA | Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, stars Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson.[5] | |
2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | USA | Directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Haley Joel Osment. | |
2002 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind | USA | Based on the autobiography by Chuck Barris. Directed by George Clooney, stars Sam Rockwell. | |
2002 | State Property | USA | Stars Beanie Sigel. | |
2003 | Death by Association | USA | Written and directed by Anthony L. Fletcher. | |
2003 | My Architect: A Son's Journey | USA | Documentary on architect Louis Kahn. | |
2004 | The 24th Day | USA | ||
2004 | Fat Albert | USA | Based on the animated television series by Bill Cosby. | |
2004 | National Treasure | USA | Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, stars Nicolas Cage.[5] | |
2005 | E-A-G-L-E-S: The Movie | USA | Documentary on the Philadelphia Eagles' 2004 season. | |
2005 | A History of Violence | USA | Directed by David Cronenberg, based on a graphic novel. | |
2005 | In Her Shoes | USA | Directed by Curtis Hanson, starring Cameron Diaz.[5] | |
2005 | Shadowboxer | USA | ||
2005 | State Property 2 | USA | Stars Beanie Sigel. | |
2005 | Train Ride | USA | ||
2006 | 10th & Wolf | USA | Directed by Robert Moresco.[6] | |
2006 | Invincible | USA | Based on the real life story of former Philadelphia Eagles player and Philadelphia native Vince Papale starring Mark Wahlberg as Papale and Greg Kinnear as Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil | |
2006 | Lady in the Water | USA | Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. | |
2006 | Rocky Balboa | USA | Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. | |
2006 | The Shame of a City | USA | Documentary on the 2003 Philadelphia mayoral campaign between John F. Street and Sam Katz. | |
2007 | Pride | USA | Directed by Sunu Gonera, starring Terrence Howard.[7] Based upon the life of swimming coach Jim Ellis. | |
2007 | Shooter | USA | Directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Mark Wahlberg.[8] | |
2008 | Cover | USA | Film starring Aunjanue Ellis. | |
2008 | Then She Found Me | USA | Directed by Helen Hunt. Based on the novel by Elinor Lipman. | |
2008 | Marley & Me | USA | Starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. American comedy-drama film, based on a true story. The family moves to the Philadelphia area, specifically southern Chester County, west of the city. | |
2008 | Baby Mama | USA | Starring Tina Fey. | |
2008 | The Happening | USA | Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. | |
2009 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | USA | Directed by Michael Bay. | |
2009 | Law Abiding Citizen | USA | Directed by F. Gary Gray. | |
2010 | Devil (2010 film) | USA | Directed by John Erick Dowdle. | |
2011 | Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles | USA | Directed by Jon Foy. | |
2012 | Silver Linings Playbook | USA | Directed by David O. Russell. |
Television
Date | Series | Notes | IMDB |
---|---|---|---|
1941–present | Philadelphia Mummers New Year's Day Parade | Held annually on January 1 on Broad Street since 1901. First televised in 1941. Broadcast rights are currently held by WPHL-TV (Philadelphia). | |
1952 - 1964 | American Bandstand | Dance and music show hosted by Dick Clark, first locally on WFIL-TV (Philadelphia) as Bandstand, then nationally on ABC as American Bandstand. The show moved to Los Angeles in 1964. | |
1965 - 1978 | The Mike Douglas Show | Syndicated talk show hosted by Mike Douglas. Moved to Los Angeles in 1978. | |
1968 - 2012 | One Life to Live | ABC daytime drama (same-day rebroadcasts on SOAPnet from 2000 to 2012). Setting is the fictional town of Llanview, Pennsylvania, which is modeled after the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. | |
1969 | Hey, Hey, Hey: It's Fat Albert | NBC live action/animated special. Precursor to the Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids animated series. | |
1970 - 2011 | All My Children | ABC daytime drama (same-day rebroadcasts on SOAPnet from 2000 to 2011). Setting is the fictional town of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, which is described as a Philadelphia suburb on the Main Line. | |
1972 - 1984 | Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids | CBS children's animated series. Philadelphia setting not specified, but the show was based on Bill Cosby's coming of age in Philadelphia. | |
1973 - 1986 | Schoolhouse Rock! - America Rock | ABC series of educational animated short films, designed to teach children about American history through song. "Fireworks" deals with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, while "Preamble" covers the drafting of the Constitution. The chorus to "Preamble" is a verbatim recitation (less four words) of the actual Preamble to the Constitution. Aired between Saturday morning cartoons on a rotating basis along with other Schoolhouse Rock! short films. | |
1976 - 1978 | The Tony Randall Show | ABC sitcom. | |
1979 | Blacks in America: With All Deliberate Speed? | CBS News two-part documentary. In Part 2, Ed Bradley travels to his hometown of Philadelphia, to assess how African Americans have fared in the 25 years following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed public school segregation. Aired July 25, 1979. | |
1979 - 1980 | Angie | ABC sitcom. | |
1981 - 1987 | Dancin' on Air | Dance and music show, aired locally weekdays on WPHL-TV (Philadelphia). | |
1983 | Grace Kelly | ABC made-for-television movie. Biopic chronicling the life of actress Grace Kelly, from her childhood in Philadelphia until her wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco. | |
1984 - 1989 | Brothers | Showtime comedy series. | |
1985 | Live Aid | Multi-venue benefit rock concert held on July 13, 1985 to aid famine relief in Ethiopia. One of the major venues was JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Concert was broadcast live to 1.5 billion viewers in over 100 countries. | |
1986 - 1991 | Amen | NBC sitcom. | |
1986 - 1993 | Double Dare | Nickelodeon game show for children. Originated from the studios of PBS member station WHYY-TV (Philadelphia). | |
1987 | Frontline | PBS documentary series. Episode entitled "The Bombing of West Philly" examines the 1985 bombing of the MOVE house by the Philadelphia Police Department. Aired May 5, 1987. | |
1987 - 1988 | Bustin' Loose | Syndicated sitcom. Based on the Richard Pryor film. | |
1987 - 1991 | thirtysomething | ABC drama. | |
1989 - 1991 | Shannon's Deal | NBC drama. | |
1990 - 1996 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | NBC sitcom. Frequent references to the titular character's hometown of Philadelphia, including the West Philadelphia section (which is mentioned in the theme song). | |
1992 | You Bet Your Life | Syndicated game show hosted by Bill Cosby (remake of the original, hosted by Groucho Marx). | |
1993 - 2000 | Boy Meets World | ABC sitcom. | |
1994 | The Oprah Winfrey Show | Syndicated talk show. Episode highlighting the city of Philadelphia aired May 23, 1994. | |
1994 | Philly Heat | ABC miniseries about members of the Philadelphia Fire Department. | |
1995 - 1997 | Brotherly Love | NBC/WB sitcom. | |
1996 | Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Case for Reasonable Doubt? | HBO documentary. Examines the conviction and death sentence of journalist/activist Mumia Abu-Jamal for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. | |
1998 | Africans in America: America's Journey Through Slavery | PBS miniseries/documentary. Part 3, entitled "Brotherly Love", examines colonial Philadelphia and its community of free African Americans. | |
1998 | The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon | ABC made-for-television movie. | |
1999 | The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer | NBC miniseries. Dramatizes the 1977 murder of Holly Maddux and the decades-long pursuit of her accused killer, environmental activist Ira Einhorn. | |
2000 - 2006 | Little Bill | CBS cartoon. | |
2000 - 2006 | Strong Medicine | Lifetime Television medical drama. | |
2001 | Carmen: A Hip Hopera | MTV made-for-television musical, starring Beyoncé Knowles and Mekhi Phifer. Modern interpretation of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, set in modern Philadelphia and Los Angeles. | |
2001 - 2002 | Philly | ABC drama. | |
2002 - 2005 | American Dreams | NBC drama. American Bandstand's presence in Philadelphia in the 1960s is central to the major premise of the series. | |
2002 - 2004 | Hack | CBS drama. | |
2003 - 2010 | Cold Case | CBS drama. | |
2004 | The Big House | ABC sitcom. | |
2004–present | Living It Up with Patti LaBelle | TV One lifestyle show. Moderate number of the episodes highlight persons and places from the host's hometown of Philadelphia. | |
2004 - 2005 | The Real World: Philadelphia | MTV reality series. | |
2005 | Live 8 | Multi-venue benefit pop music concert held on July 2, 2005 as a means of pressuring the G8 nations to: increase aid to Africa, negotiate fairer trade rules, and cancel the debt of the world's poorest nations. One of the major venues was the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Concert was broadcast intermittently in the United States on MTV and VH1. | |
2005 | The Amazing Race: Family Edition | CBS reality series. The first leg of the race ended in Philadelphia. | |
2005–present | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | FX sitcom. | |
2006 - 2007 | The Class | CBS sitcom. | |
2006 - 2010 | 'Til Death | Fox sitcom. The characters have telephone numbers with area code 215, indicating that the setting is the Philadelphia metropolitan area. | |
2008 | American Idol 7 | Fox reality series. Northeast regional auditions held at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Aired on January 15, 2008. | |
2008 | Parking Wars | A&E Network reality series spotlighting the Philadelphia Parking Authority. | |
2009 | Halls of Fame | Upcoming drama series inspired by the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. To be produced by Starz Media. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges will serve as co-executive producer. | |
2011–Present | Body of Proof | ABC drama. |
Video Games
Date | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2000 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 | |
2004 | Tony Hawk's Underground 2 | |
2010 | Heavy Rain | Cited by the designers as strongly influenced by Philadelphia |
2015 | Homefront: The Revolution |
See also
References
- ↑ Salisbury, Stephan (November 11, 2006). "City art icon about to be sold". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Wainwright, Nicholas; Russell Weigley and Edwin Wolf (1982). Philadelphia: A 300-Year History. W.W. Norton & Company. p. 334. ISBN 0-393-01610-2.
- ↑ Rosenberg, Amy (March 8, 2007). "The warped world of 'Lio'". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ↑ Hiltbrand, David (November 21, 2006). "Guy goes into a bar, in Philly airport.". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 Brookes, Karin; John Gattuso, Lou Harry, Edward Jardim, Donald Kraybill, Susan Lewis, Dave Nelson and Carol Turkington (2005). Zoë Ross, ed. Insight Guides: Philadelphia and Surroundings (Second Edition (Updated) ed.). APA Publications. pp. 78–79. ISBN 1-58573-026-2.
- ↑ Atkinson, Michael (August 22, 2006). "'10th & Wolf'". The Village Voice.
- ↑ Rea, Steven (March 23, 2007). "'Pride' lacks pride of place". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2007-07-02.
- ↑ Rea, Steven (March 23, 2007). "A good soldier, suitable for framing". The Philadelphia Inquirer.