“Lights, camera, action” once echoed here. Today we explore the story of Hollywood in Philadelphia. This place is not the Hollywood you might expect. It is a place with a story deeply intertwined with the history of filmmaking in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s connection to movie-making began with the Lubin Manufacturing Company. Siegmund “Pop” Lubin founded it in 1902. He started by shooting homemade movies in his backyard. Between 1896 and 1916, Lubin produced over 3,000 movies. The company’s logo featured an image of the Liberty Bell. Sadly, Philadelphia did not play a prominent role in Lubin’s filmography.
After Lubin’s company faded, Philadelphia took on different cinematic roles. It became a setting for stories outside New York and Los Angeles. These were urban stories needing local color. In the mid-20th century, films depicted Philadelphia’s Main Line society. They showed a world of old money and rigid class distinctions.
“The Philadelphia Story” is the most famous of these films. Released in 1940, it starred Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant. The movie takes place in Main Line estates. Hepburn’s character must choose between three men. The city is barely seen. It’s only mentioned when Grant offers to pick up Stewart at a North Philadelphia train station. The film broke box office records and won Academy Awards.
As deindustrialization took hold in the 1970s, the city’s image shifted. Filmmakers focused on decaying factories and working-class neighborhoods. Philadelphia became a backdrop for directors like M. Night Shyamalan and David O. Russell. The state offered tax credits to film studios starting in 2004. This led to more anonymous appearances for Philadelphia in film.
The gritty movies of the 1970s and 1980s captured Philadelphia’s essence. “Rocky” is a prime example. The film shows a dark and sooty Kensington neighborhood. Sylvester Stallone’s character works as an enforcer. Everyone seems angry and stuck. David Lynch’s “Eraserhead” also reflects this post-industrial grit. Factories and ex-factories dominate the landscape. Lynch drew inspiration from his time living in a violent corner of Philadelphia.
More recently, films set in Philadelphia offer a new perspective. They lack old money glamour and postindustrial grime. “Silver Linings Playbook” takes place in white working-class suburbs. It shows a different side of the region.
However, Philadelphia often serves as a stand-in for “Anywhere U.S.A.” The Greater Philadelphia Film Office (GPFO) was created in the mid-1980s. It aimed to attract film productions to the region. Tax credits further incentivized filmmakers. But many movies used Philadelphia as a generic backdrop.
Despite these challenges, some films still capture the city’s unique spirit. “Creed,” the seventh sequel to “Rocky,” returns to neighborhood storytelling. Philadelphia’s film history has promising beginnings. Yet its position remains a pale shadow of what it could be.
Hollywood in Philadelphia. It is a reminder of the city’s complex relationship with the film industry. From early silent films to modern blockbusters, Philadelphia has played many roles on screen. The story continues to unfold.