Nicolas

Sawicky Monument Paper Rocky Balboa: An Icon of a City When you think of the city of Philadelphia, a few things come to mind: Ben

Franklin, the Liberty Bell, Cheesesteaks, and Rocky running up the now legendary Art Museum steps. These are people and things that truly define Philadelphia as a blue-collar city with a rich history. The most celebrated tourist attraction in all of Philly might be the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. People come from around the world and mimic the character Rocky Balboa by celebrating on top of the steps. This symbol is forever remembered with the bronze Rocky statue that was originally a movie prop for Rocky III and currently sits next to the steps of the Art Museum. Even with all the controversy surrounding the statue, it truly holds a special place in the imagery of Philadelphia. The academy award winning film Rocky is the story of an aspiring boxer named Rocky Balboa, whose day job is being an enforcer for a local loan shark. The job is a way for him to use his physical strength to pay the bills, but Rocky hates the things that come with his profession.1 He spends his nights at the gym, working on his boxing skills despite people telling him he is too old. He lives in a small house in a poor and bleak neighborhood. It is in this environment that a fictional hero is born. 1 Rocky, Roger Ebert, January 1st 1976 http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19760101/REVIEWS/ 601010307

Things begin to pick up for Rocky when the Heavy Weight Champion of the World is looking for a replace opponent for a New Years day boxing match, Rockys nickname, The Italian Stallion, catches Apollo Creeds eye and he decides to fight him. This opportunity then gives Rocky the ability to quit working as an enforcer and focus solely on training for the fight. The audience then witnesses Rockys training habits, where he uses the environment around him. Since he does not have access to expensive equipment, he instead resorts to things like chasing chickens and punching cow carcasses. All this culminates in the most memorable montages in film history. Starting at the crack of dawn, Rocky begins running along the desolate Philadelphia waterfront. You see him working the punching bags and doing other boxing exercises. He gets stronger and stronger, being able to run faster. The montages ends with him running up the Art Museum steps and when he reaches the top, he celebrates by raising his arms. What makes this scene so memorable is the backdrop of Philadelphia as Rocky jumps up and down with his hands raised.2 Even after seeing some of the most dismal locations of the city, it is all forgotten with that one shot of the city from the Art Museum. The movie ends with the New Years Day boxing match. Apollo Creed first takes Rocky lightly until Rocky knocks him on the ground. The intensity of the fight begins to reach a climax as the two men go punch for punch until the end. Apollo is declared the winner, but all Rocky cared about was that he proved that he could go 15 rounds with the World Heavy Weight Champion. As the press rushes into the ring, 2 Rocky I Training (High Definition) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iPFK5T_G3U&feature=fvst

Rocky ignores the interviewers and he yells over and over again Adrian, the love of his life. She is finally able to get through the crowd and in the final seconds of the film, she expresses her love to him and the image freezes. 3 It is final scene that brings the whole movie together and the audience can leave the theater happy knowing that Rocky won. The film Rocky means a lot to the city of Philadelphia. It helps outsiders understand the city more than any other film has done for other American cities. One city official declared that Rocky was the Best thing to happen to Philadelphia since Ben Franklin. Elliot Curson, president of Elliot Curson advertising calls Rocky Philadelphias signature movie because People understood New York, Washington, but they didnt understand Philadelphia. Sharon Pinkenson, the head of the city film office, stated It clearly gave a film reference to the world about PhiladelphiaThe film gives the city a visual identity and a cultural identity and a spiritual identity. 4 The story of Rocky and the story of Philadelphia are one in the same. Both underdogs, they have now risen to the occasion and made something of themselves. Former Mayor Edward G. Rendell, who is now the Governor of Pennsylvania, said: [Rocky] became the symbol for the city, and, to a degree, a metaphor for the city We still are more than, say, San Francisco or New York a working-class city, a little bit of an underdog of a city. The fact is, the story of Rocky does not hold true in the same way it did in the 1970s. During that time Philadelphia was in a transition 3 Rocky, Directed by John G. Avildsen, November 21, 1976 4 Philly Still Identifies with Rocky, Murray Dubin, Philadelphia Inquirer, Craig Zablos Stallon Zone, http://www.stallonezone.com/112301rockyphilly.html

from an industrial city to something new. Many people were out of jobs and the future was bleak. Rocky acts almost like a time capsule for this time in Philadelphias history. Bruce Kuklick, a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania said, I think people do identify the movie with Philadelphia because there is a sense that this is a down-and-dirty blue collar city. Rocky and his friends, a lot of them are out of work. Chris Klemek, a doctoral student in history at Penn adds, The movie is not about boxing, its about this character rambling around the streets looking for fulfillment. The character Rocky symbolizes so many people making their way through an impoverished postindustrial landscape.5 When this movie came out and won the academy award for Best Picture, it was like Philadelphia winning. Finally people were realizing that the city existed and understood what the life of a common man from South Philadelphia was like. The most famous scene from the film Rocky is the end of the workout montage where he runs up the Art Museum steps, signifying that he has completed his work and is now ready to take on Apollo Creed. This scene has caused tens-of- thousands of people to imitate Rocky and they too run up The Rocky Steps. The film has made the act of running up stairs a symbol for perseverance and determination. TV shows like The Simpsons have imitated this when their characters are preparing for something big, like when Lisa was preparing for a spelling Bee.6 Movies like You dont mess with the Zohan even parody the running up the steps, like 5 Philly Still Identifies with Rocky, Murray Dubin, Philadelphia Inquirer, Craig Zablos Stallon Zone, http://www.stallonezone.com/112301rockyphilly.html 6 Im Spelling as Fast as I Can, The Simpsons, February 16, 2003

when the character Phantom ran to the top of a sand dune after completing his training to fight Zohan.7 The steps also play a large role for everyday people from around the world. Each year, thousands of people run up the stairs and then enjoy the magnificent view of the Ben Franklin Parkway and the Philadelphia skyline.8 It is this fact that even caused one guy to publish a book aptly named, Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at Americas Most Famous Steps. In the forward of the book, Sylvester Stallone talks about what the steps symbolized in the movie and what they mean to people today. [Rocky] decides that the pinnacle of what will determine his success will be whether he is able to run up the steps of [The Art Museum]- A structure where he really doesnt understand whats inside, but only what it represents.9 When asked the question why people run up the stairs thirty years later, Stallone has a very interesting answer. Theres very few things, iconic situations, that are accessible. You know, you cant borrow Supermans cape. You cant use the Jedi laser sword. But the steps are there. The steps are accessible[Standing on the steps] you are part of the whole myth. 10 Stallone brings up some very interesting points. Accessibility is something that sets the Rocky Steps apart from other iconic scenes in movies. They are literally open to anyone who has the ambition to be like Rocky for a few seconds.

7 You Dont Mess With the Zohan, June 6th, 2008 8 The Rocky Statue and the Rocky Steps http://www.visitphilly.com/museums- attractions/philadelphia/the-rocky-statue-and-the-rocky-steps/ 9 Rocky Stories, Sylvester Stallone, 2006 10 Rocky Stories, Sylvester Stallone, 2006

The Rocky Statue is one of the first movie props to have a life outside of the movie it was used in. Although it was originally just a movie prop, a lot of attention to detail was given to it. The creator of the statue was world-renowned sculpture, A. Thomas Schomberg. Although the Rocky Statue was one of his first works, he has since done a sculpture for the American Olympic boxing team that died in a tragic plane crash and even a memorial to the volleyball Olympian, Flo Hyman who died during a match.11 In 1981, Schomberg was commissioned to create the now famous bronze statue of Rocky. It weighs two tons and reaches a height of eight and a half fee tall.12 The Statue debuted in theaters on May 28th, 1982. After the movie premier, one of the movie prop statues was donated to the city of Philadelphia. Sylvester Stallone hoped that the statue would remain atop the stairs, but city and art officials had other plans. The Statue was first moved to the Spectrum sports arena after the Art Museum board decided that a movie prop did not deserve to sit atop the steps of one of the greatest art museums in the world. This location did make some sense since this was the location for Rockys fights in the first two Rocky films. Unfortunately the Spectrum is in a section of the city that is filled with parking lots and sports complexes. This isolation from the rest of the Philadelphia tourist attractions caused the statue to be rarely visited.13 The statue then saw itself moved numerous times for movies that wanted the statue back at the top of the steps, most 11 A. Thomas Schomberg http://www.rockysculpture.com/profile.html 12 Prop Culture? Rocky Statue Blurs Art Line, Joel Rose, July 30th, 2006, NPR, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5593082 13 Prop Culture? Rocky Statue Blurs Art Line, Joel Rose, July 30th, 2006, NPR, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5593082

notably, Philadelphia and Rocky V. After being shot for these movies, the statue was given the disservice of being put in storage. The once famed statue stayed in storage for years until the idea was brought up by some city politicians to bring the statue back to its original spot atop the Art Museum. Just like before, the idea was met with harsh criticism from the art world that thought the statue would sully the internationally renowned museums image due to the statues exaggerated proportions and caricature.14 A compromise was eventually met in 2006 and the city art commission voted 6-2 to move the 2,000 pound bronze statue out of storage and put it on a street-level pedestal near the museum steps. This decision outraged the two men who voted against it and one of them, who was the president of the University of Arts, suggested he might resign from the commission over the vote and that placing the pugilist near the museum goes against the commissions desire to raise the standards of the city.15 Of course this argument does not make sense to the average Philadelphian who could care less if the Rocky Statue was deserving of being displayed near Renoirs and Monets. People know Rocky and can relate to him. Just like the steps, the statue is something you can touch and be in the presence of. It goes beyond just the statues physical being and instead means much more as a representation of

14 Rocky Balboa Statue Causes Controversy, Joann Lovigilo, Associated Press, http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2ugtEA0YW_QJ:www.the nichollsworth.com/news/2006/09/14/Lagniappe/Rocky.Balboa.Statue.Causes.Con troversy- 2280384.shtml+rocky+statue+controversy&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=saf ari&source=www.google.com 15 Rocky Balboa Statue Causes Controversy, Joann Lovigilo

overcoming odds and believing in ones self, something art connoisseurs fail to understand. Even though most of the population of Philadelphia will disagree with the two art aficionados who voted against bringing the statue back to the Art Museum, there is some truth to what they say. There is no doubt that Philadelphia was and continues to portray itself as a blue-collar city. But when looking at the city from the time of the first Rocky film and now, you can see a noticeable difference in how the city exists. Philadelphia is now home to numerous trendsetting restaurants by Stephen Starr, the location of numerous films by M. Night Shyamalan, and the first metropolitan area to offer citywide Wi-Fi access. Joey Sweeney, the writer behind philebrity.com, saw the transformation of the city firsthand and makes some interesting comparisons. Philadelphia was like the last great Soviet city. Everything was broken.16 He goes on to say, Certainly culturally, Philly is a better place to be now than it ever has been in my life. Being a lifetime resident of Philadelphia, I would have to agree with that statement. Over the past 20 years, Philadelphia has begun to grow out of that down-and-out city and risen to the opportunities it has been given. One of the more memorable events that put Philly in the spotlight was the world-televised concert, Live 8, in 2005. Philadelphia was one of the 11 locations chosen worldwide, and the only one in the United States.17 It is also no surprise that the Art Museum steps were the location of the concert, with the Ben Franklin Parkway as the place were over 1 million people stood and watched the 16 Philadelphia, Meet Your Future, Dan P. Lee, Philadelphia Magazine, http://www.phillymag.com/articles/philadelphia_meet_your_future/page2 17 Concert Locations, http://www.thelive8concert.com/live8locations.htm

performances. Just like Rocky Balboa, Philadelphia was down and out and then rose to the occasion and both Rocky and the city are now champions in their own right. The Rocky Statue has now been in its newest location for four years and has had time to settle into the Philadelphia landscape. Although many still hold hope that it will one day be moved a few hundred feet to the top of the Art Museum steps, it most likely has seen its last move. Its current location allows for a unique Rocky experience for tourists of all ages. Day after day, visitors run up the steps and mimic Rocky and then snap a group picture with the fictional icon that is just a few hundred feet away. Its come to the point where the steps and the statue compliment each other in a positive way. Tourists are getting two experiences instead of just one at the top of the steps. The reach that Rocky Balboa has on the world has also been noted in a book. Aptly named, Rock Stories: Tales of Love, Hope, and Happiness at Americas Most Famous Steps, the book captures the stories of people from all around the world who migrated to these steps and be channel their inner Rocky. From a high-school track team from Belfast, three busloads of professionals wrestling fans from Australia, a college rower from MaineThe story of Rocky inspired them, stirred them, and they felt they had to come here, like their movie hero, and share this liberal and cinematic high.18 This book, better than anything else captures the wide range of people that Rocky connected too. He is not just some idol that Philadelphians love, but a true inspiration to all of mankind. 18 Rocky Stories, Hall of Fame Magazine, http://www.hofmag.com/content/view/483/30/

Philadelphia is called many things. Whether it is The City of Brotherly Love or The Birthplace of America, you get a certain vibe when you visit the city. Before 1976, this was hard to describe to outsiders and many people did not understand the city like they did cities like Paris, New York, or Los Angles. Then a low budget filmed titled Rocky came along and won the hearts of people everywhere. Without even knowing it, Sylvester Stallone had made a film that not only told a riveting story of overcoming odds, but also defined a city in the process. Ever since debuting the film, the city has been linked to this picture like no other film in history. As time passed, the city began to get its own chance at redemption and took the world by storm. It is now one of the centers of fine arts and technology, while other cities around the world are crumbling and facing job loss. This act of over-coming the odds and reaching your potential is forever engrained in our heads as running up the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum, something millions of people have done since the premier of Rocky. Along with these steps is the now controversial movie prop from Rocky III, which saw its own challenges and ended up winning the final battle. The bronze Rocky Statue now stands tall at the base of the same steps Rocky once ran up and is greeted by tourists year-round. What other kind of movie prop would have had such an interesting story to tell and when faced with snobby art experts, would rise to the occasion and come out victorious?