Portal:Philadelphia/Selected picture/August 2008

credit: Bobak

A bronze statue of Rocky was commissioned by Sylvester Stallone in 1983. Created by A. Thomas Schomberg three 2-ton, 10-foot copies were cast. One was installed atop the steps for the filming of Rocky III. After filming was complete, a debate erupted in Philadelphia between the Art Museum and the City's Art Commission over the meaning of "art." City officials, who argued that the statue was not "art" but a "movie prop," eventually moved it to the front of the Wachovia Spectrum in South Philadelphia. On September 8, 2006, the Rocky statue was returned again to the Art Museum and placed on a pedestal in a grassy area near the foot of the steps to the right of the Museum. The unveiling ceremony included live music, the debut of the first full trailer for Rocky Balboa, and a free showing of the first Rocky movie.