By The Associated Press’s Dan Gelston
The city of Philadelphia Nearly 50 years after the first film began the enduring series of an underdog boxer persevering despite the odds, fans of Rocky Balboa are prepared to go the distance by bus, ice skates, or 72 stairs in celebration of Philadelphia’s favorite fictional fighter.
Philly, Adrian, and Yo accomplished it at last!
A year after the first Rocky Day was hosted at the Philadelphia Museum of Artsteps, the city where Rocky once lived finally has a week devoted to the world box office heavyweight champion.
Since it’s Rocky, a sequel is inevitable.
It’s RockyFest this year.
Over the weekend leading up to Tuesday’s kickoff event on December 3, the 1976 release date of Rocky, the Rocky Bus Tour acted as Round 1; local elementary school children ran the Rocky steps.
Rocky is then honored with a bus tour, a mural unveiling, movie marathons, RockyU talks about the timeless appeal of Sylvester Stallone’s most well-known character, and even look-alike competitions. The tour takes fans of Rocky through the city, stopping at the Italian Market where Rocky trained, the exterior of Mighty Mick’s Gym, and the fictional graves of Adrian and Paulie (not far from the real one for longtime Phillies announcer Harry Kalas).
Adam Clements, a tour leader, warned before a recent trip that there would be spoilers if no one had watched the film.
At a nearby ice rink, Rocky fans can even act out Rocky and Adrian’s first date.
The length of time it took Philadelphia to celebrate Rocky Balboa and the other eight films in the franchise (including the three Creed flicks) seems almost as unlikely as Rocky Balboa’s 15-round bout with champion Apollo Creed.
FILE: On Friday, April 6, 2018, Sylvester Stallone posed for a picture promoting “Creed II” in Philadelphia in front of the Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Art Museum. (Photo by Michael Perez/AP)AP
Rocky is as much a part of the city’s fabric as the Liberty Bell and the Founding Fathers, whether locals like it or not.
The Rocky statue at the foot of the museum steps already has a line that frequently stretches around the corner for the majority of the day before most fans even eat their first raw egg of the day. At athletic events, movie snippets are shown repeatedly, generally Adrian pleading for Rocky to win on the big screen. Before the start of every Eagles game, the strains of Gonna Fly Now start to rise. As a demanding homage to their legendary champion, Rocky’s devoted fans run a 50-kilometer race every year that follows his trumped-up training course.
A short distance from the museum’s display of paintings by Claude Monet and Paul C. Zanne, there is even a souvenir stand at the steps that offers soft Clubber Lang toys and Italian Stallion costumes.
There is something for everyone, so pick your favorite canvas.
No actors were anticipated to attend this year’s celebrations, despite the fact that Michael B. Jordan and Stallone had previously stopped by the Rocky steps for promotional purposes.
The 78-year-old Stallone did make an appearance at a rain-soaked Rocky Day last year, and he gave the city as much credit for the character’s success as the seasoned fighter did on film.
“I have traveled all over the world,” Stallone remarked. But for some reason, I become excited and inspired by these 72 stages. It seems like you’ve reached the pinnacle and are filled with inspiration, specialness, hope, and happiness. Above all, be proud of who you are. Since you all live your lives according to your own terms, do your hardest, and never stop punching, you are all real-life Rockys, whether you realize it or not.
In addition to winning a Best Picture Oscar in 1976, the movie tied for second place in the AP Top 25 favorite sports movies poll in 2020.
FILE – On Friday, November 6, 2015, in Philadelphia, fans assemble close to a press conference where actors Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson are promoting their movie “Creed” outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Photo by Matt Slocum/AP)
RockyFest, which runs until December 8, was created by the Philadelphia Visitors Center in part to provide fans of the series a long-overdue appreciation and to introduce visitors and locals to movie locations outside of the bronze statue.
According to Maita Soukup of the Philadelphia Visitor’s Center, there was nothing here to formally welcome the tourists who came every day for years to take their picture with the Rocky monument. Despite being a popular tourist destination, the Rocky monument and steps lacked any visitor services infrastructure, including maps and signage. We intended to open a visitor center here for that reason. Sly Stallone contacted us during the city’s pursuit of it, saying, “Let’s work together on this.”
If the first festival is a success, expect II, III, IV, and more, much like Rocky.
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