List of SEPTA-related films and TV programs

The Rocky 1 movie took place in Kensinton along the Frankford El. The 2nd movie I believe he purchased a house in South Philly. Part 5 hes back in Kensignton

Here's a movie that no one thought of. Its called "Trick Baby" which was filmed entirely in Philly, mostly West Philly back in 1973. It starred Kiel Martin who played La Rue on Hill St Blues and another actor whose name I don't know but he played George Jefferson's brother Henry on The Jeffersons.


There's this scene where Kiel's character is being chased by a crooked cop who wants him dead and he runs down Market St towards 52nd St and runs ups the the eastbound el platform, sees a westbound M3 approching and jumps across the tracks just in time and gets on the westbound el.

Original Rocky trailer, includes M3s.

Septaman113 wrote:Here's a movie that no one thought of. Its called "Trick Baby" which was filmed entirely in Philly, mostly West Philly back in 1973. It starred Kiel Martin who played La Rue on Hill St Blues and another actor whose name I don't know but he played George Jefferson's brother Henry on The Jeffersons.


There's this scene where Kiel's character is being chased by a crooked cop who wants him dead and he runs down Market St towards 52nd St and runs ups the the eastbound el platform, sees a westbound M3 approching and jumps across the tracks just in time and gets on the westbound el.

Wow.. very obscure movie. my compliments!

"Renegades" featuring Lou Diamond Phillips jumping from the roof of one M3 to another going in the opposite direction near the Front St portal. He gets on the train in Toronto. A Toronto subway station is outfitted with Septa maps and signage. The Toronto cars look a little like the M3s.

Theres another movie and I cant remember the name of it or who was in it, but it was filmed while I was in highschool 93-97. It was filmed on the Frankford El at the York Dauphin El stop and the M3 cars had the Letter N in a yellow to make it look like a NYC subway car. I remember the car running for a bit with those decals on before the were removed.

Here's another movie: "The In Crowd" (1988) with Donovan Leitch and Joe Pantoliano. A 60's American Bandstand type movie with Pantoliano playing a character similar to Jerry Blavat. Several scenes were shot either at a CH West or CH East (I'm not really sure) station. I remember a scene with a passenger bridge over the tracks. There may of also been a night scene of a passing train.

Fallen with Denzel Washington, although the subway tunnel scene I think was PATCO just east of Franklin Square. Denzel was hiding out after running from the bad guys at 30th St, so the implication was that it was near 30th.
Although shot in Philly the movie didn't mention the town by name, so I guess it was ok that they messed around with the local geography.
Of course in the movie everybody thought Denzel was the bad guy. He was wrongly accused.

There's a movie from (1987?) called 'Stealing Home' starring Mark Harmon and Jodi Foster that looks like it was entirely shot in the Chestnut Hill area. In the movie there's several shots of Silverliner IV's dressed as PRR (w/keystones!) and interior shots of Mark Harmon on the train.
Also 'Blowout' features a scene actually shot inside the Reading Terminal (circa 1980) where the trainboard clearly shows the track # for the Crusader! It's the only film I know of inside Reading Terminal. Pretty cool.

Nacho66, you owe me royalties. I already mentioned it on the first page.

Blowout-30th St Amtrak, Reading Terminal which may have been Conrail operated at the time, with voiceovers to make it sound like Amtrak

skm wrote:Here's another movie: "The In Crowd" (1988) with Donovan Leitch and Joe Pantoliano. A 60's American Bandstand type movie with Pantoliano playing a character similar to Jerry Blavat. Several scenes were shot either at a CH West or CH East (I'm not really sure) station. I remember a scene with a passenger bridge over the tracks. There may of also been a night scene of a passing train.

Speaking about "The In Crowd", there's a scene which was filmed at the Allen Lane station. I was there the evening they filmed it. The was a Blueliner on the inbound track and it was a dancing scene. It was released in Feb of 1988 and that scene was filmed in Aug. 1986 and was supposed to be released sooner but Jerry Blavat sued to stop the release because of Pantoliano's character and later reached a settlement. I never seen it but I'll have to catch it sometime.


"Fallen", the scene at 30th St where Denzal gets off the train with his nephew and punches the cop was filmed on Platform B. I was there for that also. That was in Dec of 1997 and I remember it was a very cold day.

"Blowout",the scene at 30th St, I remember seeing that filmed. That was in Sept 1980 and it was a warm day. That had the north end of the station closed off and seen Travotla,Leithgow and Allen also.

One movie which I'm surprised no one mention was "Witness". I was there when they filmed the scene in the main waiting room where the murder was supposed to have happened, but the actual murder scene where Glover slashes the undercover's throat was filmed at the Lancaster Station Men's room.

My excuse for not mentioning Witness is that the thread title's SEPTA-related, Witness's, and Blowout's 30th St railroad station scenes are all in the Amtrak part of the station.

Boy Meets World had an episode feature a mock-up of the Market Frankford El. The characters were on the el and a power outage occurred, halting the train. The emergency evacuation instructions by the operator were interrupted by static.

Not rail related, however The Sixth Sense featured a scene on probably either the "61" or "2" bus route in the area of Girard Ave.

gardendance wrote:

R36 Combine Coach wrote: Trading Places-M3s, fishbowl buses, 1981 Kawasaki LRVs (on #11 or 36?), 30 Street station

the Kawasaki was on route 10, Lancaster Ave.
30th St, I think was upper level, and so would make the SEPTA criterion, but they tried to make it seem like Amtrak Washington DC.

My recollection of Trading Places was that it was in fact filmed in the lower level at 30 St. I remember the scene at the station and recall seeing the big schedule board in that scene (I also remember seeing the soon-to-be junior U.S. senator from the state of Minnesota as a baggage clerk on that Amtrak train)...

I've got Trading Places on DVD and will double check which level of 30th St they tried to make look like Washington DC Union Station. Amtrak lower level has flatter ceilings than SEPTA upper level, whose ceilings are curved, and I remember seeing curved ceilings in the movie.
Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse, otherwise I'd turn the TV on now.