This tape has not been screened yet. It goes into the queue.
The Tape
Tape ID: VHS-2025-044. Part of the 2025 intake. WHYY — the PBS station out of Philadelphia — produced this as a one-hour documentary in 1997. Sold through the “Store of Knowledge” retail chain. Sponsored by Methodist Hospital Division, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and Jefferson Health System. Runtime: 60 minutes in SP mode.
What Is On It
A documentary portrait of South Philadelphia’s Italian-American community. Bobby Rydell — the singer, Philly native, Bobby from Bye Bye Birdie — narrates and hosts. The tape covers the Italian Market, references Frank Rizzo, Mario Lanza, street-corner opera at Palumbo’s. The kind of regional documentary a PBS station produces for its specific local audience and then sells on VHS for fundraising.
Archive Status
Not yet screened. Cataloged from the sleeve. The content description is based on packaging only — what is actually on the tape gets confirmed when it goes in the player. Condition is good. Bobby Rydell died in April 2022, which adds a layer of context to this tape sitting in the archive.