Philadelphia: The Great Experiment Promise for a Better City (1944-1964) (Season 1, Episode 11)
TV Episode | History

Primary photo for Promise for a Better City (1944-1964)

Philadelphia: The Great Experiment

Promise for a Better City (1944-1964) (Season 1, Episode 11)

TV Episode | History

Victory in World War II means optimism in the streets of Philadelphia. Outsiders rout a corrupt political machine with promises for a rebuilt downtown, civil rights, and industrial prosperity. Neighborhood kids sing love songs on street ...See moreVictory in World War II means optimism in the streets of Philadelphia. Outsiders rout a corrupt political machine with promises for a rebuilt downtown, civil rights, and industrial prosperity. Neighborhood kids sing love songs on street corners and television beams their spirited dancing to teenagers nationwide. But the optimism fades as urban renewal destroys historic neighborhoods, workers scramble for dwindling factory jobs, and African-Americans grow impatient with the slow pace of racial justice. Tensions erupt in 1964, setting the stage for a new era of confrontation. Written by Jordana Lipsitz See less

Contacts

+ Add

Become a member to see contact information for Promise for a Better City (1944-1964).

Cast	+ Add Cast
25 cast members

Name	Known for
Frankie Avalon Self Self See fewer	Grease (1978)
Peter Binzen Self Self See fewer	The Cop Who Would Be King
Deborah Dilworth Bishop Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Jerry Blavat Self Self See fewer	Miss December (2011)
Michael Boatman Actor (voice) Actor (voice) See fewer	Hamburger Hill (1987)
Robert Bogle Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Dick Clark Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
Steven Conn Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2010)
M. Walter D'Alessio Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
R. Sonny Driver Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Gerald Early Self Self See fewer	King of Cool (2021)
Charlie Gracie Self Self See fewer	Jamboree! (1957)
Bernadine Hawes Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Sharon Holt Self Self See fewer	Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia (2015)
John Johnson Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Scott Knowles Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
G. Terry Madonna Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Marjorie Margolies Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Erik McDuffie Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Ric Moore Self Self See fewer	Ric Moore: Behind the Shutter (2003)
Hyman Myers Self Self See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Walter Phillips Self (as Walter M. Phillips, Jr.) Self (as Walter M. Phillips, Jr.) See fewer	Philadelphia: The Great Experiment (2011)
Francis Ryan Self Self See fewer	Urban Trinity: The Story of Catholic Philadelphia (2015)
Denise Scott Brown Self Self See fewer	Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown (1987)
Thomas Sugrue Self - Historian Self - Historian See fewer	Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit (2022)