Five on the Line: Beat the Heat with Main Line Movies

Stop me if you’ve heard this today… It’s hot!

Oh, you’ve heard those two words a few thousand times so far this summer?

Well, unfortunately I cannot do anything about the weather, but I can give you a few things to do inside and out of the heat. Here is this week’s Five on the Line:

The Main Line is not just known for its great restaurants, interesting parks and fabulous attractions. It also has a long history on the Silver Screen. Here are five films you can rent or buy that have a connection to the Main Line. Happy viewing!

1.     Kitty Foyle – The Natural History of a Woman – This 1940 film, which won an Oscar for Ginger Rogers, was based on a novel written by Christopher Morley, who was born in Bryn Mawr and graduated from Haverford College. The story follows a young woman as she decides who to marry, and looks back on her life in the Philadelphia area.

2.     TAPS – Filmed at Valley Forge Military Academy and starring George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn, this movie is fun to watch and identify local landmarks, including downtown Wayne.

3.     The Philadelphia Story – Based on the life of Main Line socialite Hope Montgomery Scott and her life on Ardrossan Farm, this 1940 romantic comedy stars Bryn Mawr College graduate Katherine Hepburn.

4.     Wide Awake – Made in 1995, and released in 1998, “Wide Awake” was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who was raised and still lives in the area. The story revolves around a boy who attends Waldron Mercy Academy and is searching for answers about life, death and God.

5.     Grease – Although not technically filmed, or even based on a school on the Main Line, the movie “Grease” still has local connections. It’s director, Randal Kleiser, is a 1964 graduate of Radnor High School and has been quoted as saying he used his time at the school for inspiration in various scenes in the movie, including the track scene involving John Travolta.