Journey through Philadelphia in this 1978 short film focused on the Department of Recreation (now Philadelphia Parks & Recreation).
"Better Break," narrated by Larry Kane, presents the comprehensive recreational programming set forth by the City of Philadelphia during summer months. The decade-long Better Break initiative, created by the Mayor's Youth Opportunities Program, provided jobs for youth, as well as cultural and educational experiences for all Philadelphians. By the time this film was made, the City's Better Break program had been around for a decade and could boast of 300 individual activities during that summer.
We get brief glimpses of performances in several recreation centers and, most prominently, at the Robin Hood Dell, where a ten-night session called "August at the Dell"featured a star-studded cast that included Lionel Hampton, Arthur Prysock, Carmen McRae, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Erroll Garner with Ray Charles.
Other highlights include footage from the Carousel House, the first municipal recreation center for people with disabilities in the country, Camp William Penn, the nature-based camp that used to be maintained by the department, and the annual senior citizen's event held at Strawberry Mansion called Rally in the Park with Mayor Rizzo greeting the seniors.
Many of these programs still exist or laid the groundwork for initiatives run by PPR today.