It's the Divine Lorraine Hotel.When I moved to Philly in 1996 I used to live in East Falls... and hated it. I know it's a lovely little nestle in this great city we call Philadelphia, but it felt (and still does) that it's like the suburbs - particularly where I grew up in Allentown, Pa. One day I was driving from work and I just could not stand sitting on the Sure-kill we call the Skuykill Ave so I took the scenic route of Kelly Drive and headed through the city. It certainly didn't take me any less time driving through the city, but as I was cruising down Fairmount Ave there it was. A beautiful and magnificent building was just sitting there opposite me as I waited at the intersection of Broad Street and Ridge Ave to change. Cupid's arrow struck me and I totally fell in love with this amazing and behemoth building. I had to know about it.
See I'm a lover of history and I had to find out about the Divine Lorraine. I am also slightly obsessed with religious imagery (I have 2 tattoos that prove that) and seeing the word "Divine" clearly tickled my fancy. And here's what I found out...
A reverend from NY was looking for a new place to settle his congregation (International Peace Mission) back in the 1940s and by 1948 Father Divine has purchased this fine building and set up shop. Everyone had to obey by the rules - no drinking, women and men where not allowed in the rooms together, and he imposed strict curfews. Many years had past and the Divine Lorraine was opened up to people who needed to rent the room for a short amount of time like a week. Patrons did not have to become a member of the Mission, but needed to adhere to the rules of the establishment.
After reading all of this I was completely hooked on this hotel. For some reason I love buildings. There is just something about man-made eyesores that I am attracted to. So I basically changed my route to work just so I would drive past this building every day. When I eventually moved to center city, I would hop into my car on random occasions and just drive up to the intersection of Broad, Fairmount and Ridge to snap some photos. From time to time I would find very facinating articles like the one from the Philadelphia City Paper in 2005. This is such a touching and sad story of the shape of the hotel and its only gotten worse. About 1 month before I was to shoot the exteriors the hotel got vandalized pretty badly. So I had to shoot around it all making me very very sad.
You may ask what the hell does this have to do with T&S. Well it's simple, the Divine Lorraine is the backdrop of my little noir film. It's has the perfect blend of religious background from the past with the seedy happenings that unfold in Tremble & Spark. In my film Veronica Anderson (played by Jessica Graham) is the owner of said hotel and she runs a sex trade out of the hotel and thus why the hotel is the perfect backdrop.
I tried to get into the hotel to shoot some interiors and was able to befriend one of the owners, but the lobby is covered up with contruction plywood. It would have cost me $10k (oy!) 
to take it down and put it back up. Most of the rooms upstairs have been demolished to be remodeled into condos so they are certainly not safe for my cast and crew to be walking around. (And actually the building lies dormant because the owner ran out of money to complete the job.) It's certainly a sad state of affairs, but I will leave you with this. But one last bit of trivia... the hotel sign is the inspiration for the title treatment of Tremble & Spark so here's a close up.
to take it down and put it back up. Most of the rooms upstairs have been demolished to be remodeled into condos so they are certainly not safe for my cast and crew to be walking around. (And actually the building lies dormant because the owner ran out of money to complete the job.) It's certainly a sad state of affairs, but I will leave you with this. But one last bit of trivia... the hotel sign is the inspiration for the title treatment of Tremble & Spark so here's a close up. 
5 comments:
Nothing good can come of this building...either it continues to rot, or it becomes hateful condominiums...
Hey, I have an idea. Let's all support Kelly's film, make her a multimillionaire, and then she can buy the building and restore it into a gigantic bathhouse!
My best friend's Dad is OBSESSED with The Divine Lorraine and tells me stories about it whenever I see him. I agree with you, Kelly, it's a sad, magical building. I love that you incorporated it into the title treatment...
is it kosher to name your child "Divine Lorraine"?
K, I can so relate. I came to Philadelphia in 1977 and still remember my first sight of Divine Lorraine. Not THE and not HOTEL. Just DIVINE LORRAINE. I worked at 12th and Spring Garden for 5 years, at 11th and Callowhill for 9 (1970's thru 80's). Each day, same awe as she came into sight. And now again, starting last year, I pass her several times weekly, taking my son to school at 17th and Spring Garden. She has aged neither gracefully nor well but still holds sway thru her majestic decay. I am touched that you have known her so intimately. I have known her only in passing and in my dreams.
I came to Philadelphia in the late 70's. I passed DIVINE LORRAINE to and from work for 14 years... each time, awe-struck as the first. I see her again, now several times weekly. She has aged neither gracefully nor well. Still she holds sway in her majestic decay. You have known her so intimately. I know her only in passing, in longing, and in my dreams.
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