Saturday, January 23, 2016

Madonna - Papa Don't Preach (1986)





It just wouldn't be summer in the 1980s without a Madonna song in heavy rotation on MTV, and in 1986, it was Papa Don't Preach.  She hung her garter belt to dry, toned up and chopped off her locks for a more mature look, one of many re-inventions.  In the video, The Material Girl (1985) was Burning Up so much for her mechanic boyfriend's love, she found herself with child.  Madonna struggled to tell her father, fearing it would push him over the Borderline (1984).  She finally does, daddy eventually comes around and Madonna would Live To Tell about it.


Papa Don't Preach was filmed on Staten Island, NY


Location: Madonna's Pensive Walk
Address: Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY








Location: The Park
Address: Bay Street & Canal Street, Staten Island, NY  Tappan Park

Thanks to a commenter below, the spot where Madonna glances at her boyfriend wearing her "Italians Do It Better" shirt has been found...






The light is still attached to the telephone pole...













Location: The Mechanic Shop
Address: 511 Bay Street, Staten Island, NY


Thanks to Robert Patterson at set-jetter.com for finding this location.











Location: The Train Station
Address: Stapleton Train Station, Staten Island, NY
 









Location: Madonna's House
Address: 35 Edgar Terrace, Staten Island, NY



















UPDATE: 4/23/17  - Madonna fan Kevin Petrie from Down Under has discovered a few more locations from the video!  Many thanks to Kevin for his meticulous research and for sharing this information:


Location: The Stairs With No Railing
Address: near Richmond Terrace & Jersey Street, Staten Island, NY


The dangerous stairs with no railing that Madonna walks up was part of the Bank Street Bridge, which was near the New Brighton Station.  It was obviously in disrepair at the time of the video and was finally torn down in 1999, but thanks to a photo Kevin found, you can see what it looked like in its heyday.





In the shot before she heads up the stairs (which you can see in the upper right), Madonna is seen walking under the bridge toward a building which still exists today...





Location: The Railway Tracks
Address: 1125 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY




19 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. My pleasure, Joshua! I'll fill you in on a little 'Secret', a few more Madonna posts will be up soon that I hope you'll 'Cherish' ;-)

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  2. I believe the house Madonna opens the door of is 35 Edgar Terrace (not 15).
    I used to live a street away, and Google Street view confirms (via the two houses to the right).

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    1. Thanks for pointing that out, Bryan. I fixed the typo. Did you live in the area when the video was filmed?

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    2. Yes. Very close. For a while I thought it was the street I lived on, but I never took a photo, it just looked the same as I remember, BUT it turns out Edgar Terrace is one street closer down Victory Blvd than where I lived (Chester Place, if you want to go see a map). All the houses are VERY much the same compared with my street, and the street is the same hill angle, same style of wires over the street, and has very much the same view of the Twin Trade Towers back then I had from my street.

      My wife saw all the commotion and film crew in the main square, and everyone knew it was Madonna being filmed.

      Everytime I see the video I see places I remember (like opposite the Post Office behind her was where I bought a Christmas Tree in 1985). And I cannot count the number of time I drove around the square (that grass area where he video first shows the boyfriend).

      Also I've been on the Staten Island Ferry a zillion times, and people DO practice their musical pieces on the 30 minute ferry ride to (or from) Manhattan.

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    3. Hi Bryan, that is very cool. Can't imagine the hysteria. What square was the boyfriend at? I've been trying to track down that area.

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    4. Hello! I think that square is Tappen Park/Marciante Square from the back (you can see the fencing matches the video).

      https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6264712,-74.0775491,3a,75y,63.43h,82.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sn_iGICxXmh4Sah-oANmCWw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

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    5. Oh wow, you're right! Besides the railing, when they show the shot of the boyfriend he's in front of Ken's Home & Fashion. You can see the street light that's attached to the electric pole. And shot at the very beginning with the guys, you can see the columns of the New York Public Library branch. Nice find. Thank you!!!

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    6. Oh wow! I didn't even catch the light on the electric pole! (Funny story, I read this blog and saw that this area was unidentified, and I actually voted very close by and thought wait, THAT RAILING!)

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    7. That is funny! And another reason to go out and vote - you might find a missing filming location :-)

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  3. Enjoy looking back at old staten island
    I went to McKee high school class of 86
    I remember most of this thank you

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  4. To see the Twin Towers makes me so sad
    Good old Times

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  5. Gracias!! Viajo a ny y quiero visitar las escales del tres. Todo un sueño para mi.!!

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  6. Madonna ! The wonderful hot queen of Pop !

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  7. Wow. Thats amazing. I will travel to NY in April. That will be my first time in USA. I hope to see this places. Greetings from Poland.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, I hope you get to see them too! Safe travels!

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