Although not quite the first film to use the new tool, this shot remains not only one of the most famous Steadicam shots of all time, but an iconic shot in cinematic history.
Operator's Commentary
--Excerpt from The Steadicam Letter - March, 1989
Shooting Rocky in Philadelphia was a great experience. The non-union crew worked out of one beat-up motor home. Sly Stallone was a sweet, unpretentious guy, and the "traps" and "delts" of his ego had yet to be pumped up, so the work was a pleasure. Ralf Bode was DP, and John himself operated most of the conventional camera setups. My only problem was keeping the camera running in the cold. The two CP batteries weren't strong enough, particularly after a dent in the center-post started rubbing against the internal motor shaft. We made the well known Art-Museum Steps shots with Ralf running along beside me carrying two automobile batteries to jump-start the Arri!