The Electric Michelangelo, a novel by British novelistSarah Hall, is set partly in Coney Island and describes much of the amusement area as it was at its peak prior to World War II and describes some of its post-war decline.
In the comic bookG.I. Joe, the character Scarface lived under an abandoned roller coaster on Coney Island.
InThe Great Gatsby, Gatsby invites Nick to go to Coney Island after his meeting with Jordan Baker.
Samantha at Coney Island by "Josiah Allen's Wife" (Marietta Holley), 1911, was a popular young-adult novel in the early 20th century.
InTwelve byNick McDonell, a novel about a group of rich kids in Manhattan who pass their time taking drugs and partying, the protagonist, White Mike, visits Coney Island. The amusement area is described very negatively (shabby, run-down, deserted, no kids, but hookers and drug dealers).
English singer-songwriter and actorDavid Bowie refers to Coney Island in the 2001 song Uncle Floyd (Toy album, finally released in 2021) and 2002 song Slip Away (Heathen album) : "Sailing over Coney Island / Twinkle twinkle Uncle Floyd", as a tribute toFloyd Vivino and "The Uncle Floyd Show".
An early musical reference came in 1926 with "Coney Island Washboard", music by Hampton Durand and Jerry Adams, words by Ned Nestor and Aude Shugart. The song is commonly accompanied by a percussionist playing awashboard.
Australian modern classical composerDon Banks (1923–1980) composed a short orchestral work called "Coney Island" around 1960 to 1961, which gives a vivid musical picture of the amusement park. It was included on an L.P. record, "Musical Merry-go-round", released in 1961, with music by various composers inspired by the circus and fairground world, played by theSinfonia of London, conducted byDouglas Gamley andRobert Irving.
In 1962 the American Doo-Wop Group The Excellents released a song "Coney Island Baby" which hit #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.
American singer-songwriterLou Reed's 1976 album is entitledConey Island Baby and features the track "Coney Island Baby".
In 1980 the legendary Japanese idolMomoe Yamaguchi's 20th album "Möbius's Game" has a song entitled "哀愁のコニーアイランド (Coney Island of Sorrow)".
American rock bandAerosmith has a song called "Bone to Bone (Coney Island Whitefish Boy)" from their 1979 albumNight in the Ruts.
The debut album of the American jazz bandThe Lounge Lizards contains a song called "I Remember Coney Island".
British GroupSwing Out Sister recorded a track called "Coney Island Man" during their "Kaleidoscope World" sessions and featured on their single "You On My Mind" in 1989.
Pop groupNew Kids on the Block filmed parts of the video for "Please Don't Go Girl" at Coney Island. Several rides including the Wonder Wheel and the Hell Hole are shown.
American rock bandMercury Rev references Coney Island in the song "Coney Island Cyclone", from their 1991 albumYerself Is Steam.
American hip-hop trioSalt-n-Pepa filmed the video at Coney Island for their single "Shoop" in 1993.
American synth-pop bandThe Magnetic Fields references Coney Island in "Strange Powers" from 1994'sHoliday.
The music video for the 1999 tune “Summer Girls” byLFO(Lyte Funkie Ones) was filmed on the Boardwalk when the Astroland Rocket was on Gregory & Paul’s roof and provided the setting for this top 10 summer hit.
American singer-songwriterTom Waits has a song called "Coney Island Baby," on his 2002 albumBlood Money. He also references Coney Island in his songs "Table Top Joe" from the 2002 albumAlice and "Take It With Me" from the 1999 albumMule Variations.
New York singer/songwriter and banjo contortionist,Curtis Eller has a song "Coney Island Blue" on his 2004 albumTaking Up Serpents Again
German punk band The Flunkeys released a single from their 2007 album,No Riot, called "Coney Island".
American bandBeat Circus' 2008 album entitledDreamland, references the turn-of-the-century Coney Island theme parkDreamland in several of its songs includingConey Island Creepshow andHell Gate, and includes historical images and postcards of early Coney Island donated by the Coney Island Museum.
The indie/folk-rock bandGood Old War have a song called "Coney Island" on their debut album,Only Way To Be Alone.
The Klezmatics recorded an album ofWoody Guthrie lyrics about Coney Island that they put to music called "Wonder Wheel." It includes the song "Mermaid Avenue."[7]
Lana Del Rey frequently references Coney Island in her songs and often refers to herself as the Queen of Coney Island. Examples include the songs "Carmen," "Off To The Races," "Mermaid Motel" and "TV In Black & White."
Alex Weiser wrote a song cycle called "Coney Island Days" based on an oral history interview with his grandmother about her childhood including playing in Coney Island and working at her family's Coney Islandknish store.[8]
In the silent shortConey Island (1917), starring Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton, the scene is Luna Park amusement park and several famous rides are featured, includingWitching Waves.
InA.I. (2001), directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring Haley Joel Osment, David and Teddy take a submersible to the Blue Fairy, which turns out to be a statue from a submerged attraction at Coney Island. Teddy and David become trapped when the park'sFerris wheel falls on their vehicle.
In the movieAngel Heart, Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) goes to Coney Island, to gather information on his case. TheWonder Wheel is seen in the background.
Alvy Singer, the lead character in Woody Allen's 1977 semi-autobiographical film classicAnnie Hall lived in Coney Island as a child in a house that was under the Thunderbolt rollercoaster that shook wildly every time the coaster made its rounds. Alvy's father ran thebumper cars' concession.
A Coney Island amusement park is the setting of the Rhedosaurus' last stand in the 1953 science-fiction filmThe Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
The final scene of the 2008 movieCloverfield shows the main characters on the Ferris wheel at Coney Island.
The 1998 dramaHe Got Game takes place in Coney Island.
The 1985 movieHeaven Help Us contains a scene whereAndrew McCarthy andMary Stuart Masterson's characters spend a date at Coney Island, and kiss passionately (and possibly go even further than that) under a boardwalk during a rainstorm.
The 1927 silent filmIt, starringClara Bow, features a trip to the park and a tour of the historic rides.
In the 1979 filmThe Warriors, a gang of the same name fight their way back to Coney Island after being accused of a murder that they did not commit.
In the 1953 filmLittle Fugitive, a small boy runs away to Coney Island after thinking he has killed his brother.
InMadigan, Coney Island is the backdrop for a scene wherein the title character and his partner speak with a local bookie to get information on their suspect.
InRemo Williams: The Adventure Begins, Remo Williams (played byFred Ward) is seen doing workout exercises on the Wonder Wheel, as well as playing boardwalk games on Coney Island.
InSinners' Holiday (1930) with James Cagney and Joan Blondell, the story is set on Coney Island. The movie was based on the playPenny Arcade.
In the 1982 filmSophie's Choice, the characters played byMeryl Streep,Kevin Kline andPeter MacNicol spend "Dress-Up Sunday" at Coney Island. Prior to this, Sophie exclaims "Coney Island - Oh boy!" with unparalleled enthusiasm.
In the 1928 silent filmSpeedy,Harold Lloyd spends a day at Coney Island with his girlfriend.
In 2017 movieWonder, Coney Island was featured in a small, but important role: the beach was the favorite place of the main character's sister, Via, because that is where she often hangs out with her now deceased grandma. Coney Island appears in a flashback and in Via's "lonely day" where she remembers her grandma.
In the opening scenes of the 2013 post-apocalyptic science fiction filmOblivion, theCyclone and theWonder Wheel are seen damaged sixty years after an alien invasion destroyed New York City.[10]
In the 2009 filmPush, Nick (Chris Evans) met Kira (Camilla Belle) at Coney Island and a photograph of the two of them there becomes part of the film's plot.
In the 2015 filmBrooklyn, Eilis and Tony visit Coney Island.
The 2024 filmIF heavily features Coney Island’s iconography, as the Memory Lane Retirement Home, where imaginary friends live, is located there.
The 1928 filmLonesome showcases the beach, amusement park rides, and boardwalk as the main characters meet and fall in love there.
The 1950s television showMickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, starringDarren McGavin, features an episode called "Coney Island Baby", which takes place amidst the amusement parks.
The Naked City 1958 first-season episode; 'Burst of Passion' features a desolate closed down off season Coney Island as the final hiding place of a psychopath random killer (Woodrow Parfey) being hunted down and shot dead by Det. Jimmy Halloran, played byJames Franciscus.
TheAmerican Dragon: Jake Long episode, "Flight of the Unicorn" (November 3, 2005), features Jake, Trixie, and Spud taking a vacation at Coney Island and discovering an actual unicorn on display, which they try to rescue and send to its herd inCentral Park.[11]
In aDora the Explorer episode, "We All Scream for Ice Cream" (2000), Dora and Boots go to "Coney Island". A title referenced to peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area of a same name.[citation needed]
InThe Golden Girls episode, "Sophia's Wedding"(1988), Sophia mentions that her late husband Sal and his business partner used to run a pizza &knish stand at Coney Island.
In theSeinfeld episode, "The Subway" (January 8, 1992), Jerry Seinfeld travels to Coney Island to retrieve his stolen car, but ends up just going on the rides.[12]
In anUgly Betty episode, Gio takes Betty and DJ (Daniel Junior) to Coney Island to hide from his grandparents, who are going to take him back to France.
TheWizards of Waverly Place episode, "Detention Election" (March 19, 2010), contains a B-story wherein Jerry Russo, Max Russo, and Harper get stuck on a Ferris wheel at Coney Island.[13]
In the animated comedy seriesFuturama, protagonist Phillip J. Fry, a New York City native, attended "Coney Island Community College". In the second episode of the series, "The Series Has Landed", the crew make a delivery to a theme park on the moon called Luna Park, a parody of Coney Island'sLuna Park.
Coney Island is the setting for theWonder Pets episode, "Save the Squirrel!", wherein the Pets saved a baby squirrel from a Ferris wheel and then from theCyclone roller coaster.
Coney Island was the base for Dr. Blowhole in thePenguins of Madagascar episode, "Dr. Blowhole's Revenge" where the penguins discovered where he was, so they can rescue King Julien and defeat Blowhole.
InThe Path Season 1, Episode 8 "The Shore", Eddie Lane (Aaron Paul) and your son Hawk travel to Coney Island's and the Wonder Wheel appears.
In the 3rd season of The Strain, Eph wanted to exchange from a book to a boy, resulting in a fight in the Coney Island water.
Coney Island is the home of hacker collective fsociety, in the drama-thriller series,Mr. Robot. Scenes were also shot on Coney Island's Wonder Wheel.[14]
Coney Island was the first location visited during the final leg ofThe Amazing Race 21, where the final three teams had to find a clue hidden in plain sight on theRiegelmann Boardwalk.[15]
Neil Simon's 1983 playBrighton Beach Memoirs (also a 1986 movie) depicts growing up in the Coney Island area, and features scenes with the Coney Island rollercoaster in the background.
The climax of the 1944 musicalOn the Town (also a 1949 film of the same name), by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, takes place at Coney Island.
The 1954 musicalBy the Beautiful Sea, by Arthur Schwartz and Herbert and Dorothy Fields, is set in Coney Island.
Much like the film,Rockstar Games' adaptation ofThe Warriors is based in a miniaturized version of Coney Island as well as other parts depicted in the film.
Coney Island is the setting forConey Island: The Hunt inThe Division 2.
Two catchphrase recorded on Coney Island by the NYC web series “Sidetalk” have gone viral: "Bing Bong" and "Joe Byron; What's up, baby? Take me out to dinner." (said by a homeless man)[16][17][18]
The song "Meet Me Down At Luna, Lena" was recorded byBilly Murray in 1905 to promote the park, among others.[19] The song was rerecorded for the 2007 documentary film Welcome Back Riders.[20]
A fictionalized Dreamland serves as a major setting inDisney's 2019live-action adaptation ofDumbo. The film references the electrical fire, but is not historically accurate to the actual events: inDumbo, the fire took place in 1919, and Dreamland was owned by V. A. Vandevere, a fictional character.
Kevin Baker wrote a historical novel,Dreamland, about life in New York City at the time Dreamland existed, touching on the politics, economics, social conditions of the time, and Dreamland is one of the central places in the book. His book also contains a description of the fire.
Dutch writerJ. Bernlef's novelDe witte stad (The White City) narrates about the fictional lives of many Dreamland inhabitants.
Dutch writerArthur Japin's novelDe grote wereld (The Big World), about two midgets, is partly set in Dreamland.
Dutch architectRem Koolhaas writes at length on Dreamland in his retroactive manifesto for Manhattan,Delirious New York.
Dutch writerPeter Verhelst's novelGeschiedenis van een berg (History of a mountain) about a park based on Dreamland, called 'Droomland' (Dreamland).
Henry Miller mentions Dreamland in his novel,Tropic of Capricorn: I was walking again in Dreamland and a man was walking above me on a tightrope and above him a man was sitting in an airplane spelling letters of smoke in the sky.
Steven Millhauser, in his short story "Paradise Park", also talks about Dreamland as a rival amusement park. There are some similarities between Paradise Park and Dreamland.
Fannie Flagg, in "Standing in the Rainbow", referred to Dreamland as being 'so big they had an entire little town there'.
American authorAlice Hoffman writes about Dreamland in her 2014 novel of historical fiction entitled "The Museum of Extraordinary Things." The book is set in New York City in the early 1900s and includes the Dreamland fire in the plot, as well as theTriangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
American authorChristopher Bram sets the last part of his novel at Dreamland, in his 2000 novel of historical fiction entitled "The Notorious Dr. August: His Real Life and Crimes." The major character of the novel is conceived as one of the major "acts" at Dreamland in an extensive treatment of the setting.
Tom Waits wrote the song "Tabletop Joe" in which the title character is himself part of the freak show exhibit, "a man without a body," but Joe becomes rich and famous as a part of the Dreamland show, and after being shunned, after joining Dreamland, he now feels that he is where he belongs.
Brian Carpenter wrote a play treatment which he used as a springboard for lyrics and compositions behind his second studio album forBeat Circus entitledDreamland. Carpenter'sDreamland is a 150-page score and song cycle interwoven with Carpenter's fictional tale of an impoverished, alcoholic gold miner who makes a pact with the devil before fleeing eastward to work in Dreamland's sideshows. The album featuredTodd Robbins, alumnus of Coney Island, and its booklet includes historical images of Dreamland donated by theConey Island Museum.[23]
^Rabinovitz, Lauren (2004)."The Coney Island Comedies". In Charlie Keil, Shelley Stamp (ed.).American cinema's transitional era: audiences, institutions, practices (illustrated ed.). University of California Press.ISBN978-0-520-24027-8.
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