Donna’s House from “La Bamba”

I would be remiss if, in all my blogging of Cameron Woods (here, here and here), I did not mention the neighborhood’s most famous “resident,” especially since I am asked about it all.the.time. Towards the southern end of the 6200/6300 block of Orion Avenue in Van Nuys sits the picturesque Cape Cod where Donna Ludwig (Danielle von Zerneck) lived in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. I first learned about the locale thanks to Mike, from MovieShotsLA, who took me to stalk Cameron Woods way back in 2008. I was recently reminded of the place while in the area taking photos of the house from the Season 2 finale of You just prior to my dad’s surgery and decided it was high time I dedicate a post to it. So I wandered right on over to snap some more current pics. (“Oh, Donna” stuck in your head yet? ‘Cause it sure is in mine!)

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The picturesque one-story property, originally built in 1948, boasts 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,931 square feet, original hardwood flooring, a brick fireplace, an open floor plan, a breakfast nook, French doors, a 0.44-acre lot, a pool, a hot tub, a BBQ, a detached 2-car garage, and what a former real estate listing describes as “an entertainer’s backyard.” You can check out some interior images of it here.

The residence last sold in 2013 for $715,000 and, per Zillow, is currently worth a whopping $1.3 million.

Oddly, we are only given one semi-wide shot of the home in La Bamba. In it, you can see how different the property is today. Since filming took place 33 years ago (how is that possible?!?), the white picket fencing out front has been removed (which, per Google Street View, looks to have occurred in 2014) and four gable windows have been added to the roof. Despite those alterations, though, the dwelling is still recognizable from its big-screen stint.

Donna’s residence pops up several times throughout La Bamba . . .

. . . but typically only in very tight shots, as evidenced above and below.

We also get some glimpses of the houses to the immediate north . . .

. . . and south of Donna’s in the scene in which Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips) walks his love interest home for the first time.

I was thrilled to discover while looking at MLS images of the property that the actual interior was also used in the movie!

Its aesthetic was quite a bit different at the time, though! (The angle of the MLS photo below is a little off as compared to the screen grab, but it does show the same room – sans wood-paneling and pink walls. You can check out a better matching view of the space here.)

I am not sure if the décor seen in La Bamba was that of the actual homeowners or set dressing, but I am guessing the latter. Either way, it sure is fabulous! Check out that mid-century kitsch! The wall coloring, chandelier, ashtray, lamp, and rotary phone are perfection!

Considering its idyllic qualities, Anywhere, U.S.A. appeal, and the fact that it is located on one of L.A.’s most oft-filmed blocks, I would have guessed that the house had been featured in other productions, but I was unable to dig up any additional cameos.