Last week I got a challenge to find the house used in the 1980’s television series Mama’s Family. I had heard a while back that Mama’s house was in Pasadena, but had no idea of its exact location. After doing a simple Google search, though, I quickly found the address. Or so I thought. 🙂 According to IMDB, Mama’s house is located at 1019 Montrose Avenue in South Pasadena. But as I have mentioned before, IMDB has been known to post incorrect information. And this time was no different. Oh, Internet Movie Database, why do you so often lead me astray?? 🙂
After thinking I had found the correct location, I grabbed my camera and immediately drove out to South Pasadena to snap some photos of Mama’s house. But when I arrived at 1019 Montrose Avenue, it quite obviously wasn’t the home where the Harper Family had lived on the show. Feeling defeated, I got in my car to drive home. And that’s when I noticed a house just a few doors down from number 1019 that looked a whole lot like Mama’s. So, I snapped some pics and drove home to compare them to the screen captures I had from the show. Sure enough, it was the place!
The house in South Pasadena was used each week for establishing shots of the Harper home. The interiors existed only on a soundstage located about 15 miles away on the former KTTV/Fox Television Center lot on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Sadly, that studio has since been torn down. The home was also shown each week in the Mama’s Family opening credits, in which Mama would march to the end of her walkway, pick up the morning newspaper, and then proceed to dust it off . LOL You can watch the Mama’s Family intro here. This same house was also used very briefly as Lynda’s home in the original Halloween movie.
Even though I haven’t seen an episode of Mama’s Family in years, I was very excited to be stalking the home, as I have such fond memories of watching the show with my grandma when I was a little girl. I still remember not being able to wrap my six year old brain around the fact that, in real life, Mama wasn’t truly an old lady. 🙂 It is unbelievable to me that Mama’s house still looks almost EXACTLY the same as it appeared onscreen 26 years ago! Besides the white picket enclosure, which has since been removed from the porch area, and a blue trim which has been added, the house is pretty much identical to how it appeared on television back in 1983. And I highly recommend stalking it!
Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂
Stalk It: The Mama’s Family house is located at 1027 Montrose Avenue in South Pasadena.
Mama’s family is on a free TV app called Pluto! I still watch the show and love all things nostalgic!! Happy watching .. love that you found the house .. my favorite is the homealone house!!
If anyone wants to see what the Montrose house looks like today on tv I believe it is being used in a show called “Unprisoned” (starring Kerry Washington from “Scandal”) on Hulu. In the promo there is an exterior shot of the house and it seems the main character is moving into the house.
You are right! Thank you so much for the tip! Great catch!
You stalked the syndication episode home of Mama’s Family. What about the house and neighborhood of the Season 1-2 (NBC) Opening and closing credits home. It is a different look and house.
For all mama fans you can check them out mon thru fri. On your local metv channel from 6-7 pm eastern time. I love them. Know every episode by heart. Thanks for showing the original house.
It also now on the logo channell
I didn’t know Mama’s used 2 different homes for the show. Wish you could find the one from season one and two.
Does anybody know the film location(s) for ‘Eunice’ (TV Movie 1982)) and the location for the house used in Mama’s Family during season 1 and 2 intros and outros. I’m am aware of the two houses mentioned on this page( 1027 Montrose Avenue, South Pasadena, CA and 675 South Oakland Ave, Pasadena CA.) Just wondering if anyone has found that other house address yet?
On the subject of Mama’s family stalking, if you want to see the house they used in some of the original NBC episodes, check out 675 South Oakland Ave, Padadena CA, 91106. The Montrose Ave house is the one they started using when the show was brought back into syndication from 1986-90, and they re-did the opening credits. 675 South Oakland was only used in a few episodes, such as when Aunt Fran taught Mama how to drive, when Mama bought a used car (the car blew up at the intersection of South Oakland and Miles street), and in the Mama for Mayor episode, Betty White drover her own personal car, a pale green 1977 Cadillac Seville, into the yard and Mama hollered at her to get it off the grass.
There was actually a third house used for “Mama’s Family”, in the original opening credits. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs8gIgGuBAw . I don’t think this house was ever used for anything other than the opening and closing credits, though.
Mama’s family was always a favorite show of mine. A childhood friend once told me long ago that the home was in Anaheim Cali. I use to think this was true because there were some historical homes in the OC area. But always questioned it. I am so Happy You found the exact location of the home. Movie homes are always fun and an interest , having lived in one myself in the past. You do great scouting work i might add Thanks!
I grew up in this house. It was also used in the first “Halloween” movie. I think they paid my parents $200 for the day. My parents sold the house in 1979. Dan Marsh
Hi, Im sure some of us MF fans are dying to know what the inside looks like. Does it resemble anything like the set of MF? Do you have any pics you can share?
Thanks for the info on the Mama’s Family house. I, too remember watching it with my grandparents as a kid. Personally, my wife and I were hoping it may be a little closer to where we live, but we’d have to drive about 2,000 miles to see it! Maybe one day when there’s nothing better to do, I will. Thanks again!
Hi, I’m soo glad you could find this house. I have always wanted to find it, I loved to watch that show. If anyone misses the show you can buy Season 1 on DVD. Thanks Lindsay
Hey Lindsay,
I’m pretty sure that the 1027 house served as Lynda’s house in the 1978 version of Halloween as well.
E.J.
Again, great detective work! I also took the same wrong info from IMDB and noticed that 1019 was not Mama’s house. Ironically, I stood right in front of Mama’s house to take this photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoffarth/2665608263/in/set-72157606153727767/
of the “Halloween” hedges that were two doors down. I also didn’t know about it being Lynda’s home, but I did find Annie’s (Halloween) home at 1017
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoffarth/2660467338/in/set-72157604081628976/
You gotta love Pasadena!
tony, i have a question about a film tv location can you email me.. jaysonoh@aol.com thanks jason