La Bamba (1987)

Director:

Luis Valdez

Writer:

Luis Valdez (writer)

Release Date:

24 July 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

Born to poverty. Destined for stardom. He Lived the American Dream.

Plot:

Biographical story of the rise from nowhere of singer Ritchie Valens whose life was cut short by a plane crash.

Plot Keywords:

Marital Rape | Crash | Nostalgic | Dying Young | Price Of Fame

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Lou Diamond Phillips	...	Ritchie Valens
Esai Morales	...	Bob Morales
Rosanna DeSoto	...	Connie Valenzuela (as Rosana DeSoto)
Elizabeth Peña	...	Rosie Morales
Danielle von Zerneck	...	Donna Ludwig
Joe Pantoliano	...	Bob Keene
Rick Dees	...	Ted Quillen
Marshall Crenshaw	...	Buddy Holly
Howard Huntsberry	...	Jackie Wilson
Brian Setzer	...	Eddie Cochran
Daniel Valdez	...	Lelo
Felipe Cantú	...	Curandero
Eddie Frias	...	Chino
Mike Moroff	...	Mexican Ed
Geoffrey Rivas	...	Rudy
Sam Anderson	...	Mr. Ludwig
Maggie Gwinn	...	Mrs. Ludwig
Jeffrey Alan Chandler	...	Alan Freed
Stephen Lee	...	Big Bopper
John Quade	...	Bartender
Lettie Ibarra	...	Vera
Diane Rodriguez	...	Ernestine
Katie Valdez	...	Connie, Jr. (as Kati Valdez)
Gloria Balcorta	...	Irma
Ernesto Hernández	...	Garbage Man
Noble Willingham	...	Howard
Thom Pintello	...	Sound Engineer
Stephen F. Schmidt	...	Tommy Allsup (as Stephen Schmidt)
Rosanna Locke	...	Sharon Sheeley
Kim Sebastian	...	Donna's Girlfriend
Dyana Ortelli	...	Donna's Girlfriend
Andy Griggs	...	Mr. House
Art K. Koustik	...	Trucker (as Art Koustik)
Tony Genaro	...	Mr. Caballero
Allison Robinson	...	Girl at Party
Hunter Payne	...	Baseball Announcer
Joe Miller	...	Student
Mary Ann Tanedo	...	Student
Barb Jittner	...	Student
Brian Russell	...	Student
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Connie Valenzuela	...	Old woman at party
Linda Holdahl	...	Featured Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Luis Valdez

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Luis Valdez		writer

Produced by
Stuart Benjamin	....	executive producer
Bill Borden	....	producer
Taylor Hackford	....	producer
Daniel Valdez	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Miles Goodman
Carlos Santana

Cinematography by
Adam Greenberg

Film Editing by
Don Brochu
Sheldon Kahn

Casting by
Junie Lowry-Johnson		(as Junie Lowry)

Production Design by
Vincent M. Cresciman		(as Vince Cresciman)

Set Decoration by
Rosemary Brandenburg

Costume Design by
Sylvia Vega-Vasquez

Makeup Department
Richard Arrington	....	makeup artist
Lisa Meyers	....	assistant hair stylist
Bill Myer	....	assistant makeup artist
Peter Tothpal	....	hair stylist
La Bamba	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Adam Christopher	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Alan C. Blomquist	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen J. Fisher	....	first assistant director
Richard Graves	....	first assistant director: second unit
Michael Katleman	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jane Brown	....	lead scenic artist
Eduardo H. Esparza	....	construction supervisor (as Eddie Esparza)
Greta Grigorian	....	stand-by decorator (as Greta Gregorian)
Joni Indursky	....	lead person
Jeff Jones	....	scenic artist
Roger Kelton	....	construction coordinator
Linda Kiffe	....	assistant property master
Randlett King Lawrence	....	construction foreman (as Randlett Lawrence)
Marco López	....	swing gang (as Marc Lopez)
Paul S. Power	....	visual illustrator (as Paul Power)
Pola Shreiber	....	stand-by decorator
Charles Stewart	....	property master
Todd E. Weisman	....	swing gang (as Todd Weisman)
Terry Welden	....	assistant art director
Bill Holmquist	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Daryl 'Dazz' Reynolds	....	swing gang (uncredited)

Sound Department
Albert Aquino	....	cable person
Richard Friedman	....	adr editor (as Dick Friedman)
Mark Gordon	....	sound editor
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound editor (as Warren Hamilton)
Fred Judkins	....	supervising sound editor
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom C. McCarthy	....	supervising sound editor
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joel Shryack	....	boom operator
Susumu Tokunow	....	sound mixer
Bill Voigtlander	....	adr editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Kevin Pike	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts (as Janet S. Brady)
Steve M. Davison	....	stunt coordinator (as Steve Davison)
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts (as Steve Davison)
Tim A. Davison	....	stunts
Freddie Hice	....	stunts (as Fred Hice)
Alan Oliney	....	stunts
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunt coordinator (as Ronnie Rondell)
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts (as Thomas Rosales)
Tanya Russell	....	stunts
Dick Ziker	....	stunts
Matthew R. Anderson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Ortega	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Perez	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Von Babasin	....	grip
Chuck Colwell	....	director of photography: second unit
Alicia Craft	....	second assistant camera
Andrew Dickerman	....	video playback assist (as Andy Dickerman)
Sam Emerson	....	still photographer
Reuben David Feldthouse	....	electrician (as Ben Feldthouse)
Claude Fullerton	....	grip
Craig Garfield	....	grip
Jono Kouzouyan	....	chief lighting technician
Thomas Luehrsen	....	video playback assist
Merrick Morton	....	special still photographer (as Rick Morton)
Gary Parker	....	key grip
John Pierce	....	electrician
Vance Piper	....	first assistant camera
R.J. Sharp	....	best boy grip
Jack Yanekian	....	best boy electric
Tom Bookout	....	grip (uncredited)
Donald Burghardt	....	additional second assistant camera (uncredited)
John M. Heller	....	special photographer (uncredited)
George Palmer	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Marcy Carriker	....	casting associate
Robert J. Teitelbaum	....	extras casting (as Robert Teitelbaum)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yvonne Cervantes	....	costumer
Elizabeth Gower	....	costumer (as Liz'Beth Gower)

Editorial Department
Jeffrey James Bell	....	assistant editor (as Jeffrey Bell)
Alana Caudillo	....	post-production coordinator (as Alana Ackley)
Howard Davis	....	apprentice editor
Priscila Giraldo	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
John E. Oliver	....	sideline musician supervisor
Joel Sill	....	executive music producer
Curt Sobel	....	supervising music editor
Daniel Hidalgo	....	singing voice: Lou Diamond Phillips (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Todd Adair	....	driver
Bob Bailey	....	driver
Thomas P. Donovan	....	driver (as Tom Donovan)
Jerry Gordon	....	driver
Darwin Joston	....	transportation captain
Joe Lanzl	....	driver (as Joel Lanzl)
Gary Littlefield	....	transportation coordinator
Wayne Nelson	....	driver
Craig Scott	....	driver
Danny L. Swanson	....	driver (as Dan Swanson)
Mark Wescott	....	driver

Other crew
Andrea Asimow	....	executive in charge of development: New Visions
Steve Beckham	....	craft service
Michael Bodnarczuk	....	production assistant
Allen Burry	....	publicist: PMX
Misty Carey	....	production coordinator
Alana Caudillo	....	assistant: Mr. Borden (as Alana Ackley)
Jeff Conroy	....	production assistant (as Jeffrey Conroy)
Richard Davis Jr.	....	location manager (as Richard Davis)
Miguel Delgado	....	choreographer
David Diehl	....	production assistant
Marylou Eales	....	assistant: Mr. Sill
Lori L. Eschler	....	production assistant (as Lori Eschler)
Phil Esparza	....	production associate
Jim Fox	....	guitar instructor
Priscila Giraldo	....	project manager
Darryl Harmon	....	location projectionist: Penthouse Screening
Shannon Kane	....	assistant auditor
Sheldon Katz	....	production auditor (as Sheldon M. Katz)
Josh King	....	location manager
Jerri Lauridsen	....	assistant: Mr. Hackford
Marisa Leal	....	production assistant
Kerry Lyn McKissick	....	script supervisor (as Lyn McKissick)
Olga Perez	....	production assistant
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Jim Picciolo	....	animal handler
Jane E. Russell	....	production secretary
Carrie Stein	....	researcher
P.R. Tooke	....	script supervisor: second unit (as Patricia Tooke)
Steve Clayton	....	security officer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• New Visions Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1990) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1997) (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• On Tour Productions  transportation services
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Let's Go (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Fillmore, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

In the movie, Esai Morales plays Bob, the older brother of Ritchie Valens, played by Lou Diamond Phillips. In reality, Phillips is older than Morales.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ritchie and Bob walk into the back door of the Cowboy Palace but in the next shot they are walking from the front door to the stage.

Quotes:

Bob Keene: Look... it could be worse, you could have been Riki Zuela.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Steve Carell/Usher (#33.12)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Donna

A terrific film about the importance of family and realizing your dreams.

La Bamba which stars Lou Diamond Phillips as tragic 50's rocker Ritchie Valens(real name Richard Valenzuela) is my favorite rock bio film. The film covers the Mexican American Valens' rise from poverty in California to becoming a rock n roll superstar at the young age of 17 only to lose it all within 8 months on the "Day the Music Died".

In addition to focusing on Valens' music career, writer/director Luis Valdez spends time showing the tense relationship between Ritchie and his older brother Bob who is played excellently by Esai Morales. As Ritchie becomes famous Bob begins to resent him and that provides the film with some of its most powerful and heartbreaking scenes.

The film's other effective moments come between Ritchie and his girlfriend Donna. During their scenes together I felt that Valdez did a good job in showing what teenage romances must've been like back in the more innocent 1950's and how parents prejudices could interfere.

Last but not least is the film's great soundtrack. Ritchie Valens songs were redone for the film by the group Los Lobos. All of the instrumental music was provided by Carlos Santana and Miles Goodman. Also included are many other classic songs from the 50's.

The only small criticism I have of the film is that Valdez spends too much time in foreshadowing Valens' fate through dream sequences and references to his fear of flying. While it is documented that Ritchie did have a fear of flying I would imagine that he didn't talk about it as frequently as he does in the film.

Overall I think that La Bamba is a film about sticking to your dreams and the importance of family. I give this film a pretty strong recommendation. You don't even necessarily have to be a fan of 50's music to enjoy it. This is for those who enjoy small films that deal with the triumphs and struggles of everyday people.