La Bamba (1987)
Directed by Luis Valdez
Teenage farmworker Ritchie Valenzuela moves to the San Fernando Valley, becomes Ritchie Valens in a Hollywood studio, finds a song in Tijuana and plays to crowds in Philadelphia and Brooklyn before joining the Winter Dance Party in Iowa.
- Travel shown
- On foot, bike, skis or swimming
- Not shown on screen
- Fictional place
- 1Labor camp≈ 00:03:00Farm country, Northern CaliforniaInferred
Ritchie picks fruit with his family until his half-brother Bob turns up fresh out of jail.
- 2High school and family home≈ 00:10:00San Fernando, CaliforniaInferred
At San Fernando High, Ritchie falls for Donna and plays in a garage band.
- 3Del-Fi recordings≈ 00:35:00Gold Star Studios, Hollywood (former)Stated on screen
Bob Keane renames him Ritchie Valens and cuts his first hits.
- 4Brothel and village≈ 00:50:00Tijuana, MexicoStated on screen
On a trip across the border the brothers hear La Bamba, and a curandero gives Ritchie a charm against his fear of flying.
- 5American Bandstand≈ 01:05:00Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaStated on screen
He conquers his fear of flying to sing Donna on television.
- 6Alan Freed show≈ 01:08:00Brooklyn Paramount TheaterStated on screen
Ritchie plays La Bamba at Alan Freed's show and meets Eddie Cochran backstage.
- 7Winter Dance Party≈ 01:30:00Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, IowaStated on screen
- 8Funeral≈ 01:40:00San Fernando Mission CemeteryInferred
The journey in numbers
- Distance travelled
- 6,352 km
- Places
- 8
- Countries
- 2
- Stops
- 8
- Plane: 3,809 km
- Bus: 1,625 km
- Car: 764 km
- Not shown: 153 km
Distances are measured in a straight line between stops, so real road distances are longer.
Spotted a mistake?
Every journey is checked against the film, but we can still get things wrong.