Monday, January 9, 2017

I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989)



Among the parade of battered women television flicks comes this heart wrenching story of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped at the age of seven and held captive by deranged pedophile Kenneth Parnell until he was fourteen.  An exhaustive search by his family proved unsuccessful.  When Steven became a teenager, Parnell brought home five year old Timmy White.  Steven found the courage to return Timmy to his parents and finally rescue himself.  He was finally reunited with his family although it was quite estranged.  Unfortunately, the tragedy didn't end there.  Four months after I Know My First Name Is Steven aired, Steven was killed in a motorcycle accident.  Timmy White died in 2010 of an embolism.  And Steven's brother, Cary, is on death row for the 1999 killing of four women in Yosemite National Park.  There was no prior information about the filming locations for I Know My First Name Is Steven, but luckily a few addresses and street signs clued me in on their whereabouts.

I Know My First Name Is Steven was filmed in Eagle Rock, Glendale, Sun Valley, San Fernando, Van Nuys and Los Angeles, CA

Location: The Stayner House
Address: 5148 Vincent Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

It's undergone some recent remodeling...






In the movie, this street looks like it could very well be in Merced, CA.  Little did the audience know it's lined with palm trees...




Location: The Auto Parts Store
Address: 5030 1/2 York Boulevard, Glendale, CA

It's still an auto parts store today...




Location: Merced Elementary School
Address: 2225 Doris Place, Silverlake, CA









Location: Victor's House
Address: 2691 Queen Street, Glendale, CA







Location: The Used Car Lot
Address: 12341 Branford Street, Sun Valley, CA




Location: Steven Goes Christmas Shopping
Address: 5056 N Eagle Rock Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA






Location: Steven's Comptche, CA High School
Address: 7705 Summitrose Street, Tujunga, CA  Mt. Lukens High School






Location: Timmy White's Elementary School
Address: 1097 5th Street, San Fernando, CA








Location: Parnell Abducts Timmy
Address: De Foe Street & N Brand Boulevard, San Fernando, CA








Location: Merced High School
Address: 6535 Cedros Avenue, Van Nuys, CA






This was also Ridgemont High from Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Location: Cary's Gas Station
Address: 1258 N Avenue 51, Eagle Rock, CA









Locations Visited: October 2016, October 2018


Locations To Be Found: 

Jody's House
The Bridge
The Courthouse
Merced Toy Store
The Green Hotel



8 comments:

  1. Interesting pictures. I went by the Stayners' actual house in Merced somewhat recently. It looks nothing like the one used in the movie.

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    1. Thanks! Wow, that must have been interesting visiting the actual house.

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  2. Had no clue none of it was filmed in Merced. I grew up in Merced and still currently live here. Merced high never looked like the school in the movie but there is and was a Dons mobile glass company. I was also friends with his wife Jody

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    1. Yeah, they did a good job of making it look like northern California. Wow, that's very interesting you were friends with Jody.

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  3. I knew I recognized that High School, that’s Va Nuys High School where fast times at ridgemont high was filmed. That school has been in many movies and probably music videos.

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  4. The Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana, California was used for some of the exterior scenes.

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    1. Yes, I was hoping to get down there on my last trip but didn't have time. Legally Blonde and American Horror Story also filmed there.

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