The Iconic Father of the Bride House and Its Real History

A father comes home from his job at a shoe factory to his large house and family, only to be told that his daughter is getting married to a man he has never met. What ensues is the father’s reckoning with the realization that his daughter is no longer a little girl. If this sounds familiar, then you may be thinking of the movie Father of the Bride. As much as I would love to discuss the jokes, drama, and the fatherly existential crisis, this article will instead focus on the iconic house featured in the movie.

And what a house it is. Tucked away in Pasadena, California, on a tree-lined road, this house has been observing residents and neighbors alike for the past 100 years.The colonial-style house features wood detailing, a large basement, and even a pool for all your outdoor summer needs. It is as picturesque today as it was in the movie.

843 S El Molino Avenue, c. 2012

The house at 843 S. El Molino Avenue was built in 1913. Unfortunately, there is little available information about its early life. We do not know who lived there or what happened to the house during its first years. However, by the time the 1920 census was taken, we did get some information. According to the census, the residents were James McKeller, his wife Dorothy, and their two sons, Douglas and James. James McKeller, the eldest, was a physician, and his wife was not employed. Two staff members are also listed: a cook named Ida Williams and a domestic servant, Nionnie Williams.

We don’t know what happened to the McKeller family after 1920, though we do have documentation about the house. A "for sale" ad appears in the Pasadena Star News on December 20, 1922. Despite what you may be thinking, this was not an ad for the house, but rather an advertisement for the sale of mattresses. Two mattresses, complete with box springs and wooden bed frames, were being sold by the residents. In addition to the mattresses, a couple of Roslyn Chenille rugs were for sale.

Pasadena Star News, Dec. 20, 1922

Our other piece of documentation from this period is a news article about a boy named George Reis Jr. The McKeller family seems to have moved out by 1925, when the article appeared, and it lists 843 S El Molino Ave. as George Jr.'s home. The article details George Jr.'s love for society balls and how he was glad that his family was going on a vacation at a later date, leaving time for him to attend the May Day ball.

The Pasadena Post, Apr. 27, 1925

The Reises appear in the 1930 census: George Reis, his wife Irene, and their son George Jr. Two servants are listed: nurse Anne Beveridge and cook Brittine Larson. George Reis Sr. and his wife are each recorded as having no occupation, leaving us to wonder how they spent their time.

George Reis Sr. seemed to have time for hobbies—most notably, speedboat racing. A 1935 article described his bid to win the President’s Cup Race on the Potomac; having won in previous years, he aimed to claim victory again in 1935. Sadly, we don’t know how that race ended, so the outcome remains up to your imagination.

Pasadena Star News, May 16, 1935

The Reises were still living in the house at 843 S El Molino Ave. in 1940 when the census rolled around again. George Sr., Irene, and George Jr. still lived in the house. The servants changed, however, with the new ones being Oleo Roberts and Jennie Wahlberg. Once again, no occupations are listed for the members of the Reis family.

We don’t hear much from the Reis family between 1940 and 1950. It’s only with the 1950 census that they appear in the records again. Irene Reis is the only Reis family member listed as living in the house. We can only presume what happened to George Sr. Perhaps he had died in the ten years between the last census and this one, but, ultimately, we do not know. George Jr. is not listed as well, but presumably, he lived somewhere else, as his name appears in a later article. In any case, Irene was the only Reis who lived in the house in 1950, and she had just one servant, Peter Pamental.

From here, the trail goes quiet until 1976, when the Los Angeles Times publishes a notice that Irene Reis had died. She left behind her son, George Jr., and her grandchildren, Lisa, Patricia, and Annie.

The Los Angeles Times, Dec. 18, 1976

Following Irene Reis’s death, the next record dates back to 1987: a ‘For Sale’ ad in the Los Angeles Times. This time, it was the house itself—not mattresses—on the market. Listed at $575,000 (about $1.64 million in August 2025), the ad described the property as having ‘landmark quality’ and an enclosed sleeping porch. It sold soon after.

The Los Angeles Times, Jun. 20, 1987

Here in our timeline (see link below) readers may recognize the story: the house was used in the 1991 movie Father of the Bride, a remake of the 1950 version starring Elizabeth Taylor. It was used as the home of the fictional Banks family, and Annie, the daughter of the protagonist George Banks, had her wedding in the house.

Father of the Bride Movie Poster

843 S El Molino Ave. as seen in Father of the Bride

Since its appearance in the 1991 movie, the house hasn’t attracted much publicity. It was sold again in 1999, and since then there have been crickets from news outlets and other blogs. Currently, the house is private property, so if you were hoping to catch a glimpse of the inside or reserve yourself a tour, I come bearing bad news. However, if you are interested in the documents or the history of the house, why not take a look at our 843 S El Molino Ave. timeline? Hopefully that keeps your curiosity at bay—for now...