A Carpenter’s Story

“They’re striving for authenticity.” That’s how a CBS publicity rep described the current filming of “The Karen Carpenter Story” in Downey. The CBS movie is utilizing actual Carpenter homes, even shooting the anorexic Karen’s death scene in the family house where she died in 1983 at age 33.

Karen’s parents, Harold and Agnes--who still live at the family house--watched much of the filming. Brother Richard, who’s exec producing for Weintruab Entertainment Group (Jerry Weintraub was the Carpenters’ longtime manager), has been on hand “every single minute of filming.”

Richard’s own Downey home (where he lives with his wife and infant daughter) has been used as another location. A third Downey home--a lookalike of a house that Richard and Karen shared in the days following their early success--is also being used. (The real thing was since torn down to make way for a freeway.)

Still other authentic details: The film makers are using the same Downey ambulance service that was called when Karen’s body was found. Coincidentally--and eerily--the same ambulance crew that was working that day in 1983 arrived for the movie shoot.

Cynthia Gibb and Mitchell Anderson portray the singing siblings. Louise Fletcher and Peter Michael Goetz are the parents. Joseph Sargent is directing. At present, a May airdate is anticipated.