Randy's Donuts
Encyclopedia
Randy's Donuts is a landmark building in Inglewood
, California
, near Los Angeles International Airport
, in a style that dates to a period in the early 20th Century that saw a proliferation of programmatic architecture
throughout Southern California. This style had its heyday from the mid 1920s to the mid 1930s. By the 1950s however, the trend of designing structures in the shape of the product sold there had changed to focus on signs rather than architecture itself. In the case of Randy's, the product in question is represented by a giant donut on the roof of an otherwise ordinary drive-in
that is a dedicated doughnut bakery. The building was designed by Henry J. Goodwin.
There are actually two different sized donuts. Most locations used a 32 1/5 ft in diameter version that straddles the building and is aimed at the intersection. In "Roadside Giants" by Brian and Sarah Butko, the Weintraubs climbed on top of the donut with a tape measure and confirmed this for the authors. The Bellflower and Reseda locations, however, feature a small version of the donut on a pole out in front the building. This may be 23 feet in diameter, as is widely reported.
The 24-hour drive-in is located at 805 West Manchester Boulevard where it intersects with La Cienega Boulevard
, and is near the Manchester Boulevard off-ramp of the San Diego Freeway
(I-405
).
In the 1970s Wendell sold off the individual stores to concentrate on his Pup 'N' Taco
chain (which he sold to Taco Bell in 1984). Robert Eskow purchased the Manchester and Normandie locations in 1976 and named them "Randy's Donuts and Sandwiches" after his son. In 1977 a baker named Gary Kindle purchased the store on Normandie, which is still operating under the name Kindle's Donuts. In 1978, brothers Ron and Larry Weintraub (cousins to the Eskows) purchased the Randy's on Manchester and kept the name; they own it to this day.
Similar to the Big Donut chain is The Donut Hole
of La Puente, California, the last of a chain of five stores featuring two 26 feet (7.9 m) drive-through fiberglass donuts on either side of a small bakery building. A number of Angel Food Donut stores in Long Beach also feature oversized donuts; these appear to have been manufactured out of metal ductwork.
, Mars Attacks!
, The Golden Child
, Into the Night, Coming to America
, Stripped to Kill
, Problem Child 2
, Breathless
, Californication
, California Girls
, 2012
, Iron Man 2
, Volcano, "Crocodile Dundee in L.A., and Love Letters. It has also been featured in the music videos for Randy Newman
's "I Love LA" and The Prodigy
's "Wind It Up
".
Similar buildings with giant donuts, under different names, are featured in the video games Midnight Club: Los Angeles
, Need for Speed Most Wanted and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
as well as in "Marge vs. the Monorail
", an episode of The Simpsons
.
Randy's has been mentioned in multiple odd future (OFWGKTA) tracks
The iconic structure was shown on the History Channel series Life After People
, showing what would happen to the building without human repair.
In the episode "Pier Pressure" of Arrested Development, in a sequence showing Buster's medical trial for THC
, medical marijuana, a picture is shown of Buster standing next to Randy's Donut on the roof attempting to eat his way through it.
In the film Iron Man 2, the protagonist Tony Stark is seen eating donuts while reclining inside the donut sign.
In the film 2012, the donut sign can be seen rolling through the streets during an earthquake.
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, near Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
, in a style that dates to a period in the early 20th Century that saw a proliferation of programmatic architecture
Novelty architecture
Novelty architecture is a type of architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes as a novelty, such as advertising, notoriety as a landmark, or simple eccentricity of the owner or architect. Many examples of novelty architecture take the form of buildings that...
throughout Southern California. This style had its heyday from the mid 1920s to the mid 1930s. By the 1950s however, the trend of designing structures in the shape of the product sold there had changed to focus on signs rather than architecture itself. In the case of Randy's, the product in question is represented by a giant donut on the roof of an otherwise ordinary drive-in
Drive-in
A drive-in is a facility such as a bank, restaurant, or movie theater where one can literally drive in with an automobile for service. It is usually distinguished from a drive-through. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk out...
that is a dedicated doughnut bakery. The building was designed by Henry J. Goodwin.
There are actually two different sized donuts. Most locations used a 32 1/5 ft in diameter version that straddles the building and is aimed at the intersection. In "Roadside Giants" by Brian and Sarah Butko, the Weintraubs climbed on top of the donut with a tape measure and confirmed this for the authors. The Bellflower and Reseda locations, however, feature a small version of the donut on a pole out in front the building. This may be 23 feet in diameter, as is widely reported.
The 24-hour drive-in is located at 805 West Manchester Boulevard where it intersects with La Cienega Boulevard
La Cienega Boulevard
La Cienega Boulevard is a major, well-known north–south arterial road that runs between El Segundo Boulevard in El Segundo, California on the south and the Sunset Strip/Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood....
, and is near the Manchester Boulevard off-ramp of the San Diego Freeway
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
(I-405
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
).
History
Randy's was built in 1953 (and first appears in the 1954 edition phone book) as the second location of the now-defunct Big Donut Drive-In chain by Russell C. Wendell, a donut machine salesman. There were 10 locations, built over the course of the 1950s. At least four other Big Donuts survive: they are Kindle's Donuts in Los Angeles (this is the original location, built in 1950), the Donut King II in Gardena (3), Dale's Donuts in Compton (5), and Bellflower Bagels in Bellflower (8). Each features the distinctive giant donut constructed of rolled steel bars covered with gunnite, the material used in swimming pools. Five Big Donuts have been demolished. They were located in Culver City (4), North Hollywood (6), Inglewood (on Imperial Hwy, 7), Van Nuys (9) and Reseda (10).In the 1970s Wendell sold off the individual stores to concentrate on his Pup 'N' Taco
Pup 'N' Taco
Pup 'N' Taco was a privately-owned chain of fast-food restaurants in Southern California, with its headquarters based in Long Beach, California. The business was begun by Russell Wendell in 1956 as a drive-in restaurant that served tacos and hot dogs...
chain (which he sold to Taco Bell in 1984). Robert Eskow purchased the Manchester and Normandie locations in 1976 and named them "Randy's Donuts and Sandwiches" after his son. In 1977 a baker named Gary Kindle purchased the store on Normandie, which is still operating under the name Kindle's Donuts. In 1978, brothers Ron and Larry Weintraub (cousins to the Eskows) purchased the Randy's on Manchester and kept the name; they own it to this day.
Similar to the Big Donut chain is The Donut Hole
The Donut Hole
The Donut Hole is a bakery and landmark in La Puente, California. An example of programmatic architecture, the building is shaped like two giant donuts through which customers drive to place their orders. The bakery is one of the most photographed donut shops in the United States.-History:The first...
of La Puente, California, the last of a chain of five stores featuring two 26 feet (7.9 m) drive-through fiberglass donuts on either side of a small bakery building. A number of Angel Food Donut stores in Long Beach also feature oversized donuts; these appear to have been manufactured out of metal ductwork.
Pop culture
The building was featured in the films Earth Girls Are EasyEarth Girls Are Easy
Earth Girls Are Easy is a 1988 American musical comedy film directed by Julien Temple. It stars Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Michael McKean, Julie Brown, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans. The film is marketed with the tagline "An out-of-this-world, down-to-earth comedy adventure"...
, Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and based on the cult trading card series of the same name. The film uses elements of black comedy, surreal humour, and political satire, and claims to be also a parody of multiple science fiction B movies...
, The Golden Child
The Golden Child
The Golden Child is a 1986 American comedy film starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy plays Chandler Jarrell, a social worker who is confronted by a young Asian woman , who tells him that he is The Chosen One destined to save The Golden Child, the savior of all mankind, from the clutches of the demon Sardo...
, Into the Night, Coming to America
Coming to America
Coming to America is a 1988 comedy film directed by John Landis. The screenplay was written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, from a story by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the film. Murphy plays an African prince, who heads to the United States in hopes of finding a woman he can marry...
, Stripped to Kill
Stripped to Kill
Stripped to Kill is a 1987 erotic thriller/sexploitation film, it was directed by Katt Shea, and stars Greg Evigan, Kay Lenz & Norman Fell.- Plot :...
, Problem Child 2
Problem Child 2
Problem Child 2 is the 1991 comedy film sequel to the 1990 sleeper hit Problem Child; a continuation of the exploits of an adopted orphan boy who deliberately wreaks havoc everywhere he goes...
, Breathless
Breathless (1983 film)
Breathless is a 1983 American drama film starring Richard Gere and Valérie Kaprisky. It is a remake of the 1960 French film À bout de souffle and was released in France under the title A Bout de Souffle Made in USA. The original film is about an American girl and a French criminal in Paris...
, Californication
Californication (TV series)
Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend...
, California Girls
California Girls
"California Girls" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys, featured on their ninth studio album Summer Days . Written by band-members Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the song features contrasting verse-chorus form...
, 2012
2012 (film)
2012 is a 2009 American disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich. It stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson. It was produced by Emmerich's production company, Centropolis Entertainment and was distributed by Columbia Pictures...
, Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
, Volcano, "Crocodile Dundee in L.A., and Love Letters. It has also been featured in the music videos for Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
's "I Love LA" and The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
's "Wind It Up
Wind It Up (Rewound)
"Wind It Up " was the fifth single released by the British electronica/rave act The Prodigy on 29 March 1993. This song, a remix of "Wind It Up", makes extreme use of distortion and noise, and is significantly different than the version featured on Experience. The B-side "We Are the Ruffest"...
".
Similar buildings with giant donuts, under different names, are featured in the video games Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Midnight Club: Los Angeles is the fourth video game in the Midnight Club series of racing video games, not including Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix. It was officially announced for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on January 11, 2008 by Rockstar Games. The game was developed by Rockstar San Diego...
, Need for Speed Most Wanted and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
as well as in "Marge vs. the Monorail
Marge vs. the Monorail
"Marge vs. the Monorail" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsonss fourth season and originally aired on January 14, 1993. The plot focuses around Springfield's purchase of a monorail from a conman, and Marge's dislike of the purchase. It was written by Conan O'Brien and directed by Rich Moore...
", an episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
Randy's has been mentioned in multiple odd future (OFWGKTA) tracks
The iconic structure was shown on the History Channel series Life After People
Life After People
Life After People is a television documentary series where scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth might be like if humanity no longer existed, as well as the impact humanity's disappearance might have on the environment and the artificial aspects of civilization...
, showing what would happen to the building without human repair.
In the episode "Pier Pressure" of Arrested Development, in a sequence showing Buster's medical trial for THC
THC
THC commonly refers to tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active chemical compound in Cannabis.THC may also refer to:* Tan Holdings Corporation...
, medical marijuana, a picture is shown of Buster standing next to Randy's Donut on the roof attempting to eat his way through it.
In the film Iron Man 2, the protagonist Tony Stark is seen eating donuts while reclining inside the donut sign.
In the film 2012, the donut sign can be seen rolling through the streets during an earthquake.
