Tail O' the Pup
Encyclopedia
Tail o’ the Pup was an iconic Los Angeles, California
hot dog
stand actually shaped like a hot dog. Built in 1946, the small, walk-up stand has been noted as a prime example of “mimetic”-type novelty architecture
. It was one of the very last surviving mid-20th century buildings that were built in the shapes of the products they sold.
.
Despite its appearance in countless movies and commercials, the stand faced demolition in the mid-1980s, creating an outcry that resulted in the stand being moved a few yards from its original location at 311 North La Cienega Boulevard
, to 329 North San Vicente Boulevard
.
In December 2005, the Pup was evicted and it moved into a Torrance
warehouse after Regent Properties, a development company, purchased the Pup's site from landlord Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
, and announced plans to build 152 condominium and apartment units. As of June 2011, construction had not started and the site remained a parking lot.
Owners Dennis and Eddie Blake plan to reopen the Tail o' the Pup once a suitable location is found, possibly in West Hollywood.
The City of Los Angeles has since declared Tail o’ the Pup to be a cultural landmark.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
stand actually shaped like a hot dog. Built in 1946, the small, walk-up stand has been noted as a prime example of “mimetic”-type novelty 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...
. It was one of the very last surviving mid-20th century buildings that were built in the shapes of the products they sold.
History
Designed by architect Milton Black, the stand opened at La Cienega and Beverly boulevards in June 1946 to luminary-studded, searchlight-lit fanfare. Eddie Blake purchased the Pup in the early 1970s from its celebrity owners, the dance team of Veloz and YolandaVeloz and Yolanda
Frank Veloz and Yolanda Casazza were a dance team during the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:They received an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film nomination for their "Cavalcade of Dance with Veloz and Yolanda" in 1943....
.
Despite its appearance in countless movies and commercials, the stand faced demolition in the mid-1980s, creating an outcry that resulted in the stand being moved a few yards from its original location at 311 North 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....
, to 329 North San Vicente Boulevard
San Vicente Boulevard
San Vicente Boulevard is a major northwest-southeast thoroughfare located in the western portion of the Metropolitan Area of the U.S. city of Los Angeles, California....
.
In December 2005, the Pup was evicted and it moved into a Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
warehouse after Regent Properties, a development company, purchased the Pup's site from landlord Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
, and announced plans to build 152 condominium and apartment units. As of June 2011, construction had not started and the site remained a parking lot.
Owners Dennis and Eddie Blake plan to reopen the Tail o' the Pup once a suitable location is found, possibly in West Hollywood.
The City of Los Angeles has since declared Tail o’ the Pup to be a cultural landmark.