The Donut Hole in La Puente is one of Southern California’s best-known examples of programme architecture. Located at 15300 Amar Road, the shop is built around two giant doughnuts with a drive-through lane passing through them, making it one of the most recognisable roadside landmarks in the Los Angeles area. The surviving La Puente location dates from the late 1960s and is the best-known remnant of the old Donut Hole chain.
The Donut Hole has appeared in Moving Violations (1985), Dragnet (1987), and Calendar Girl (1993). In all three films, it is used as a distinctive Southern California roadside location, instantly recognisable because of its giant doughnut façades and drive-through tunnel.
In Moving Violations (1985), The Donut Hole appears in the sequence in which Chief Fromm’s car is damaged at the site. The film makes direct use of the location, and its exaggerated design fits the broad comic style of the scene.
In Dragnet (1987), The Donut Hole is seen in the opening part of the film. Its appearance is brief, but it helps establish the Los Angeles setting through one of the city’s most unusual roadside landmarks.
In Calendar Girl (1993), The Donut Hole appears when the three boys stop there during their journey. The location is used as part of the film’s Southern California travel setting, with the drive-through doughnut structure making it immediately identifiable.
Moving Violations (1985)
Moving Violations
Moving Violations was filmed in and around Los Angeles, and the production used a spread of Southern California locations rather than one suburban setting.
Puente Hills Mall
Puente Hills Mall is best known from Back to the Future (1985), where it appears as Twin Pines Mall and later Lone Pine Mall, where the parking place is used.
Whittier High School
Whittier High School is best known from "Back to the Future" (1985) and "Back to the Future Part II" (1989), where it appears as Hill Valley High School.
Hotel Saddleback
Hotel Saddleback is best known from National Lampoon’s Vacation, where is was used for the hotel pool scene with Clark Griswold and the woman in the Ferrari.
Sam’s Hofbrau
Sam’s Hofbrau is best known from Quentin Tarantino’s "Jackie Brown" (1997) and "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" (2004). In both films, the location is used as a strip club.
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel has appeared in many films, including The Omega Man, Chinatown, Rocky III, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters and many more.
Westin Bonaventure Hotel
Westin Bonaventure Hotel has appeared in a long list of films and television productions, including The Driver (1978), Heaven Can Wait (1978) and many more.
The Mayan
The Mayan has appeared in many films and television productions, including Sally of the Scandals, Refinements in Love, Save the Tiger and many more.
Foster’s Freeze Atwater Village
Foster’s Freeze in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, has appeared in both "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and "GLOW" (2017–2019).
The MacArthur
The MacArthur has been used in a large number of films, with its lobby, ballrooms, rooms, exterior and restrooms appearing in films across several decades.
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