Its been the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard for over twenty years now, but in the 1940s and 1950s, it was Ciros"the hottest nightclub on the planet.
When Herman Hover became manager of Ciro's in 1942, he made it into a destination nightspot for the best talent in the world. In 1950, it launched the career of a comedy team that would rise to superstardom together and separately in Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. A year later an opening act called the Will Mastin Trio would tear down the house and leave the headliner that night--Janis Page--in the dust. The Trio itself would become the answer to a trivia question when one of its members left to become one of the biggest stars on the planet--a young singer/dancer/comic named Sammy Davis, Jr.
The audience at Ciro's was frequently more star packed than the stages at most venues. The clientele represented the very top of the entertainment world starting with Frank Sinatra and Humphrey Bogart and all of their "A-list" contemporaries including Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland, Jack Benny and countless others. Ciro's was the "in" spot for stars and would be stars, making it the hottest ticket in town.
During a more civilized time, a network of top nightclubs hosted entertainment, drinking, dining and other hijinx in the major cities of the US. Ciro's was among this elite group of nightspots dating back to the early 1940's when the icons of that era including Bogart, Jimmy Cagney, Lauren Bacall and George Raft would frequent the place. It started to 'cool off' and by 1942 was forced to close its doors for a time. It didn't stay closed for long, as Herman Hoover implemented his plan to re-open and revitalize the nightspot.
Hoover, who had a background in running a nightclub"he was lured away from Columbia Universitys Law School by the potent mix of wiseguys and chorus girls at New Yorks Silver Slipper, which was a prohibition era joint owned by Arnold Rothstein and Charles Lucky Luciano among others. Hoover became a fixture at the club, along with Harlems Cotton Club before moving to Los Angeles in 1936.
Ciro's reopened on the day after Christmas, 1942. The headliner that night was Sinatra crony Joe E. Lewis and the crowd included the aforementioned "Chairman of the Board" along with Mickey Rooney, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Cary Grant. Xavier Cugat was next to headline (he'd later to on to marry 1970's gameshow fixture "Charo") and became a regular.
Hoover had hosted Dean Martins wedding in 1949, and Martin and Lewis debuted at Ciros in 1950. They always felt a deep debt of gratitude to Hoover and his club, and even when they were pulling down an astounding (for the 1950s) $100,000 a week to perform they insisted on holding their fee at Ciros to what they were originally paid--$7,000 a week. In 1951, Sammy Davis, Jr., along with his uncle and father"the Will Mastin Trio"tore down the house. Several years later, in what may have been the biggest event ever at the club, Davis returned to the stage following a car accident where he lost his right eye and nearly lost his life. Following an introduction by Frank Sinatra, Davis put on a scorching performance before an adoring and emotional crowd of the biggest stars on the planet.
Ironically, the growth of the desert gambling oasis to the east would eventually spell the end for Ciro's and the nightclub circuit nationwide. Las Vegas simply had the money, connections and amenities to lure away the best talent to play in its showrooms. Headliners didn't have to travel to earn a tidy sum as casino headliners, and they were able to live the showbiz life 24 hours a day in "Paris in the Desert." Eventually Ciro's closed its doors in 1957 and was sold at a public auction two years later.
It also represented the end of an era in Los Angeles. Sunset Boulevard remained a vital commercial artery, but the glamorous strip of adult entertainment that became part of American mythology gave way to a tacky mishmash of restaurants, strip clubs, and tattoo parlors intermingled with more upscale businesses. Although another revolution would emerge from Sunset Boulevard"a culinary superstar named Wolfgang Puck, and his restaurant Spago"the world became a little less civilized with the passing of Ciros. The building has been the Comedy Store for the past 26 years, and has started its own crop of stars along the path to fame.
When Herman Hover became manager of Ciro's in 1942, he made it into a destination nightspot for the best talent in the world. In 1950, it launched the career of a comedy team that would rise to superstardom together and separately in Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. A year later an opening act called the Will Mastin Trio would tear down the house and leave the headliner that night--Janis Page--in the dust. The Trio itself would become the answer to a trivia question when one of its members left to become one of the biggest stars on the planet--a young singer/dancer/comic named Sammy Davis, Jr.
The audience at Ciro's was frequently more star packed than the stages at most venues. The clientele represented the very top of the entertainment world starting with Frank Sinatra and Humphrey Bogart and all of their "A-list" contemporaries including Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland, Jack Benny and countless others. Ciro's was the "in" spot for stars and would be stars, making it the hottest ticket in town.
During a more civilized time, a network of top nightclubs hosted entertainment, drinking, dining and other hijinx in the major cities of the US. Ciro's was among this elite group of nightspots dating back to the early 1940's when the icons of that era including Bogart, Jimmy Cagney, Lauren Bacall and George Raft would frequent the place. It started to 'cool off' and by 1942 was forced to close its doors for a time. It didn't stay closed for long, as Herman Hoover implemented his plan to re-open and revitalize the nightspot.
Hoover, who had a background in running a nightclub"he was lured away from Columbia Universitys Law School by the potent mix of wiseguys and chorus girls at New Yorks Silver Slipper, which was a prohibition era joint owned by Arnold Rothstein and Charles Lucky Luciano among others. Hoover became a fixture at the club, along with Harlems Cotton Club before moving to Los Angeles in 1936.
Ciro's reopened on the day after Christmas, 1942. The headliner that night was Sinatra crony Joe E. Lewis and the crowd included the aforementioned "Chairman of the Board" along with Mickey Rooney, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Cary Grant. Xavier Cugat was next to headline (he'd later to on to marry 1970's gameshow fixture "Charo") and became a regular.
Hoover had hosted Dean Martins wedding in 1949, and Martin and Lewis debuted at Ciros in 1950. They always felt a deep debt of gratitude to Hoover and his club, and even when they were pulling down an astounding (for the 1950s) $100,000 a week to perform they insisted on holding their fee at Ciros to what they were originally paid--$7,000 a week. In 1951, Sammy Davis, Jr., along with his uncle and father"the Will Mastin Trio"tore down the house. Several years later, in what may have been the biggest event ever at the club, Davis returned to the stage following a car accident where he lost his right eye and nearly lost his life. Following an introduction by Frank Sinatra, Davis put on a scorching performance before an adoring and emotional crowd of the biggest stars on the planet.
Ironically, the growth of the desert gambling oasis to the east would eventually spell the end for Ciro's and the nightclub circuit nationwide. Las Vegas simply had the money, connections and amenities to lure away the best talent to play in its showrooms. Headliners didn't have to travel to earn a tidy sum as casino headliners, and they were able to live the showbiz life 24 hours a day in "Paris in the Desert." Eventually Ciro's closed its doors in 1957 and was sold at a public auction two years later.
It also represented the end of an era in Los Angeles. Sunset Boulevard remained a vital commercial artery, but the glamorous strip of adult entertainment that became part of American mythology gave way to a tacky mishmash of restaurants, strip clubs, and tattoo parlors intermingled with more upscale businesses. Although another revolution would emerge from Sunset Boulevard"a culinary superstar named Wolfgang Puck, and his restaurant Spago"the world became a little less civilized with the passing of Ciros. The building has been the Comedy Store for the past 26 years, and has started its own crop of stars along the path to fame.
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a Las Vegas and food industry historian as well as an expert on sports betting. He has served as a management consultant for many restaurants, casinos and nightclubs. In addition, he's a noted fight sport journalist, and writes extensively on strategies to successfully bet on NFL football, MMA and boxing.
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