Today, it’s a world famous comedy club–The Comedy Store. In the 1940’s and 1950’s it was Ciro’s nightclub and for much of its life was one of the hottest nightspots in the world.
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 regulars at Ciro’s comprised a mind boggling array of the greatest entertainers in history–Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Judy Garland and countless others. It became the clubhouse for the Hollywood elite to drink, mingle and network.
In a more civilized era, the biggest cities had a network of top level nightclubs that would provide the best entertainment, drinking and dining in a luxurious atmosphere. Some of these venues included the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the Coconut Grove in Miami, the 900 Club in Atlantic City and the Villa Venice in Chicago. Even before its heyday, Ciro’s was still among the top tier of nightclubs hosting tars such as Bogart, Lauren Bacall, George Raft and Betty Grable. When the club began to ‘cool off’ and the clientele began to defect to the jungle themed Mocambo Nightclub, Ciro’s fell on hard times and briefly closed until Herman Hoover reopened the club.
Hoover had an interesting background–while attending law school at Columbia University he was lured away by the mix of wiseguys and chorus girls at New York’s famed “Silver Slipper”. “The Slipper” was a prohibition era nightspot owned by a group of organized crime luminaries, and Hoover quickly became a valued management asset. He would later work at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club before relocating to the west coast in 1936.
Ciros reopened on December 26, 1942 with longtime Sinatra pal Joe E. Lewis on stage and such stars as Mickey Rooney, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Joan Crawford and Cary Grant in the audience. Xavier Cugat (whod later marry a Latin dancer named Charo) became a regular headliner at the club, preceding the arrival of Martin, Lewis and Sammy Davis, Jr.
Hoover had hosted Dean Martins wedding in 1949 to second wife Jeanne, and Martin and Lewis debuted at Ciros in 1950. They remained loyal 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. Sammy Davis, Jr. got his start at Ciro’s and returned to the stage after his mid 1950’s car accident in what may have been the biggest event ever at the club. 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, it was the growth of Las Vegas that would spell the beginning of the end for Ciros and nightclubs like it nationwide. With coffers flush from gambling profits and mob revenues, the nightclubs just couldnt compete with the money that Las Vegas casinos were able to offer. Headliners didnt have to travel as much to make big money, and they were able to live the life 24/7 in the southern Nevada desert. As Hoover struggled to stay afloat, the IRS caught up to hundreds of thousands of dollars he owed in unpaid taxes. Ciros closed its doors in 1957. Hoover filed for bankruptcy in 1959, and Ciros was sold at public auction for $350,000.
The end of Ciro’s also represented an end of the glamor that characterized Los Angeles in the early to middle 20th century. Sunset Boulevard remained a busy main street, but before long became populated with as many strip clubs and tattoo parlors as upscale restaurants and nightclubs. The tradition of launching new stars, however, continues to this day at the Comedy Store which has operated on the Ciro’s site for almost 30 years. A ‘who’s who’ of comedy have gotten a start at the club from Jay Leno, David Letterman and Andy Kaufman to modern comics like David Chappelle and UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
Ross Everett is a Las Vegas and hospitality industry historian as well as an expert on NFL football 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.