El Morocco was a 20th century Manhattan nightclub frequented by the rich and famous in the 1930s and 1950s. It was famous for its blue zebra-stripe motif and its official photographer, Jerome Zerbe.
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History
In 1931, John Perona, an Italian immigrant, opened El Morocco as a speakeasy at 154 East 54th Street where the Citigroup Center now stands. Part of what made the club the 'place to be' was the photographs taken by Jerome Zerbe which were always in the news the next day. Everyone always knew from the background zebra stripes on the banquettes where the celebrities had been. In 1961, it moved to a four-storey townhouse at 307 East 54th Street. The club was later owned by John Mills, Maurice Uchitel (1964–70) and Sheldon Hazeltine. Before taking over El Morocco, Uchitel owned the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach for several years.[1] In 1992, it operated as a topless bar. In 1997, Desmond Wootton bought the property and opened the Night Owls nightclub. The site is now occupied by the Milan Condominium.[2]
Miscellanea
- First club to use a velvet rope.
- In 1950, Humphrey Bogart was banned for life.
References in popular culture
- Mentioned in the Cole Porter song "Down in the Depths"
- Recreated in the 2006 motion picture Infamous
- The cruise ship Carnival Splendor will feature a bar named El Morocco Bar themed after the original
- Mentioned in the 1946 film The Kid from Brooklyn
- Mentioned in the film Butterfield 8
- Setting for scene in the film The Way We Were
Notes
References
- Beebe, Lucius (1967). The Lucius Beebe Reader, Charles Clegg and Duncan Emrich (eds.), New York: Doubleday.
- Zerbe, Jerome; introduction by Lucius Beebe (1937). John Perona's El Morocco Family Album. New York: privately published.
- Zerbe, Jerome; introduction by Lucius Beebe (1934). People on Parade. New York: D. Kemp.
External links
- "Ghosts of El Morocco", Laura Shaine Cunningham, The New York Times, September 4, 2004
- Photos of El Morocco
- Photos of El Morocco
