The Cocoanut Grove nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel opened up in April 1921 and became famous almost immediately because of the decor. When the club’s host heard from his friend, Rudolph Valentino, that a number of the fake palm trees used in his movie “The Sheik” were available for under $500, the guy snapped them up. Before you could say “Take me to the Casbah” the Cocoanut Grove was the place to see-and-be-seen in Hollywood and remained that way for over three decades.