Here’s a wonderfully clear photo of Ciro’s on the Sunset Strip. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have thought brown would work as a color for a glamorous nightclub, but it kind of works, doesn’t it? By the looks of the marquee with Guy Mitchell (a singer) and Senor Wences (a ventriloquist, see below) I’m guessing this photo was taken in the 50s, probably not long before it closed in 1957.
Boy, that cloudless, vivid blue sky above Ciro’s almost looked painted!
According to the November 28, 1953 edition of Billboard magazine, both Mitchell and the Senor were at Ciro’s then.
Scroll to the yellow-highlights:
https://books.google.com/books?id=0goEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=senor+wences+ciro%27s&source=bl&ots=eGeZQq6EQx&sig=UvX-E1SFuB0qFj8iS97_mMT0t08&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjc4NngrtfMAhUG02MKHZYTCCwQ6AEINTAE#v=onepage&q=senor%20wences%20ciro's&f=false
December 5, 1953 edition:
https://books.google.com/books?id=HkUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=senor+wences+ciro%27s+guy+mitchell&source=bl&ots=OkAalex_7v&sig=dwtmCoFJicc8Aum_1GUO5dAwauI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjm48W4r9fMAhUU8GMKHd8zC_sQ6AEINjAE#v=onepage&q=senor%20wences%20ciro's%20guy%20mitchell&f=false
Thanks, Martin.
Jean
Hi – I spent many an evening at Ciro’s am happy to say. Always thought Herman Hover owned it, but apparently it was Billy Wilkerson (?). Thing I liked best was there was no color barrier (late 1940’s) so I got to see Sammy Davis & the Will Mastin Trio as well as Pearl – it was great. Love always.
Billy Wilkerson was the original owner when it opened in ’40. Hover took over in ’42 and added nightclub acts. He ran it until in went under in the late 50s.