The crowded dance floor at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub, Ambassador Hotel, Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, 1949
When I saw how packed the dance floor was at the Cocoanut Grove in this photograph, I thought “Well now, what we’re seeing is the end of an era.” It looks like almost everybody in the place is on the dance floor dancing cheek-to-cheek in their formal gowns and tuxedos. This is from 1949 so the 1950s are around the corner, and with it came television, which changed how people spent their evenings. Nightclubs like the Cocoanut Grove, Mocambo, Ciro’s, Café Trocadero that had thrived in the 30s and 40s were all gone by the end of the 50s.
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Look at them “enjoying themselves”. To think, they’ll never know what it’s like to stream Netflix to their mobile communication devices!
Sad.
even in the late ’50s the Cocoanut Grove was a nice place to go to
Fabrice, I’m jealous that you got to experience it at any time!
The Cocoanut Grove hung on into the at least the 60’s. I went there with my wife to see Don Ho in the late 60’s. It looked much like this with the palm trees. We did get dressed up, although I wasn’t wearing a tux, just my best suit. The Ambassador Hotel was open into the 80’s. Friends stayed there when they visited us in the late 70’s.
It’s very unfortunate people don’t go out and socialize to this degree anymore.
In many ways technology has become a curse and made us more lethargic.
Nobody goes “dinner-and-dance”-ing anymore!