Bal Tabarin was the name of a

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

located at 36, rue Victor-Massé in the 9th ''arrondissement'', Paris, France. It was opened in 1904 by the composer and orchestra leader Auguste Bosc (1868–1945). It was an immediate success. In 1928 Pierre Sandrini (son of the prima ballerina Emma Sandrini and artistic director of the

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (P ...

) and Pierre Dubout took over the establishment. Sandrini introduced ballet to his floor shows, and dress designs by

Erté Romain de Tirtoff (23 November 1892 – 21 April 1990) was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the pseudonym Erté, from the French pronunciation of his initials (, EHR TEH). He was a 20th-century artist and designer in an a ...

transformed them into spectacular tableaux. There was a new show every year, each with a theme, such as ''The Planets'' or ''The Symphony''; some were inspired by historical figures such as Cleopatra and Madame de Pompadour. During the occupation of Paris it was frequented by German officers. At this time the South African dancer Florence Waren performed there. Unknown to the Germans, she was Jewish, but she was still interned for several months as an

enemy alien In customary international law, an enemy alien is any native, citizen, denizen or subject of any foreign nation or government with which a domestic nation or government is in conflict and who is liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured and ...

. On her release she returned to the Bal Tabarin and paired up with Frederic Apcar to form the dancing duo "Florence et Frederic". They became famous, appearing on stage with the likes of

Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and vari ...

and

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", "Louise", " Mimi", and "Thank Hea ...

, while Waren at the same time aided the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

. After the war Bal Tabarin was taken over by the proprietors of the Moulin Rouge, who closed it in 1953.

Namesake

A nightclub using this name was opened at 1025 Columbus Avenue,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

in 1931 by bandleader Tom Gerun, manager Frank Martinelli, and businessma
Bob Grison
Noted architect Timothy Pflueger was responsible for the building's design. The club was sold to Agustino "Bimbo" Giuntoli in 1951 and reopened as

Bimbo's 365 Club Bimbo's 365 Club, also known as Bimbo's 365, is an entertainment club located at 1025 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco. It specializes in live rock and jazz shows. The location is one of San Francisco's oldest nightclub sites, and has operated un ...

, which is still operating today. In 1953, Gerun became part owner of the Cal Vada Lodge in North Lake Tahoe. He changed the name to Bal Tabarin. After a change of owners in 1958, it closed in 1960.

References

*Jean-Paul Caracalla, ''Montmartre'', éditions Pierre Bordas et Fils, 1995.

External links

The Bal Tabarin.Django Reinhardt in the Bal Tabarin in 1944.

"Tabarin (1928)"
Paul Colin poster {{Coord, 48.8812, 2.3368, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title Cabarets in Paris Buildings and structures in the 9th arrondissement of Paris 1904 establishments in France Former buildings and structures in Paris