The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverly H ...

. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California.

History

The Comedy Store was opened in April 1972 by comedians Sammy Shore (1927–2019), and Rudy De Luca. The building was formerly the home of Club Seville (1935), later, Ciro's (1940–1957), a popular Hollywood nightclub owned by William Wilkerson, and later Ciro's Le Disc, a rock and roll venue, where The Byrds were discovered in 1964. When the venue reopened as The Comedy Store in 1972, it included a 99-seat theatre. As a result of a divorce settlement, Sammy Shore's ex-wife Mitzi Shore began operating the club in 1973, and she was able to buy the building in 1976. She immediately renovated and expanded the club to include a 450-seat main room. In 1974, The Comedy Store hosted the wedding reception of newlyweds

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

and

Jack Haley, Jr. John Joseph Haley III (October 25, 1933 – April 21, 2001), known as Jack Haley Jr., was an American director, producer and writer, and a two-time recipient of the Emmy Award. His credits include directing the 1974 compilation film ''That's Ente ...

The Comedy Club signage was covered, for the evening, by signs reading "Ciro's", denoting the venue's prior identity. The event was attended by many dozens of Hollywood glitterati, including

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

, Sammy Davis Jr.,

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

, Bob Fosse,

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...

, Goldie Hawn, Cesar Romero, Priscilla Presley and other stars, past and present.

Locations

The original Comedy Store on Sunset at Ciro's had been joined by the Comedy Store Westwood, at 1621 Westwood Blvd., the Comedy Store La Jolla, at 916 Pearl St., Comedy Store Playhouse, on Las Palmas, Comedy Store at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, in Universal City, and the Comedy Store Las Vegas at the Dunes Hotel.

Job action

Beginning in 1979, The Comedy Store served for many years as the host location for the annual ''

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

Young Comedians'' specials.

Tension between the club owners stems from a 1979 strike of Los Angeles comedians against the Comedy Store’s “no-pay policy.” Until that time, neither Shore nor
Friedman Friedman, Friedmann, and Freedman are surnames of German origin, and from the 17th century were also adopted by Ashkenazi Jews. It is the 9th most common surname in Israel (8th among Jews) and most common exclusively Ashkenazi name. They may refer ...
paid comedians a salary. The theory was that comedians should almost be paying the owners for the exposure the clubs provided. When the comedians’ strike began, The Improv (opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue) was closed for fire-damage repairs. Therefore, the strike focused on Shore, not Friedman.

Also in 1979, stand-up comedians formed a short-lived labor union and demanded to be paid for their appearances at The Comedy Store. For six weeks (beginning in March), several famous comedians staged a protest in front of the club, while others crossed the picket line. The comedians involved formed a union called Comedians for Compensation and fought for pay where they had received none before. They eventually picketed in front of the club when their demands were not met.

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...

and

David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...

were among those on the picket line while

Garry Shandling Garry Emmanuel Shandling (November 29, 1949 – March 24, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer. Shandling began his career writing for sitcoms, such as '' Sanford and Son'' and ''Welcome Back, Kotter''. He made ...

and Yakov Smirnoff crossed the line. The job action was not legally a strike as the comedians were classified as " independent contractors" and were not under contract with the club. Mitzi Shore argued that the club was and had always been a showcase and training ground for young comedians and was not about profits. She alleged that comedians came to the club and could work on their material in front of casting agents and other talent scouts who would possibly hire them as professionals if they were good enough. The comedians at the club became unhappy when the club was expanded several times and it was perceived that Shore's profits were quite substantial. Shore also paid the rest of her staff, including waitresses and bartenders. After the strike, some comedians were no longer allowed to perform at the club, including Steve Lubetkin, who committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the

Continental Hyatt House The Andaz West Hollywood is a 239-room Hyatt hotel located at 8401 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California (at Kings Road). History The hotel was opened in 1963 by Gene Autry as Gene Autry's Hotel Continental. Leased to Hyatt Hotels Corpor ...

next door. His suicide note included the line: "My name is Steve Lubetkin. I used to work at The Comedy Store." Lubetkin hoped that his suicide would resolve the labor dispute. He also cited Shore as the reason he no longer had a job. The union ceased to exist in 1980, although from the time of the job action onward, comedians in Los Angeles were paid for their shows. This included The Comedy Store and The Improv.

Cresthill house

Mitzi Shore also owned a 5,000-square-foot house a few doors away from the club, on 8420 Cresthill Road. The house was bought with the club in 1976. In 1979, she started to let the comedians from the clubs crash there. During the 1980s, numerous famous comedians resided or just partied there, including Dice, Kinison, Carrey, Maron, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Yakov Smirnoff, and Bill Hicks.

Argus Hamilton Argus Hamilton is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and host of The Comedy Store Tonight starring Argus Hamilton. Hamilton began his stand-up comedy career at The Comedy Store. His specialty was to make funny comments on the news of the da ...

and Mike Binder were the first to officially move in the house.

Dave Coulier David Alan Coulier ( ; born September 21, 1959) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, and television host. He played Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'', voiced Peter Venkman on ''The Real Ghostbusters'', and voiced ...

was also an early resident, and Yakov Smirnoff moved in in 1980. The place was famous for its all-night parties and heavy consumption of cocaine and alcohol. Bill Hicks moved there in 1980 when he was 18 and running away from his parents to pursue his career as a comedian. Many of those comedians developed their style while residing there. Sam Kinison was a pillar there, and

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...

turned his act around in this house. Mitzi Shore had a plan to cash in on the house's unique atmosphere, and even shot a 12-minute pilot around 1987 starring Daphne Davis, Nancy Redman, and Tamayo Otsuki. In 1988, because of the debauchery that had been going on for years, Mitzi Shore kicked everybody out of the house and turned it into a recovery house. By the early 1990s, Her son Pauly moved in the house, and by the end of the 1990s, the house was sold.

Notable alumni

— "A history of the young comedians coming to Los Angeles in the 1970s and performing at the club." * Tim Allen * Louie Anderson * Roseanne Barr * Don Barris *

Sandra Bernhard Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American actress, singer, comedian and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy, where she often critiqued celebrity culture and political figures. She is perhaps b ...

* Mike Binder * Elayne Boosler * David Brenner * Bill Burr * Bryan Callen * John Caparulo * George Carlin *

* Dana Carvey *

Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006), which he starred in until quitting in the middle of p ...

* Chevy Chase * Cheech & Chong * Louis C.K. * Whitney Cummings * Andrew Dice Clay * Jenn Colella * Billy Crystal *

Rodney Dangerfield Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I don't get no resp ...

* Chris D'Elia * Joey Diaz * Tom Dreesen *

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* Jeff Garlin * Whoopi Goldberg * Gilbert Gottfried * Kathy Griffin *

* Chelsea Handler * Kevin Hart * Bill Hicks *

Charlie Hill Charles Allan Hill (July 6, 1951 – December 30, 2013) was one of the first Native American stand-up comedians, to appear on major television shows such as the Richard Pryor Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Show with David Letter ...

* Tony Hinchcliffe * Joel Hodgson * Andy Kaufman * Michael Keaton * Sam Kinison * Bill Kirchenbauer * Bert Kreischer * Martin Lawrence * Bobby Lee *

Annie Lederman Anne Frances Lederman (; born July 20, 1983) is an American comedian and podcast host. She has appeared on the MTV series ''Girl Code'' and hosted the E! shows ''We Have Issues'' and ''Chelsea Lately'', and ''@midnight''. She is also known as t ...

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* Norm Macdonald * Kathleen Madigan * Sebastian Maniscalco *

Howie Mandel Howard Michael Mandel (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian-American comedian, television personality, actor, and producer. Mandel voiced the character Gizmo in the 1984 film ''Gremlins'' and the 1990 sequel '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch''. I ...

* Marc Maron * Carlos Mencia * Dennis Miller * Paul Mooney *

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...

Christina Pazsitzky Christina Pazsitzky (born June 18, 1976), known by her stage name Christina P,About Chri ...

* Esther Povitsky * Pat Proft *

Ollie Joe Prater Ollie Joe Prater (born Gilbert Hartzog; August 22, 1946 – November 25, 1991) was an American stand-up comedian and television personality. He made frequent appearances on ''The Tonight Show''. Prater got his start in stand-up comedy in the 1 ...

* Richard Pryor *

Chris Rock Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best come ...

* Paul Rodriguez * Joe Rogan * Ray Romano * Chris Rush * Bob Saget * Andrew Santino * Tom Segura *

Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing a Jerry Seinfeld (character), semi-fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom ''Seinfeld'', which he ...

Ari Shaffir Ari David Shaffir (born February 12, 1974) is an American comedian, actor, podcaster, writer, and producer. He produces and hosts the ''Skeptic Tank'' podcast. He also co-hosts the podcast ''Punch Drunk Sports'' with Jayson Thibault and Sam Tri ...

* Iliza Shlesinger * Pauly Shore * Sarah Silverman * Yakov Smirnoff *

Phil Snyder Philip Charles Snyder (born February 6, 1953) is an American university professor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, author, animator, musician, singer-songwriter, director, screenwriter and producer. Career He was born the sixth child in a famil ...

Freddy Soto Alfredo "Freddy" Soto Jr. (June 22, 1970 – July 10, 2005) was an American comedian, writer and actor. His comedy act focused primarily on his upbringing in a Mexican American household. Life and career He was born in El Paso, Texas to Mexican ...

* David Spade * Brody Stevens *

Duncan Trussell Charles Duncan Trussell (born April 20, 1974) is an American actor and stand-up comic, known for his podcast ''The Duncan Trussell Family Hour''. He appears on the Netflix series ''The Midnight Gospel'', and starred alongside Joe Rogan in the SYF ...

* Theo Von * Jimmie Walker * Marsha Warfield * Jeff Wayne * Marc Weiner * Robin Williams *

Thomas F. Wilson Thomas Francis Wilson Jr. (born April 15, 1959) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Biff Tannen, Griff Tannen, and Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen in the ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy (1985–1990). He also played coach ...

* John Witherspoon * David Zed

Docu-series

A docu-series based on The Comedy Store debuted on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...

in October 2020. Each episode is an hour long and breaks down a different time period throughout the existence of the Comedy Store. The director, Mike Binder goes on a podcast with a different comedian to set the tone and help provide the narrative of each episode.

Episodes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Comedy Store, The Comedy Store, The Comedy Store, The Comedy Store, The West Hollywood, California 1972 establishments in California