Mister Kelly's was a nightclub on
Rush Street in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
which existed from 1953 to 1975. From around 1956 until its demise, it was a springboard to fame for many entertainers, especially
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
singers and comedians. As reported in the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'', "It was a supernova in the local and national nightlife firmament." Mister Kelly's was owned and operated by brothers Oscar and George Marienthal, whose Chicago empire included the
London House, an upscale jazz supper club, and the theatrically oriented Happy Medium.
Early days
Mister Kelly's opened on November 24, 1953, on Rush Street in Chicago as a restaurant featuring steaks and Green Goddess salad as a house special. In 1954, entertainment was added with two singer-pianists, Buddy Charles and
Audrey Morris, as the first entertainers.
The nightclub was destroyed on December 8, 1955, when a fire started in a grease chute and spread through a ventilator into the club.
2 Mister Kelly's was rebuilt and reopened on August 29, 1956 with a new policy of standup singers. Previously the nightclub specialized in singers who played their own accompaniment. Recording star
Jeri Southern was one of the first standup singers to appear. The club also had a completely new décor but retained an original Mister Kelly's feature, stairways which went nowhere for casual enthusiasts who simply wanted to sit and watch the show.
2 Mr. Kelly's became a springboard to fame for countless entertainers.
In November, 1956, the Marienthal brothers’ nightclubs made their debut on
WNBQ Channel 5 (NBC) in Chicago. The new color television show was entitled ''Here’s Music – At London House and Mister Kelly's''. The set duplicated the décor and many of the appointments of Mister Kelly's as an authentic supper club setting for the show. Entertainers appearing at Mr. Kelly's begin to record albums at the nightclub. By 1958,
Ella Fitzgerald,
Peggy King,
Della Reese
Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early; July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017) was an American singer, actress, television personality, author and ordained minister. As a singer, she recorded blues, gospel, jazz and pop. Several of her singl ...
,
Buddy Greco,
Anita O'Day,
Sarah Vaughn and comedian
Mort Sahl had recorded there.
Middle years
In 1959, Mister Kelly's instituted a new entertainment policy, which combined a musical act with a comedy act. This combination remained the club's format for the next 16 years. New talent and established entertainers were featured. For example, in April, 1960 comedian
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (September 5, 1929 – July 18, 2024) was an American comedian and actor. Newhart was known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian, he transitioned his career to acting in ...
, and songstress Janice Halpern were featured. In 1963, Oscar Marienthal discovered a young singer at a small New York nightclub and booked her several months before she was to appear. Oscar died suddenly at the age of 50 before that new talent, 20-year-old
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
, made her debut at Mister Kelly's on June 11, 1963.
Other entertainers who played the club early in their careers included
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
,
Lenny Bruce,
Flip Wilson,
Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
,
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
,
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...
,
Shelley Berman,
Nancy Wilson,
Shecky Greene,
Jackie Vernon,
Jackie Mason,
Eartha Kitt,
Joan Rivers
Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that w ...
,
Mike Nichols and
Elaine May,
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
,
Liza Minnelli,
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
and
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (September 5, 1929 – July 18, 2024) was an American comedian and actor. Newhart was known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian, he transitioned his career to acting in ...
. Established stars, too, such as
Ella Fitzgerald,
the Kingston Trio,
Peggy Lee,
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre.
Horne joined the chorus of the C ...
and
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...
headlined at the club.
On the night of February 8, 1966, about 200 patrons fled Mister Kelly's as fire engulfed an entire block on Rush Street in Chicago. It had begun in a drugstore, swept through the buildings and completely destroyed Mister Kelly's. The club reopened on May 15, 1967. It was rebuilt on its original site and redesigned to increase seating capacity at tables from 165 to 180 seats. The old stairways now known as "bleachers" were reinstalled with cushions and additional seating space. The bleachers continued to be a no-minimum, no-cover area where a customer could see and hear the show for a price for a drink or two. Among the stars who returned to perform were
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
and
Mort Sahl, for whom the initial appearance at Mister Kelly's became a stepping stone to their star status.
Post-acquisition
In 1969, Mister Kelly's was sold to Arts and Leisure Corp., entertainment division, and things began to change. In 1971, Paul Wimmer bought Mister Kelly's from Art's and Leisure and he and his managing partner, Jerry Dambra instituted new policies that were more informal; the maître d' wore a casual suit instead of a tuxedo. Young entertainment was featured with a low-price package deal. In July, due to financial problems, the club closed on August 25, 1975. Its demise was not sudden. Security issues, late-night TV, and the emergence of Las Vegas style venues that could afford to pay the performers more money, took its toll, and top talent commanded top fees to appear there. This required a high volume of patrons, but Mister Kelly's had fewer than 200 seats, including the "bleachers." Comedian and actor
Tim Reid states that he was the last comedian to appear as Mister Kelly's on
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
in 1975, exactly seven years after he and his wife were fortunate enough to see Richard Pryor there also on New Year's Eve in 1968. Jerry Dambra famously said, "I was a lucky man to have closed the two greatest clubs in the world."
Legacy
In 2021, a documentary titled ''Live at Mister Kelly's'',directed by Ted Bogosian and narrated by
Bill Kurtis, was released as a streaming feature. Film reviewer Peter Sobcynzkski called it "fascinating," noting that it showed "how Mister Kelly's not only transformed from a nightclub into a institution, but helped to make the corner of Rush and Bellevue into arguably the epicenter of American popular culture during its heyday."
In 2024, the
Newberry Library in Chicago mounted an exhibit entitled "A Night at Mister Kelly's," curated by Alison Hinderliter, Lloyd Lewis Curator of Modern Manuscripts and Selector for Modern Music, Newberry Library. In addition to the exhibit scheduled to run March 21 to July 20, 2024, the Newberry offered a related series of public programs, adult education courses, and screenings of ''Live at Mister Kelly's''.
Recordings at Mister Kelly’s
* 1955 –
Buddy Greco: ''At Mister Kelly’s''
[Happy Medium Ventures Archive Chicago, www.happymediumventures.com]
* 1957 –
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
: ''
At Mister Kelly's''
* 1958 –
Della Reese
Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early; July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017) was an American singer, actress, television personality, author and ordained minister. As a singer, she recorded blues, gospel, jazz and pop. Several of her singl ...
: ''At Mister Kelly’s''
* 1958 –
Ella Fitzgerald: ''
Live at Mister Kelly's''
* 1958 –
Anita O'Day: ''
At Mister Kelly's''
* 1960 –
Ruth Olay: ''In Person''
* 1960 –
Mort Sahl: ''The Next President''
* 1963 –
The Smothers Brothers: ''Curb Your Tongue, Knave!''
* 1964 –
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
: ''
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
''
* 1964 –
Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
: ''
I Started Out as a Child''
* 1968 –
Flip Wilson: ''You Devil You''
* 1971 –
Muddy Waters: ''
"Live" (At Mr. Kelly’s)''
* 1974 –
Cass Elliot
Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Cass Elliot, was an American singer. She was also known as "Mama Cass", a name she reportedly disliked. Elliot was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the P ...
: ''
Don't Call Me Mama Anymore''
* 1975 –
Freddie Prinze: ''Looking Good''
Notable performers
Among the notables who performed at Mister Kelly's were
Ella Fitzgerald,
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre.
Horne joined the chorus of the C ...
,
Peggy Lee,
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
,
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life.
Born and raised in Washington, D ...
,
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...
,
Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five RIAA certification, gold records and three Grammy Awards ...
,
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
,
Julie London
Julie London (born Julie Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch song, torch singer noted for her contralto voice, London recorded over thirty album ...
,
Anita O'Day,
Abbey Lincoln,
Lou Rawls,
Eartha Kitt,
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...
,
Liza Minnelli,
Dionne Warwick
Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...
,
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...
,
Chick Corea,
Nancy Wilson,
Carmen McRae,
Muddy Waters,
Nina Simone,
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington (; born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a ...
,
Morgana King,
Rufus with
Chaka Khan,
Lainie Kazan,
Carmen McRae,
Rod McKuen,
Buddy Greco,
Bette Midler,
B.B. King,
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...
,
Phoebe Snow,
The Mamas & the Papas,
Blood, Sweat and Tears,
Curtis Mayfield,
Bill Withers
William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He is known for having several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me ( ...
,
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto" ...
,
Melissa Manchester,
Mel Torme,
Oliver,
Barry Manilow,
Spanky and Our Gang
Spanky and Our Gang was an American 1960s sunshine pop band led by Spanky McFarlane, Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The band derives its name from Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' comedies of the 1930s (known to modern audiences as ''The Little Rascals''), ...
, and
Captain and Tennille. Comedians who also performed at Mister Kelly's included the likes of
Shecky Greene,
Lenny Bruce,
Mort Sahl,
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
,
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...
,
Joan Rivers
Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that w ...
,
Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
,
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
,
The Smothers Brothers,
Freddie Prinze,
Robert Klein,
Mike Nichols and
Elaine May,
Flip Wilson,
Tim and Tom,
Redd Foxx,
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, Actor, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric stage persona, Self-deprecation, se ...
,
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (September 5, 1929 – July 18, 2024) was an American comedian and actor. Newhart was known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian, he transitioned his career to acting in ...
,
Jackie Mason,
Fred Willard,
Don Adams,
Jack E. Leonard
Jack E. Leonard (born Leonard Lebitsky; April 24, 1910 – May 10, 1973) was an Americans, American comedian and actor who made frequent appearances on television variety show, variety and game shows.
Biography
Leonard was born Leonard Leb ...
,
Ace Trucking Co.,
Steve Martin,
Dick Cavett,
Marilyn Michaels,
Totie Fields
Totie Fields (born Sophie Feldman; May 7, 1930 – August 2, 1978) was an American comedian.
Early life
Fields was born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut. She started singing in Boston clubs while still in high schoo ...
,
Godfrey Cambridge,
Tim Reid and
Tom Dreesen,
Lily Tomlin and
Dick Gregory. Musical directors at the club included
Dick Marx,
Marty Rubenstein and
Larry Novak.
See also
*
Neo (nightclub)
External links
Info pagein Japanese with exterior photos
Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960sincludes an excerpt about Mister Kelly's
Bill Cosby talks about performing at Mister Kelly'sMister Kelly's collectionat
The NewberryWBEZ Chicago photos and 4:35 minute retrospectivein conjunction with Newberry Exhibit.
References
{{Authority control
Defunct nightclubs in the United States
Former music venues in the United States
Nightclubs in Chicago
1953 establishments in Illinois
1975 disestablishments in Illinois