CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE

CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO

1934

By the end of 1934 the former Earl Carroll Theatre found the formula for success, with its conversion into the French Casino. But for most of the second half of the year, it sat empty. In July it looked as though a new enterprise would come to the rescue. The enormous theatre would undergo a conversion into a mixed entertainment venue.

 

For reasons now lost to us today, the plan for converting the theatre into the largest radio studio in the world never materialized. Instead a new entertainment trend was beginning. By the time the United States hit the rock bottom depths of the depression in the summer of 1932, many Manhattan theatres sat unused. The election of Franklin Roosevelt created hope and the economy started a very slow recovery. Repeal of prohibition in December of 1933 brought the speakeasy era to and end. Probably the most famous NYC speakeasies turned cafe society nightclubs were, 21 Club, The Stork Club and El Morocco. These typified Manhattan nightclubs, small spaces crammed into basements or brownstones.

 

 

With the combination of repeal and a seemingly recovering economy, the nightclub industry in New York City started to boom. New and larger venues were needed and empty theatres were perfect for conversion into large nightclubs. And with full stage facilities, providing elaborate shows was easy. In 1933 Continental Music Halls, Inc. took over the Hammerstein Theatre on Broadway and, directly adjacent to it on 54th Street, the Gallo Opera House. The Hammerstein became the Music Hall and the Gallo the Casino de Paris. Showman Billy Rose (1899-1966) oversaw the operations of both nightclubs and produced their shows.

 

 

 

 

Producer Clifford C. Fischer (1882-1951) who staged the Folies Bergeres show at the Century Progress World’s Fair in Chicago was looking for a venue in Manhattan for his revue. The empty Casino / Earl Carroll Theatre proved to be the spot being three times the size of either the Gallo Opera House or the Hammerstein Theatre. The enormous stage facilities were perfect for his elaborate Folies Bergeres show. The New York Times ran this announcement –

 

 

Christmas, 1934

 

On 10:00 P.M. of Christmas Day, the French Casino opened to the public. The remodeled interior consisted of some decorations applied to the black velvet walls. Tables  replaced the seats in the orchestra and balcony. By enlarging and extending the stage into the house it became a dance floor between shows.  New staircases extending down from the former box seats allowed guests in the balcony direct access to the dance floor. The enormous lounge under the balcony became a cocktail lounge. A new room length bar completed the space. This new cocktail lounge alone was nearly the size of the average Manhattan nightclub.

 

 

The new nightclub and the Revue Folies Bergeres received excellent reviews. The French Casino immediately became the place to go for a night on the town.

 

 

Scenes from the Revue Folies Bergeres

 

 

1935 – 1937

As the economy continued its slow improvement during the mid-1930s, the French Casino remained a popular night spot. And celebrities were often seen in the audience. Which made the French Casino even more popular with the general public.

 

 

 

 

Over the next three years, the French Casino presented some of the most continental nightclub shows in Manhattan. Even the French Line’s S.S. Normandie was featured in the show. Folie Parisienne featured scenes at the boat train, on board and at customs on the pier.

 

 

 

The French Casino was such a success that the Clifford C. Fischer expanded the company by opening night clubs in other cities. Over the next couple of years French Casinos opened in Chicago, Miami and a London Casino in that city’s West End theatre district. Then  in 1937 two events took place that would effect the fortune of the French Casino. First in August, the slowly recovering economy stalled and the United States slid back into a severe recession. Then less than a month later a new, large night club theatre opened in the heart of Times Square. The International Casino, after many delays, opened on September 17, 1937. It was huge, streamline moderne in design and it offered shows just as lavish and continental as the French Casino.

 

 

 

The combination of the new night spot, a shrinking economy and over expansion from opening night clubs in other cities dealt a death blow to the French Casino. Without any notice the French Casino closed on November 20, 1937.

 

 

After almost four years, the former Earl Carroll Theatre sat empty once again. But this was just a temporary situation. Soon into 1938 a new tenant decided to try his luck with the unlucky theatre.

 

1938

It’s time to welcome Producer Billy Rose back into the story. Rose who started the vogue of the theater/restaurant/nightclub back in 1933 with the Casino de Paris, moved into the former French Casino. In 1935 the success of the French Casino was the direct reason that those first two Billy Rose nightclub/theatres went out of business. Now Rose moved into the white elephant at 7th Avenue and 50th Street. The French Casino became the Casa Manana. For the Texas Centennial in 1936 Billy Rose was hired by Amon G. Carter to produce shows in a 4000 seat, amphitheatre / restaurant, the Casa Manana. It was very successful and popular remaining in operation even after the Centennial had passed. Now Rose decided to bring the Casa Manana to New York City. Just two months after the French Casino’s closing, on January 18, 1938 the Casa Manana opened its doors.

 

 

The opening night show, Let’s Play Fair spoofed the up coming 1939 World’s Fair. Like the French Casino, the Casa Manana was off to a successful start. It was not unusual to spot celebrities in the audience.

 

 

 

 

Outside of some fresh paint the interior remained basically unchanged.

 

 

 

1939

The new year began well for the Casa Manana, with shows generally receiving good reviews and audiences still filling the large nightclub. But with the upcoming World’s Fair and Billy Rose getting his Aquacade ready, the quality of the shows in the spring started to lessen. So the inevitable of course happened. In mid-June Billy Rose closed the Casa Manana. After just a year and a half the large theatre sat vacant once again.

 

 

1939 – 1940

For the rest of 1939 many items appeared in the newspapers about what would happen next to the former Earl Carroll Theatre. George White showed interest in leasing the space to stage another revue of his, but it did not happen. Then, pretty much to everyone’s surprise just before New Year’s 1939/1940 The French Casino moved back into its old home. Song writer / producer Lew Brown reopened the place with a variety show. But this show was nothing like the continental revues that Clifford C. Fischer produced during the French Casino’s heyday.

 

 

And pretty much to no one’s surprise, it was not long into 1940 that this new version of the French Casino, closed. The owners, Haring and Blumenthal, must have been fed up with show business. By the summer, looking around for a new tenant, they made it known that they would not refuse a commercial business a lease. And that is just what happened.

 

 

In preparation for the conversion of the former Earl Carroll Theatre / Casino Theatre / French Casino / Casa Manana into a retail space, the six story building fronting 7th Avenue was demolished in the summer. It would be replaced by a two story “taxpayer”. A “taxpayer” is a small two, or three story building constructed to cover the property taxes.

 

 

 

On August 28, 1940 Variety ran an article announcing the new tenant for the former Theatre/nightclub.

 

 

Finally Haring and Bluementhal found a successful tenant. Woolworth’s moved in by the end of 1940 and stayed for the next 50 years.

The lobby was completely demolished. But the auditorium partially survived. The orchestra floor and balcony were completely torn out. New walls and a drop ceiling were installed and the stage was blocked off. But above the drop ceiling some of the original 1931 theatre remained. Some black velvet still survived on the walls, the original proscenium light fixtures and the top of the proscenium arch were there. And beyond that, most of the backstage facilities remained intact and unused. The dressing rooms sat empty and abandoned. Some of the black and buff modernistic brick work was still visible on 50th Street.

 

 

But nothing in Manhattan is forever. Even Woolworth’s passed from the scene. Finally in 1990, the Woolworth’s at 7th Avenue and 50th Street was demolished and with it what was left the second Earl Carroll Theatre.

 

 

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys)

Sources: Lost Broadway Theatres, New York Times, New York Herald-Tribune, New York Daily News, Variety.