Chez Paree, Chicago, Illinois, 1932 - 1960.
"Chicago�s famous Chez Paree was arguably the most glamorous and famous dinner nightclub in the country in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. It opened in 1932 and closed in 1960. The authenticity of the chips is verified in the Chip Guide at
http://themogh.org/cg_chip2.php?id=ILCH9 . Furthermore, all 5 chips below came together from a sale to me by a woman familiar with the Club... .... Find a brief history of the club here:
https://www.chezpareechicago.com/as-i-remember-it/ and
http://www.parsec-santa.com/chezparee/ChezParee.html. ... .... A list of the entertainers who performed there (EVERY major act in the country!) is found here:
https://www.chezpareechicago.com/acts/ . ... .... Gene Trimble has called the place �a major illegal operation in Chicago.� ... .... Newspaper story on gambling raid on the club:
here. ... .... And look here (
http://chez-chicago.com/) for information about The Chez, the event-catering place that occupies the building now.
The club was located in a three-story warehouse building at the corner of Ontario Street and Fairbanks, two blocks east of Michigan Avenue, a stone�s throw from Chicago�s famous �Miracle Mile�, created in 1917 as an automat, where home-cooked meals in glass cases could be purchased by inserting coins into slots. During the Prohibition years, a speak-easy known as the Chez Pierre operated upstairs. From the repeal of Prohibition through the advent of network television, the Chez Paree nightclub in Chicago was one of the most popular live entertainment venues in the country. For nearly three full decades, the �Chez� played host to the greatest legends of stage, screen and radio -- Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Nat �King� Cole, Sophie Tucker, Ethel Merman, Milton Berle, Jimmy Durante, Pearl Bailey, and the list goes on. During the radio years, its shows were frequently broadcast around the nation. Maike (Mike) Fritzel and Joe Jacobson opened the nightspot in 1932. In 1949 they sold the business to a group that included Jay Schatz. The property, now called the Schatz Building, is still in the family. In homage to its glamorous nightclub past, the building now houses �The Chez,� a contemporary private event space that offers an elegant backdrop for wedding ceremonies and receptions, private parties, nonprofit happenings, bar and bat mitzvah celebrations, corporate gatherings, etc."
Source:
http://www.antiquegamblingchips.com/Recent_Illegals.htm
Don in SoCal
