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                           Sunset Boulevard Restaurants & Nightclubs # 1

Earl Carroll Theater

Probably no other street in the United States had more famous and popular restaurants than Sunset Boulevard.  Some were located in Hollywood but most were situated on that part of Sunset Blvd., known as the Sunset Strip.  The Strip was that geographic area that is part of the County of Los Angeles.  Surrounded by the City of Los Angeles, this area was popularly referred to as “The Strip” or the “Sunset Strip.”

One of the very popular nightclubs was located on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.  The Earl Carroll Theater was a wonderful nightclub that offered a lavish show, with some of Hollywood’s most beautiful women.  It was Earl Carroll who adopted the slogan “Through the doors pass the most beautiful girls in the world”.  The nightspot opened on December 26, 1938 and was an immediate success.  The production, which emphasized the beauty of the partially clad female form, boasted a cast of sixty showgirls.  The colossal theater and fabulous production operated for ten years but was cut short when Earl Carroll and his star, Beryl Wallace were killed in an airplane accident on June 17, 1948

Moulin Rouge

Another famous nightclub on Sunset Blvd., in Hollywood was Frank Sennes’ Moulin Rouge.

After Earl Carroll’s untimely death in 1948, the nightclub was operated by several owners.  It was not until Frank Sennes took it over in 1953, that it again became the center of night-life gaiety in Hollywood.  An extensive remodeling program was undertaken which included expanding the seating capacity to 1250 making the Moulin Rouge the largest theater-restaurant in the world.  From the beginning, Sennes was dedicated to the policy of providing the finest stage entertainment available.  During the seven years of its existence, the Moulin Rouge presented countless outstanding personalities such as Billy Daniels, Dennis Day, the Mills Bros., Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Ray and countless other famous entertainers.  The success that the Moulin Rouge experienced was due, in part, to what Sennes called his “package deal”.  For just $5.50, the customer received a complete, full course deluxe dinner, danced to a fine orchestra, and watched top entertainers perform.

Beginning in 1955, he daytime television show, “Queen For A Day” was broadcast from the Moulin Rouge.  

By the late 1950s, Sennes found it increasingly difficult to attract top-name entertainers, because of his inability to compete with the high salaries paid by Las Vegas.  In 1960, Sennes closed the Moulin Rouge and began producing shows in the gambling capital of he world.

The theater underwent several name changes including the Aquarius Theater and the Long Horn and Kaleidoscope.

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