Take a gander at one of the most wonderful sites ever-both for fun and reference.
Richard Wheeler's sister-in-law Shermane Billingsley, daughter of Sherman, club founder and owner, put it together. I am constantly amazed at how clever people are.
It is so well done and such a treat. Thanks for sharing it, Richard!
http://www.stork-club.com/
9 comments:
I still haven't hit the surviving legendary jazz clubs of NYC.
When I was very young, I read a book called "Wait for Marcy" (very much a young-teen book of the Betty Cavanah variety), which probably published in the 1940s. Anyway, a very sophisticated young woman comes to town. She has previously lived in New York City and, as a mark of her sophistication, she talks about how frequently she goes to the Stork Club and how "Sherman is just a darling," to which another character responds admiringly, "You know Sherman Billingsley?"
At that time, I had never heard of the club or the man, but that exchange has always stayed with me.
Isn't the Internet great for a chance to see these places?
The site doesn't cover Walter Winchell's broadcasts from the famed Table 50 in the Cub Room, which would begin, "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. America, and all the ships at sea," and continue with interviews of the celebrity diners that night.
The feature film clips at the website do convey something of the place, and the actors played Billingsley very well. In a way, the washed-out newsreel is the most absorbing.
RSW
I just love the way she has the phone dial work. I didn't even know he broadcast from there. We have always loved celebrities, haven't we. Please convey my admiration.
The site is a collaborative effort. My son, Austin Drill; his fiancee, Michelle Marino; and Marcie Rudell, a friend, are as responsible for this small celebration of American legacy as I am. We appreciate such a supportive review and are enjoying the insightful comments. We shall be refreshing the site periodically, and hope you'll visit us often.
Great post, Patti! And Shermane, thanks for putting all this together. It's nothing short of sensational.
I was raised in a small town in the middle of nowhere, but once my parents went to New York and came back raving about their trip to the Stork Club. I remember when it was on TV, only I was very young at the time.
Thanks again for getting this out there.
Shermane-It is so wonderful that you can share this magical place with us. I send it along to my daughter who writes books set in the past and has night club scenes in every one of them. She said once in an interview, she would set the whole book in one if she could get away with it. And this is the one!
I am going to add a link to the site in hopes more people will come to it for a peek into our most romantic past.
I lost my internet connection on Monday, and it's wonderful to return online to such nice comments.
Mike, your parents couldn't have come from a much more obscure place than Enid, OK back then. I'm imaging my father may have stopped by your mom's and dad's table; asked your folks where they were from; and then talked awhile about their roots.
I'm happy they had a good time, and you remember that!
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