The venue at 1841 N. Cahuenga Boulevard was known as Mary Louise of Hollywood in the 1930s when luncheon was served during noon contract bridge lectures. Noontime tea and biscuits disappeared in the mid thirties when a liquor license was issued to Carl Arnot and his White Horse Tavern featuring dining, dancing, and entertainment. The venue was known as the Pass Tavern in the late 1930s. The “saloon” reference was dropped in 1940 when it became Hollywood Rendezvous for a few years.
The mid 1940s witnessed several changes of ownership. Sidney H. Kaye called it Major Kaye’s H-Q in 1944. It was known as Mike Riley’s Madhouse in 1946 and then Frank Mell’s Hollywood Mad House in 1947. Mell dropped the mouthful name in favor of 1841 Club in 1950. Frank Mell modeled the club after competition like Bal-Tabarin that offered stage shows nightly with a variety of entertainment during 1950 and 1951.
1841 Club pivoted toward jazz in 1952 when the Marl Young Trio opened at the club in March. Jazz settled in for good when Teddy Bunn and his orchestra took the stage in August. Averill Kritt became the new owner of the venue in December when it reopened as The Clef featuring the Wardell Gray-Ernie Royal Sextet with Frank Morgan, Lawrence Marable, Clarence Jones, and Russ Freeman. The opening night on December 6, 1952, added a special attraction, the Hampton Hawes Trio featuring Shelly Manne.
The Clef introduced Sunday Jam Sessions on January 11, 1953, that began at 3:00 p.m. and continued into the evening and early morning hours. Jazz enthusiast Bob Andrews was present at the first session and captured Lee Konitz, Richie Kamuca, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Al Haig, Don Bagley, and Stan Levey performing four tunes that he released on his Vantage label in Japan. The All Star group was led by Al Haig with the other musicians being in Los Angeles with the Stan Kenton Orchestra that was appearing at the Hollywood Palladium. The session was also leased to Jazzbank, Japan, and released on CD. A fifth tune, “The Way You Look Tonight,” was issued by the Los Angeles Jazz Institute, Coolin’ Off in California, LAJI 0017, a “Members Only” CD release.
Averill Kritt continued to feature jazz at The Clef with Wardell Gray and Ernie Royal anchoring the bandstand with appearances by Art Pepper, Harry Babasin Quartet, Dexter Gordon, and Hampton Hawes. Eddie Shu led a quartet that was billed as the Clef All-Stars when they opened at The Clef on April 4, 1953. Shu was noted for his jazz harmonica with Al Haig, piano; Clarence Jones, bass; and Bobby White, drums, completing the quartet. The Eddie Shu group continued to headline entertainment through May of 1953.
The Daily News reported that Averill Kritt was considering forming a new jazz label to record some of the talent he was featuring in The Clef. Kritt remodeled the club in late May in preparation for his next booking, the Buddy DeFranco Quartet, that opened on June 3, 1953, with Kenny Drew, piano; Eugene Wright, bass; and Art Blakey, drums. The Clef enjoyed record attendance during the six week engagement. William Claxton’s photographs of DeFranco at The Clef are the only known photos that document the interior of the club.
Ben Webster led a quartet that replaced DeFranco in mid July. The Webster quartet was replaced in August by the Jackie Davis Trio. Davis played the Hammond Model B organ and rose to prominence in Philadelphia where his trio was featured regularly at Club Harlem and the Earle Theater. The trio released several singles on RCA Victor that received positive reviews and became hot sellers in Philadelphia record stores. The trio’s first West Coast appearance was at Fack’s in San Francisco in July of 1953 where their music drew positive reviews in the San Francisco Examiner.
The Clef featured a one night only appearance by the Teddy Charles Quartet on August 4, 1953. The Charles group had recently performed at the Wilshire-Ebell Theater in July with Teddy Charles, vibes; Howard Roberts, guitar; Curtis Counce, bass; and Shelly Manne, drums.
Joe Adams plugged the trio’s appearance at The Clef in Ray Hewitt’s The Spotlighter column in the Daily News, August 12, 1953, with a photo of Davis. Albert Marx most likely caught Davis’ appearance as the trio recorded an album for Marx’s Trend label on September 9, 1953, at Radio Recorders. The 7:00 – 10:00 P.M. session produced eight sides that were released on Trend TL-1010, Jackie Davis Trio, and a 78 single, Trend 65, with “Autumn in New York” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” The other trio members were Harry W. Polk on guitar and Charles A. Wright on drums. All were members of AFM Local No. 274 in Philadelphia.
Newspaper coverage of entertainment occurring at 1841 N. Cahuenga was non-existent for the balance of 1953 and the first several months of 1954. The Night Life column in the Daily News announced a new nightery on May 27, 1954, operated by Frank Scannell called Duffy’s Gay 90’s.
The premises changed hands again in March of 1955 when the new Duffy’s Gayety featured Billy “Zoot” Reed with Mike Riley’s Madhouse Review. The ads in Daily News promised the Only Burlesk Show in Hollywood. The ads for New Year’s Eve Party at the end of 1955 featured Lenny Bruce and his All Star Review plus Joe Maini and His Orchestra.
Jazz musicians frequently found employment in the burlesque establishments of Los Angeles as seen in this photo taken at Duffy’s Gayety in 1955 with “Novita” aka Rose Marie (Mrs. Red) Mitchell, Walter Norris, Ed Leddy, and Jack Sheldon.
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