was this picture taken at the luau?

http://cgi.ebay.com/1950s-Beverly-Hills-Theater-Photograph-Dean-Martin_W0QQitemZ270291193305QQihZ017QQcategoryZ14892QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

That mural reminds me of one that I've seen in photos from Zamboanga, but I may not be remembering right.

No, the Luau didn't have a mural. Ain't the Zamboanga one either, In fact I've never seen this one before....

Somehow, all those laughing faces reminded me of this:

"The Friars Club of Beverly Hills (also known as the Friars Club of California) was a private show business club started in 1947 by comedian/actor Milton Berle, among other celebrities who had moved from New York....Past members included Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, the Marx Brothers, Sammy Davis, Jr., Billy Crystal, and Johnny Carson among many others. Like the New York club, for many years the Friars Club of Beverly Hills was known for its celebrity members and "Roasts."

Kind of looks like a "Roast" situation to me. I have no idea though if the B.H. Friars Club had a Polynesian room.

Looks like a place just called the Beverly Hills Theatre. Interesting Hawaiian mural in the Dino/Frank shot though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1950s-Beverly-Hills-Theater-Photograph-Frank-Sinatra_W0QQitemZ350113988401QQihZ022QQcategoryZ14892QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There ya go! I just shot the question over to Nichols, maybe he knows something about the place. Clearly another indication of how widespread the Polynesian theme was in town, back in the day.

The Beverly Hills Supper Club was an illegal gambling establishment in Kentucky from 1937-1961. It was rebuilt and was again destroyed in an infamous fire that killed 165 people in 1977.

http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Beverly-Hills-Supper-Club/dp/1563112477

[ Edited by: nichols 2008-10-24 13:06 ]

Damn Chris, you're right, it says Kentucky on the photo folder! I guess one should never assume that a famous place name like "Beverly Hills" means it's located there....just as it is the case with many famous restaurant names:

"In Boston, 1942, the COCOANUT GROVE was an elite nightclub decorated in a fantasy of tropical glamour. It was also a firetrap, a block-long labyrinth of bars and entertainment areas cobbled together with substandard materials in disregard of building codes or common sense. On the night of the fire, it was, as always, dimly lighted and overcrowded. The management had blocked all exits except the revolving front door to squeeze more people in and to prevent anyone from leaving without paying a bill. The small fire that broke out in the basement exploded throughout the building within minutes, killing nearly 500 revelers."