Connie's Inn

Connie's Inn was a Harlem, New York City, black and tan nightclub established in 1923 by Connie Immerman (né Conrad Immerman; 1893–1967)^[1] in partnership with two of his brothers, George (1884–1944) and Louie Immerman (1882–1955).

History

Having immigrated from Latvia, the Immerman brothers operated a Harlem delicatessen and made their fortune as bootleggers.^[2] Their club was located at 2221 Seventh Avenue at 131st Street in a basement from 1923 until 1934.^[3] Acts performing there included Louis Armstrong,^[4] Fats Waller, Wilbur Sweatman, Peg Leg Bates,^[5] Bricktop^[6] and Fletcher Henderson. Like the Cotton Club, Connie's Inn featured African American performers but restricted its audience to whites only.^[7] Its steep cover charge of $2.50, its intimate atmosphere, and its ability to hire famous entertainers made the club unique among other New York clubs.^[3] Members of the Ziegfeld Follies, heiress Gertrude Vanderbilt, and numerous others poured in from downtown to enjoy the shows at Connie's Inn and were sometimes influential in moving their revues to Broadway. Connie Immerman was instrumental in the design and the promotion of the revues, including the famous Hot Chocolates revue.^[8] Leonard Harper became the Connie's Inn in-house producer during its glory days.^{[according to whom?]}

In the early 1930s, the Immermans moved Connie's Inn to a downtown location. There, they produced one of their last great revues, Stars Over Broadway, which starred Billie Holiday, and featured Bessie Smith as a temporary fill-in for Holiday when she was ill.^{[according to whom?]}

The repeal of Prohibition and the Great Depression played roles in the ultimate closure of Connie's Inn, and the Immerman brothers were forced to obtain individual employment.^[9] With a change in ownership, Connie's Inn became Club Harlem.^[10] In April 1934, the Harlem site re-opened as the Club Ubangi and featured lesbian, gay and bisexual entertainers such as Gladys Bentley and comedian Jackie Mabley, later known as Moms Mabley.^[11]

References

• Allen, Irving L. The City in Slang: New York Life and Popular Speech. New York: Oxford University Press (1993), pg. 75; OCLC 252594695
• Wintz, Cary D., and Paul Finkelman. Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance. New York: Routledge (2004), pg. 581; OCLC 61355447
• Lerner, Michael A. Dry Manhattan – Prohibition in New York City. Harvard University Press (2007), pg. 216; OCLC 436296861

Inline citations

1. "Connie Immerman Is Dead at 74; Owned Noted Dry Era Nightclub; Known for Ups and Downs Worked in Restaurant," The New York Times, October 25, 1967
2. Vaudeville, Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America, by Frank Cullen, New York: Routledge (2007), pg. 262; OCLC 141225880
3. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 339. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
4. Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong, by Gary Giddins, New York: Da Capo Press (2001), pg. 86; OCLC 423806124, 874279476
5. "Peg Leg Bates, One-Legged Dancer, Dies at 91," The New York Times, December 8, 1998
6. "Connie's Inn," by Aberjhani, Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance, Aberjhani & Sandra L. West (eds.), Facts on File (2003), pps. 67 & 68 (article); pg. 68 (reference to "Bricktop"); OCLC 882542889
7. Aberjhani, ., & West, S. L. (2003). Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance. New York, NY: Facts On File. Page 67
8. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 341. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
9. Gold, Jeff (2020). Sittin' In: Jazz Clubs of the 1940s and 1950s. Harper Design. p. 21.
10. Gottschild, Brenda Dixon (2016-04-29). Waltzing in the Dark: African American Vaudeville and Race Politics in the Swing Era. Springer. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-312-29968-2.
11. "Moms Mabley," Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Black History (online), Article: "Moms Mabley," Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.;OCLC 753932268 (retrieved March 17, 2017)

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