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596 Lenox Avenue in (Uptown) Harlem, New York. The Savoy's
marquee (as seen above) extended out over the side walk and had a fabulous marble
stairway leading into the Ballroom.
The Savoy was pink on the inside and had a good size foyer as
you entered the building, was very well ventilated (Air-Conditioning not yet invented),
and had modern furniture of the times and mirrored walls. The Ballroom itself was huge,
had two bandstands, colored spotlights, and a dance floor that was rectangular in shape
(nicknamed the track) and was over 10,000 square ft. of spring loaded, wooden dance
floor. The floor had to be replaced every three years due to the tremendous use it went
thru.
Originally, the Bar only served soft drinks, Beer and Wine, no
hard liquor was served in the early years at the Savoy. The soda fountain bar served up
Ice Cream drinks and dishes such as Banana Splits, Sundaes and Floats. Over 150 employees
would work the Savoy during a week and the owner would make well over $250.000 a year
during it's hey-day. The Bouncers at the Savoy would be dressed in Tuxedo's and make about
$100.00 a night. There were many fights at the Savoy, Males and Females, but was considerably
less than most of the other Ballrooms (including the Roseland
Ballroom in Manhattan) due to the excellent work of the Bouncers at the Savoy.
The Savoy could and very often would hold up to 4,000 people
with about 15% of the people being white. Depending on who the band was, the ballroom
would more than double its capacity. When Benny Goodman played
the Savoy and did battle with Chick Webb , it was reported that there
was approximately 25,000 people waiting to get into the ballroom (Webb won). The
Orchestra's were paid $1,200 a week to play the Savoy. Unfortunately today there is no
trace of the ballroom ever being in that location but there is work being doneto have
a plaque laid in its place.
The club was only open to the public five nights a week,
with two days were reserved for private Parties/Functions. The normal Cover Charge was
between $0.30 cents to $0.85 cents in the early 1930's. During the depression the cover
was lower and the Savoy would setup free Holiday dinners for the homeless or poor folks
in the area for free.
You could become a member of the Savoy by purchasing a membership
of certain Savoy dance clubs called the Lindy Hop Clu b
, the 400 Club, or the Old Timers Club
and receive a discounted admission. There were always dance Hostesses around that would
dance with you or be available for private lessons. You did not have to be 21 to gain
entrance to the ballroom although most parents would not let you go. At midnight the place
was just starting to jump and was open till 3a.m. (So as the folks catching a play
or whatever could still come dancing after.)
The Savoy was known as the "Home Of Happy
Feet" and had the best Lindy Hop
dancers in the Nation with the Lindy Hop being said to originate at the Savoy. The best
of these dancers would hang out together in the N/E corner of the Savoy, known as "Cats
Corner ." The Savoy was allowing inter-racial dancing of Blacks and Whites,
and was widely done, which was really frowned upon by both races at the time at other
night spots, but not at the Savoy. Some Clubs such as the Roseland Ballroom would
put a rope down the middle of the floor, Blacks on one side and whites on the other on
their mixed nights. The Savoy hardly had any problems with fights or trouble makers due
to racial issues.
The roots of the Lindy
Hop was the Breakaway
and the Breakaway was the main dance of choice in the late 1920's early 30's, at the Savoy
whose main exponent was "Shorty
George" Snowden. Shorty was to name the Breakaway the Lindy Hop, but a slower,
smoother version would soon take over the popularity being called "Savoy Style
Lindy," (which has roots in today's West
Coast Swing. ) Dean
Collins and Hubert (whitey) White and the Whites
Hopping Maniacs, (a.k.a. Whitey's Lindy Hoppers) would help promote this smoother
form of Lindy as we know it today thru motion pictures. Shorty often performed with his
group at the Cotton
Club in New York.
There were different types of entertainment at the Savoy
such as the famous "Battle
Of The Bands" pitting one band against the other, usually Chick Webb's
band would compete against another famous band while the dancers would pick the winners.
This usually brought the biggest crowds. Ella Fitzgerald won a singing
contest up the street from the Savoy and was dancing at the Savoy when someone told Chick
Webb about her, he auditioned her and signed her to his band.
Dance Contest's were also popular at the Savoy Ballroom and the
contests were generally held on Wednesdays with prizes going to third place. First place
was around $40.00 in the early days and a chance to perform a solo dance exhibition at
the Savoy. The Harvest Moon Ball held it's pre-lims for the
Swing division at the Savoy Ballroom, then later at the Savoy Manor .
In the 1950's there were many Mambo contests held at
the Savoy as well as Jitterbug on Monday nights.
Other dances such as the Suzy-Q,
Big Apple, Charleston,
Shim-Sham and Truckin'
were performed at the Savoy. Other local swing clubs were the Renaissance, and the Alhambra.
The Savoy's License was temporarily revoked in 1943.
There were other Savoy's, not all were like the famous
Harlem Savoy, however and only one was connected to the Harlem Savoy. Hubert "Whitey"
White around 1945 opened his own Savoy Ballroom in Oswego, New
York with the assistance of Savoy's own Charles Buchanon. London, England
had the Savoy Hotel in the 1920's which featured many American bands and dancers and hosted
a Radio Show each week.Chicago had a Savoy Ballroom in the mid 1920's,
having Louis Armstrong and Carroll Dickinson play there. Barron Wilkins (Exclusive
Club fame) opened the Little Savoy in Midtown, New York in the early
1900's. Boston, MA. had a Savoy in the 1940's, Los Angeles
had a night club and the Savoy Hotel, located on 601 west 6th. Street, and there was even
a Savoy Ballroom in Bakersfield, California in the late 1940's.
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