Lynn Gardner Trio Plays the Showboat – May 11, 1957

Longtime readers of this blog know that I enjoy posting old Lorain nightclub ads spotlighting the performers that were appearing. Here’s an ad for an appearance of the Lynn Gardner Trio at Gus Athan’s Showboat Restaurant. The ad ran in the Lorain Journal on May 11, 1957. (Can you find the major typo?)

It didn’t take much research to find out that Lynn Gardner had enjoyed a fine career as a vocalist dating back to the early 1940s when she sang with the Will Bradley big band. The attractive singer made several recordings with the band, including “I’m Tired of Waiting For You.”

According to this biography, she “hit the hotel and theater circuit as a solo artist” in the mid-1940s. At some point she formed a popular trio that was still going strong near the end of the 1950s.

The Lynn Gardner Trio was performing every evening at Harrah’s Club, Lake Tahoe according to a column in the March 29, 1957 Reno Gazette-Journal. And less than two months later, she passed through little ol' Lorain, Ohio.

Here’s hoping that Miss Gardner is still around and enjoying retirement.

Name That Menu

Back in April 2013, I wrote about a 1953 promotional film about Lorain entitled “LORAIN – An Industrial Empire In Ohio’s Vacation Land.” It's full of familiar Lorain landmarks, such as the Easter Basket in Lakeview Park, as well as rarely seen images, such as the long-gone Civil War statue in Washington Park.

The film is still on YouTube, and every time I watch it I seem to notice something new – some little detail that I overlooked before.

Recently after I watched it again, something caught my eye. In the section of the film featuring Lorainites dining out, there’s a brief scene of some people passing around some menus.

We don’t get a good look at the front of the menu – just the back.

But there’s no doubt as to what restaurant the menu is for, because one of those menus is up on Ebay right now. Here's the back seen in the film (below).

I'm sure by now you've guessed which restaurant it was.

I like the "Li'l Abner" broiled pork chops on the menu!

By the way, there's another menu that's featured briefly in the film in a similar scene (below).

Can you guess what restaurant it's for?

If you guessed, "The Showboat" – you are correct!

Dave Zupkovich and His Orchestra Play the Showboat – 1950

I received a nice email from Kelli D’Agnese recently regarding my blog series on the Showboat last month.

If Kelli's name sounds familiar, it might be because her grandfather was Peter D’Agnese, well-known in Lorain for his popular restaurant on Broadway in the 1960s, as well as his sandwich & pizza shop on Root Road in the 1970s.

This time Kelli was writing about her mother’s side of the family – the Serbian side. She wrote,  "I have something you might like to see. My great uncle, (my grandmother’s brother-in-law) Dave Zupkovich, from Youngstown, was a popular Serbian tamburitza musician from the 1940s until his early passing on in 1963. He had several orchestras and they traveled all over.

"I just received these pictures from a friend in Canton, Ohio, whose father also played with Dave. In this photo, Dave and his orchestra play at the Lorain Showboat in 1950.

From left, Joe Marmilich, Joe Matacic, John Krilcic and Dave Zupkovich

The photo had a nice souvenir cover on it too with great artwork, indicating it was taken at the Showboat.

Kelli knew that the back cover of the photo would be of interest to me too. "Note the name of the photographer that was on the back of the photo!” she noted. "Enjoy!!”

I was surprised to see that Katherine and Alex Visci were listed as the photographers.

Of course, longtime blog readers might remember that well-known bandleader Alex Visci was my brother’s and my trumpet teacher back in the late 1960s and early 70s. (I wrote about him here, here, here and here.) 

I remembered that Mr. Visci’s wife was a photographer. With his active career and connections in the local nightclub scene, it makes sense that she would have an opportunity to use her talents shooting candids at the Showboat.

Kelli’s great uncle achieved quite a bit of success in his musical field. Dave Zupkovich and his Balkan Recording Artists made many records on the Balkan Records label.

Courtesy tamburitza78s.blogspot.com

Visit the Tamburitza and more blog to learn more about Dave Zupkovich’s career. And in the meantime, here’s a nice sample of his music.

Thanks for sharing, Kelli!

The Showboat in Lorain – Part 3

The Showboat kept rolling along during the 1950s, showcasing a variety of acts from around the country. Above are two ads from the mid-1950s (courtesy of Rick Kurish).

By the late 1950s, however, the Showboat had apparently shifted its focus from entertainment to fine dining, judging from the ad below – which appeared in the Lorain Journal on June 1, 1957.

Gus Atthanasoff had also shorted his name in the ads to the more pronounceable ‘Gus Athan.’

But disaster in the form of a fire struck on November 17, 1957 – for the second time that year. The Lorain Journal article (below) tells the story.

****

Showboat Fire Again Shuts Doors
By LEN POGER

Fire again swept the Showboat Restaurant yesterday.

It was the second major blaze of the year in the same establishment.

One other time, on May 14, the restaurant was damaged by smoke from a fire in the adjoining Muir drugstore at 758 Broadway.

This occurred shortly before the planned “grand opening” of the Showboat after the place had been remodeled as a result of a fire earlier in the year.

August Atthanasoff, proprietor of the restaurant, estimated damage Sunday at $15,000.

Cause of the blaze has not been determined. It is being investigated by the fire department and the state arson board, Fire Chief Alfred G. Nickley stated.

The origin of the fire, which started yesterday afternoon in the restaurant at 776 Broadway, had not yet been determined. Chief Nickley said this morning that he would not know the cause until he makes a complete investigation.

The inside of the Showboat, one of the largest restaurants in Lorain, was gutted with heavy damage to the bar and dining room.

Smoke damage was also reported by 12 business offices in the Commercial Building above the restaurant and to adjoining stores.

Nickley said that gas service had been shut off to the surrounding stores.

The fire, a repeat of a $15,000 blaze last Jan. 15, was brought under control by 22 firemen directed by Nickley, 35 minutes after the first alarm was sent in at 5:23 p. m.

Atthanasoff said he could not say how long the restaurant will be closed.

****

The Elyria Chronicle covered the story as well. Here is that paper’s version (below). By the time of the Chronicle’s story, Atthanasoff had decided not to reopen the Showboat.

2nd Fire Does It
‘Showboat" Will Sail Under New 
Name – Too Much Bad Luck in Old
By DAN J. WARNER

SEAGOING SUPERSTITION – Twice sunk, the “Showboat Restaurant,” once a popular Lorain night club is going to be salvaged. But she is going to be launched in a new location under a new name. Her captain-owner is convinced that she’s jinxed.

Plans are now being made to re-open the club by its owner, August G. Atthanasoff, of 2520 North Jefferson Blvd. It was closed for the second and last time on Nov. 18 when the restaurant’s plush interior was destroyed by a $27,000 fire, the second such fire in a year.

The first fire hit the night spot on Jan. 17, also destroying the interior and causing about $20,000 worth of damage.

Atthanasoff said he is now working on several deals on a location to reopen the restaurant sometime in the near future. And the name will be changed.

“The ‘Showboat’ has just had too much bad luck,” he declared.

Atthanasoff, in the meantime, is kept busy operating his second restaurant, Vian’s Bar-B-Q on Lake Rd.

****

As it turned out, Gus Atthanasoff’s new restaurant was Colony Bar, located at 1407 Colorado Avenue on the east side. Today the building is home to Offshore Pub and Grub.

It’s just too bad that the Showboat became yet another memorable Lorain business that was lost to fire.

Thanks to Rick Kurish for his help with this post.

The Showboat in Lorain – Part 2

On January 16, 1953, the above ad for the Showboat nightclub ran in the Lorain Journal, promoting an upcoming appearance by Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, who were “opening Monday."

Bugs and Elmer?!

A small series of unusual teaser ads added to the promotional build-up. The two ads shown below ran in different sections of the paper on January 17, 1953.

So who or what took the stage at the Showboat on Monday, January 19, 1953? 

The early 1950s were still a little too early to mount a costumed character show like you would see later at Disneyland. Plus, a Lorain nightclub was no place for children, anyway.

As it turns out, the act was none other than Les Barker, direct from Alpine Village in Cleveland. Here’s the ad that ran on that Monday.

I’ve written about Les Barker before. 

He had appeared at Midway Mall in August 1969. My family caught one of his shows, in which he drew Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd on pieces of acetate, which he manipulated to create a sort of primitive animation using an overhead projector. I even got his autograph (written on part of a Hough Bakeries bag).

Apparently that’s what he did at the Showboat in 1953, as well. As noted on blogtoonnetwork, Barker “created one novel nightclub act called “Quick on the Draw,” where he entertained audiences with a stand-up routine and an overhead projector." 

For his Showboat appearance, however, Barker was billed as not only the creator of Bugs Bunny, but Bat Man as well! (I’m not sure how Bob Kane would feel about that.) As we know, Barker really wasn't the creator of either, but did achieve some lasting success and fame as the cartoonist behind Johnny Canuck.

Anyway, it’s interesting that sixteen years after his 1953 Showboat appearance, he was back in the Lorain area, still doing his shtick.

Next: The end of the Showboat

The Showboat in Lorain – Part 1

I had heard of a night club in Downtown Lorain called the Showboat, but only knew that it had the same name and theme as a restaurant in Huron in the 1970s. Lorain’s Showboat seemed to be a business that had only a very brief time in the spotlight in the 1950s before disappearing, and I didn’t know its story.

That’s why I was happy to see this two page spread in the February 10, 1950 Lorain Journal. It announces the formal opening of the nightclub, lists the two gentlemen involved in its management – Gus Atthanasoff and Joseph Karhusz – and even includes a photo of the outside.

Here are larger versions of each page in case you want to click on them and read them.

Employees featured in a photo of their own included Helen Wilson, cook; Frances Smith, waitress; Howard Ripple, bartender; Dolores Tracy, waitress; and Hallie Moore, waitress.

The ad includes a lot of detailed information about the restaurant itself and its culinary offerings.

It also mention that “A professional photographer will be on hand every evening to make “on-the-spot” souvenir photographs of you and your party for a moderate charge (if you so desire).”

The Showboat was located at 766 - 770 Broadway (the location of the now-demolished Ghoulardi’s).

Two Rusine’s businesses – Rusine’s Menswear and Rusine’s bookstore – had previously been located at that location since at least the early 1940s. (As we know, Rusine’s moved to a new location just a little further down Broadway.)

Tomorrow: Bugs Bunny “visits” the Showboat