The Mocambo was a nightclub in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. It was owned by Charlie Morrison and Felix Young.
The Mocambo opened on January 3, 1941, and it became an immediate success. The club’s Latin American-themed decor was designed by Tony Duquette. Along the walls were glass cages holding live cockatoos, macaws, seagulls, pigeons, and parrots. With big band music, the club became one of the most popular dance-till-dawn spots in town. On any given night, one might find the room filled with the leading men and women of the motion picture industry. In 1943, when Frank Sinatra became a solo act, he made his Los Angeles debut at the Mocambo.
The club’s main stage was replicated on the TV series I Love Lucy as the “Tropicana” Club. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were frequent guests at the Mocambo and were close friends of Charlie Morrison.
Early in 1957, club operator and co-owner Charlie Morrison died at his Beverly Hills home. The Mocambo remained in business for one final year, before closing its doors on June 30, 1958. The building was then sold, reopened as a supper club called The Cloister, and eventually demolished.
The Mocambo Nightclub
8588 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Recent Comments