Chez Ami Supper Club

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Chez Ami Supper Club
Chez Ami Supper Club.png
Chez Ami advertisement from the 1910s
Location311 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, New York
Builtc.1934
Demolished1974

The Chez Ami, known as the Chez Ami Supper Club, was located at 311 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, NY and first opened its door in 1934. It is considered one of the first supper clubs in the nation and had the first rotating bar in the United States. The club was owned and operated by Philip Amigone until his death in 1965. It was subsequently torn down in 1974. [1]

Supper club A type of dining establishment

A supper club is a traditional dining establishment that also functions as a social club. The term may describe different establishments depending on the region, but in general, supper clubs tend to present themselves as having a high-class image, even if the price is affordable to all. A newer usage of the term supper club has emerged, referring to underground restaurants.

United States Federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the most populous city is New York City. Most of the country is located contiguously in North America between Canada and Mexico.

Contents

History

The theater was part of an existing structure and shared the building with other businesses. It originally opened as an art house theater named The Little in 1929, and only showed silent films. The Little closed in 1930 and reopened as The Hollywood run by the Basil chain. Basil heavily promoted the theater and showed foreign films, art films, and reruns. The Hollywood closed in 1934. [2] At the time, it was the only movie theater located on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, one of the city's main thoroughfares. After closing it was refurbished and became the Chez Ami, one of the city's premier nightclubs. The building was eventually razed in 1974.

Silent film Film with no synchronized recorded dialogue

A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound. In silent films for entertainment, the plot may be conveyed by the use of title cards, written indications of the plot and key dialogue lines. The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but because of the technical challenges involved, the introduction of synchronized dialogue became practical only in the late 1920s with the perfection of the Audion amplifier tube and the advent of the Vitaphone system.

Art film Film genre

An art film is typically a serious, independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily for aesthetic reasons rather than commercial profit", and contains "unconventional or highly symbolic content".

Allentown, Buffalo United States historic place

The Allentown district is a neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. The neighborhood is home to the Allentown Historic District.

The interior of Chez Ami was designed by C. Theodore Macheras who used art-deco elements of mirrors, neon, indirect lighting and plush carpeting to achieve a modern entertainment experience. The centerpiece of Chez Ami was a revolving bar, purported to be the first of its kind in America, and- took 7 ½ minutes to make a complete cycle. [3]

Revolving restaurant revolving platform based restaurant usually on a tower

A revolving restaurant or rotating restaurant is usually a tower restaurant eating space designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on the revolving floor. The revolving rate varies between one and three times per hour and enables patrons to enjoy a panoramic view without leaving their seats.

Chez Ami Advertisement Chez Ami Supper Club Ad.png
Chez Ami Advertisement

On December 25, 1941, The Chez Ami suffered a fire that destroyed much of its interior. [4] The Chez reopened in the spring of 1942 with the revolving bar repaired, an enlarged dance floor, and expanded balcony seating. Macheras oversaw the rebuild and much of the club's original art-deco décor was retained. [3]

Balcony platform projecting from the wall of a building

A balcony is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor.

The Chez Ami was remodeled by Amigone with the help of Macheras again in December 1956. The art deco theme was replaced with new Venetian décor including a redecorated façade on the outside and a 15-foot diameter chandelier over the dining area. The revolving bar was also refurbished. [3]

Renaissance Revival architecture many 19th-century architectural revival styles

Renaissance Revival architecture is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes. Under the broad designation "Renaissance architecture" nineteenth-century architects and critics went beyond the architectural style which began in Florence and central Italy in the early 15th century as an expression of Humanism; they also included styles we would identify as Mannerist or Baroque. Self-applied style designations were rife in the mid- and later nineteenth century: "Neo-Renaissance" might be applied by contemporaries to structures that others called "Italianate", or when many French Baroque features are present.

Chandelier decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture

A chandelier is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent light bulbs, though some modern designs also use fluorescent lamps and recently LEDs.

In addition to Chez Ami, Amigone designed and established the lounge at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium in 1941 and the restaurant and lounge at Kleinhans Music Hall in 1943 where he was the restaurant concessionaire until 1964. [3]

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Arena in New York, United States

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium was an indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it hosted the AHL's Buffalo Bisons, the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, the NBA's Buffalo Braves, the MSL's Buffalo Stallions, the MILL's Buffalo Bandits, the second NPSL's Buffalo Blizzard and the RHI's Buffalo Stampede. It also hosted a number of NCAA basketball games, as well as entertainment events such as concerts, the Ringling Brothers circus and Disney on Ice. The Aud was renovated in 1970 and 1990, and it closed in 1996 after the Sabres', Bandits', and Blizzard's seasons ended. It remained vacant until the city demolished it in 2009.

Kleinhans Music Hall United States historic place

Kleinhans Music Hall is a concert venue located on Symphony Circle in Buffalo, New York. The hall "is renowned for its acoustical excellence and graceful architecture." Kleinhans is currently the home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, a regular venue for the Buffalo Chamber Music Society, and is rented out for other performing groups and local events. The building was designed by father-and-son team Eliel Saarinen and Eero Saarinen, with help from local architects F. J. and W. A. Kidd, Stanley McCandless as lighting consultant, and Charles C. Potwin as acoustical adviser. Kleinhans has two performance spaces, as well as additional rooms for rehearsals or private events. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989, 49 years after its completion.

Decline and closure

In the early 1960s, in an effort to keep up with changes in consumer preferences, the Chez Ami underwent another transformation into Buffalo's first discotheque. The live stage entertainment and dining were replaced by recorded music and open space for the dance floor. Within months of operating under the new format, the Chez Ami lost its liquor license. On November 23, 1965 a detective claimed that a customer there had solicited him illegally. [3]

In December 1965, Amigone died at the age of 65. [5] After his death, the club was sold to two other owners before it finally closed down in 1971. [5]

Influence

As of 2016, Buffalo developer Mark Croce is currently renovating the Harlow C. Curtiss Building into the Curtiss Hotel. The hotel is anticipated to feature a revolving bar modeled after the revolving bar at the Chez Ami. [6]

See also

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References

  1. O'Neill, Marty "Razing Final Act in Saga of Former Buffalo Hot Spot." Buffalo Evening News 6 Apr. 1974, p. 15
  2. Lapp, Alan. "Hollywood Theater". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chez Ami, Buffalos Theater Restaurant, 311 Delaware Avenue". forgottenbuffalo.com. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
  4. "20 Patrons Hurt as Grease Blaze Sweeps Chez Ami." Buffalo Evening News 26 Dec. 1941, p 18
  5. 1 2 "P.J. Amigone, Owner of Chez Ami, Dies at 65." Courier Express 30 Dec. 1965. P. 30
  6. "Curtiss Gets Corniced, More". buffalorising.com. Retrieved 2 September 2015.