Leon and Eddie's started life as a Prohibition speakeasy and became one of New York's leading nightclubs and restaurants in the 1930s and 40s. Run by entertainer Eddie Davis, who was said to have a repertoire of 1,000 songs and even more jokes, he partnered with suave mine host Leon Enken to helm one of the hottest joints in town. As you can see from the menu cover, it was a burlesque club and was popular with servicemen who were invited on stage to play boomps-a-daisy with the chorus girls.
Leon and Eddie's Sunday night celebrity club was notable for its mix of stars - Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason, Toots Shor, Harry Belafonte, Milton Berle and Red Skelton all performed on stage. Read more about the wild atmosphere in Leon and Eddie's in the Vanishing New York link below.
