Paradise Club (Atlantic City, New Jersey)
 Paradise Club
Location in Atlantic City
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| Address | 220 North Illinois Avenue Atlantic City, New Jersey United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°21′50″N 74°26′2″W / 39.36389°N 74.43389°WCoordinates: 39°21′50″N 74°26′2″W / 39.36389°N 74.43389°W |
| Owner | Harold Abrams, Clifton Williams, Ben Alten |
| Type | Nightclub, jazz club |
The Paradise Club or Club Paradise was a nightclub and jazz club at 220 North Illinois Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was one of two major black jazz clubs in Atlantic City during its heyday from the 1920s through 1950s, the other being Club Harlem. Entertaining a predominantly white clientele, it was known for its raucous floor shows featuring gyrating black dancers accompanied by high-energy jazz bands led by the likes of Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, and Lucky Millinder. In 1954 the Paradise Club merged with Club Harlem under joint ownership.
Opened in the 1920s, the Paradise Club was owned by Harold Paul Abrams, who also owned Harold's Club and the Basin Street Club. Abrams was also the general manager of the 500 Club. Abrams promoted the Paradise as "the oldest nightclub in America". It was the first club to offer "breakfast shows" after the nightlong entertainment.
Willis notes that most of the white clientele came from the Traymore Hotel, a summer resort. While it was fine for them to frequent the all-black shows at the Paradise Club, none of the black performers could use the whites-only beach at the Traymore. Blacks in the racially-segregated city were restricted to one section of the beach, but were able to enter attractions on the entire Boardwalk.
During the 1946 off-season the club opened the Paradise Swing Room, a musical bar.
In May 1954 the Paradise Club announced its merger with Club Harlem. Clifton Williams and Ben Alten of Club Harlem became co-owners with Abrams. With the merger, the elaborate "Smart Affairs" revue presented by Larry Steele at Club Harlem began appearing at the Paradise Club as well.
Like other nightclubs in the district, the Paradise Club succumbed to a drop-off in business from the advent of legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City. By the mid-1980s, only Club Harlem was still operating. The site of the club is now a parking lot.
The club's nondescript exterior and "simple neon sign" revealed nothing of the raucous goings-on within. The interior was designed like "a Prohibition-era roadhouse" with darkened rooms, low ceilings, and small tables arranged around the dance floor and stage. During the stage shows, while, amber, and blue colored spotlights played around the room. A girl in a short skirt walked around taking souvenir pictures of the guests.
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Wikipedia