Mister Kelly's was one of the hotspots of Chicago nightlife in the 1950s through the mid-1970s. Located on Rush Street in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood, the club was a welcoming venue where people could be entertained by top-shelf jazz and comedy talent and see rising stars who later gained international fame. Names like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mort Sahl, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, and Richard Pryor regularly graced the marquee of Mister Kelly's. And club founders and brothers George and Oscar Marienthal thought of everything to ensure a quality experience for their patrons. This exhibition drew on the Mister Kelly's Collection at the Newberry to re-create the excitement of a night at Mister Kelly’s.
A Night at Mister Kelly’s was supported by the Rosaline G. Cohn Endowment for Exhibitions and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation. The Newberry also thanks David Marienthal for his gift of the Mister Kelly’s Collection.
Curator
Alison Hinderliter, Lloyd Lewis Curator of Modern Manuscripts and Selector for Modern Music, Newberry Library
Public Programs
- Nightlife on Rush Street - Watch as speakers Sylvia Ewing, Rob Onorato, and Perri Small explore clubs, cabarets, and the hottest hotspots outside the entertainment mainstream during the 1950s through the 1970s in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood and beyond.
- Comedy in Black and White, featuring Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen - In this edition of “Conversations at the Newberry,” Timothy Reid and Tom Dreesen discuss their long and storied careers as comedians and performers while reflecting back to their time at Mister Kelly’s, as possibly the first interracial comedy duo. Moderated by Ron Rapoport.
Programming for A Night at Mister Kelly's was generously supported by the D&R Legacy Fund.
A Night at Mister Kelly's Video Series
- Introducing Mister Kelly's from Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse - Alison Hinderliter discusses the famed nightclub from its previous location--at the corner of Rush and Bellevue in Chicago.
- A Look Back at The Happy Medium - Alison Hinderliter discusses The Happy Medium, another venue owned by the Marienthal Brothers, at 901 North Rush Street, which is now home to a Tesla dealership.
- Remembering the Gate of Horn - Alison Hinderliter discusses The Gate of Horn, a folk music club from the 1950s and 60s known for subversive comedy performances and protest songs.
- Barbra Streisand Visits Oak Street Beach - Alison Hinderliter discusses Barbra Streisand's visit to Oak Street Beach in Chicago and the famed photograph she took there -- which later graced the cover of her Grammy winning album.
- Looking Back at A Night at Mister Kelly's - Alison Hinderliter narrates a look back at our video series accompanying the exhibition. We feature the Rush Street nightlife scene and stars like Barbra Streisand, Lenny Bruce, Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, and Robert Guillaume. The memories of Mister Kelly’s and its legacy in entertainment history will live on forever.
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