Mister Kelly's

Mr. Kelly’s was an iconic nightclub on Rush Street in Chicago. For thirty years, before it closed on August 25, 1975, it was a springboard to fame for countless entertainers. As reported in the Chicago Tribune, “It was a supernova in the local and national nightlife firmament.” Mr. Kelly’s was owned and operated by the late brothers, Oscar and George Marinthal, whose Chicago empire included the London House (Chicago), an upscale jazz supper club and the theatrically oriented Happy Medium.

Notables Who Performed

Among the notables who performed at Mister Kelly’s were Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington, Ramsey Lewis, Dinah Washington, John Coltrane, Barbra Streisand, Julie London, Anita O'Day, Thelonious Monk, Cannonball Adderley, Nancy Wilson, Muddy Waters, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Carmen McRae, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli and Barry Manilow. Comedians who also performed at Mister Kelly's included the likes of Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, Buddy Greco, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers, Bill Cosby, George Carlin, The Smothers Brothers, Freddie Prinze, Dick Gregory, Redd Foxx, Totie Fields, Flip Wilson, David Steinberg, Stiller and Meara, Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Tim and Tom, Phyllis Diller, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, Rodney Dangerfield, Jackie Mason and Lily Tomlin. Musical directors at the club included Dick Marx, Marty Rubenstein and Larry Novak.

External links

• Info page in Japanese with exterior photos
• Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s includes an excerpt about Mister Kelly's
• Bill Cosby talks about performing at Mister Kelly's