Jack and Jill’s Tavern (featured yesterday) ran a floor show in the 1940s-50s that apparently featured Las Vegas-style showgirls. “Jack and Jill’s Elations” seems to have changed shows weekly, running such show themes as “Glamour Strut,” “Fifth Avenue,” and “Let ‘er Buck.” Bud Holland, who was kind enough to send this program, says that the club was a hotbed of gambling and corruption at this time. The club was outside the Portland city limits, out of reach of the mayor’s office and police, but the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office had corruption issues of its own.
(Bud Holland)
Tags: Night Club, Oregon, Portland, Tavern
September 12, 2012 at 6:40 am
Interesting, to say the least. Can’t wait to read the various comments sure to come.
September 12, 2012 at 7:32 am
Considering the themed shows such as “Glamor Strut” and “Let ‘er Buck”, I think today’s Las Vegas showgirls may take some umbrage to the comparison.
I see that even in the 40′s some venues were more focused on the “entendre” bit rather than the “double” bit.
September 12, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Awesome program; nice hand-drawn lettering and color. Good example of the graphic design period between art deco and mid-century.
September 19, 2012 at 7:14 pm
A google search turned up Earl and Vera Binford, managers at Jack and Jill’s, getting a renewal for a Class A dispenser license in 1957 in Tillamook County.
Couldn’t find out if they are somehow related to the Binfords who were part of Binford and Mort, an Oregon book publisher associated with many historical titles.
September 22, 2012 at 1:20 pm
While I was in high school in the 50′s, I dated a girl, who’s Dad was a school teacher, and also played Trumpet at Jack and Jill’s.
March 1, 2013 at 8:00 pm
.I live in Greensboro ,nc and today I found a box in an empty house with alot of pictures of a man named Herman Whaley who appartently played at Jack and Jills I have a menu from there 2 …I am looking for leads on this man..contact me thru Facebook Tracie Russell in greensboro if you can help
March 15, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Earl and Vera Binford were my parents, the pix is the original nightclub, it was refurbished in the early 40″s with a solid white front, remodeled, and in the back parking lot was a small house; we lived there. Jack was L.C. Binford, my uncle, Jill was his first wife. He was a attorney and the developer of the area of housing around Rose City Golf course after 1946.And believe me, the floor show was a great prelude to the Vegas shows. In 1940, it was listed as the largest dance floor nightclub on the west coast.
March 17, 2013 at 2:22 pm
ELLIOT; in answer to your question about Earl and Vera in Tillamook county; yes that was my parents, who did manage Jack and Jills. In 1946 we all moved to Hebo; A year later they opened Binfords Hebo Inn and 4 years later had another restaurant in Neskowin. I went to Nestucca High School; graduated in 1950:
in a class of 24.