Hollywood Palladium

For over a half century, the Hollywood Palladium has offered world-class entertainment - from legends of the Big Band era, to the best in contemporary rock concerts. Since opening it's doors on October 29, 1940, the nightclub/ballroom has consistantly presented the highest caliber of music events possible, establishing itself as Hollywood's flagship for fun and excitement.

The Palladium began the vision of motion pictures producer/promoter Maurice M. Cohen – his personal dream to create the world’s largest dining and dancing palace. Opened as a ballroom in 1940, the 11,000 square foot oval dance floor was the place to be, When the Palladium had its gala premiere, the entertainment industry was in the midst of its heyday. Tommy Dorsey and his band, featuring soon-to-be-famous Frank Sinatra, opened to rave reviews. Over 6,500 people attended each show, filling the dance floor, dining area, and mezzanine.

In those days the Palladium was situated between the NBC and CBS radio studios and dominated the night scene which included such celebrity haunts as the Brown Derby, Earl Carroll’s and the Mocambo. Inside, familiar faces like Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Power, Lana Turner and Betty Grable mingled with non-celebrity clientele who enjoyed the ballroom’s entertainment and big band dancing at moderate prices.

As America entered World War II, the Palladium flourished and continued to provide top-flight bands. For 50 cents, GI’s spilling over from the nearby Hollywood Canteen could dance to live music by Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Les Brown, Harry James and Stan Kenton, whose radio broadcast brought the excitement of the Palladium into millions of homes nightly. Even after the war, when big bands began to lose their popularity, the Palladium still drew in a record 6,750 eager dancers to the 1947 opening night performance of Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra – an event enthusiastically covered by Life Magazine.

The television came to the Palladium in the early fifties with a weekly one and one-half hour telecast over KNXT. In 1961, when two television producers became the new owners, they booked Lawrence Welk who drew an estimated 14,000 people for his first two nights. Over the next decade, the Hollywood Palladium became Welk’s
Metallica at the Hollywood Palladium 1985
Nirvana at the Hollywood Palladium

“home” for his popular weekly television broadcast.

As contemporary tastes have changed, so has the Hollywood Palladium’s breadth of entertainment. The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Rod Stewart, The Police, MTV’s Lollapalooza Tour, Alice in Chains, Bon Jovi and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have all performed in the landmark facility. The ballroom has even hosted such dignitaries as England’s Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden, Robert Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Adalai Stevenson, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.

The Hollywood Palladium has been the site of many nationally televised events including the Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, Entertainment Hall of Fame Awards, Comedy Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Country Music Awards, and others. Location shooting has also been an important part of the facility’s daily operation; and the Palladium has provided a backdrop for scenes including “The Bodyguard,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Mr. Saturday Night,” “1941,” “The Sinatra Story” (mini-series) and the “Blues Brothers”.

Currently owned and operated by Palladium Investment, Inc., with Steve Silberman as CEO and Alan Shuman as President, the 40,700 sq. foot facility boasts a 11,200 sq. foot, solid white ash dance floor; a 15,000 sq. foot acoustical plaster ceiling; computerized bar stations; and state-of-the-art lighting and sound system. The dining facilities can readily accommodate up to 2,500 guests in a banquet-style setting, with concert events drawing as many as 3,500 spectators.

The owners have pledged to retain the integrity and quality of performances at the Hollywood Palladium, as well as creating a safe and entertaining atmosphere for future patrons. In addition to the standard booking fare, the Hollywood Palladium will also regularly stage concerts with an international flavor and one-of-a-kind sporting events.

A lavish cultural monument, the Hollywood Palladium continues to carry the original owner’s dream by catering to a wider audience in elegance, style, and with a commitment to high-energy entertainment in a facility unlike any other in the world.
---www.hollywoodpalladium.com