From the Archives: The Riviera Night Club

The Fort Lee Film Commission, Palisades Interstate Park and Fort Lee Historical Society will hold a joint program in March celebrating the famed Riviera Night Club, which was located in Fort Lee from 1930-1953. The first Riviera Night Club was located off Hudson Terrace near the Coytesville section of the borough and was operated by Ben Marden from 1930 until it was destroyed by a fire in 1936.  

Among the celebrities who performed at the Riviera were Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, who appeared together in 1935.  Ben Marden built his new art deco Riviera Night Club south of the original atop the Palisades near the George Washington Bridge with a Hudson Terrace entrance. The club thrived until World War II, when it closed.

It was reopened after the war in 1946 by new owner Bill Miller. MIller brought such acts as the newly teamed Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Gleason, Pearl Bailey and many other celebrities to perform on the revolving Riviera stage. Among the most notable events was Frank Sinatra's comeback performance at Bill Miller's Riviera in Fort Lee in the early 50s, when 700 celebrities packed the night club. This is documented in the newly published book on Frank Sinatra by James Kaplan.

This week’s “From the Archives” image features Frank Sinatra with Riviera owner Bill Miller at the Fort Lee Riviera with the Riviera showgirls circa the early 1950s.

The March 2 program will take place at the Fort Lee Historic Park Museum off Hudson Terrace and Bruce Reynolds Blvd (Bridge Plaza South) at 7:30 p.m. There will be a slide show and screening of rare archival photos and footage from the Fort Lee Film Commission / Fort Lee Historical Society and Palisades Interstate Park archive.  Palisade Interstate Park Historical Interpreter Eric Nelsen will lead the program along with Fort Lee Film Commission Executive Director Tom Meyers, Fort Lee Historical Society President Donna Brennan and Fort Lee Historical Society Vice President Lou Azzollini. Admission is free.

Then on March 6 at 1 p.m. in the Eric Nelsen will lead a hike from the Fort Lee Historic Park parking lot to the site of the Riviera Nightclub. All hikers are welcome to come to the Fort Lee Museum (1588 Palisades Avenue) following the hike to see a display of Riviera Nightclub archival items. Call the Fort Lee Film Commission (2010 693-2763 or the Palisade Interstate Park (2010 768-1360 ext. 107) for further details or visit www.njpalisades.org or www.fortleefilm.org.

Editor's Note: This article was compiled from information provided by Fort Lee Film Commission Executive Director Tom Meyers.