Luton Yesteryear: Cesar’s Palace
Generations of Lutonions and those living in the surrounding areas will remember decadent evenings visiting Cesar’s Palace (later The Pink Elephant, Caesar’s Palace, and The Palace) to see world class acts close to home.
Opened in 1966 on Skimpot Road, the venue was marketed as the ‘most luxurious club in Europe’. It was initially open until 2am seven nights as week and attracted top name entertainers from across the UK and beyond. Visitors could enjoy music, dancing, comedy, and magic shows along with bingo and a bowling alley.
For decades, the club hosted some of the biggest names in showbusiness including Mike Reid, Jim Davidson, Les Dennis, Freddie Starr, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, The Foundations, David Essex, The Drifters, Dionne Warwick, Tammy Wynette, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Tommy Cooper, Judy Garland, The Dubliners, and Cliff Richard.
George Savva, known in the hospitality industry as ‘Mr Showbiz’, who managed the operation in its early days, provides amusing anecdotes of his experiences with many of these stars in his autobiography, For Whom the Stars Come Out at Night.
Cesar’s quickly gained a national reputation, with people coming from far and wide to visit the venue. The club even welcomed royalty, including the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Margaret. In 1976, Cesar’s was crowned as Club of the Year by Club Mirror.
However, despite the venue’s ongoing fame and popularity, after the glory days of the 1960s and 70s, the club was blighted by debt and licensing issues.
This promotional shot, taken in 1981, shows then-compare, Jerry Brooke, along with other staff members celebrating the club’s most recent relaunch. On the bill that year were Cilla Black, The Jacksons and Bruce Forsyth. But by this time the British cabaret club circuit was in decline – and audience’s tastes were changing.
Throughout the 1980s and 90s, the venue closed and re-opened several times. In 1997 it was reported that The Palace’s ‘Hi Spirit’ weekend raves breached conditions of its operating licence – and managers needed to decide whether they were operating a cabaret club or rave venue.
Shortly after, it was revealed that the ‘troubled nightspot’ was on the market as the business’s owner, Mean Fiddler, wanted to consolidate all its live music venues into central London. It closed its doors for the last time in 1998, over 30 years after its original opening.