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For anyone not familiar with the story...
Much of the country was segregated in the 1950's, including Las Vegas. Blacks could work in the hotels and they could perform in the showrooms. They could not stay at the hotels, eat in the restaurants, etc. The Westside of LV was where the blacks were expected to stay. Black entertainers would do the shows, then go to the Westside to sleep.
In the mid 1950's the Moulin Rouge was built on Bonanza Road, and it was 'for' blacks. It caught on with whites, too, and many white entertainers would go to the Moulin Rouge after their last show of the night. Sometimes they sat in the audience, sometimes they joined the show.
One morning about 6 months after the MR opened, the employees reported to work to discover the place was all locked up. No one knew for sure what happened. Some said it was mismanagement of money, others said the place was taking too much business from the strip & downtown casinos...and it had to be closed down.
I was just reading a "Fabulous Las Vegas" magazine from February 23, 1952. Pearl Bailey (Yes, THE Pearl Bailey...Pearlie Mae) wrote a column. Part of the column reads as follows:
Quite a thing at the Last Frontier Wednesday night, given by the Westside Community Center. I heartily agree that the Westside needs MANY, MANY improvements; sewage, housing, lighting, oh, so much there's not space to mention. This town is growing too fast to have such a terrible condition as exists over on that side. When performers come here to play, there's no place to stay; and please remember, these folks have some pretty nice places they call 'home', so are not used to such conditions. Then, too, how about the folks already calling this 'home'? All I gotta say is something should be done to let ALL our wonderful town grow together.
First time I remember reading anything about the Westside that was written by a performer.
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