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{{Short description|Comedy club in West Hollywood, California}}
{{Short description|Comedy club in California, United States}}
{{about|the comedy club located in the United States|the comedy club with the same name located in London, England|The Comedy Store (London)}}
{{about|the comedy club located in the United States|the comedy club with the same name located in London, England|The Comedy Store (London)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
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| coordinates      = {{coord|34.09510|-118.37384|type:landmark_region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates      = {{coord|34.09510|-118.37384|type:landmark_region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
| type              = [[Comedy club]]
| type              = [[Comedy club]]
| genre             =  
| event             =  
| built            =  
| built            =  
| opened            = {{Start date|1972|04}}  
| opened            = {{Start date|1972|04}}
| renovated        = 1976
| renovated        = 1976
| expanded          =  
| expanded          =  
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[[Image:ComedyStore 02.jpg|thumb|right|The Comedy Store]]
[[Image:ComedyStore 02.jpg|thumb|right|The Comedy Store]]
'''The Comedy Store''' is an American [[comedy club]] opened in April 1972. It is located in [[West Hollywood, California]], at 8433 [[Sunset Boulevard]] on the [[Sunset Strip]]. An associated club is located in [[La Jolla]], [[San Diego]], [[California]].
'''The Comedy Store''' is an American [[comedy club]] opened in April 1972. It is located in [[West Hollywood, California]], at 8433 [[Sunset Boulevard]] on the [[Sunset Strip]]. An associated club is located in [[La Jolla]], San Diego, California.


==History==
==History==
The Comedy Store was opened in April 1972 by comedians [[Sammy Shore]] (1927–2019), and [[Rudy De Luca]]. The building was formerly the home of Club Seville (1935),<ref name="waterandpower-Hollywood_(1920_+">{{cite web |title=Early Views of Hollywood (1920 +) : Historical Photos of Early Hollywood |url=https://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_Views_of_Hollywood_(1920_+).html |website=Water and Power Associates |access-date=24 November 2020 |quote=The Club Seville opened New Year’s Eve 1935 and featured a crystal dance floor with subsurface fish, fountains and colored lights in its Crystal Marine Room. In 1940, the building got a face-lift and became known as Ciro’s Nightclub (1940 – 1957). |archive-date=24 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524061523/http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_Views_of_Hollywood_(1920_+).html |url-status=dead }}</ref> later, [[Ciro's]] (1940–1957), a popular Hollywood nightclub owned by [[William Wilkerson]], and later Ciro's Le Disc,<ref name="waterandpower-Hollywood_(1920_+"/> a [[rock and roll]] venue,<ref name=ogden99>{{cite book | title= The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ghosts and Hauntings | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OxuiLy0FhuoC | first= Tom | last= Ogden | year= 1999 | page= 284 | chapter= The Comedy Store | chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OxuiLy0FhuoC&pg=PA284 | publisher= [[Alpha Books]] | isbn= 978-0-02-863659-7 | oclc= 42714505<!-- | access-date= 2009-05-28 -->}}</ref> where [[the Byrds]] were discovered in 1964.
The Comedy Store was opened in April 1972 by comedians [[Sammy Shore]] (1927–2019), and [[Rudy De Luca]]. The building was formerly the home of Club Seville (1935),<ref name="waterandpower-Hollywood_(1920_+">{{cite web |title=Early Views of Hollywood (1920 +) : Historical Photos of Early Hollywood |url=https://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_Views_of_Hollywood_(1920_+).html |website=Water and Power Associates |access-date=24 November 2020 |quote=The Club Seville opened New Year’s Eve 1935 and featured a crystal dance floor with subsurface fish, fountains and colored lights in its Crystal Marine Room. In 1940, the building got a face-lift and became known as Ciro’s Nightclub (1940–1957). |archive-date=24 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524061523/http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_Views_of_Hollywood_(1920_+).html |url-status=dead }}</ref> later, [[Ciro's]] (1940–1957), a popular Hollywood nightclub owned by [[William Wilkerson]], and later Ciro's Le Disc,<ref name="waterandpower-Hollywood_(1920_+"/> a [[rock and roll]] venue,<ref name=ogden99>{{cite book | title= The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ghosts and Hauntings | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OxuiLy0FhuoC | first= Tom | last= Ogden | year= 1999 | page= 284 | chapter= The Comedy Store | chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OxuiLy0FhuoC&pg=PA284 | publisher= [[Alpha Books]] | isbn= 978-0-02-863659-7 | oclc= 42714505<!-- | access-date= 2009-05-28 -->}}</ref> where [[the Byrds]] were discovered in 1964.


When the venue reopened as The Comedy Store in 1972, it included a 99-seat theatre. As a result of a divorce settlement, Sammy Shore's ex-wife [[Mitzi Shore]] began operating the club in 1973, and she was able to buy the building in 1976. She immediately renovated and expanded the club to include a 450-seat main room.<ref name="Lord">{{cite book |title=Hollywood Then and Now |last=Lord |first=Rosemary |year=2003 |publisher=Thunder Bay Press |location=[[San Diego, CA]] |isbn=1-59223-104-7 |pages=140–141 }}</ref>
When the venue reopened as The Comedy Store in 1972, it included a 99-seat theatre. As a result of a divorce settlement, Sammy Shore's ex-wife [[Mitzi Shore]] began operating the club in 1973, and she was able to buy the building in 1976. She immediately renovated and expanded the club to include a 450-seat main room.<ref name="Lord">{{cite book |title=Hollywood Then and Now |last=Lord |first=Rosemary |year=2003 |publisher=Thunder Bay Press |location=[[San Diego, CA]] |isbn=1-59223-104-7 |pages=140–141 }}</ref>
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==Locations==
==Locations==
The original Comedy Store on Sunset at Ciro's had been joined by the Comedy Store [[Westwood, Los Angeles|Westwood]], at 1621 Westwood Blvd.,<ref name="la-bruschetta-westwood">{{cite web |title=La Bruschetta – Westwood |url=https://urbandiningguide.com/city/westwood-restaurants/place/la-bruschetta-westwood/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205101238/https://urbandiningguide.com/city/westwood-restaurants/place/la-bruschetta-westwood/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2021 |website=Urban Dining Guide |access-date=24 November 2020 |quote=In business since 1984, La Bruschetta has won a loyal neighborhood following and has long been one of the more serious—and relaxed—places to dine close to Westwood Village. }}</ref> the Comedy Store [[La Jolla]], at 916 Pearl St.,<ref name="KPBS">{{cite web |title=The Comedy Store, La Jolla |url=https://www.kpbs.org/places/comedy-store-la-jolla/ |website=[[KPBS (TV)|KPBS]] |language=en |access-date=2020-11-24 |archive-date=2010-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127044302/http://www.kpbs.org/places/comedy-store-la-jolla/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Comedy Store Playhouse,<ref name="latimes-1989-04-13-ca">{{cite news |last1=Shirley |first1=Don |title=Impresarios Pump Life Into Mid-Size Theaters; 'Carnage' Heads for Edinburgh and New York |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-13-ca-1603-story.html |access-date=24 November 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=13 April 1989 |quote=...Comedy Store Playhouse, at the site of the old Hollywood Playhouse on Las Palmas south of Sunset Boulevard. The building was sold last fall to Comedy Store owner Mitzi Shore, who is renovating it and hopes to begin booking comedy plays and one-person shows as soon as construction is completed.}}</ref> on Las Palmas, Comedy Store at the Sheraton Universal Hotel,<ref name="latimes-1987-05-21-vw">{{cite news |last1=Dunham |first1=Elisabeth <!--  ?: Elizabeth --> |title=Laughing on the Outside : Rival Comedy Clubs Get Serious in Quest for Patrons |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-21-vw-1522-story.html |access-date=24 November 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=21 May 1987 |quote=Up the Ventura Freeway in Universal City, the Comedy Store at the Sheraton Universal Hotel is definitely more glamorous. The room underwent months of remodeling that transformed it from a dark cocktail lounge to the Valley counterpart of owner Mitzi Shore's Sunset Strip club....Tension between the club owners stems from a 1979 strike of Los Angeles comedians against the Comedy Store's "no-pay policy". Until that time, neither Shore nor Friedman paid comedians a salary. The theory was that comedians should almost be paying the owners for the exposure the clubs provided. When the comedians' strike began, the Improv was closed for fire-damage repairs. Therefore, the strike focused on Shore, not Friedman.}}</ref> in [[Universal City, California|Universal City]],<ref name="latimes-xpm-1991-01-11">{{cite web |last1=Wyma |first1=Mike |title=Cantina Hoping Comedians Can Shtick It Out |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-11-ca-8262-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=24 November 2020 |date=11 January 1991 |quote=Nevertheless, the Valley hasn’t been particularly hospitable to comedy. The Improv and the Comedy Store have closed branches here in recent years, and a host of nightclubs and restaurants seem to drop comedy nights as soon as they start them.}}</ref> and the Comedy Store Las Vegas at the [[Dunes (hotel and casino)|Dunes Hotel]].<ref name="Mitzi">{{cite web |title=The Queen of Comedy: Mitzi Shore |url=https://thecomedystore.com/mitzi-shore/ |website=The Comedy Store |access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="History">{{cite web |title=History |url=https://thecomedystore.com/history/ |website=The Comedy Store |access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="wapo-obit-2018-04-11">{{cite news |author1=news services |author2=staff reports |title=Mitzi Shore, owner of L.A.'s influential Comedy Store stand-up club, dies at 87 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/mitzi-shore-owner-of-las-influential-comedy-store-stand-up-club-dies-at-87/2018/04/11/6f8ee2ca-3dd2-11e8-974f-aacd97698cef_story.html |access-date=24 November 2020 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=April 11, 2018 |quote=Legal documents filed by her family said she had Parkinson’s disease and other neurological problems....Ms. Shore assumed control of the venue, which she soon expanded and built into a comedy empire with area locations in Los Angeles, San Diego and eventually at the former Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas.}}</ref><ref name="jacksonville-2012-11-05">{{cite news |last1=Crumpler |first1=David |title=Louie Anderson makes people laugh, and people make Louie Anderson laugh |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20121105/ENTERTAINMENT/801244310 |access-date=24 November 2020 |work=The Florida Times-Union |date=2012-11-05 |language=en |quote=Every comedian talks about what appearing on Johnny Carson did for their career. Was there a literally next-day kind of difference in your career? Yep. I got hired the next day at The Comedy Store at The Dunes Hotel in Vegas. The next day NBC called about a holding contract with the network. The offers just kept coming in. But soon I was the opening act for The Commodores in Vegas. There's no platform like 'The Tonight Show' that can do that today. }}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="baltimoresun-latimes-1992-09-20">{{cite news |last1=Wharton |first1=David |title=Send in the Clowns : The Comedy Store keeps the laughs coming as it celebrates its 20th birthday with some of the comedians who got their start there |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/la-et-send-in-the-clowns-19920920-story.html |access-date=24 November 2020 |work=baltimoresun.com |date=1992-09-20 |quote=Below is a Los Angeles Times story, published Sept. 20, 1992, about the 20th anniversary of the Comedy Store and how many influential comedians hold the club dear to their hearts. ... Over the years, Comedy Store branches have opened in La Jolla, Westwood, the San Fernando Valley and at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Only La Jolla and a newly reopened Westwood branch remain. Shore has also purchased the Hollywood Playhouse, a space that is given over to one-man shows. |archive-date=2021-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130130146/https://www.baltimoresun.com/la-et-send-in-the-clowns-19920920-story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="erockphotos-photoshelter">{{cite web |last1=Plastik |first1=David |title=Sam Kinison |url=https://erockphotos.photoshelter.com/gallery/SAM-KINISON/G0000AET7C9CW90Q/ |website=VINTAGE MUSIC IMAGES |publisher=Photo Shelter |access-date=24 November 2020 |quote=Las Vegas Comedy Store at the Dunes Hotel}}</ref>
The original Comedy Store on Sunset at Ciro's had been joined by the Comedy Store [[Westwood, Los Angeles|Westwood]], at 1621 Westwood Blvd.,<ref name="la-bruschetta-westwood">{{cite web |title=La Bruschetta – Westwood |url=https://urbandiningguide.com/city/westwood-restaurants/place/la-bruschetta-westwood/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205101238/https://urbandiningguide.com/city/westwood-restaurants/place/la-bruschetta-westwood/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2021 |website=Urban Dining Guide |access-date=24 November 2020 |quote=In business since 1984, La Bruschetta has won a loyal neighborhood following and has long been one of the more serious—and relaxed—places to dine close to Westwood Village. }}</ref> the Comedy Store [[La Jolla]], at 916 Pearl St.,<ref name="KPBS">{{cite web |title=The Comedy Store, La Jolla |url=https://www.kpbs.org/places/comedy-store-la-jolla/ |website=[[KPBS (TV)|KPBS]] |language=en |access-date=2020-11-24 |archive-date=2010-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127044302/http://www.kpbs.org/places/comedy-store-la-jolla/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Comedy Store Playhouse,<ref name="latimes-1989-04-13-ca">{{cite news |last1=Shirley |first1=Don |title=Impresarios Pump Life Into Mid-Size Theaters; 'Carnage' Heads for Edinburgh and New York |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-13-ca-1603-story.html |access-date=24 November 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=13 April 1989 |quote=...Comedy Store Playhouse, at the site of the old Hollywood Playhouse on Las Palmas south of Sunset Boulevard. The building was sold last fall to Comedy Store owner Mitzi Shore, who is renovating it and hopes to begin booking comedy plays and one-person shows as soon as construction is completed.}}</ref> on Las Palmas, Comedy Store at the Sheraton Universal Hotel,<ref name="latimes-1987-05-21-vw">{{cite news |last1=Dunham |first1=Elisabeth <!--  ?: Elizabeth --> |title=Laughing on the Outside : Rival Comedy Clubs Get Serious in Quest for Patrons |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-21-vw-1522-story.html |access-date=24 November 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=21 May 1987 |quote=Up the Ventura Freeway in Universal City, the Comedy Store at the Sheraton Universal Hotel is definitely more glamorous. The room underwent months of remodeling that transformed it from a dark cocktail lounge to the Valley counterpart of owner Mitzi Shore's Sunset Strip club....Tension between the club owners stems from a 1979 strike of Los Angeles comedians against the Comedy Store's "no-pay policy". Until that time, neither Shore nor Friedman paid comedians a salary. The theory was that comedians should almost be paying the owners for the exposure the clubs provided. When the comedians' strike began, the Improv was closed for fire-damage repairs. Therefore, the strike focused on Shore, not Friedman.}}</ref> in [[Universal City, California|Universal City]],<ref name="latimes-xpm-1991-01-11">{{cite web |last1=Wyma |first1=Mike |title=Cantina Hoping Comedians Can Shtick It Out |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-11-ca-8262-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=24 November 2020 |date=11 January 1991 |quote=Nevertheless, the Valley hasn’t been particularly hospitable to comedy. The Improv and the Comedy Store have closed branches here in recent years, and a host of nightclubs and restaurants seem to drop comedy nights as soon as they start them.}}</ref> and the Comedy Store Las Vegas at the [[Dunes (hotel and casino)|Dunes Hotel]].<ref name="Mitzi">{{cite web |title=The Queen of Comedy: Mitzi Shore |url=https://thecomedystore.com/mitzi-shore/ |website=The Comedy Store |access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="History">{{cite web |title=History |url=https://thecomedystore.com/history/ |website=The Comedy Store |access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="wapo-obit-2018-04-11">{{cite news |author1=news services |author2=staff reports |title=Mitzi Shore, owner of L.A.'s influential Comedy Store stand-up club, dies at 87 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/mitzi-shore-owner-of-las-influential-comedy-store-stand-up-club-dies-at-87/2018/04/11/6f8ee2ca-3dd2-11e8-974f-aacd97698cef_story.html |access-date=24 November 2020 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=April 11, 2018 |quote=Legal documents filed by her family said she had Parkinson’s disease and other neurological problems....Ms. Shore assumed control of the venue, which she soon expanded and built into a comedy empire with area locations in Los Angeles, San Diego and eventually at the former Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas.}}</ref><ref name="jacksonville-2012-11-05">{{cite news |last1=Crumpler |first1=David |title=Louie Anderson makes people laugh, and people make Louie Anderson laugh |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20121105/ENTERTAINMENT/801244310 |access-date=24 November 2020 |work=The Florida Times-Union |date=2012-11-05 |language=en |quote=Every comedian talks about what appearing on Johnny Carson did for their career. Was there a literally next-day kind of difference in your career? Yep. I got hired the next day at The Comedy Store at The Dunes Hotel in Vegas. The next day NBC called about a holding contract with the network. The offers just kept coming in. But soon I was the opening act for The Commodores in Vegas. There's no platform like 'The Tonight Show' that can do that today. }}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="baltimoresun-latimes-1992-09-20">{{cite news |last1=Wharton |first1=David |title=Send in the Clowns : The Comedy Store keeps the laughs coming as it celebrates its 20th birthday with some of the comedians who got their start there |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/la-et-send-in-the-clowns-19920920-story.html |access-date=24 November 2020 |work=baltimoresun.com |date=1992-09-20 |quote=Below is a Los Angeles Times story, published Sept. 20, 1992, about the 20th anniversary of the Comedy Store and how many influential comedians hold the club dear to their hearts. ... Over the years, Comedy Store branches have opened in La Jolla, Westwood, the San Fernando Valley and at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Only La Jolla and a newly reopened Westwood branch remain. Shore has also purchased the Hollywood Playhouse, a space that is given over to one-man shows. |archive-date=2021-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130130146/https://www.baltimoresun.com/la-et-send-in-the-clowns-19920920-story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="erockphotos-photoshelter">{{cite web |last1=Plastik |first1=David |title=Sam Kinison |url=https://erockphotos.photoshelter.com/gallery/SAM-KINISON/G0000AET7C9CW90Q/ |website=VINTAGE MUSIC IMAGES |publisher=Photo Shelter |access-date=24 November 2020 |quote=Las Vegas Comedy Store at the Dunes Hotel}}</ref>


==Job action==
==Job action==
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<blockquote>Tension between the club owners stems from a 1979 strike of Los Angeles comedians against the Comedy Store's "no-pay policy". Until that time, neither [[Mitzi Shore|Shore]] nor [[Budd Friedman|Friedman]] paid comedians a salary. The theory was that comedians should almost be paying the owners for the exposure the clubs provided. When the comedians' strike began, [[The Improv]] (opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue) was closed for fire-damage repairs. Therefore, the strike focused on Shore, not Friedman.<ref name="latimes-1987-05-21-vw"/></blockquote>
<blockquote>Tension between the club owners stems from a 1979 strike of Los Angeles comedians against the Comedy Store's "no-pay policy". Until that time, neither [[Mitzi Shore|Shore]] nor [[Budd Friedman|Friedman]] paid comedians a salary. The theory was that comedians should almost be paying the owners for the exposure the clubs provided. When the comedians' strike began, [[The Improv]] (opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue) was closed for fire-damage repairs. Therefore, the strike focused on Shore, not Friedman.<ref name="latimes-1987-05-21-vw"/></blockquote>


Also in 1979, [[Stand-up comedy|stand-up]] comedians formed a short-lived labor union and demanded to be paid for their appearances at The Comedy Store. For six weeks (beginning in March),<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1709866,00.html|title=The First Comedy Strike|last=Zoglin|first=Richard|date=2008-02-04|newspaper=Time|issn=0040-781X|access-date=2016-10-06}}</ref> several comedians staged a protest in front of the club, while others crossed the [[Picketing|picket line]].<ref name=":0" /> The comedians involved formed a union called Comedians for Compensation and fought for pay where they had received none before. They eventually picketed in front of the club when their demands were not met. [[Jay Leno]] and [[David Letterman]] were among those on the picket line while [[Garry Shandling]] and [[Yakov Smirnoff]] [[Strikebreaker|crossed the line]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Jokers Wild|url=https://nypost.com/2009/08/30/jokers-wild-2/|access-date=May 17, 2015|work=New York Post|date=April 30, 2009}}</ref>
Also in 1979, [[Stand-up comedy|stand-up]] comedians formed a short-lived labor union and demanded to be paid for their appearances at The Comedy Store. For six weeks (beginning in March),<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1709866,00.html|title=The First Comedy Strike|last=Zoglin|first=Richard|date=2008-02-04|newspaper=Time|issn=0040-781X|access-date=2016-10-06|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320133353/https://time.com/wp-content/themes/time2014/css/header-footer.css|url-status=dead}}</ref> several comedians staged a protest in front of the club, while others crossed the [[Picketing|picket line]].<ref name=":0" /> The comedians involved formed a union called Comedians for Compensation and fought for pay where they had received none before. They eventually picketed in front of the club when their demands were not met. [[Jay Leno]] and [[David Letterman]] were among those on the picket line while [[Garry Shandling]] and [[Yakov Smirnoff]] [[Strikebreaker|crossed the line]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Jokers Wild|url=https://nypost.com/2009/08/30/jokers-wild-2/|access-date=May 17, 2015|work=New York Post|date=April 30, 2009}}</ref>


The job action was not legally a strike as the comedians were classified as "[[independent contractor]]s" and were not under contract with the club.
The job action was not legally a strike as the comedians were classified as "[[independent contractor]]s" and were not under contract with the club.
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Mitzi Shore also owned a 5,000-square-foot house a few doors away from the club, on 8420 Cresthill Road. The house was bought with the club in 1976. In 1979, she started to let the comedians from the clubs sleep there. During the 1980s, numerous comedians resided or just partied there, including Andrew Dice Clay, Marc Maron, Robin Williams, and Richard Pryor. [[Argus Hamilton]] and [[Mike Binder]] were the first to officially move into the house. [[Dave Coulier]] was also an early resident, and [[Yakov Smirnoff]] moved in in 1980. The place was known for its all-night parties and heavy consumption of cocaine and alcohol. [[Bill Hicks]] moved there in 1980 when he was 18 and running away from his parents to pursue his career as a comedian. Many of those comedians developed their style while residing there. [[Sam Kinison]] was a pillar there, and [[Jim Carrey]] turned his act around in this house. Mitzi Shore had a plan to cash in on the house's unique atmosphere, and even shot a 12-minute pilot around 1987 starring Daphne Davis, Nancy Redman, and Tamayo Otsuki. In 1988, because of the debauchery that had been going on for years, Mitzi Shore kicked everybody out of the house and turned it into a recovery house. By the early 1990s, Her son Pauly moved into the house, and by the end of the 1990s, the house was sold.<ref name="buzzfeed djpeisner">{{cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/djpeisner/the-mostly-true-adventures-of-standup-comedys-legendary-frat |title=The Mostly True Adventures Of Standup Comedy's Legendary Frat House |website=Buzzfeed.com |date=21 October 2015 |author=David Peisner |accessdate=20 April 2022}}</ref>
Mitzi Shore also owned a 5,000-square-foot house a few doors away from the club, on 8420 Cresthill Road. The house was bought with the club in 1976. In 1979, she started to let the comedians from the clubs sleep there. During the 1980s, numerous comedians resided or just partied there, including Andrew Dice Clay, Marc Maron, Robin Williams, and Richard Pryor. [[Argus Hamilton]] and [[Mike Binder]] were the first to officially move into the house. [[Dave Coulier]] was also an early resident, and [[Yakov Smirnoff]] moved in in 1980. The place was known for its all-night parties and heavy consumption of cocaine and alcohol. [[Bill Hicks]] moved there in 1980 when he was 18 and running away from his parents to pursue his career as a comedian. Many of those comedians developed their style while residing there. [[Sam Kinison]] was a pillar there, and [[Jim Carrey]] turned his act around in this house. Mitzi Shore had a plan to cash in on the house's unique atmosphere, and even shot a 12-minute pilot around 1987 starring Daphne Davis, Nancy Redman, and Tamayo Otsuki. In 1988, because of the debauchery that had been going on for years, Mitzi Shore kicked everybody out of the house and turned it into a recovery house. By the early 1990s, Her son Pauly moved into the house, and by the end of the 1990s, the house was sold.<ref name="buzzfeed djpeisner">{{cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/djpeisner/the-mostly-true-adventures-of-standup-comedys-legendary-frat |title=The Mostly True Adventures Of Standup Comedy's Legendary Frat House |website=Buzzfeed.com |date=21 October 2015 |author=David Peisner |accessdate=20 April 2022}}</ref>


== Notable alumni ==
== Notable alumni ==  
<!-- Each entry should already have a sourced article. If the alumni's article doesn't a explain connection to The Comedy Store with a reliable source, include a reliable source here. If no source can be found, the person doesn't belong here. -->
<!-- Each entry should already have a sourced article. If the alumni's article doesn't a explain connection to The Comedy Store with a reliable source, include a reliable source here. If no source can be found, the person doesn't belong here. -->
[[File:Signed photographs at The Comedy Store.jpg|thumb|alt=|Signed photographs of past performers at The Comedy Store]]
{{Expand list|date=July 2025}}
 
While many actors and comedians have performed at The Comedy Store, this list includes only notable alumni.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Knoedelseder |first1=William |author1-link=William Knoedelseder |title=I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Standup Comedy's Golden Era |date=2009 |publisher=[[PublicAffairs]] |location=New York |isbn=9781586483173 |edition=1st |url=https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/william-k-knoedelseder/im-dying-up-here/9780786746187/}} — "A history of the young comedians coming to Los Angeles in the 1970s and performing at the club."</ref>[[File:Signed photographs at The Comedy Store.jpg|thumb|alt=|Signed photographs of past performers at The Comedy Store]]
{{cite book |last1=Knoedelseder |first1=William |author1-link=William Knoedelseder |title=I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Standup Comedy's Golden Era |date=2009 |publisher=[[PublicAffairs]] |location=New York |isbn=9781586483173 |edition=1st |url=https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/william-k-knoedelseder/im-dying-up-here/9780786746187/}} — "A history of the young comedians coming to Los Angeles in the 1970s and performing at the club."
 
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*[[Tim Allen]]
*[[Tim Allen]]
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*[[John Caparulo]]
*[[John Caparulo]]
*[[George Carlin]]
*[[George Carlin]]
*[[Jim Carrey]]
*[[Jim Carrey]]<ref>{{cite web | last=Bergren | first=Joe | title=FLASHBACK: Jim Carrey Takes ET to L.A.'s Legendary Comedy Club That Later Inspired 'I'm Dying Up Here' | website=Entertainment Tonight | date=2017-06-02 | url=https://www.etonline.com/features/218863_watch_a_young_jim_carrey_do_stand_up_at_the_legendary_comedy_club | access-date=2025-12-09}}</ref>
*[[Jimmy Carr]]<ref>https://thecomedystore.com/alumni/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>
*[[Jimmy Carr]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Paid Regulars | website=The Comedy Store | date=2025-07-10 | url=https://thecomedystore.com/alumni/ | access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref>
*[[Dana Carvey]]
*[[Dana Carvey]]
*[[Dave Chappelle]]
*[[Dave Chappelle]]
*[[Chevy Chase]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/punching-ups/2019/01/30/42179/chevy_chase_made_a_surprise_appearance_at_a_comedy_club..._and_it_was_bizarre |title=Chevy Chase made a surprise appearance at a comedy club... and it was 'bizarre' : Punching Up 2019 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |publisher=Chortle |date= |accessdate=2022-03-21}}</ref>
*[[Chevy Chase]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/punching-ups/2019/01/30/42179/chevy_chase_made_a_surprise_appearance_at_a_comedy_club..._and_it_was_bizarre |title=Chevy Chase made a surprise appearance at a comedy club... and it was 'bizarre' : Punching Up 2019 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |publisher=Chortle |date= January 27, 2019|accessdate=2022-03-21}}</ref>
*[[Cheech & Chong]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thesunsetstrip.com/cheech-chong-return-their-sunset-strip-roots/ |title=Cheech & Chong Return To Their Sunset Strip Roots |publisher=The Sunset Strip |date=2010-11-18 |accessdate=2022-03-21}}</ref>
*[[Cheech & Chong]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thesunsetstrip.com/cheech-chong-return-their-sunset-strip-roots/ |title=Cheech & Chong Return To Their Sunset Strip Roots |publisher=The Sunset Strip |date=2010-11-18 |accessdate=2022-03-21}}</ref>
*[[Louis C.K.]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Zoller Seitz|first1=Matt|title="Louis C.K. Live at the Comedy Store" Is Loose With Flashes of Brilliance|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/louis-ck-live-at-the-comedy-store-review.html|work=[[Vulture (blog)|Vulture]]|publisher=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|date=30 January 2015}}</ref>
*[[Louis C.K.]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Zoller Seitz|first1=Matt|title="Louis C.K. Live at the Comedy Store" Is Loose With Flashes of Brilliance|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/louis-ck-live-at-the-comedy-store-review.html|work=[[Vulture (blog)|Vulture]]|publisher=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|date=30 January 2015}}</ref>
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*[[Bill Kirchenbauer]]
*[[Bill Kirchenbauer]]
*[[Bert Kreischer]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Comedy |first=The |url=https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-chaos-joe-rogan-tom-segura-bert-kreischer-sam-tripoli-more-tickets-80800118329 |title=Comedy Chaos Joe Rogan, Tom Segura, Bert Kreischer, Sam Tripoli, +more! Tickets, Tue, Dec 17, 2019 at 8:00 PM |publisher=Eventbrite |date=2019-12-17 |accessdate=2022-03-21}}</ref>
*[[Bert Kreischer]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Comedy |first=The |url=https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-chaos-joe-rogan-tom-segura-bert-kreischer-sam-tripoli-more-tickets-80800118329 |title=Comedy Chaos Joe Rogan, Tom Segura, Bert Kreischer, Sam Tripoli, +more! Tickets, Tue, Dec 17, 2019 at 8:00 PM |publisher=Eventbrite |date=2019-12-17 |accessdate=2022-03-21}}</ref>
*[[Martin Lawrence]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://comedyhype.com/happened-martin-lawrence-officially-back-stage-performed-comedy-store/ |title=It Happened: Martin Lawrence Officially Back on Stage, Performed at the Comedy Store - ComedyHype.Com &#124; Urban Comedy ReFueled |access-date=2021-01-08 |archive-date=2015-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503170146/http://comedyhype.com/happened-martin-lawrence-officially-back-stage-performed-comedy-store/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Martin Lawrence]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://comedyhype.com/happened-martin-lawrence-officially-back-stage-performed-comedy-store/ |title=It Happened: Martin Lawrence Officially Back on Stage, Performed at the Comedy Store – ComedyHype.Com &#124; Urban Comedy ReFueled |access-date=2021-01-08 |archive-date=2015-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503170146/http://comedyhype.com/happened-martin-lawrence-officially-back-stage-performed-comedy-store/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Annie Lederman]]
*[[Annie Lederman]]
*[[Bobby Lee]]
*[[Bobby Lee]]
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*[[Ray Romano]]
*[[Ray Romano]]
*[[Chris Rush]]
*[[Chris Rush]]
*[[Bob Saget]]
*[[Bob Saget]]<ref>{{cite web | last=Complex | first=Valerie | title=Farewell Concert Held For Comedian Bob Saget At The Comedy Store In Hollywood | website=Deadline | date=2022-02-01 | url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/bob-saget-farewell-concert-comedy-store-1234923648/ | access-date=2025-12-09}}</ref>
*[[Andrew Santino]]
*[[Andrew Santino]]
*[[Tom Segura]]
*[[Tom Segura]]
*[[Jerry Seinfeld]]
*[[Jerry Seinfeld]]<ref>{{cite web | last=Solomon | first=Matt | title=The Comedy Store Wanted Nothing to Do With Young Jerry Seinfeld | website=Cracked.com | date=2024-04-17 | url=https://www.cracked.com/article_41865_the-comedy-store-wanted-nothing-to-do-with-young-jerry-seinfeld.html | access-date=2025-12-09}}</ref>
*[[Ari Shaffir]]
*[[Ari Shaffir]]
*[[Garry Shandling]]<ref name="Lord" />
*[[Garry Shandling]]<ref name="Lord" />

Latest revision as of 17:10, 22 December 2025

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File:ComedyStore 02.jpg
The Comedy Store

The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California.

History

The Comedy Store was opened in April 1972 by comedians Sammy Shore (1927–2019), and Rudy De Luca. The building was formerly the home of Club Seville (1935),[1] later, Ciro's (1940–1957), a popular Hollywood nightclub owned by William Wilkerson, and later Ciro's Le Disc,[1] a rock and roll venue,[2] where the Byrds were discovered in 1964.

When the venue reopened as The Comedy Store in 1972, it included a 99-seat theatre. As a result of a divorce settlement, Sammy Shore's ex-wife Mitzi Shore began operating the club in 1973, and she was able to buy the building in 1976. She immediately renovated and expanded the club to include a 450-seat main room.[3]

In 1974, The Comedy Store hosted the wedding reception of newlyweds Liza Minnelli and Jack Haley, Jr. The Comedy Club signage was covered, for the evening, by signs reading "Ciro's", denoting the venue's prior identity. The event was attended by many dozens of Hollywood glitterati, including Elizabeth Taylor, Sammy Davis Jr., Cher, Bob Fosse, Johnny Carson, Goldie Hawn, Cesar Romero, Priscilla Presley and other stars, past and present.

Locations

The original Comedy Store on Sunset at Ciro's had been joined by the Comedy Store Westwood, at 1621 Westwood Blvd.,[4] the Comedy Store La Jolla, at 916 Pearl St.,[5] Comedy Store Playhouse,[6] on Las Palmas, Comedy Store at the Sheraton Universal Hotel,[7] in Universal City,[8] and the Comedy Store Las Vegas at the Dunes Hotel.[9][10][11][12][13][14]

Job action

Beginning in 1979, The Comedy Store served for many years as the host location for the annual HBO Young Comedians specials.

Tension between the club owners stems from a 1979 strike of Los Angeles comedians against the Comedy Store's "no-pay policy". Until that time, neither Shore nor Friedman paid comedians a salary. The theory was that comedians should almost be paying the owners for the exposure the clubs provided. When the comedians' strike began, The Improv (opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue) was closed for fire-damage repairs. Therefore, the strike focused on Shore, not Friedman.[7]

Also in 1979, stand-up comedians formed a short-lived labor union and demanded to be paid for their appearances at The Comedy Store. For six weeks (beginning in March),[15] several comedians staged a protest in front of the club, while others crossed the picket line.[15] The comedians involved formed a union called Comedians for Compensation and fought for pay where they had received none before. They eventually picketed in front of the club when their demands were not met. Jay Leno and David Letterman were among those on the picket line while Garry Shandling and Yakov Smirnoff crossed the line.[16]

The job action was not legally a strike as the comedians were classified as "independent contractors" and were not under contract with the club.

Mitzi Shore argued[17] that the club was and had always been a showcase and training ground for young comedians and was not about profits. She alleged that comedians came to the club and could work on their material in front of casting agents and other talent scouts who would possibly hire them as professionals if they were good enough.

The comedians at the club became unhappy when the club was expanded several times and it was perceived that Shore's profits were quite substantial. Shore also paid the rest of her staff, including waitresses and bartenders.

After the strike, some comedians were no longer allowed to perform at the club, including Steve Lubetkin, who committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the Continental Hyatt House next door. His suicide note included the line: "My name is Steve Lubetkin. I used to work at The Comedy Store."[18] Lubetkin hoped that his suicide would resolve the labor dispute. He also cited Shore as the reason he no longer had a job.

The union ceased to exist in 1980, although from the time of the job action onward, comedians in Los Angeles were paid for their shows. This included The Comedy Store and The Improv.

Cresthill house

"When she and Sammy divorced in 1974, he gave her the club to lower his alimony payments; two years later, after being briefly evicted (and opening a new Comedy Store location in Westwood), she negotiated a deal to buy the entire building — plus Cresthill...around the time of Lubetkin’s suicide(After a bitter labor dispute between comedians and management[19]), she essentially gave the place over to the comedians who worked at the Store."[20]

Mitzi Shore also owned a 5,000-square-foot house a few doors away from the club, on 8420 Cresthill Road. The house was bought with the club in 1976. In 1979, she started to let the comedians from the clubs sleep there. During the 1980s, numerous comedians resided or just partied there, including Andrew Dice Clay, Marc Maron, Robin Williams, and Richard Pryor. Argus Hamilton and Mike Binder were the first to officially move into the house. Dave Coulier was also an early resident, and Yakov Smirnoff moved in in 1980. The place was known for its all-night parties and heavy consumption of cocaine and alcohol. Bill Hicks moved there in 1980 when he was 18 and running away from his parents to pursue his career as a comedian. Many of those comedians developed their style while residing there. Sam Kinison was a pillar there, and Jim Carrey turned his act around in this house. Mitzi Shore had a plan to cash in on the house's unique atmosphere, and even shot a 12-minute pilot around 1987 starring Daphne Davis, Nancy Redman, and Tamayo Otsuki. In 1988, because of the debauchery that had been going on for years, Mitzi Shore kicked everybody out of the house and turned it into a recovery house. By the early 1990s, Her son Pauly moved into the house, and by the end of the 1990s, the house was sold.[20]

Notable alumni

Template:Expand list

While many actors and comedians have performed at The Comedy Store, this list includes only notable alumni.[21]

File:Signed photographs at The Comedy Store.jpg
Signed photographs of past performers at The Comedy Store

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Docu-series

A docu-series based on The Comedy Store debuted on Showtime in October 2020 called The Comedy Store.[35]

Each episode is an hour long and breaks down a different time period throughout the existence of the Comedy Store. The director, Mike Binder goes on a podcast with a different comedian to set the tone and help provide the narrative of each episode.

Episodes

Template:Episode table

References

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  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  7. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". — "A history of the young comedians coming to Los Angeles in the 1970s and performing at the club."
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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Template:West Hollywood, California

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