Code,999065
Subject,Herman Pirchner Jr
Date,7/22/08
Interviewer,Bill Barrow
Abstract,"Herman Pircher Jr., son of the owner of the Alpine Village dining and nightclub, discusses the origins of the Alpine Village, the famous acts and guests who performed at Alpine Village, and the legacy of his father Herman Pircher Sr. Pirchner was a stuntman, restaurateur, promoter, and natural entertainer who had legacy in Cleveland and nationally with a syndicated radio show. "
Tags,"Euclid Ave, Alpine Village, Musical Acts, Night Life, Entertainment"
Special Notes,A lot of this interview involved them discussing pictures. I have tried (as best as I can) to label when they are discussing said pictures. 
Minutes: ,58:03:00
0,General introductions. Father celebrating 101st birthday. 
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2,"Grew up in Geauga County, on the weekends they would come to the Alpine Village to see entertainment. Had house guest who were entertainers including Emmett Kelly, star clown of Barnum and Bailey Circus. Describes Kelly appearance in and out of makeup."
3,"Kelly had beat up hat and closed act with sweeping up spotlight. Alpine Village's run was before TV, allowed for people to see stars they had heard about but could not see. People would save up for months to have a night out as well as a hot spot for establishment figures in Cleveland. "
4,"There was often a press contingent with a special rate. Alpine was much larger than The Theatrical, however there some back and forth of the clientele. Father born in Austria 1907. After WW1 there was a famine in the Alps. There were fifteen members of his family, as older children reached their teens they would leave so younger children could eat."
5,"As a teen, father moved to Switzerland then to Germany. After currency collapsed in 1923 made his way to the United States. Did not speak a word of English and knew he was going to move to the Midwest, knew the west from cowboy films and bought a cowboy shirt to fit in. Became a stuntman to gain capital to go into business.  "
6,"Was a wingwalker in Cleveland and other parts of the country, one stunt involved trapeze. Enormous parties at the end of air shows, sometimes hosted by Howard Hughes. Learned the language and gradually moved his way into the pub business. "
7,"Worked at a lot of little places that would sell ""near beer"" during prohibition. First big place was Alpine Shore Club. Really big opportunity was Great Lakes Exposition. Had no formal education but read 'voraciously' and approached Lincoln Dickey to help develop the Great Lakes Exposition. As a reward he was given a great location."
8,"Made large amount of money, but much of it was lost when he purchased a showboat that floated on the Great Lakes. When you entered the exhibition grounds you would go by the Alpine Restaurant. "
9,Large room with 800 seats. Showboat was a floating nightclub that did poorly under the original owners. Father took it over near the end of the exhibition but had bad luck because it rained the majority of the time.
10,"After the Great Lakes Expo, father opened a number of businesses including a Hofbrauhaus on Euclid. "
11,"Picture number 5 shows typical scene at the Hofbrauhaus which was a german beer pub. Lauritz Melchior, who was a star of the Metropolitan Opera, was a friend of the father and the two would ""hang out"" when he was near Cleveland. Melchior was an enormous man with big appetite. "
12,"After the Expo, father also opened up the Alpine Village which ran for over 30 years. Shortly before that he won Anheuser-Busch competition in St. Louis seeing who could carry the most steins without a tray, managed to carry 56 16 oz. beers which became a staple of his act, also did a smaller act with 26 steins. Village had a hydraulic stage for dancing."
13,"When there was a show, the stage would be at table level. Father would run with 26 steins, run across the room, slide on the stage, and deliver the beers to whoever ordered them. Trick was in how they were stacked and with pressure. "
14,"Band leaders were Adolt Turn (sp?), Dave Ennis, and Micky Catts (father of Joel Grey.) Above there was the El Dorado Club, which was a hangout for the literary people of Cleveland, run as a private club. "
15,"Two levels, balcony tables were two deep. Sometimes famous people wanted quiet tables, Casey Stengel manager of the Yankee's took a quiet table. Bob Hope would come when he was in town, would sit in the crowd and sometimes do cameos. Other people would play, Jimmy Durante was among them."
16,Heavily German theme before WWII and afterwards it shifted away from a German theme. 
17,"Went from Lederhosen to a tux after WWII. Originally had Austrian chalet with an ""oom pah pah"" band. Did radio show from the Alpine. The Chalet became open bandstand with stairs for the chorus girls. "
18,"Did musical comedies that were cut down. Two shows a night during the week, and three on the weekends. "
19,"El Dorado Club (picture) of a Hawaiian troupe. Dorado was for drinking and ""a late night place."" Anyone you can think of in entertainment would come to Cleveland. People still came to Cleveland to have a good time including, Rudy Valley, Johnny Weissmuller, others."
20,"A place where Newlyweds would come. Father would invite them to the stage and talk to them about experience and expectations. Father had a way of making everyone laugh, every newly married women who came would get a rolling pin, idea was that if husband got out of line there was a rolling pin ready."
21,"Picture number 10 was first facade from 1934. Picture number 11 facade from 50's and 60's, enamel art became a gift to the Cuyahoga Community College by Winter. Regional TV was run out of Alpine Village in the 50's, called the Village Fair. "
22,"Women would come in for lunch and the stars would show up to be part of the show. Father never lost sense of the theatrical, picture 12 from 1950 in Chicago Daily News (ran on Front Page of almost every newspaper,) shows father on Karl Wallenda's back riding the high wire. "
23,"Aut Mori Grotto circus was having a hard time that year, some of the masons went to father for promotion advice. Father joked to ride on Wallenda's back but it happened, performed to a sell out crowd. "
24,"Never practiced, but knew he had to be dead weight. They were successful and wanted to do it a second time, but the crowd refused. Wallenda was the greatest highwire man in history of the circus. The Flying Wallenda's would perform the human pyramid on the highwire, later in the 50's they fell and some members of the troop were killed. "
25,"Picture number 14, blue network on NBC, interviewing Jack Dempsey the heavyweight champion. Picture number 15 interviewing Jimmy Durante the movie star. Picture Number 16 Charles Lawton in the El Dorado."
26,"Father did nationwide tours. Had show called ""Don Juan and Hal"" starring Agnes Moorehead, Boye, and Lawton. Toured cities before you went to broadway. Play had just broken even and father sold it, became a big hit on broadway.  "
27,"Picture number 18 El Dorado with Bellamy, editor of Plain Dealer and author of Looking Backward, and Schuschnigg Austrian chancellor who was Anti-Hitler and arrested for it."
28,"Picture number19 Lobby bar in the Alpine lounge and piano bar. Did testimonials, hosted events as head of the Cleveland Restaurateurs Association with Max Gruber, Charles Roar, Stouffer, and many others.  "
29,"Honored Frank Monaco, Pop Weinberger, and Luciani. Menu shows that martini's were 65 cents, black label beer for 30 cents, most expensive place in town."
30,"Boston Sirloin Steak 3 dollars, lamb chops 2 dollars, milk 10 cents. Menu shows father overlooking village he grew up in and his trademark poem which he reads. Mother saw the poem when she was singing opera and wanted to meet the person who would put it on a menu."
31,"Father's mother ran restaurant and hotel in Austria until she was in her 80's. Came after the war at age 79 to visit, first time she had seen his father in 19 years.  "
32,Father's father came once and drove around country for a month. Father asked what he thought of the US and granfather wanted to know how they had built it all in just 200 years. One of the tradition at the Alpine and El Dorado was a picture with your party that you could purchase. 
33,"Father would produce shows for the larger celebrations and for charity. Helped raise money for the Cleveland Clinic and would bring artists to help entertain. One of the big shows was ""the greatest gypsy violinist in the world,"" which played well to the hungarian crowd. "
34,"Father was coming back from a prize fight and was severely beaten up by some thugs. Show was considered ""risque,"" pushed the envelope.  "
35,"Faith Bacon was before interviewees time. Fan dancer Sally Rand, lighting and move of the fans prevented seeing nudity. Reads review for Faith Bacon show. "
36,"Controversy about Faith Bacon show was if she was naked or wearing a skin toned suit. Virtually every week there were ads in the paper. New Years was a big time, sold out in advanced with 400 people or more. "
37,"On New Years, interviewee was the Baby New Year. This Week in Cleveland showed up in hotels and father graced the covers frequently. Sometimes he would do big shows at music halls and public auditorium."
38,"Pictures of broadway stars and writers. Place called Windsors, Windsor French was a theatrical reviewer who went national. "
39,Picture of some of the Boltons who were a prominent family. 
40,"Franky ""the Lip"" played when they were doing network radio at the club. Picture of Artie Shaw who was one of the jazz clarinets greats. "
41,Late 30's 40's' and 50's were the heyday of the Alpine Village. Come through the door and go to the coat rack for hats and coat. In the heyday there was a line (unless you were a member.) Some people came just for the food (also could avoid the entertainment tax.)
42,"Band would play and couples would dance. The bandleader would announce showtime, father would give a monologue and introduce singers, magicians, and other acts. "
43,"Other acts include impressionists, ventriloquists, musicians, and comedians. Acts at the time would ""play the circut."" Started by playing the Latin Quarter in New York, Empire room at the Waldorf.  "
44,"Afterward you would come to Cleveland and Windsor, Canada. After Canada you would go to Chicago at the Palmer house or Mr. Kelly's. Then you would go to LA, not much in between. People would play at El Dorado after the big shows, Caruso, Sinatra, Dean Martin were visitors at the El Dorado. "
45,Ernest Hemingway would come. Author Louie Brownfeld (owner of the house where Bogart and Bacall got married) was a guest.  It was the place to go if you were in the arts.
46,"Business went out of vogue and Alpine Village was one of the last to exist. Two things happened, major acts would go on TV and take away some of the magic, suburbs started to rise and the neighborhoods started to become dangerous"
47,"Last show at Alpine was in the mid 60's. Reopened for a short time, but failed.  "
48,(goes back to pictures) 425 Euclid Hofbrau house. 1940's Alpine Village with still largely german theme. Father set records from selling war bonds. 
49,"After Alpine closed father did a variety of things, Owned a retail shop in severance, did tours abroad (people liked to travel with him.)"
50,"Juggler Bobby May performed at Alpine. 1933 liquor list: Draught beer 15 cents, local bottled beer 20 cents"
51,Martini was 35 cents in 1933. Father sponsored some of the post war activities of the Von Trapp family. 
52,"Euclid Ave used to be crowded, no empty stores. At nighttime people were on the streets. "
53,Downtown's may stay dormant but they don't die. Sometimes it takes one person to revitalize a city. Don't see the characters that you used to see. 
54,"Anyone could come in and some of them were rough. Even heads of fortune 500 were ""of a different cloth"" than they are now. "
55,"Father was never political. Pirchner Jr. went into foreign affairs, father would joke if he went into entertainment after all. "
56,"Father has lost interest in politics, prefers to talk about music, entertainment, poetry, philosophy, not much into politics. If you started at the Hannah building and walk toward Cleveland State Alpine Village was located at the first parking lot on the right.  "
57,Suggestions about other people to talk to about Alpine village.
58,Audio ends
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