By Andrew from Windsor (199.243.196.125 - 199.243.196.125) on Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 07:12 am:

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had any stories of the Elmwood Casino in Windsor Ontario Canada. I know it was the place to be. It ran from the 1950's into the late 1970's. All of the "big" names played there, such as Sammy Davis Jr., Tom Jones, etc... I was wondering if anyone had any references to it or a list of artists who played there. If the big stars came from out of town, I imagine a lot of the local stars (mowtown) must have played there.

The complex still stands, but it is currently in use as a substance abuse facility today.

Here are a few pics:

By Andrew from Windsor (199.243.196.125 - 199.243.196.125) on Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 07:13 am:

By John Lester (213.122.193.137 - 213.122.193.137) on Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 10:24 am:

1 April 1964........Bobby Breen - live at the Elmwood Casino in Canada

The last few days of March 1964, Bobby was recording at the Graystone..producing was BG himself!

By Andrew from Windsor (64.230.132.123 - 64.230.132.123) on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 03:58 am:

Thanks John, it was apparently the place to be at one time. I guess it even rivaled some of the Detroit nightclubs in terms of popularity and quality of acts.

By Nick Palise (64.79.80.141 - 64.79.80.141) on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 01:43 pm:

John Lester, I worked at the Elmwood Casino in Joe Messina's Band. We backed a number of headliners in the 70's. The only down thing was we had to go through the "gestapo" at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. That was the only drag. But, Joe was the most workingest guitar player at Motown, and one the best guitar players in the Midwest U.S. He was respected by all and a real gentleman. I learned a lot from him. He's retired and playing harmonica as well. Just a little note about the Elmwood.

By John Lester (213.122.200.106 - 213.122.200.106) on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 07:50 pm:

Thank you for that Nick

So much history......you were all so lucky

US Brits were miles away

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 07:54 pm:

joe messina was on the forum way back in october.

By Joe Podorsek (205.188.196.46 - 205.188.196.46) on Tuesday, May 07, 2002 - 05:02 pm:

I worked many many shows at the Elmwood under a variety of contractors. Frankie Rapp was the standup comic for quite a few years. It got to the point where the band memorized his act......"My Old Autograph Book. 1936 - 37 - 38 - 39 then came the war. I fought but they took me anyway."

By clark reid (67.217.42.16 - 67.217.42.16) on Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 02:09 am:

In the high times of the Elmwood Casino -- the early 1950's, I was doing the all-night recod show on WJR, 11:30 pm to 5:00 am to a coast-to-coast audience. Occasionally a performer at the Elmwood would come to Detroit to visit on my show. I remember Sophie Tucker, "The Last of the Red Hot Mommas" at the Elmwood. She had such stage presence. Sold her books between shows. For a while there was an interview show conducted from there with someody called "Symphony Sid" one of the early "talk show" guys. There used to be lots of places around Detroit like the Elmwood. Those were wonderful times.

By Millie (68.40.198.72 - 68.40.198.72) on Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 06:11 am:

Hi Clark!
Welcome to the forum!!! How in the world did you find us?? Sorry I wasn't able to make the last lunch you had at Big Daddy's, but count me in next time! Hope all is well!

By curious (204.38.7.43 - 204.38.7.43) on Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 05:52 pm:

Clark Reid where are you now?

By Lynn Bruce (64.233.239.164 - 64.233.239.164) on Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 07:26 pm:

I went to the Elmwood to see Sammy Davis jr. in 1961,(of course I was a wee bairn at the time).I dont think I,ve ever since then ,seen such a talented person.He could dance,sing,imitate people,comedian,you name it.Each one of those talents would have been enough to make it to Las Vegas on it,s own merits. To me the Elmwood was as close to the Copa Cobana or Las Vegas as we could get in the Detroit/Windsor area!!!

By noula (24.83.211.244 - 24.83.211.244) on Monday, June 17, 2002 - 01:56 am:

My parents would take the family (my two sisters and myself)to Elmwood frequently for Chinese food. This where we discovered the "Shirley Temple" cocktail.

I remember attending a Sammy Davis show as a child (mid-60's). It was quite a niteclub!

By Marsh (205.188.195.32 - 205.188.195.32) on Saturday, June 22, 2002 - 06:58 pm:

I celebrated my 13th birthday at the Elmwood with family and friends. Saw the Supremes and Sammy Davis every time he came to town. What a club!

By marktdj (206.148.228.167 - 206.148.228.167) on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 11:45 pm:

the elmwood brings back many great memories, long time ago, i worked at a photo shop, a girl came in she needed some prints right way, after doing a special print job for her, she threw them on the counter and said see do you know who these people are? i said I didn't know (it was Lisa Minelli and Lucys son},nor did i care, but the photos stunk, that was the begenning of a long and happy relationship with Jackie Kallen, (yeah they are making a movie about her, starring Meg Ryan) I said iI could take much better pictures,so she said to meet her at the Elmwood,the first nite i was there I shot pictures of Carol Channing back stage, she loved them they got published, with her story, i took many stars at the Elmwood after that, but i still remember that first nite, and a long and happy relationship with Jackie, and the Elmwood.
Mark Stevens

By diamond8 (65.129.156.192 - 65.129.156.192) on Saturday, July 27, 2002 - 02:37 am:

The Supremes (Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong & Jean Terrell) did their last local (Detroit area) performance together as a group at the Elmwood in 70 or 71. What a show.. but sad, to see such a magic era for our homegirls come to a close. I attended the first show the original Supremes performed at the Roostertail in the 60s, and their last show at the Elmwood(of course, minus Diane & Flo) brought the group full circle... bittersweet..

By K (66.73.185.71 - 66.73.185.71) on Sunday, July 28, 2002 - 04:42 am:

I REMEMBER THE ELMWOOD. I FOUND A PICTURE OF MY MOTHER ,SISTER, 2 AUNTS AND UNCLE THE OTHER DAY.MY MOM PASSED IN 1996 AND I WAS GOING THROUGH HER PAPERS RECENTLY WHEN I FOUND THE PICTURE. THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN AT THE ELMWOOD AND ENCLOSED IN THE SOUVENIR PHOTO COVER. IT READS; "SOUVENIR PHOTO FROM THE ELMWOOD CASINO WINDSOR, A MEMORABLE EVENING.CANADA'S LARGEST AND GAYEST SUPPER CLUB." THE COVER IS PINK WITH DRAWINGS OF SINGERS, DANCERS,FLUTEST,PIANO PLAYER AND A CHAMPAGNE GLASS. THE YEAR 1967 WAS WRITTEN IN MY MOTHERS HAND ON THE INSIDE OF THE COVER. MY SISTER WHO IS 59 WAS 23 AT THE TIME.YES I HAVE BITTERSWEET MEMORIES OF THE ELMWOOD. I WAS 16 AT THE TIME. I CRIED WHEN I FOUND THIS PICTURE OF MY MOM AT AGE 41. IT WAS PROFOUND TO SEE THIS QUESTION ABOUT THE ELMWOOD.

By cl (204.38.7.43 - 204.38.7.43) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 03:19 pm:

K I have that very same souviner from a time my parents were there in 1953!!

Maybe someone should bring back roving phtographers at niteclubs/restuarants to create these memories again!!