Fabulous Strip Club Ruins of Detroit

**Al Publican** · April-24-10, 01:59 PM

...on Eight Mile Road circa 1980? I think it was on E. 8 Mile. At a Positively Fourth Street Festival about ten years ago there was a female wrestling contest held on old gym mats in someone's backyard. I thought that was better than mud wrestling as the gals lined up spontaneously to throw down.

Anyone have any photos of female wrestling on 4th St?

**eastland** · April-24-10, 04:48 PM

The name of the mud wrestling bar was the Zoo; the building is still there I believe.

**caspermi** · April-25-10, 12:52 PM

How about the 52nd Show Bar on Michigan Ave. I remember the big marquee act was Antoinette the Monkey Lady. There was also a topless bar on the north side of Michigan Ave between Martin and Livernois that had five or six huge tiki torches attached to the front of the building. Remember driving by with my dad at night and all the front ofthe building would be aglow with flames. I think the name may have been the Golden Chariot.

**caspermi** · April-25-10, 03:05 PM

Worked in Highland Park for a few years and remember going to the Club Manchester and Tender Trap for lunch. Mayor Blackwell had his own table at the Club Manchester, he was a regular. Was in the Tender Trap with some coworkers for lunch and the girls were selling raffle tickets. I asked what the prize was and she said some "fun" upstairs.

**OsbornGirl** · October-23-10, 03:42 PM

Back in the 70's, monday night was ladies night at the Duchess...yes,men danced!!!! Us girls loved "MOTOR CITY ROB"!!!! He swung out onto stage on a vine sometimes...

**RYANGUARD** · October-23-10, 07:18 PM

Drove down Davison from Van Dyke to Mound and saw that Bensons Boobs Galore AKA Sassy Sandys is no more.The Building is gone....

**mikefmich** · October-23-10, 09:40 PM

No one mention the Rumpus Room?

**tvaspen** · October-23-10, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by luckycar

Maccombos and The Patio on 8 Mile were rights of passage for newly minted 18 yr. olds in the 70s.Such sights,I always wondered what those "young women" were thinking.I know what I was!

Ha, my brother got breast milk squirted in his face at Macombos by one of the 'ladies'. A bunch of us were there for a bachelor party, funniest damn thing I ever saw in my life. Classy place.

**tvaspen** · October-23-10, 10:00 PM

...@ Telegraph & 96, don't recall the names.

**luckycar** · October-24-10, 07:54 AM

Lachambres?I know I'm spelling it wrong.Uncle Sams was in the same strip mall.Oh man to be 18 again circa 1975.NE corner of I-96 and Telegraph.Are they still open?

**pgn421** · October-24-10, 09:25 AM

Just saw an ad on tv. Alan Markowitz,who owned some strip clubs,has a book out . It's called Topless Profit.

**panzoffj** · October-24-10, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by kraig

To hell with all of those so-called Gentlemen Clubs. I like the down and dirty places that called themselves strip clubs. Does anyone remember Fat Boys strip club off of Woodward on Baltimore? It was right across from a bowling alley. The Brass Key on Livernois, Babes on Livernois [[which became the Black Orchid), Canteloupes on Woodward at Seven Mile [[later became Tigers) Chi Chi's on Harper and the Grind on Griswold were fun places as well.

Oddly enough, one of my favorite spots wasn't even a strip club. It was the place with the Belly Dancers on the corner of Lafayette and Baeubien. It's the same building that the Loco restaurant is in now. I used to go there in my early teen/high school years.

The original Bouzouki Lounge when it was a Greek club, not the strip club it is now. Wife used to drink there underage if they were there with a group of friends. Almost more like a private club at the time. You'd see the same group there almost every Saturday.

**Goose** · October-24-10, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by Philbo

The Gold Door on E. 8 mile Road was a good place in its day. My buddies Dad owned it until a bunch of bikers took it over. A couple of guys I knew got thier asses kicked when they got into it with one of the dancers. You did'nt start trouble there.

philbo, who are you, message me, i graduated with the guy who's dad owned the place.... gpn class of 1986

**Thruster315** · October-24-10, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by luckycar

Lachambres?I know I'm spelling it wrong.Uncle Sams was in the same strip mall.Oh man to be 18 again circa 1975.NE corner of I-96 and Telegraph.Are they still open?

Scary thing is I think they even expanded! I remember back in the day driving by that intersection and seeing that "reclining nude" silhouette logo of theirs. Strip clubs in strip malls? Is that the ultimate irony or fate??

**Thruster315** · October-24-10, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by eastland

The name of the mud wrestling bar was the Zoo; the building is still there I believe.

It was The Zoo. I remember a few of my friends went in there out of curiosity and came out of there with mud splatters. Probably not the most hygienic of places but what an odd concept!

**Thruster315** · October-24-10, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by funjon1

Here's one still operating. The Booby Trap on 8 Mile west of John R. Kirk Gibson met his lovely wife "waitressing" there!

Didn't Dave Rozema also snare his wife there as well? If memory serves me correctly, I believe Gibby & Rozema married sisters and are now brothers-in-law with one another through that dubious connection.

**DetroitPlanner** · October-24-10, 07:30 PM

The Skalarski sisters! I thought it was BTs

**gnome** · October-24-10, 08:05 PM

Kimba speaks the truth. Twins, I believe.

**Stinger4me** · October-24-10, 08:44 PM

Anybody remember what the owner of Antek's name was? I thought at one time it was owned by a rather young fellow. That may have been in the early 70's, maybe his brother-in-law may have been on the DPD.

**detroitbob66** · October-24-10, 11:25 PM

I recently explored the ruins of the Guild Theater on Gratiot Ave. The Guild was a strip club in its later days before finally becoming abandoned. Inside of the Guild building, there is still the catwalk, VIP rooms, and video arcade booths! Crazy. I should post pictures for ya guys huh

**Downrivergal** · October-25-10, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by detroitbob66

I should post pictures for ya guys huh

Yes please!!

Ravine · October-25-10, 11:53 PM

No love for the Celebrity House, huh?

**softailrider** · October-26-10, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by Thruster315

Scary thing is I think they even expanded! I remember back in the day driving by that intersection and seeing that "reclining nude" silhouette logo of theirs. Strip clubs in strip malls? Is that the ultimate irony or fate??

Not unusual, see them all the time down in Flordia.

Ravine · October-26-10, 05:36 AM

I think it's funny, how a place where guys go to get drunk, ogle nearly-naked girls and hoot at them, and generally act as low-brow and adolescent as possible is so often called a "gentlemen's club." It's a strip joint, goddamit. A token dress code and an inflated cover-charge don't make it a "gentlemen's" anything.

I'm not acting high & mighty; I've been in them, too. I just think it's funny, similar to how when cops are being interviewed after apprehending the grungiest, most uncivilized knuckle-draggers imaginable [[including accused rapists and alleged child-porn purveyors,) they use the same word.
Actually, when I hear it in those instances, I identify it as being phony, because there is no need to say anything more descriptive than "the suspect."

As for the place I mentioned [[Celebrity House,) keep in mind that I'm going back about 35 years with that one. It was on Woodward , just around the corner from the Club Manchester [[on John R,) the place outside of which the Vincent Chin murder occurred.
"My Love Is Alive" by Gary Weaver & "Get Down Tonight" by KC & the Sunshine Band stick in my memory as being parts of the song-list.
Ah, youth.
It was a phase, and sometime not long thereafter, it lost its allure; I kinda think that guys in their 40's and beyond, who still hang out in those places, are cutting a sort of sad picture of themselves.

**mudd** · November-09-10, 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by Stinger4me

Anybody remember what the owner of Antek's name was? I thought at one time it was owned by a rather young fellow. That may have been in the early 70's, maybe his brother-in-law may have been on the DPD.

Anton [[Tony) was the owners name.He was killed in a traffic accident not murdered as mentioned in an earlier post.He was former DFD.His Brother was DPD.Mid to late 70's it was the best bar in the city.Bar stayed in the family until it was sold in the 90's.