A Night at Club Ivory
America is in the worst of the Depression, and most have hit
rock-bottom - but not everyone. There are those of High Society who
have survived the worst. They have been joined by those who aspire
to celebrity. Along with movie stars and gossip columnists, they've
all created a "glittering, publicity-mad, indefatigable set
called 'Cafe Society'". They meet in places where the hint
of illegal alcohol still lingers in the air. These places
may have gained some respectability now that Prohibition is
over, but not completely. There are still shady characters about.
It is the summer of 1934 and Club Ivory is such a place...
Club Ivory sits in the Hollywood Hills, a place just
far enough out of the city to keep its clientele
exclusive and its reputation racy. You could always get
a drink here, during the darkest days of Prohibition, if
you knew the password. Even the night after that fateful
raid in 1922, it was open, despite the fact that two
bootleggers lay bleeding to death in the cellar. It is
said that their ghosts roam the darkness, the only ones
who remember the recipe for the Ivory Fade.
It is the summer of 1934 and Club Ivory reeks of memories...
Ahh, the Ivory Fade. It was the drink that named the
place. A nectar that warmed you on the way down, and
made you feel like you were in Heaven. It was an elixir
that cured you of the blues. Now, when it's needed most,
it's gone.
It is the summer of 1934 and many things have been lost at
Club Ivory...
There are other secrets here. Skeletons in the closet. Anonymous
photographs taken in an indiscreet moment. No one and nothing
seems to be what it should be. Prohibition spawned an environment
of deceit. Prohibition is gone, but the atmosphere remains.
It is the summer of 1934 and there are always secrets at
Club Ivory...
This is the public description of the characters in A Night at
Club Ivory. This information is general knowledge and may
be radically different than that in the personal biographies.
- Nixon Alexander: [mid-forties]
The Mayor of Alameda, he's come down all
this way to talk to Sherman Scott. Mayor Alexander is well-respected in
Alameda, and has won reelection handily the last two times.
- Tony "The Tony" Antonio: [late-twenties] If you're
looking for action in the City of Angels, "The Tony" is your guide. Young,
strong, and impeccably dressed, all the ladies like Tony.
- Dale Carpenter: [late-twenties] This dame works for a big-time
Chicago newspaper. She's out here in the City of Angels for some kind of
story. Are you it?
- Carmine "The Weasel" Fortuna: [late-thirties]
The new owner of Club Ivory, he's renovated the place now
that liquor is legal again. They say that he practically
tore the place apart looking for the secret of the Ivory
Fade.
- Tracy Holbrook: [late-twenties]
She's new in town, still, there's something familiar about Tracy.
The talk, the walk... something.
- Max Jaworski: [early-thirties]
A joe from the streets who's always hanging
around.
- Marion Kern: [mid-thirties] The brains behind Sherman
Scott's business, she's new to the City of Angels, but she moves likes
she's been here all her life.
- Frances Lemon: [early-fifties] 'Doc' Lemon is pretty
famous around here for being the 'Surgeon to the Stars'.
When one of the beautiful people gets an ache, Doc's right
there.
- Chris O'Malley: [early-thirties] The quintessential Irish
cop, Chris has been a regular at Club Ivory for a long time.
Longer than one might expect.
- Laurette Rose: [mid-twenties]
Her voice and those gams are heaven. When she sings at
Club Ivory, you know where all the men are looking.
- Mimi Scarlatti: [early-twenties]
She's the most beautiful woman in the room,
no matter where she goes - and she knows it.
"She could be sued for whiplash just for
walking into a room."
- Sherman Scott: [mid-twenties]
If anyone can succeed, it's this famous Olympic swimmer.
He seems to have the Midas touch, turning whatever he
touches to gold. He's got a project that has all
Hollywood abuzz.
- Jordan Williams: [mid-fifties] A few smart
investments, like those in Mrs. Filbert's Pickle Company or odds
and ends built by that clever Mr. Hughes, have gone far to rebuild a
comfortable financial position that was
only hurt in the Crash. When Jordan Williams thinks it's a good
investment, it usually is.
© 1997 by Cameron Betts
and Jeff Diewald. All rights
reserved.