Remembering the gorgeous ’40s heyday of the Balinese Room (and hoping for a comeback)
Sun ,03/01/2010One of the sadder architectural and historic losses during 2008′s Hurricane Ike, was the destruction of the Balinese Room, one of Galveston Island’s more colorful landmarks. Amidst all the bustle of Seawall Boulevard, its bright lights and exotica-styled front always stood out. At the time of its destruction, the Balinese hosted rock shows (I always hoped some day they’d get in some retro acts … can’t have been the only one). But it was better known for the classiest entertainers and gambling: in its heyday the Duke, the Chairman of the Board, Alice Faye, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy all tread the boards of the Balinese.
The Houston Chronicle has an update on the future of the Balinese Room, though any future incarnation might have to be built inland.
Just as tantalizing a treat are these excerpts from the late Marvin Zindler’s audio broadcasts, “The Roving Mike”, explaining the naughty goings on at the Balinese Room in the late 1940s, and how it was finally shut down by authorities.
If you’re not from Houston, you may not know Marvin Zindler – who made “Slime in the Ice Machine” a local catch phrase – other than through Dom Deluise’s off-the-mark caricature in “Greatest Little Whorehouse in Texas”. He was a great reporter who was big on consumer rights: catch up on his inimitable work.