Latest news with #Rick's
The Courier
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Were you in the Dundee 'smart set' who partied at Rick's Disco in the 80s?
Rick's Disco was the library-turned-nightclub modelled on glitzy London nightspots which opened in May 1983. Heartbreakers and dancefloor demons lucky enough to have experienced its magic in the 1980s will remember its unmistakable décor and pink and red colour scheme. Rick's Disco soon became recognised across the city and beyond. Rick's opened in an elegant former library building at Blackscroft. St Roque's Reading Rooms were unveiled in 1910 as a place for quiet study after being designed by city architect James Thomson and inspired by a French pavilion. The B-listed structure was designed for the reading of magazines and newspapers. Membership started to decline after the Second World War and it was latterly used for storage before beginning to fall into disrepair in the 1970s and early 1980s. The enterprise of two businessmen ensured the building was saved in 1982 with the former library being turned into a nightclub over a period of eight months. The transformation cost £200,000. The owners wanted to attract 'top end of the market clientele'. An Evening Telegraph advertising feature published in 1983 suggested Rick's Disco would have no difficulty in establishing itself at the forefront of local night spots. It read: 'The new role of the library is that of an exclusive cross between a nightclub and a discotheque, called Rick's. 'The brains behind the venture are managing director Mr Richard Robinson and company secretary Iain MacDonald who make up Blackscroft Entertainments Ltd. 'They envisage Rick's as an upmarket night spot, and the sumptuous décor should ensure that they attract top end of the market clientele. 'As the building is listed, they have ensured that it and the garden have been restored to their original glory with the real changes being kept for the interior. Local tradesmen were used where possible. The style was neo-classical with the dominant colours being red and pinks. The Tele said: 'Chrome and mirrored material have been used throughout but perhaps the main feature is the marble effect fittings. 'The tables are made of this as are pillars which flank the dance floor. 'The twin bars which are illuminated from behind are also of the streaked marble effect. Italian-style light fittings and metallic wallpaper are also featured.' The advertising feature said £23,000 had been spent on the sound and lighting equipment 'which must surely be amongst the most advanced anywhere in the area'. So extensive was the array of controls for the lighting and smoke machine the DJ needed an assistant to work them while he was spinning the vinyl. Songs from Spandau Ballet, Wham!, Human League, Hot Chocolate, Tears for Fears and Yahoo would all have been blasting out on the dancefloor in May 1983. Richard Robinson said there was an opening in Dundee for a 'top class night spot'. 'We will be looking for over 21s, the sort of people who want to enjoy the most modern and best discotheque facilities,' he said. He said Rick's was on a par with similar establishments in London and would be ideal for people 'who have guests up from London who have to be entertained'. Although capacity was 170 the owners did not intend to let it get to 'shoulder to shoulder' as that would 'not be in keeping with the image of the establishment'. Patrons would not be expected to wear collar and tie but denims were banned. Mr Robinson said customers should feel at home in Rick's 'whether they are wearing casual clothes or an evening suit'. The staff of 20 were smartly but not formally dressed in a 'uniform' of black skirt or trousers with a grey collarless shirt which featured the Rick's logo. Snacks were available. Rick's opened from 8pm-2am. Admission was £1 or £2 on Wednesday. Thursday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday was £1.50 before 10pm and £2.50 after 10pm. The twin bars were fully stocked with a complete range of beers and spirits. Drink prices were 'comparable to other establishments in town'. The Tele said Rick's Disco was 'destined to become the haunt of the smart set'. 'The rejuvenation of the former library has not only saved a building of note, it has brought some life to the Blackscroft area of the city,' it read. 'Rick's and the gardens are to be floodlit at night and should soon become a familiar landmark to people out for a night on the town,' it said. The Evening Telegraph checked in again in August 1983 to update readers and said Rick's was 'steadily becoming one of Dundee's most popular night spots'. It said 'stepping through the door is like stepping into another world'. 'With its high quality décor and friendly helpful staff, Rick's attracts a good variety of people looking for an enjoyable night out,' said the Tele. 'It's not a big place, the capacity is about 250, but it has a terrific atmosphere and the people there when we visited certainly seemed to be having a good time.' Tragedy struck only a year after it opened. The former library had to be stripped back to a bare, four-wall shell after it was gutted by fire in May 1984 following an electrical fault. The owners restored the interior of the building, only to have it gutted by fire in 1989. Two years later it reopened as the Peep o' Day function suite and John O'Groats pub, before closing down again in 1993 after suffering from financial difficulties. The venue became a clubbing destination on and off from the mid-90s and was latterly the Reading Rooms, which was at the forefront of the underground club scene. The nightclub started attracting top DJs and music acts crossing genres from electro, dubstep, reggae, funk, soul, techno, drum 'n' bass and beyond. The most famous act appeared on April 3 2003. Reggae giant and dub pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry performed with the Robotiks backing band including The Mad Professor on the mixing desk on April 3 2003. He was every bit as eccentric as his reputation implied, and then some. The crowd was transported back to the sounds of '70s Kingston by Perry and set highlights included Zion's Blood, Inspector Gadget and Come Go With Me. His 2003 performance reverberated far beyond the banks of the Tay and a blue plaque was erected by the fictional Dundee Department of Counter Culture to commemorate the night the man of much mystery, myth and legend performed live in the city. Babyshambles, Jake Bugg, Biffy Clyro, Cast, Franz Ferdinand, Wheatus, Afrobeat Orchestra and Fat Freddy's Drop also performed at the Reading Rooms. The Reading Rooms closed for the final time in 2019. But memories remain of its days as one of Dundee's best clubs.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Runners come together in Plains Township for annual charity event
PLAINS TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A community-run event in Plains Township brought runners together on Sunday for a meaningful cause. Rick's Fun Run held its sixth annual charity event at the Birchwood Pavilion. For the last three years, the organization has selected a local community member in need to help. This year's run supports 71-year-old Charlie Lepore, a lifelong Plains resident fighting stage four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. College students give kids with disabilities new set of wheels Runners embraced the colorful tradition, getting covered in chalk while raising money. 'It's great, we're chalk throwers, so we love to get everybody dirty, and everybody loves it, they talk about it every year, they love to get dirty, and we do it for a good cause,' said Rick's Fun Run Organizer Stephanie Fernandes. 'It was harder than I expected, actually. I run distance for school, but this was harder than I thought,' 15-year-old runner Chase Comiskey said. 36 runners took part in this year's Rick's fun run. All the proceeds will directly support Lepore's ongoing medical battle, who, despite his fight with cancer, still goes to work every day. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How real-life Rick's Café resurrects Casablanca's legacy as a waystation for Americans
I arrived in Casablanca a couple of weeks ago, toward the end of a month-long trip through West and North Africa, fulfilling a dream of visiting a city whose name had evoked images of romance and intrigue ever since I was a boy. My first question was, 'Where is Rick's Café Américain?' That's the name of the iconic gin joint immortalized by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the classic 1942 film 'Casablanca.' 'Casablanca' tells the story of American cafe owner Rick (Humphrey Bogart). His old flame Ilse (Ingrid Bergman) appears in Vichy-controlled Casablanca with her Czech-resistance leader husband seeking letters of transit to escape the Nazis. Rick must decide what to do. Despite the sweeping allure of its title, most of the main action takes place inside this bar, which quickly carved itself a prominent place in 1940s pop culture. Rick's offered a window to the world, providing viewers (but especially Americans) a glimpse of the effects of Nazi occupation. I should have known better, I guess, but I was still astonished to learn that Rick's (for the most part) was a figment of Hollywood imagination. For more than 60 years, tourists and film buffs visiting Casablanca tried to find Rick's Café, only to learn that Warner Bros. had built the entire set on a studio backlot. The smoky, intrigue-filled nightclub was a Hollywood fantasy ‒ until former diplomat Kathy Kriger came along and decided after 9/11 to bring the imaginary bar to life. Her version of Rick's Café opened in 2004 to rave reviews, and that's the tale I am sharing in this column. The Pearl Harbor attack had happened less than a year previously. American ground troops had not yet engaged Axis forces in the European Theater when 'Casablanca' began filming in May 1942. American emotions were still raw, and the politics of Western Europe had become especially confusing since the fall of France. In 1942, Casablanca was a waypoint for European refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe. From Casablanca, they could seek passage to Portugal and then on to the Americas. To travel, they needed papers, and it was at places like Rick's where many such documents, both real and forged, changed hands. The screenplay is based on 'Everybody Comes to Rick's," an unproduced stage play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The writers visited a small town in southern France. At a nightclub, a Black pianist played jazz for a crowd of French and Nazis patrons and many refugees. That real bar became the inspiration for Rick's. Editor Irene Diamond convinced Warner Bros. to purchase the film rights in January 1942. She sensed the message would resonate with a post-Pearl Harbor movie audience. Principal photography began on May 25, 1942, and ended Aug. 3. Producers had to contend with wartime rationing; Ingrid Bergman's clothes had no metal fastenings and were fashioned from extraneous scraps of silk. As they say, timing is everything. The Allied invasion of North Africa began the second week of November in 1942, and Gen. George Patton captured Casablanca on Nov. 11. Warner Bros. had planned to release "Casablanca" in 1943 but moved up the premiere date to ride the wave of current events. The film premiered at New York's Hollywood Theater on Nov. 26, 1942. The nationwide release of "Casablanca" in January 1943 coincided spectacularly with the announcement that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was meeting with Winston Churchill in Casablanca from Jan. 14 to 24, demanding 'unconditional surrender' from the Axis powers. Locally, the movie opened at the Majestic Theater in Providence on Jan. 26. On the same day, my father landed at Oran, in neighboring Algeria, with the second wave of Allied troops participating in the North African invasion. Dad never made it to Casablanca, and I'm not sure when he and my mom first saw the movie. As a boy growing up, however, I knew it was one of their favorite films. On Jan. 27, Bradford Swan, The Journal-Bulletin's famed art and movie critic of a generation ago, penned the following: 'Casablanca is a distinguished photo play. It has a highly capable cast, excellent direction and a story that is refreshingly original. … Casablanca is something choice, highly recommended.' The movie was held over at the Majestic, and the U.S. Navy band played as part of the daily show. For months afterward, "Casablanca" could still be seen at second-run houses all over the state. When Academy Award nominations were announced in February 1944, 'Casablanca' was still showing at the Avon in Providence. Its reputation has only grown over time. In 2005, the American Film Institute polled the industry to come up with a list of the best 100 movie lines of all time. Six of them came from "Casablanca," double the number from any other movie. The current-day and real-life Rick's Café Casablanca was developed by Kathy Kriger (1946-2018), a diplomat posted to the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca in 1998. She worked there for the next 13 years as a commercial attaché. When she arrived, she was surprised to learn (as had many thousands before her) that there was no real-life Rick's Café. She sensed a missed marketing opportunity and tucked that seed away for the future. The 9/11 attacks caused her to reassess her life. She wrote in her autobiography, 'I decided to leave the government, stay in Morocco and do something that demonstrated true American values. Developing a Rick's Café in Casablanca seemed like a perfect way to do this. "I thought Casablanca was missing a big bet by not having a Rick's," said Kriger. She cashed in her 401(k) and invested her savings in the purchase of a 1930s mansion that had seen better days. But the waterfront location was perfect, and the interior architecture was sound and representative of the era. When money ran out, she solicited investors from all over the world. Kriger set an opening date for Rick's Café: March 1, 2004, "after 62 years of renovation." Our Moroccan contact wangled us a table for four at Rick's, which is usually sold out for dinner. Two palm trees flank an impressive entrance, featuring heavy wooden doors like those in the film. This gem of 1942 authenticity boasts columned white arches framing the main dining room under a three-story domed skylight. Hanging brass chandeliers cast a soft light on the palm trees in the corners. Round tables feature white tablecloths, brass lamps with beaded shades, and dinnerware discreetly and elegantly marked 'Rick's Cafe.' Of course, there is an authentic 1930s piano tucked under an archway, where the reincarnation of Sam plays it 'once more for old time's sake.' To our pleasure, the food and wine were excellent, capably served by waiters in white dinner jackets and red fezes. Prepared for a kitschy disappointment, we were impressed instead. This is an authentic time machine, not a tourist trap. Even more important, I was reminded that the tinderbox of 1942 was not necessarily a one-off experience. Wherever I went, I sensed concern and fear ‒ perhaps similar to the stresses affecting those who visited the Rick's Cafés of the world more than 80 years ago, trying to escape the unchecked power of Adolf Hitler. At every turn, worried faces asked in halting English, 'What is happening in America?' These were poor people, trying to eke out a living ‒ not the wealthy elite. World events did not normally affect the lives of these fishermen, vegetable sellers and craftsmen. But they were all aware of America's internal conflicts. Yes, it was self-serving ‒ many depended on American largesse for support with basic necessities. But that's human nature, is it not? Stepping from that world into Rick's brought me full circle. Perhaps we need another 'Casablanca' to shake things up today, the way the original film did in 1942. The original play, 'Everybody Comes to Rick's,' was not produced for the stage until after the war. In August 1946 the Casino Theatre in Newport did just that. Performances ran for a week, and at the time the Casino announced this was a stage adaption of the popular movie. The opposite was actually true. RI's role in the Civil War to be highlighted at April 5 event. From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, the Varnum Armory Museum in North Kingstown will host Civil War historians and buffs marking the 160th year since the end of the conflict, as well as the major role played by our state. Rhode Island sent some 25,000 men to fight, of whom 1,685 never returned. R.I. units included eight infantry regiments, three cavalry regiments and 14 artillery elements. The program, organized by the Rhode Island Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion, starts with tours of the Varnum's fabulous military collection, to include cannon from Bull Run and Gettysburg. The principal speaker will be Frank J. Williams, retired chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and one of the country's top experts on Abraham Lincoln. The Providence Brigade Band will play Civil War period music. Admission is free and dress is casual. For more information, email Dennis Morgan at dmorganltc1@ This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Where is the real-life Rick's Café in Casablanca?
Wall Street Journal
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
The Day I Played Soccer with Bob Marley
There's a cruelty in marking the birthdays of iconic figures who died too young. Bob Marley would have been 80 next week, on Feb. 6. For me the strange thought of a geriatric Marley conjures up a meeting with him decades ago, when all of his idealistic intensity briefly took me as a target before we managed to find common ground, improbably, on the soccer pitch. In March 1980, I was living in New York and writing about music for the Italian daily Stampa Sera. I had hopped a plane to Negril, Jamaica, which was then the coolest Caribbean destination, and found myself listening to Marley's latest release, 'Survival,' at Rick's Cafe, a hangout for aged hippies, intellectuals, artists and adventurers. 'Survival,' released in the fall of 1979, marked Marley's return to a strong pan-African message and dominated the playlist at Rick's.
