Friars Club of Beverly Hills

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Friars Club of Beverly Hills is a private show business club started in 1947 by comedian/actor Milton Berle. The Friars Club of Beverly Hills is known for its celebrity members and "Roasts" where a member is embarrassed by his/her club friends, all in good fun.

The Friars Club of Beverly Hills is not associated with the New York Friars' Club, nor to the Friar's Inn, a famous 1920s jazz cabaret in Chicago, which was sometimes casually referred to as "Friar's Club".

[edit] History

The modern history of the club began in 1947 when Milton Berle got a group together at the old Savoy Hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, including actors Jimmy Durante, George Jessel, Robert Taylor, and Bing Crosby. In 1961, the club moved to Beverly Hills.

Past members have included Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, the Marx Brothers, Sammy Davis, Jr., Billy Crystal, and Johnny Carson among many others.