“You know, for all that’s been said about my dad being a serious-minded, single-focused businessman, there is the story of the Club One-Two,” says Tommy Sandler. “He took chances, wasn’t afraid to take a shot at things.
“As I recall, the story of how Dad bought the club goes like this. It’s Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish holiday, and Dad and his pal, Lou Chestler, are attending the service at their synagogue. The rabbi’s just about to go into a sermon but Dad and his buddy are getting a little bored. They decide, with another friend of theirs, to cut out, enjoy a couple of drinks, and talk over the potential for the next great developments in their lives. So, they sneak out and head over to the other guy’s house. A bottle of scotch is uncorked, and they snort back a few shots. Well, one thing leads to another and the three of them have a fine old time with several more shots.
“Next day, my dad, somewhat worse for wear from the previous day’s exploits, has a haunting feeling he can’t explain. Suddenly, the light goes on. He calls Lou right away. ‘We didn’t agree to buy a night club yesterday, did we?’ he asks. Sure enough, they had! That was the beginning of the notorious Club One-Two.”
Seems the boys, thoroughly enjoying their revelry, had somehow become aware that a lounge in downtown Toronto was for sale. It was originally called The Club Norman (presumably named after the owner, Norm Cornell) and boasted the address #12 Adelaide East. Aided by lots of fine scotch, Nat and his pals had ended up as the new owners of what was Toronto’s first nightclub.
Records show that the newly decorated nightspot opened under Nat Sandler’s direction on March 24, 1951. Ruth helped sequester the Irving Fields Trio as the opening attraction. And why Irving Fields, you ask? Simple. Born Yitzhak Schwartz, in New York City, Irving became a pianist and lounge music artist who, with his trio, was famous for their album Bagels & Bongos. You don’t recognize this Decca Records hit? Why, it sold over two million copies!
The menu of the day featured a bottle of Bright’s President Champagne for $7 and a shot of booze for seventy cents. There was, of course, a cover charge of $1, but on the weekends that escalated to a buck fifty. And they were proud to say that Club One-Two was the only Ontario member of the Diners’ Club of America.
At one point, the nightclub had been run by Tommy Holmes, known as “the Toots Shor of Canada”—that comparison being with Bernard “Toots” Shor, best known as the proprietor of the legendary saloon and restaurant, Toots Shor’s Restaurant, in Manhattan. Toots was celebrated as a saloonkeeper, friend, and confidant to some of New York‘s biggest celebrities. Holmes worked for a while with Nat too.
Figure 40: Ruth and Nat 1963
Mike Filey, well-known Canadian historian and journalist, has shared that the Club One-Two promo brochure from the 1950s presented Nat Sandler as one of the “affable” owners of the nightspot who was “looking to help people have a good time in Toronto.” The piece goes on to say, “Cherchez la femme, and you’ll find Mrs. Sandler, a celebrity in her own right. Blond, with deep-set eyes, she is the former Ruth Lowe, composer of the long-time favorite ‘I’ll Never Smile Again,’ and many other popular songs. Mrs. Sandler puts her talent to work in auditioning the entertainers, usually in New York, with Nat giving the final nod. As a result of this expert screening, only the cream of New York TV and stage talent is heard from the small revolving stage.”
The Club One-Two was on the cusp of a new age, emerging from the post-World War II era. Toronto was becoming a city that was both mysterious and alluring. And who better than Nat Sandler to lead the way to sophistication as the proprietor of a fancy nightspot where the elite meet to greet.
Figure 41: Club One-Two Opening Night Invitation
“It was kind of like Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca,” says Tommy. “At that time, it was the first and only nightclub in Toronto. You’d get everyone in the city going there, from the police chief on down. And Mom would use her connections and help get the talent who performed at the Club. Don’t forget, she’d managed the Murray Room night club in New York back in the 40s. So, she booked Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, who first appeared together there. They always sang Mom’s song in their Vegas act right up until Eydie passed away. And Mom actually helped famed comedy duo Wayne & Shuster get started. It was a ritzy place too—tuxedos, the whole nine yards. My dad had managed a hotel up in Bala, Muskoka, so he had some experience with this kind of thing.
Figure 42: Club One-Two brochure
Courtesy of Mike Filey
“And, of course, this was before he got into the stock promotion business.”
Oh, and about that Wayne & Shuster reference... An early break had come during the college days enjoyed by Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster when Ruth Lowe recommended them to a friend of hers at a talent agency. And so, began their legendary rise.
“Actually,” Johnny Wayne would recall later with a smile, “we don’t know why Ruth was so enthusiastic. I don’t think she thought we were that funny because she wrote ‘I’ll Never Smile Again’ after catching our act!”
But funny they were and would go on to be Ed Sullivan’s most frequently recurring guests on his famed television variety show, appearing 67 times. Despite suggestions they could relocate to the U.S. where their act would gain even more ground, Johnny and Frank chose to remain in Canada, staying in the land where Ruth Lowe had given them that first important shot that they needed to take off and soar.