Coffee Beaver

Photo courtesy, Archives of the City of Montreal, Florent Charbonneau. Center-city. Intersection Of Sainte-Catherine – Bleury. 1961. No. 158-Y-2_29P001. Photo Pierre-Paul Poulin

Centre d’histoire de Montréal

Saturday, 24 February, 2018 18:40

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Saturday, 24 February, 2018 18:40

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Scandal at the Café Beaver !

In 1961, the Coffee Beaver illuminates its neon lights the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Bleury. One of the pioneers of the gay scene in montreal, Armand Monroe, then “waiter” at the Beaver, remembers a club ” pretty much required “. The customers waiting in the queue at the gates, from Thursday to Sunday evening, to see Jacques Desrosiers, Ti-Guy Nadon, Pink, Ouellet, known as La Poune, Alys Robi, and many others. In the intermission, you can dance ! The Beaver also staged numbers burlesque perfume of scandal. Mimicking the famous stripper, artist, travestie Lana St-Cyr takes a bubble bath, or performs a dance on stage with a snake. But now, in 1962, the police arrives and arrests everyone in the Café Beaver, including the lovely Lana. Its performance is deemed to be obscene, the League of the Sacred Heart and the daughters of Isabella have tried repeatedly to put an end to it. Despite the critics, Lana St-Cyr, Jean officer guilda, Armand Monroe and others stand up and are gaining in popularity.

But who is the woman ?

Photo courtesy Armand Monroe, “Final Review of Clyde Dubois : look for the woman” to 1959-60 Coffee Beaver. From left to right : (top) -,-,-,-, Ricky Day (Frank Wilson), the Gouloue, Sexyta, Dolly, Bambie, Sugar, -,-, (bottom) Raymond (american singer). CHM_2012_89_2_28

This provocative photograph, taken from the personal collection of Armand Monroe, shows off the very popular magazine of Clyde Dubois, Look for the woman, submitted to Cafe Beaver. Behind the american singer Raymond the golden voice, Ricky Day, the Gouloue, Sexyta, Dolly, Bambie and Sugar are posing to the sides of the dancers. Would you be able to recognize the “real” woman among these cross-dressers to dresses extravagant ? For the regulars of the community, such as Armand Monroe, it is easy. But for the public neophyte, this is not easy, especially away from the scene. If in the years 1940-50 transvestites had numbers in solo, the audience was asking for more. Combining their talent, the troupe of the review sets the scene of the trimmers, magiciennes, singers, chorus girls, etc, With its parades, exotic costumes decorated with feathers or fur, the fiery review of Clyde Dubois was, without doubt, the most popular in Montreal at the turn of the 1960s.

Lark at the Spectrum

Inaugurated in 1952, the Skylark features films in French, in an establishment of the most modern. With the imminent arrival of the television, advertisements of the Lark, boast the comfort of the seats, the excellent sound system and the bathrooms are newly air conditioned. To the poster in 1961, it is the dubbed version of King of Kings : The Story of The Christ, a hollywood blockbuster. To book remotely, you have to write to the cinema to receive your tickets by mail. In 1974, the Lark became the Pigalle, and then it is renamed The Crossroads in 1976. The cinema is dismantled to leave place, in 1980, at the disco Club Montreal. Opened in 1982, the Spectrum receives local stars and international, in particular on the occasion of the Jazz Festival. The concert hall is returns to Montreal until its closure and demolition, in 2007-2008.