From a vintage, original menu, comes this logo for The Rustic Cabin, another locale made famous by Frank Sinatra. It was here that Sinatra was first ‘discovered’ in 1939 by Harry James. Sinatra went on to join James’ band that year and the rest, they say, is history.
There are no known performances of Sinatra singing at The Rustic Cabin but there is on tantalizingly close encounter - a 1939 radio remote from the Rustic Cabin that mentions Sinatra is to be performing that evening. However, the recording is cut off and Sinatra doesn’t perform.
As an aside, while The Rustic Cabin advertised itself as ‘a typical mountain lodge’, the locale, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey was just 250 feet above sea level and located across the river from Manhattan.
I grew up in the Tenafly/Englewood Cliffs area, and have spoken to older denizens who have actually SEEN Sinatra perform there! I would be curious to know exactly where on Route 9W the ‘Rustic Cabin’ was located, in terms of what now exists on top of it’s old location. And what year was the ‘Rustic Cabin’ razed? Does anyone know? Gracie!
Hi there—their is now an exxon station were the rustic cabin use to be…
Hi,
In 1954 I was 14 years old and worked in the parking lot there as a parking attendant for about three years.
At that time Louie Prima,played there a lot with a big band.Alan Dale, and Sunny Gale were also regular there as well as Joni James.
I loved working there.
Tom
Forgot to mention it was contiguous to the service station in the south bound lane of 9w or sylvan ave. It was located on the site where lipton tea is now.
Back then the music comming from the show was piped out onto 9w. Don Stanton and Fred Whitte were just patrolman back then and they used to come up to parking lot to check things out a few times a night. We worked there all year round even in the dead of winter parking the cars. Most of my uncles worked in the lot with me. We used to get tips of from .25 to a buck. We called .25 cents a peice of eight and a half buck with called a doubloon and a buck was called a souverign. We had tons of fun back then.
Tom Austin
SOMEONE GAVE MY FATHER A SIGN/POSTER OF FRANK SINATRA AND BILL HENRI & HIS HEADLINERS @ THE RUSTIC CABIN. IT IS A PIECE OF SHEET METAL. HE WAS TOLD IT WAS USED AS THE BILLBOARD FOR THEM. IT IS IN GREAT CONDITION. FRANK SINATRA LOOKS LIKE HE IS IN HIS TEENS.
MARY JANE
Hi,
My late father played in an Orchestra in the Rustic Cabins. He used to tell the story of how Frank Sinatra waited tables there and was only a young guy…he would get up and sing with the piano player when the band took a break. He was dubbed “The Singing Waiter”..I believe the shows were fed to radio stations and a lot of big stars would go there…that is how Sinatra got discoverd. The orchestra my father played with was Jimmy Grady’s Orchestra. I remember seeing pictures of the band all standing up playing with these “bandstands” in front of them…they would all have white dinner jackets on and I do remember dancers being in the pictures. I wish I could find out more about this.
Anybody have anything they can add?
Thanks.
Pat
Was wondering if anyone knows the owners name of The Rustic Cabin from the days when Frank Sinatra preformed there?
Thanks
My grandfather, Bill Levine was one of the owners of the club, but not sure of which years. I know it burned down while he owned it.
Need to ask my Dad to get more info.
Funny that I just happened to be looking for info about the Rustic Cabin and came upon this site…my grandfather, Harry Nichols, owned the Rustic Cabin in the early days and we have plenty of family info and lore about those early days….the original Rustic Cabin also burnt down when my dad and his siblings were still children living there. They all escaped the fire thankfully and the Rustic Cabin was rebuilt and later sold to Bill Levine sometime in the early 50’s as best I can surmise…so, would love to hear more stories from anybody interested and would really like to hear from the grand daughter of Bill Levine (it seems we have something in common)and would be happy to try to answer any questions about those early days(my dad grew up there and has some great stories)
e-mail me at rusticcabin@yahoo.com
I’m researching Bill Henri and his work in general at the Rustic Cabin and with Frank in particular for the museum in his hometown of Mackenbach, Germany. Any information is greatly appreciated.