Elmwood Oasis Casino

1. Elmwood Oasis Casino Hotel
2. Elmwood Oasis Casino
3. Elmwood Oasis Casino Center

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had any stories of the Elmwood Casino in Windsor Ontario Canada. I know it was the place to be. It ran from the 1950's into the late 1970's. All of the 'big' names played there, such as Sammy Davis Jr., Tom Jones, etc... I was wondering if anyone had any references to it or a list of artists who played there. If the big stars came from out of town, I imagine a lot of the local stars (mowtown) must have played there.
The complex still stands, but it is currently in use as a substance abuse facility today.
Here are a few pics:

An Educational Project of The Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club, Inc. An IRS approved 501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt Not-For-Profit Corporation The Greg Susong Digital Media Center is dedicated to Casino Chip and Gaming Token Collectors Club Hall of Fame member Greg Susong. Oasis Casino 2320 Amherst Ave. Butte, MT 59701 406-494-1272 Click here to email. Restaurant Hours: 6am - 10pm 7days/week Casino Hours: 6am - 2am 7days/week.

1 April 1964........Bobby Breen - live at the Elmwood Casino in Canada
The last few days of March 1964, Bobby was recording at the Graystone..producing was BG himself!

Thanks John, it was apparently the place to be at one time. I guess it even rivaled some of the Detroit nightclubs in terms of popularity and quality of acts.

John Lester, I worked at the Elmwood Casino in Joe Messina's Band. We backed a number of headliners in the 70's. The only down thing was we had to go through the 'gestapo' at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. That was the only drag. But, Joe was the most workingest guitar player at Motown, and one the best guitar players in the Midwest U.S. He was respected by all and a real gentleman. I learned a lot from him. He's retired and playing harmonica as well. Just a little note about the Elmwood.

Thank you for that Nick
So much history......you were all so lucky
US Brits were miles away

joe messina was on the forum way back in october.

Elmwood Oasis Casino Hotel

I worked many many shows at the Elmwood under a variety of contractors. Frankie Rapp was the standup comic for quite a few years. It got to the point where the band memorized his act......'My Old Autograph Book. 1936 - 37 - 38 - 39 then came the war. I fought but they took me anyway.'

In the high times of the Elmwood Casino -- the early 1950's, I was doing the all-night recod show on WJR, 11:30 pm to 5:00 am to a coast-to-coast audience. Occasionally a performer at the Elmwood would come to Detroit to visit on my show. I remember Sophie Tucker, 'The Last of the Red Hot Mommas' at the Elmwood. She had such stage presence. Sold her books between shows. For a while there was an interview show conducted from there with someody called 'Symphony Sid' one of the early 'talk show' guys. There used to be lots of places around Detroit like the Elmwood. Those were wonderful times.

Hi Clark!
Welcome to the forum!!! How in the world did you find us?? Sorry I wasn't able to make the last lunch you had at Big Daddy's, but count me in next time! Hope all is well!

Clark Reid where are you now?

I went to the Elmwood to see Sammy Davis jr. in 1961,(of course I was a wee bairn at the time).I dont think I,ve ever since then ,seen such a talented person.He could dance,sing,imitate people,comedian,you name it.Each one of those talents would have been enough to make it to Las Vegas on it,s own merits. To me the Elmwood was as close to the Copa Cobana or Las Vegas as we could get in the Detroit/Windsor area!!!

Elmwood Oasis Casino

My parents would take the family (my two sisters and myself)to Elmwood frequently for Chinese food. This where we discovered the 'Shirley Temple' cocktail.
I remember attending a Sammy Davis show as a child (mid-60's). It was quite a niteclub!

I celebrated my 13th birthday at the Elmwood with family and friends. Saw the Supremes and Sammy Davis every time he came to town. What a club!

the elmwood brings back many great memories, long time ago, i worked at a photo shop, a girl came in she needed some prints right way, after doing a special print job for her, she threw them on the counter and said see do you know who these people are? i said I didn't know (it was Lisa Minelli and Lucys son},nor did i care, but the photos stunk, that was the begenning of a long and happy relationship with Jackie Kallen, (yeah they are making a movie about her, starring Meg Ryan) I said iI could take much better pictures,so she said to meet her at the Elmwood,the first nite i was there I shot pictures of Carol Channing back stage, she loved them they got published, with her story, i took many stars at the Elmwood after that, but i still remember that first nite, and a long and happy relationship with Jackie, and the Elmwood.
Mark Stevens

Elmwood Oasis Casino Center

The Supremes (Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong & Jean Terrell) did their last local (Detroit area) performance together as a group at the Elmwood in 70 or 71. What a show.. but sad, to see such a magic era for our homegirls come to a close. I attended the first show the original Supremes performed at the Roostertail in the 60s, and their last show at the Elmwood(of course, minus Diane & Flo) brought the group full circle... bittersweet..

I REMEMBER THE ELMWOOD. I FOUND A PICTURE OF MY MOTHER ,SISTER, 2 AUNTS AND UNCLE THE OTHER DAY.MY MOM PASSED IN 1996 AND I WAS GOING THROUGH HER PAPERS RECENTLY WHEN I FOUND THE PICTURE. THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN AT THE ELMWOOD AND ENCLOSED IN THE SOUVENIR PHOTO COVER. IT READS; 'SOUVENIR PHOTO FROM THE ELMWOOD CASINO WINDSOR, A MEMORABLE EVENING.CANADA'S LARGEST AND GAYEST SUPPER CLUB.' THE COVER IS PINK WITH DRAWINGS OF SINGERS, DANCERS,FLUTEST,PIANO PLAYER AND A CHAMPAGNE GLASS. THE YEAR 1967 WAS WRITTEN IN MY MOTHERS HAND ON THE INSIDE OF THE COVER. MY SISTER WHO IS 59 WAS 23 AT THE TIME.YES I HAVE BITTERSWEET MEMORIES OF THE ELMWOOD. I WAS 16 AT THE TIME. I CRIED WHEN I FOUND THIS PICTURE OF MY MOM AT AGE 41. IT WAS PROFOUND TO SEE THIS QUESTION ABOUT THE ELMWOOD.

K I have that very same souviner from a time my parents were there in 1953!!
Maybe someone should bring back roving phtographers at niteclubs/restuarants to create these memories again!!