September 2, 1999…A Hard Day At NBC; “Studio 1H” Closes
September 2, 1999…A Hard Day At NBC; “Studio 1H” Closes
Inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Hurley’s Bar was lovingly called “Studio 1H”. As you can see in the photo below, Hurley’s (which opened in 1892) was just a half a block away from NBC’s studio entrance, making it the nearest watering hole for everyone from stars to stage hands. It became the favorite for radio, television, newspaper and sports celebrities as well as tourists and midtown workers.
Liz Trotta noted “You never knew who would be standing next to your lifting elbow at Hurley’s. Jason Robards, Jonathan Winters, jazz musicians from the local clubs and the ‘Tonight’ show, starlets, football players, the lot.”
Johnny Carson made the Hurley name nationally familiar while he did his show live from Rockefeller Center. It was the bar in all of his Ed McMahon drinking jokes. David Letterman did several on-air visits to the bar.
Hurley’s was known as a place where status was left at the door. Mayor John Lindsay stopped in once, only to be hissed by the patrons. When Henry Kissinger and two bodyguards got noisy, they were ejected by the bartender “for rowdy behavior.”
The bar had been here since 1892 and had always done well, even during prohibition when a florist shop was used to disguise the bar and it’s new back door, but all that history ended September 2, 1999. That night owner Adrien Barbey served the last glass of beer in the bar that had stood at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street for 102 years.
Today, the old Hurely’s location is a bakery (in the aqua circle), and NBC’s 49th Street entrance is a half a block down (in the red circle). The 11 story NBC studio building is just behind Hurley’s. -Bobby Ellerbee
I had many a great evening “lifting a few” and discussing the Golden Age of Television during my NBC days! BTW, Tonight started videotape in 1959 when it moved to 6B from The Hudson, much to Jack Paar’s pleasure! The only live shows he and Johnny did after that time were New Years Eve and the dropping of the ball w/Ben Grauer!
Great baked clams
I always enjoyed the fact that old man Hurley refused to be bought out by Rockefeller…
When Rockefeller Center was propsoed Hurley refused to sell, so the RCA building went up around him.
I’ve missed out on everything cool…thanks, Obama!!
I admit to being a regular from ’69-’77.
May great times in Hurley’s
Spent many an afternoon / evening in Hurley’s
Best Tom Snyder Tomorrow Show Ever from 1975! Entire show from Hurley’s! http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112448425_s01.do
My husband asked my dad permission to marry me, dad said no to my mother’s horror. He was kidding and we’ve been happily married ever since.
Many business lunches there, the raw bay scallops appetizer with their amazing tarter sauce…and a few drinks…
Johnny Carson did the Tonight Show live from the RCA Building??? I had understood NBC started taping the show during the Jack Parr era.
Hurley’s was kind of in the same building
February 17th 1990, was a Saturday and two great things happened to me. The first was I had tickets to SNL. The host was Tom Hanks with musical guest Aerosmith. The second great thing was, my date and I ate dinner at Hurley’s. I didn’t know it’s history at the time, but now it’s a cherished memory. I couldn’t have asked for a better episode of SNL as well. Years later this sketch would be ranked as the number one SNL sketch. I should have played the lottery that night.
Wayne’s World: Aerosmith
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/waynes-world-with-aerosmith/n9871
Think I’ll stop in for a shot this morning before I go to work. And by “shot” I mean cupcake. 😉
I’m here now (in 30 Rock, not Hurley’s!).
I miss st 1H. It was a great place