The Lambs, Inc. (also known as The Lambs Club) is a social club in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

for actors, songwriters, and others involved in the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

. It is America's oldest theatrical organization. "The Lambs" is a registered trademark of The Lambs, Inc.; and the club has been commonly referred to as The Lambs Club and The Lambs Theater since 1874. The club's name honors the essayist Charles Lamb and his sister Mary, who during the early 19th century played host to actors and literati at their famed

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ( ...

in London.

History

In the spring of 1869, The Lambs was founded in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

by actors led by John Hare, the first Shepherd, looking to socialize with like-minded people. Several of those, most notably Henry James Montague, came to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and formed The Lambs of New York during Christmas week of 1874. It was incorporated in 1877 in

. Shortly afterward the London Lambs closed. Lambs before Lambs Club 1915 (cropped)

The Actors' strike of 1919 was settled in The Lambs, which was referred to as "Local One." In 1924 they celebrated their

golden jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু� ...

at the Earl Carroll Theatre. Historically, The Lambs has been the spawning ground of plays, friendships and partnerships. '' Mark Twain Tonight'' (with

Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...

) and '' Stalag 17'' were first performed at The Lambs prior to their national successes. Alan J. Lerner and

Frederick Loewe Frederick Loewe (, originally German Friedrich (Fritz) Löwe ; June 10, 1901 – February 14, 1988) was an Austrian-American composer. He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner on a series of Broadway musicals, including ''Brigadoon'', '' ...

first met at The Lambs, often trying works-in-progress on their fellow Lambs. Loewe left a percentage of his share of ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, and music by Frederick Loewe. The song "Almost Like Being in Love", from the musical, has become a standard. It features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a m ...

'' royalties to The Lambs' Foundation. The Lambs was recognized on May 9, 2008, by the Mayor of New York City,

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a c ...

. The Lambs, the New York Friars' Club, and The Players in New York are often confused. In 1964 long-time syndicated columnist Earl Wilson put it this way: "Long ago a New Yorker asked the difference between the Lambs, Friars, and Players, since the membership was, at the time, predominantly from Broadway." It was left to "a wit believed to have been

George S. Kaufman George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889June 2, 1961) was an American playwright, theater director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals for the Marx Brothers and other ...

" to draw the distinction: "The Players are gentlemen trying to be actors, the Lambs are actors trying to be gentlemen, and the Friars are neither trying to be both."

Notable Lambs

Since its founding, there have been more than 6,700 Lambs, including: Fred Astaire,

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

Sid Caesar Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950� ...

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

, George M. Cohan, Cecil B. DeMille,

W.C. Fields WC or wc may refer to: * Water closet or flush toilet Arts and entertainment * ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film * WC (band), a Polish punk rock band * WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California * Westside Connection, former h ...

Albert Hague Albert Hague (born Albert Marcuse, October 13, 1920 – November 12, 2001) was a German–born American songwriter and actor. Early life Hague was born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany. His father, Harry Marcuse, was a psychiatrist a ...

, Ken Howard, Al Jolson,

John F. Madden John Fitz Madden (March 30, 1870 – May 19, 1946) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the U.S. response to the Garza Revolution, Spanish–American War, United States Military Government in Cuba, Philippine–American Wa ...

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...

Eugene O’Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...

, Donald Pippin, Cliff Robertson,

Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films duri ...

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahom ...

, John Philip Sousa,

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

, Abe Vigoda, Fred Waring, and Jack Whiting. Current members include: Matthew Broderick, Jim Dale, and Joyce Randolph of ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It fo ...

''. The Lambs' website contains a listing of its past and current members.

Presidents

The president of The Lambs is called "The Shepherd". The Club displays the portraits of all its presidents, painted by artists such as

James Montgomery Flagg James Montgomery Flagg (June 18, 1877 – May 27, 1960) was an American artist, comics artist and illustrator. He worked in media ranging from fine art painting to cartooning, but is best remembered for his political posters, particularly his 1 ...

and

Everett Raymond Kinstler Everett Raymond Kinstler (August 5, 1926 – May 26, 2019) was an American artist, whose official portraits include Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.Henry James Montague (1874–1878) #

John Lester Wallack John Johnstone Wallack (January 1, 1820, New York City – September 6, 1888, Stamford, Connecticut), was an American actor-manager and son of James William Wallack and Susan Johnstone. He used the stage name John Lester until October 5, 1858, ...

(1878–1879, 1880–1882, 1884–1888) #

Harry Beckett (actor) Harry Beckett (10 June 1839 - 24 October 1880) was a comedian who was president of The Lambs from 1879 to 1880. Biography He was born on 10 June 1839 in London. His father died at an early age, and he was raised by his mother. He was trained as ...

(1879–1880) # William Jermyn Conlin (1882–1884) # John Riker Brady (1888–1890) # Edmund Milton Holland (1890–1891) #

Clay Meredith Greene Clay Meredith Greene (March 12, 1850 – September 5, 1933) was an American playwright. Biography He was born on March 12, 1850, in San Francisco, California, to William Harrison Greene (1812–1871) and Anne Elizabeth Fisk (1830–1901). He stu ...

(1891–1898, 1902–1906) #

Thomas Benedict Clarke Thomas Benedict Clarke (December 11, 1848 – January 18, 1931) was an art collector from New York City. Biography He was born December 11, 1848, in New York City as the son of Dr. George Washington Clarke (1816–1908), headmaster of the Mount ...

(1898–1900) # DeWolf Hopper (1900–1902) #

Wilton Lackaye Wilton Lackaye (September 30, 1862 – August 22, 1932) was an American stage and film actor, who originated the role of Svengali (from the 1895 novel ''Trilby'') in both stage and film. Early life William Andrew Lackey was born in Loudoun Coun ...

(1906–1907) # Augustus Thomas (1907–1910) # Joseph Rhode Grismer (1911–1913, 1917–1918) # William Courtleigh (1913–1917) # Robert Hubber Thorne Burnside (1918–1921) #

Albert Oldfield Brown Albert Oldfield Brown (December 30, 1872 – March 5, 1945), sometime known as A. O. Brown, was an actor and the president of The Lambs from 1921 to 1924 and again from 1930 to 1932. He was president of the Percy Williams Home for Retired Actors a ...

(1921–1924, 1930–1932) #

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he comm ...

(1924–1926) # Thomas Alfred Wise (1926–1928) # Fritz Williams (1928–1930) #

Frank Crumit Frank Crumit (September 26, 1889 – September 7, 1943) was an American singer, composer, radio entertainer and vaudeville star. He shared his radio programs with his wife, Julia Sanderson, and the two were sometimes called "the ideal couple ...

(1932–1936) # Fred Waring (1939–1942) # John Lionel Golden (1942–1945) # Raymond Wilson Peck (1945–1947) #

Bert Lytell Bertram Lytell (February 24, 1885 – September 28, 1954) was an American actor in theater and film during the silent film era and early talkies. He starred in romantic, melodrama, and adventure films. Background Born in New York City, Lyt ...

(1947–1952) # Walter Noel Greaza (1953–1956) #

William Gaxton William Gaxton (né Arthur Anthony Gaxiola, December 2, 1893 – February 2, 1963) was an American star of vaudeville, film, and theatre. Gaxton was president of The Lambs Club from 1936 to 1939, 1952 to 1953, and 1957 to 1961. He and Victo ...

(1936–1939, 1952–1953, 1957–1959, 1960–1961) # Frank Marion Thomas (1962–1963) # Martin Begley (1964–1965) #

Harry Hershfield Harry Hershfield (October 13, 1885 – December 15, 1974) was an American cartoonist, humor writer and radio personality. He was known as "the Jewish Will Rogers". Hershfield also was a columnist for the ''New York Daily Mirror''. His books ...

(1966–1969) # Jack Waldron (1969) #

Tom Dillon (actor) Thomas Dillon (1950–2011) was an American serial killer. Thomas or Tom Dillon may also refer to: * Thomas Dillon, 4th Viscount Dillon (1615–1673), Irish peer * Thomas Dillon (chemist) (1886–1971), Irish chemist and nationalist * Thomas Dillo ...

(1969–1986
Tom Dillon Bio
# Richard L. Charles (1986–1997) # Agustin James Pocock (1998–2001) # Bruce Brown (2002–2008) #

Randy Phillips Randy Phillips (born May 8, 1990) is an airman of the United States Air Force whose coming out in September 2011 following the repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy (DADT) garnered media attention. DADT had banned the service of openly g ...

(2008–2013) # Marc Baron (2013– )

Clubhouses

# 1874: Founded and first dinner at Delmonico's Restaurant (NE Corner of 5th Ave & 14th St.) # 1875: Morton House (Manhattan) (Union Square) # 1875:

Union Square Hotel The Zeckendorf Towers, sometimes also called One Irving Place and One Union Square East, is a , 29-story, four-towered condominium complex on the eastern side of Union Square, Manhattan, in New York City. Completed in 1987, the building is loc ...

# 1876: Wallack's Theater 848 Broadway (nicknamed "The Matchbox") # 1877–78: 6 Union Square # 1878: 19 East 16th Street # 1880–1892: 34 West 26th St # 1891:

Gilsey House Gilsey House is a former eight-story 300-room hotel located at 1200 Broadway at West 29th Street in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is a New York City landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. History ...

, 1200 Broadway # 1892: 8 West 29th St # 1893–1896: 26 West 31st St # 1897–1905: 70 West 36th St (formerly and thereafter known as Keens Chophouse) # 1905–1975: 130 West 44th Street (expanded in 1907) # 1975: Guest in

Lotos Club The Lotos Club was founded in 1870 as a gentlemen's club in New York City; it has since also admitted women as members. Its founders were primarily a young group of writers and critics. Mark Twain, an early member, called it the "Ace of Clubs" ...

, 5 East 66th St # 1976: Current: 3 West Club, 3 West 51st Street, 5th Floor

128 West 44th Street

The Lambs has had many Manhattan homes since 1874, beginning with Delmonico's Restaurant in Union Square. Then in 1875 they met at the Maison Doree on the south side of 14th St. opposite Union Square; 1876–77 next to Wallack's theater at 848 Broadway; 1877–78 at the Union Square Hotel, 6 Union Square; 1879 within a brownstone at 19 East 16th St.; 1880–91 at a Brownstone at 34 West 26th St.; 1891 at the Gilsey House, 1200 Broadway; 1892 at 8 West 29th St.; 1893–96 at 26 West 31st St.; 1897–1905 at 70 West 36th St., what was formerly and thereafter Keen's Chophouse remodeled by Stanford White to be a clubhouse; in 1905 at 128–130 West 44th St., in a house designed by Stanford White, then doubled in size in 1915. Until 1974 the Club remained at the building at 128 West 44th St. The building was also designed by Stanford White, and was erected in 1904–1905; it expanded in 1915 to include 132 West 44th St. When the club relocated to its current nine-story quarters at 3 West 51st St. adjacent to Rockefeller Center, it sold its own quarters to the

Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa within Johnson County, Kansas. With its members ...

which intended to use the old building as a mission in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

. The church leased part of the building for what would become the

Off Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

Lamb's Theatre which is not related to the Club except for the name of the building. The building was designated a New York City Landmark in September 1974; and was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on June 3, 1982. In 2006 the Church of the Nazarene sold the building and theatre, which has been renovated by the Chatwal Hotel. They operate a restaurant in the hotel and named it The Lambs Club, although there is no relation between the hotel and The Lambs other than what was left of the building. The hotel itself is now a part of Marriott's Luxury Collection.

Current activity

The Lambs, Inc., is still active in its nine-story quarters at 3 West 51st St. adjacent to Rockefeller Center. Its members have been instrumental in the formation of

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

, Actors' Equity and The Actors' Fund of America, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and in the merger that created SAG-AFTRA. Of the first 21 Council members of Actors' Equity, 20 were members of The Lambs. The meetings to form Actors' Equity were held at The Players, a club similar to The Lambs, because there were too many producer members of The Lambs.

References

Citations

Sources

Books

* * *

Newspapers

* * * *

Websites

* * * *

External links

The Lambs, Inc. website

– the NYC Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Lambs Club records, 1880–1973
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts {{DEFAULTSORT:Lambs 1874 establishments in New York (state) Arts organizations established in 1874 Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan Theatrical organizations in the United States New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan