Dining and drinking weren't all that captured nigntclub goers' fancy in the 1920's. Illicit gambling was available in certain restaurant back rooms; the Cocoanut Grove was famous for it. Tijuana was also a popular destination for the stars.Hollywood didn't even flinch during the Depression era 1930's. Local law enforcement staged the occasional raid, a few clubs folded, but new classics like the Brown Derby never missed a beat, although some owners fell onto bribery to keep their operations going.

Not all clubs offered alcohol and gambling. In the mid-1930's The Trocadero opened and adhered to a policy of being legal. This status of of legality worked in its favor; neither studio heads or stars had to worry about adverse publicity.

Sunset Boulevard was quickly filling up with glittering nightspots. That growth continued into the 1940's after Prohibition's repeal. During this era of the gossip columnist, seeing and being seen were more important than ever. As WWII raged overseas, stars tried to get into the columns in a favorable...and patriotic...way. Rumour and scandal took a temporary vacation during the frenzied war years.