IT’S THE FINAL HOUR of the year 1966. In L.A.’s Silverlake district, things are hopping at the Black Cat bar. Colored balloons cover the ceiling. Boys dance with boys, the jukebox wails, and a couple of undercover cops play pool over in the corner. Six or seven additional plainclothes officers mill around in the crowd. At 11:30, a gaggle of glittering drag queens arrives in full-blown bouffants, sequins, and wobbly spiked heels. The bartender cranks up the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love.”
A little background: The Black Cat was one of about a dozen gay bars lining Sunset Boulevard in Silverlake, the heart of L.A.’s gay community, in the 1960s. Many were beer bars with jukeboxes, pool tables, and pinball machines inhabiting rundown buildings where the rents were cheap.
It’s now just a few minutes before midnight, and the Rhythm Queens, a trio of Black women singers hired for the night, are getting ready for their big number. Suddenly, the jukebox cuts off, and for a brief moment all that can be heard is the tinkle of champagne glasses. All eyes are riveted on the clock behind the bar. Then a cheer goes up. “Happy New Year!” The Rhythm Queens take their cue, belting out a jazzy “Auld Lang Syne.” The bartender snips a string and the balloons cascade down onto dozens of kissing couples.
Eve Goldberg is a writer and filmmaker whose films include Kids of Survival (1996) and the short documentary “Lori and Cathy Get Married” (2005). She lives in Northern California.
