Louis Edward Walters[1] (January 26, 1894 – August 15, 1977) was a British-born American booking agent, theatrical producer and the founder of the famed Latin Quarter nightclub in New York.
[6] According to the memoir of his daughter Barbara, Walters discovered comedians Fred Allen and Jack Haley.
Walters moved his family to Miami Beach, Florida, where he took over the Palm Island Club from Earl Carroll and relaunched it as another Latin Quarter.
[6] Two years later, in 1942, Walters opened a Latin Quarter nightclub on Times Square in New York City.
Walter once told an interviewer that "'It's a popular fallacy in this business ...to say that your money is made or lost in the kitchen.
'"[6] The nightclubs offered three shows per evening, each featuring some of the top talent of the time, including Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra, Mae West, and Mickey Rooney, mixed with performances by chorus girls.
[6][10] The chorus girls were cast after auditions in London, Paris, and major cities in the United States.
Loew won an injunction that prevented Walters from advertising his ownership of either of the Cafe de Paris nightclubs.
[13] Although opening week was successful, the club was too large, and the rent too high, for Walters to cover his expenses.
[16] Walters was also sued by New York for failing to pay income or payroll taxes while he operated the Cafe de Paris.
That work led to an offer from the Tropicana Las Vegas to manage their stage shows as Entertainment Director.
[19] The Folies Bergere at The Tropicana Hotel Las Vegas became the longest running theatrical production in the world.