逛逛南京西路5|卓别林曾来这座华人投资并设计的远东第一舞厅百乐门

陈香梅在此订婚，百乐门取“通往百种快乐之门”

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百乐门舞厅灯光柔和，墙壁美丽，有适宜舞步滑行的绝佳地板。乐队令人着迷，提供娱乐表演的明星艺人充满魅力，这里确实如其中文名表达的，是‘通往百种欢乐之门’
张姚俊说，百乐门的中英文名字是投资人顾联章想出的。百乐门的英文名为“Paramount Ballroom”, 其中“Paramount”是“至高无上”的意思，显示了业主打造远东第一舞厅的雄心。而中文名“百乐门”寓意通往欢乐世界，朗朗上口。百乐门舞厅的中英文名都十分贴切好记，盛大开幕后也好评如潮。
“舞厅灯光柔和，墙壁美丽，有适宜舞步滑行的绝佳地板。乐队令人着迷，提供娱乐表演的明星艺人充满魅力，这里确实如其中文名表达的，是‘通往百种欢乐之门’。所有吸引品位高尚的现代男女的豪华舒适的方式，都在舞厅里愉快而和谐地组合在一起。我敢肯定，在座的以及未来经常光临的其他许多朋友会发现，这里是度过休闲时光并获得最大享受的最佳场所。” 1933年《大陆报》刊登的开幕预告引用了一位宾客的评价。
“百乐门是个‘销金窟’。一杯茶要5毛钱，在当时可以买9斤面粉。一块牛排1元，一瓶香槟16元，工薪阶层是消费不起的。百乐门的客人非富即贵，飞虎队将军陈纳德和陈香梅就在百乐门举行了订婚仪式。”张姚俊说。
他提到，百乐门最出名的就是舞女陈曼丽遇刺事件。陈曼丽曾是百乐门最红的舞女，曾与中国实业银行总经理刘晦之结婚，后来又回到百乐门的舞女生活。
陈曼丽遇刺的原因至今仍是谜团，有不同的说法。而此后的岁月里，百乐门的生意也渐渐地不景气。
【英文节选】
The Paramount Ballroom, a glistening Art Deco theatre, was not only at the forefront of entertainment in the heart of Shanghai in the early 20th century, it was patronized by Hollywood superstars, such as Charlie Chaplin, became a den of iniquity for city gangsters and provided the scene for one of the metropolis’ most mysterious murders.
“The Paramount Ballroom was one of four major theatres in old Shanghai. It was a Western-style architectural building but it was mainly invested in by a wealthy Chinese merchant named Gu Liancheng from Nanxun of Zhejiang Province,” Zhang Yaojun, a researcher from Shanghai Archives Bureau, said.
When the ballroom threw its doors open in 1933 on December 15, The China Press reported that the new million-dollar establishment was perhaps the most luxurious structure of its kind ever attempted in China or the Far East.
“Modern in every respect, with a fine color scheme, excellent orchestra, service and entertainment, the ballroom lived up to its boast of being the most beautiful nightclub this side of the Pacific,” the newspaper said.

逛逛南京西路5|卓别林曾来这座华人投资并设计的远东第一舞厅百乐门 | 陈曼丽( 三 )

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