OldKC.com - Kansas City, Missouri

The 3200 block of Troost used to be known as "Mid-America's Greatest Fun-Complex." The clubs included The Yum Yum Room, Cat Balleu and The Jewel Box Lounge. The Jewel Box, known in 1948 as The Jewel Box and in 1950 as McKissick's Jewel Box Lounge, was at located at 3223 Troost. The address after 1964 was 3219 Troost and the owner was John N. Tuccillo.

I suspect that The Yum Yum room and Cat Balleu might have been traditional strip clubs. Not The Jewel Box. It featured female-mimics, female impersonators who sang songs and did comedy routines. Many of them toured, performing at similar clubs across the US. Rae Bourbon may have been the most well-known of the mimics. He had several LPs to his credit, including "A Trick Ain't Always a Treat", which was recorded at the club in the early sixties. Here's a partial list of the talent advertised at the Jewel Box:

Beebe 
Billy Carrol 
Bobbie Benet, Director 
Buddy Chris 
Butch Ellis 
Candy Lee 
Carey Davis 
Criss Noel 
Don Winters 
Eddie Lynn AKA "The French Pussycat" 
Ellen White 
Fred Murio 
Freddie Gibson 
G.G. Allen 
Gary Lynn 
George Cauden AKA "Tommy Temple", Director 
Harvey 
Jamie Eden 
Jamie Greeney 
Joey Block 
Just Tempest 
Nikki St. Cyr 
Peggy Clark 
Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon 
Roby Landers 
Rosalie Bell 
Salome 
Sammy Tucker 
Scottie Carlyle 
Skip Arnold aka "Mother Goose" 
Terry Kaye 
Terry Lee 
Timmy Saxton AKA "The Body Beautiful" 
Tommy Baker 
In the 1970s, the 3223 address was only known as The Yum Yum Lounge. Later, the Jewel Box moved to 3110 Main and the live performances were replaced by pantomimes.

Kansas City's Jewel Box Lounge
Kansas City, MO - McKissick's Jewel Box Lounge Ad (Rosalie, Beebe, Harvey, Ellen White, Ted Dreher) - 3223 Troost - August 23rd, 1950
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Ad (Freddie Gibson, Rosalie Bell, Peggy Clark, Sammy Tucker, Fred Murio) - 3223 Troost - November 9th, 1954
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Advertising Matchcover - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Advertising Matchcover (same as above) - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge, Yum Yum Lounge & Cat Balleu Matchcover - 3200 Block of Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge, Yum Yum Lounge & Cat Balleu Nude-A-Rama Matchcover - 3200 Block of Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge, Yum Yum Lounge & Cat Balleu Nude-A-Rama Matchcover - 3200 Block of Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge, Yum Yum Lounge & Cat Balleu Ad - 3200 Block of Troost - 1967
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Advertising Matchcover - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Advertising Matchcover - 3223 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge, Yum Yum Lounge & Cat Balleu Matchcover - 3200 Block of Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge & Yum Yum Lounge Strip-O-Rama Matchcover - 3223 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir/Menu - Mr. Terry Lee - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir/Menu - High Balls, After Dinner Drinks, Champagne, Beer - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir/Menu - Club Schedule/Hours - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Drink Menu (Skip Arnold) - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Drink Menu (Show Times and Mimic Pictures) - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Drink Menu (Drinks and Prices) - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Folder/Postcard - Director Mr. Bobbie Benet - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Folder/Postcard - Female Mimics Mr. Buddy Chris, Mr. Just Tempest, Mr. Tommy Temple & Mr. Scottie Carlyle pictured
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Folder/Postcard - Female Mimics Mr. Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon, Mr. Terry Kaye & Mr. Salome pictured
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Folder/Postcard - Back of Folder/Postcard
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Color Postcard - 3200 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Postcard Back "Mid-America's Greatest Fun-Complex" - 3200 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Postcard - 3223 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Postcard - 3223 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Postcard - Female Mimics Joey Block, Butch Ellis, Jamie Greeney, Carey Davis, Skip Arnold aka "Mother Goose" & G.G. Allen pictured - 3223 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Female Mimic/Impersonator "Mr. Don Winters" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Female Mimic/Impersonator "Mr. Jamie Eden" & "Mr. Gary Lynn" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Female Mimic/Impersonator "Mr. Nikki St. Cyr" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Female Mimic/Impersonator "Mr. Skip Arnold" aka "Mother Goose" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Female Mimic/Impersonator "Mr. Terry Lee" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Female Mimic/Impersonator "Mr. Tommy Baker" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Female Mimic/Impersonator "Mr. Roby Landers" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - "Mr. Tommy Temple, Mr. Timmy Saxton, Mr. Billy Carrol, Mr. Criss Noel" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - "Mr. Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon, Mr. Eddie Lynn, Mr. Candy Lee" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Advertising Postcard Folder - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Advertising Matchcover - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Advertising Matchcover "Featuring America's Finest Femme-Mimics" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Circa 1957 - "The Delinquents"
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Circa 1957 - "The Delinquents"
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge - Circa 1957 - "The Delinquents"
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Show Flyer - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Color Fan - 3223 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Color Fan (open) - 3223 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Lounge Souvenir Color Fan (back) - 3223 Troost
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Coaster Set
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Coaster Set
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Coaster Set
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Coaster Set
Kansas City, MO - The Jewel Box Coaster Set
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon at The World Famous Jewel Box Record - "A Trick Aint Always A Treat" (Signed) - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon at The World Famous Jewel Box Record - "A Trick Aint Always A Treat" - 3219 Troost
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon Record - "A Girl Of The Golden West"
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon Record - "A Girl Of The Golden West"
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon 45 - "Madam"
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon 45 - "Native"
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon 45 - "Dirty Fairy"
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon 45 - "Hollywood Drive-In"
Kansas City, MO - Rae Bourbon/Ray Bourbon - Poster Promoting Appearance at Hollywood Rendevous - Circa 1930s

* Photo Courtesy of Ed Muscari
*MM Photo Courtesy of Mike Miller
*SH Photo Courtesy of Steve Hartwich
*SS Photo Courtesy of Scott Sargent
*UR Photo Courtesy of Uncle Roy
** Scan Courtesy of ShowbizPizzaPage.com
*** Photo Courtesy of Robin Japins
**** Photo Courtesy of Gregg Katz from KCFlorist.com *UR Photo Courtesy of Uncle Roy
*AB Photo Courtesy of Alan Barley

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