The Marlin Club bar was built for the Breakers Officer’s Club by the Merchant Marines in 1946. The Marlin Club has operated continuously in the historic building since 1952.
The distinctive blue building that houses the Marlin Club was built in 1905 and first operated as a fish market downstairs and a boarding house upstairs. In 1908 the restaurant “Jim’s Place” was opened then in 1919 it became “Jim’s Chili Parlor” and then in 1928, it was again called Jim’s Place. The building survived the two devastating fires of 1915 and 1919, both of which destroyed much of Avalon.
Then on December 23, 1941, all tourism and non-essential traffic were prohibited from going to the Island. World War II and the Merchant Marines took over the Island. In 1942 16-year-old Norma Jeane Baker (Marilyn Monroe) married 21-year-old James Dougherty a merchant marine, and Norma Jeane and Jimmy moved into the boarding house upstairs and lived there until they moved into their Apartment at 310 Metropole Ave.
On May 30, 1946 “The Breakers” opened as an officer’s club for the Merchant Marines stationed on the Island during WWII. The photo above was taken in 1946 and shows the bar in full art-deco “officer’s-club” mode complete with booths and white linen tablecloths. After the war in 1948, Bud Upton was commissioned to paint the sea-scape mural that adorns the walls.
In 1952 the “Marlin Club” officially opened its doors and quickly became a favorite watering hole for locals, anglers, and sailors visiting the island. Over the years many celebrities from Hollywood frequented the Marlin Club on a regular basis. Regulars at the bar in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s included Erol Flynn, Humphry Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Wayne, Robert Wagner, and Natalie Wood.
Marlin Club Building Timeline
- Fish Market 1905-1908
- Jim’s Place / Jim’s Chili Parlor 1908-1946
- The Breakers 1946-1952
- Marlin Club 1952-current
