Club Noir

In 1945, one year after Hamville was founded, its first nightclub opened, known as Club Ham. It failed dismally. There just wasn't enough interest, what with all the other fascinating restaurants opening. The Club lasted about six months, then shut its doors forever.

In 1995, Joseph Mahma, the grandson of one of Club Ham's founders, opened the doors to a new nightclub on the same site Club Ham had occupied. The new club was not known as Club Ham. It had now been renamed Club Noir.

Club Noir promoted itself as a throwback to the old days, to when going to a nightclub meant hearing live bands, as well as dining and dancing in extreme luxury. The design of the extravagant new nightclub was a complete secret, and no one knew what they were going to get when they arrived for the grand opening on July 1, 1995. Formal dress was required, but it seemed like that deterred no one. The experience was billed as being one of a lifetime, and people turned out in record numbers. To this day, it holds the record for best attended opening in Hamville history (Days of Future Passed opened in 1954 with more people in attendance, but you really can't count them as most of the customers were from other times).

At precisely 7:00 pm, the doors opened. The first patrons entered, and those who remained outside were shocked to hear gasps and screams of shock coming from inside. As they nervously entered, they discovered what the big deal was.

The entire room was in black and white. Not only that, but as the patrons looked at each other, they discovered that they too had lost all color, and were now completely in black and white.

The effect was difficult to get over, but by the time the club closed at 4:00 am, people were hailing it as one of the greatest experiences in Hamville.

Mahma kept his silence about the secret of the black and white effect of Club Noir until 2001 when a former employee accidentally let slip that it was merely a trick with lighting. Since then, Mahma has allowed people to see the devices that create the illusion.

Club Noir, despite being tremendously expensive, remains one of the most popular attractions in Hamville. The food is exquisite, the music is lovely, and to most people, the black and white effect is still just as astounding today as it was in 1995. Mahma is currently attempting to build a disco in Hamville, much in the style of Studio 54 (without all the illicit activities going on behind the scenes), but even he admits it will probably never have the same appeal as Club Noir.