3. There Are No Pipes at a Players Pipe Night
In the early years of the 20th century, members would throw late-night parties at which long-stemmed pipes were smoked and the host (or Pipemaster) would serve as master of ceremonies for entertainment that ran until all hours. By the 1930s, these Pipe Nights evolved into tribute evenings comprised of dinners and tributes for outstanding actors, musicians, and cultural icons.
British actor John Gielgud was the first of these honorees, joined in the decades that followed by Marlene Dietrich, James Cagney, Morgan Freeman, Bob Fosse, Frank Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, Audra McDonald, Al Hirschfeld, and dozens more. While the clubhouse has been smoke-free for some years, the Pipe Night is a unique Players institution whose name lives on, even though actual pipes are no longer involved.