The brothers were good enough by 1928 to debut in vaudeville. In 1932 they made their film debut in the short Pie Pie Blackbird, and were booked at the Cotton Club, which became their base. They were allowed to mingle with the white celebrity patrons before going home to bed at 5 or 6 a.m. They would sleep until 3 p.m., when their daily tutoring began, then return to the club by chauffeur-driven limousine for the first show at midnight. [Fayard Nicholas] was 18, [Harold Nicholas] 11.