New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

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THE NEW YORK CLIPPER ORCHESTRA NEWS 28 SHORE CABARETS DOING POORLY Atlantic Gty cafes and cabarets, which expected to get into their stride this past week-end and for the past two weeks, find that the business is still away off and managers are at k>ss to account for the lack of patronage. Keen students of sum- mer resort conditions find themselves con- fronted by a i)eculiar situation. The hot spell in Jmie broogfat crowds to the Jersey coast resort and the boardwalk was packed, bat, curionsly, the restaurants and cabarets, with one or two exceptions, were practi- cally empty. The reason ascribed at that time was that the people who came out were merely one or two day transients from Philadelphia and neighboring towns who were not educated to spending money in night-life restaurants and were not of the class that woald naturally patronize such places. This sounded plausible but subsequent developments have showed that it could not be the real reason. Several of the larger cafe proprietors who had always relied on their orchestras to bring in the crowds thought that the public had changed its ideas and put in revues and shows to draw business. This likewise proved unavailing. It was said this week that the revue in Marten's Cafe and also that at the Beaux Arts would probably be yanked out this week as the managements found them expensive and without drawing power, business remaining just as dormant with the revue.as without. Several of the larger places are frantically searching for "name" attractions in order to bolster up their business. Astute man- agers, remembering the drawing card which Evelyn Nesbit proved at Atlantic Gty are trying to fmd someone of similar publicity value to attract the out-of-town, sight-see- ing class. Several very enticing offers are said to have been made to Evan Burrowes- Fontaine, the managers figuring that her unquestioned dancing ability coupled with the pablicity she has received would bring in business. It is interesting to note that Evelyn Nesbit, in spite of the fact that the days of her greatest publicity are long past, still continues to be one of the biggest draw- ing cards on the boardwalk. One of the cafe managers was in Ntw York from Atlantic City last week and had no hesitation in speaking about condi- tions. He refused to allow the use of his name^bnt confessed that things were "ter- rible." "I have never seen conditions so bad," he said. "Where, in former years, patrons had to be kept waiting at the door nntil tables were available, this year, in spite of the hot weather, only one or two cafes are domy anything like normal bus- mess for this time of year. It may be that people have no money, the number of fail- ures in Wall street recently seeming to bear out this theory, but it seems to me ftat the real reason lies in the fact that the public is about disgusted with paying cov er cha rges, exorbitant cover charges, for tJ'J prMege of putting their feet tmder a table. If they want to dance they can go to one of the piers, enjoy wonderful music, and dance for almost half what it wiU cost them to go to one of the cabariets and dance on a smaller and hotter floor. This cover charge tlmig has reached a peculiar stage. Managers of cabarets feel that they must carry a cover charge in order to pay the expenses of the orchestra and attractions but know that, if they make the charge too high, they will defeat their own purpose and scare away business. None of the managers have nerve enough to try the experiment of advertising 'No Cover Qurge' and attempting to make up for it by a few cents added to the menu cost This would seem to be the logical thing to do but none of them docs it" GIBSON AT HOFFMAN INN Joe Gibson and his orchestra, having dosed recently at the Moulin Rouge, opened last week at the Hoffman Inn, Lynbrook; for a summer engagement. Gibson has practically the same combina- tion as he had while at the Moulin Rouge. ST. LOUIS DOECrOR IN NEW YORK Isidore Cohen, musical director of the Missouri Theatre, St Louis, Mo., was in New York with his wife last week on a combmed business and pleasure trip. SPECHT AT ROYAL PALACE London, July 2.—Panl Specht and his Alamac Hotel Orchestra appeared for one night last week at the Empress Rooms of the Royal Palace Hotel, a special "Paul Specht Night" being given in their honor. In the announcements the management car- ried the following item about Specht: "The rise to fame in America of Paul Specht was meteoric Saturated in music since his earliest days, and with a public perfornsnce on the violin at the age of six to his credit he was yet unknown in New York little more than a year ago. Today no _ less than forty orchestras have been trained to play the Specht type of music He himself describes it as "Rhythmic Symphonic Syncopation." Tickets for the affair ranged from IS to 21 shillings, amounting to between $3.60 and $5 in American money. Specht is sup- posed to be receiving $1,750 a week for bis engagement at the Comer House here. SEXTETTE TO DO ACT The Versatile Sextette which has been playing at the Fountain Inn for the past month, will close there next Sunday night and begin preparation of their new vaude- ville act Although the orchestra was booked at the Fountain Inn for the sum- mer the managonent found the expense of keeping them there before the season was realjy well on the way, too much of a strain. The orchestra is high-priced for a six piece combination, and the Inn was not doing sufficient business to allow them to keep on the orchestra at a profit One of the reasons for the light business was the fact that although the Versatile Sex- tette is a drawing card with theatrical folk the management closed the Inn at one, in- stead of remaining open until three as most of the other roadhouses in that vicinity. HYDE AT BRAVES' FIELD Alex Hyde, who was playing the Loew time under the billing of "Paul Whiteman's 'Romance of Rhythm' Orchestra," last week ceased to be a Paul Whiteman unit, having received permission from the Whiteman offices to stop using the name. Hyde is said to have been led to this action out of obedioice to the wishes of Marcus Loew, who wished to be featured in the billing. The name, "Romance of Rhythm," however, will be retained. The orchestra was used as a nucleus for Hyde's new organization, a fifty piece band, playing for concert and dance at Braves' Field, Boston, every night A monster dance floor is laid on the pla;^g field of the ball park and illumination is furnished, the result being a monster out-door dance hall. Hyde's contract calls for ten weeks at a salary of $5,000 a week. TWO ORCHESTRA NOVELTY Phiiadelphia, June 25.—^Ace Brigade and his Virginians last week acted as hosts to Paul Whiteman's S. S. Leviathan Or- chestra under the direction of Nelson Ma- ples, while the latter organization was play- mg its vaudeville engagement here. Brig- ode, who since he started playing at the Walton Roof has become quite a favorite in Philadelphia, invited thie members of the Leviathan Orchestra over as his guests. The invitation was accepted and the visit- ing aggregation brought along their instru- ments and sat in with Brigode and his boys. This made a dance orchestra of al- most twenty pieces and the novelty proved a big attraction with patrons of the Wal- ton. RAY MILLER IN FOX HOUSES Ray Miller and his orchestra are play- ing the Fox houses until the>- open at the Ritz in Atlantic Gty on July 14. They arc rccaiving some novel advance notices in the way of a moving picture trailer, taken by the Fox Film people, showing the or- chestra playing a tune, with an announce- ment that the orchestra will play the par- ticular house where the film is being shown within the next week. RAPP PLAYS FOR PRESIDENT Barney Rapp and his orchestra at the Hotel Chase, St Louis, last week had the honor of playing for President and Mrs. Harding while that couple were on their way to the coast For Mrs. Harding the orchestra played "The End of a Perfect Day" and for the President "Beautiful Ohio WalU" and "La Paloma." The President expressed his thanks to Rapp for the latter's kindness and expressed his great appreciation of the orchestra's work. The Benwood Radio Company, St Louis, one of the largest in the west has erected a $30,000 broadcasting outfit on the roof of the Chase and Rapp and his men have their music broadcast four and five nights each week. Tests made seem to prove that music broadcast from the open ah- gets much better results than that sent out from a closed room. While the or- chestra was playing for the President an- novuicement was made over the radio that the Chief Executive was present on the roof of the Chase at the time and that his favorite selections. were being played. SIEGEL FOR CA5TILIAN GARDENS Al Siegel and his orchestra, at present playing at the Nightingale ResUurant, Broadway and 48th street, will open next Monday at the Fountain Inn, Lynbrook, L. I. Al, Ben and Jack, proprietors o'f the Fountain Inn have re-christened the place the Catilian Gardens, and it has been re- decorated and several changes made. The three partners, in conjunction with Al Siegel, expect to open an office for the booking of orchestras on the style of sev- eral of the bigger offices shortly, getting the business themselves and leaving Siegel in charges of the organization and pick- ing of orchestras. STEVENS BREAKS GARDEN RECORD Les Stevens' Qover Garden Orchestra broke the record last week for a continuous engagement at the Qover Gardens Dance Palace when it passed its seventh month at the resort, which equals the combined time all the other combinations have played there. Himself a ^ood singer and ver- satile with several instruments, most all of Stevens' musidans have sinular quali- fications, making it one of unusual merit. The orchestra began recording for fte Pathe Actnelle Records last month and since have turned out s<nne clever disks. HUGH ERNST ENTERTAINS Hugh Ernst, manager of the Paul White- man offices, was host to Captain Hartley, Captain Fish and several other officers of the S. S. Leviathan and their wives last week at a party given in their honor at the Moulin Rouge. A feature of the party was a huge cake with a representation of the Leviathan on top done in icing. Following dinner the party went to the Riverside Theatre, where the Leviathan Orchestra was playing, as guests of the management, returning to the Moulin Rouge after the show. RIGHT QUINTET OPEN ' The Right Quintet a versatile playing and singing combination have opened for the summer at Villespigues, Shcepshead Bay, a ^ell known resort of that section. The orche.stra is one of the first of the singing combinations and has an unusual record which includes 6 years at Reisen- webers', 2 years and 6 months at the Zieg- feld Roof and other similar engagements. J. E. Lightfoot is manager and leader of the outfit MITCHELL SIGNS FOR S YEARS Al Mitchell, leader of the fifteen piece United Orchestras combination playing at the Arcadia in Providence, R. I., was in New York last week and announced that he had been reengaged by the management of the Arcadia for five years. Mitchell originally went to the Arcadia on a two years' contract so that this amounts to an' extension of three years on the original. July 4, 1923 WARINGS TOURING N<mTHWEST Waring's Pennsylvanians last week closed a successful six weeks' engagement at the California Theatre, San Francisco, and are now on a tour of the northwest during which they will play in Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and later Denver, after which the orchestra will return to their home town of Pittsburg, Pa. The orches- tra has been increased to twelve, the latest addition being an eighteen-year-old saxo- phone virtuoso, who also plays darinette and flute. ORCHESTRA MAN A CARTOONIST Buddy Baldwin's Orchestra, in their third successive year at the Nassau Hotel, has been receiving the benefits of a novel form of publicity. Stanley McGovem, banjoist with Baldwin's ordiestra, is the originator of the "Dumbell Dan" series of cartoons that run in papers controlled by the Herald Syndicate. From time to time the orchestra, or members o'. it, are used by McGovem as subjects for his cartoons. UNITED ORCHESTRA BOOKS DATE The United Orchestra, Inc, last week closed negotiations with F. C Boiuier of Philadelphia by which they will fumish the new Sylvania Hotel of that city with an orchestra when it opens on September 6 under Bonner's management. According to present plans Vincent Rizzo's Havana Casino Orchestra will play for the dancing. DAVIS AT CANOE PLACER Eddie Davis and his orchestra, after closing at the Qub Royal, opened on Fri- day at the exclusive Canoe Place Inn, Southampton, L. I., for the stunmer en- gagement. _ Included in the combination, beside Davis, are Mike Loscalva, Warren Loos, Frank Reino, George Tvordy, Dan Ryb, and Paul Macamktun. ELKINS AT CASTLES-BY-SEA Eddie Elkins and his orchestra opened on Friday night at Castles-by-thc-Sea for a summer engagement The combination consists of ten men. It is possible that later in the season Elkins and his organiza- tion will play Imth at the Nassau and Castles, Baldwin merely playing the late session at the Nassau. NAT MARTIN BOOKED The Paul Specht office bboked Nat Mar- tin in charge' of a six piece combination at the convention of the Moving Picture and Theatre Owners' Association which was hdd at the Hotel Alamac, Lake Hopat- cong last week. The convention lasted for two days and Martin and his men played both days: LANNIN AT CASINO PIER Sam Lannin opened on Saturday at the Casino Pier, Wildwood, N. J., for the summer. Lannin is in charge of one or- chestra and the Memphis Five is the other combination. The (^ino Pier was taken over by Lannin and his brothers this year with Sam Lannin in personal charge. RESERVE ORCHESTRA OUT The S. S. LeTnathan reserve orchestra has gone on a barnstorming trip through New England and will remain out until after the number one Leviathan Orchestra- sails,^ at which time they will take up the bookings of the first combination, being routed over the seaside circuit. COLLEGIANS IN SCRANTON The Collegians Orchestra, under the di- rection of Bob Causer, after having visited their various homes on a short vacation, opened on Monday night at Rocky Glen Park, Scranton, Pa., for an all-summer engagement, booked there by the United Orchestras, Inc X ENTERTAINERS BOOKED Joe Henry's Entertainers, a five-piece combination, have been booked by Joe Henry at the Columbia Amusement Park, North Bergen, N. J. They will fumish the dance music in the pavilion there dur- ing the summer.