Variety (Apr 1949)

50 Wednesday, April 6, 1949 N.Y. Cafes Won't Hike Talent Budgets To CtHnpete with Miller's Riviera, N. J. New York bonifaces will xeslst-f' the multiple headline policy which | prevailed the past few seasons in f Miami Beach cafes which they fear | may start this year in the New j York area. Cafe owners are care-| fully Watching Bill Miller, who opens his Riviera, Ft. Lee, N. J., April 27. Miller has already' signed Danny' Thomas and Vic Damone for his initial bill. Fol- lowing show is slated to have Sophie Tucker and the Wesson Bros. Tony Martin, so far, is the only topper set up for the third display, but negotiations are on for Harry Richman and Martiia Raye , to head the fourth show. i It's the first time a nilery in the N. Y. area has gone in for a com- paratively consistent policy ot mul- tiple headliners. There have been ■ instances where a cafe, notably i Nicky Blair's CarnTval, had booked, a series of names on one bill, but; all within a modest budget. Some years ago, the Riviera had Miss: Tuclcer, Joe E. Lewis and Richman ; on the same bill. i While Miller is surrounding top names with other talent of head-, Hner calibre, other cafe owners' are sticking ito the single name' and supporting act policy. Com-: peting operators feel that since' Miller is open only in the summer, i the status quo will be resumed! when the spot shutters in latcifall. i Miller's top budget outlay is said ' to be aimed at the Copacabana,; N, Y, Latter spot is reported to have' dickered for Danny Thomas, i but when Miller got the comic, I Copa retaliated by booking Dean i Martin and Jerry Lewis plus the Vagabonds for the same bill. I Slates Add Femme When Bro. Exits for Musical It's now the Slate Bros. (2) and Sondra following breakup of, the trio turn with Henry Slate appear- ing in the Rodgers & Hammerstein production of "South Pacific." Sid and Jack Slate have revamped their act and have added a femme. New trio opens April 11 at Mother Kelly's. Miami Beach. Sid Caesar set for Palmer House. Chicago, June 16. Gene Autry Pacted For San Antone Fiesta Dallas, April 5. Gene Autry is being brought to San Antonio Saturday; April 16, to spark that city's 54th annual Fiesta San Jacinto celebration, an event comparable to New Orleans Mardi Gras. The Alamo City's Fiesta Com- mittee negotiated with Autry to present two performances of his stageshow in the 6,000 seat Munici- pal auditorium and to head a big western parade through the city with the Governor of Texas and San Antonio's Maybr and other dignitaries participating. The cowboy star who only re- cently came off a two-month na- tionwide tour of 50 cities, also has been booked to play Midland, Texas.- April 13; Abilene, Texas, April 14; and San Angelo, Texas, April 15. After Easter, Autry will play Beaumont, Texas and Alexr andria and Lake. Charles, Loui- siana. Then he'll return to the Coast for' more picturework at Columbia. Cleve. Nilery Revues To Double in Vauders Cleveland, April 5. Package cafe revues produced i by Herman Pirchner at his Alpine Village are being picked up by local Music Corp. of America of- fice for Sunday tours to potential vaude stands in Ohio small towns within a radius of 150 miles. Nitery operator's current show will play its first vaudeville date under this setup on Sunday (10) at the 1.500-seat Mayland, a new Essick & Reiff house which re- cently opened in Mayfield Heig|its, o. ■ Playing the Mayland on a per- centage deal, Pirchner's unit con- sists of Phil Maraquin, comic; the aero Three Tro,ians; IJndsey line of six feinme dancers; Doris Lee and Pat McGormick quartet from the Alpine's Eldorado Club,: Frankie Strasek orchestra and an- other act. Although MCA con- ceived and promoted idea of using the Alpine Village's revues on Sun- day bookings, its owner will con- tinue to ink the majority of his acts through the Frank Sennes agency here. Talent War, Price Slashing Fears Causing ML Resort Ops Plenty Woes Spitalny's Girl Orch Into Hub's Memorial April 16 Boston, April 5. RKO has booked Phil Spitalny and his all girl orch into Keith Memorial for week starting April 16. This will be first stage show to be booked into theatre in 10 years, Keith policy using RKO, Boston, for such shows. Feeling that this is a class at- traction and will draw many people that would not ordinarily patronize the Boston led to the decision. Pic will be "A Woman's Secret." Pennsy's K.O. ~ Continued from page 49 WORLD RENOWNED MENTALISTS DESTIS A BOX OFFICE SENSATION! Management: AL GROSSMAN. 1270 Sixth Av*., New York T Ml which is almost an industry in Pennsylvania due to the closed Sunday. Out-of-state bookers are also for- ■ bidden to solicit business here, under the directive. Ruling is the result of an interpretation of the 1941 agency regulation statute by the State's Attorney Gen- eral. Philadelphia agents groups, the Entertainment Managers Assn. I and the Variety Bookers' Assn., have long been pressuring for a clarification of this law. The directive, which became ef- ' fective immediately, makes the local agent solely liable. There are 132 licensed agents operating : in the state and the ruling is a great break for virtually ev^ry one , of them. ■ ■ ■• In his notice to the agents. Sec- retary Chesnut said in part: "You are cautioned to see that all forms of entertainment are procured through booking agents, properly I licensed and bonded by the Com- : monwealth of Pennsylvania and i are covered by a properly signed I contract of a Pennsylvania licensed ; and bonded agent. No other con- , tract form will be recognized." ! Sinatra Cancels London I Palladium This Summer ' Hollywood, April 5. • ! Frank Sinatra's scheduled sum- mer tour of Europe, including a j two-week personal at the Palla- I dium in London, has been called ' off. I Film commitments at Metro make it impossible for him to carry out the tour as planned. He was to have opened at the Palladium July 4. Copa City Continued trom pajii; 49 ggssJ Valaida Snow, slated for a Town Hall, N. Y., concert. May 20, and into the Harlem club, Atlantic City. June 16. VIOLA lAYNE Currently 14th Smash Weekl BELMONT PLAZA New York th. So u r,'^^^^ Management JACK KALCHEIM ^wS'^: cut,., Geddes-designed cafe accommo- dated 850 in the main room, and 350 in the lounge. Following a sock teeoft' by Milton Berle, the Murray Weinger replacement of his burnt down .(summer, 1948) Copacabana hit an off pace that picked up rarely. | Anomaly is fact that the main I room did a fair biz, with Barry ] Gray's aircast in the lounge a solid draw: overall, however, it was a losing struggle due to too large a plant that required a huge opera-, tional "Staff and necessity for capacity crowds for two shows nightly in order to meet the heavy ; payments to talent, mortgagors, those with liens and general over- head. Creditors K. O. Assignment ! When the spot was shuttered fol- , lowing the ayem show on Satur- J day, it climaxed a fast sequence of i events last week which stemmed ; from a struggle for control—or' Weinger had bowed out early in the week, assigning his valuable ground lease to Harry Simberg, a local (and New England) hotel operator and his group. However, the larger creditors stepped in and stymied any plans assignees had for the place via writs and attach- , ments which led to the sudden' ' closing, ■ . Original financing for the plush , nitery included a stock sale plan I that had many of the operational I staff (waiters, etc.) investing in !-"preferred" shares running from ! $100 up. These. In addition to the I heavier investors, some of whom I had sunk $100,000 and more in the : venture. Latter group included contractors and others who helped I erect and equip the structure. Future of the club is now in the I hands of the attorneys represent- 1 ing the host of creditors, i Barry Gray, who two weeks I ago had been signed by Weinger to a year's extension on his original contract for his airer from the Copa lounge, is continuing from studios of WKAT, with every cafe and hotel patio now in operation bidding for his services on the same deal for a $40,000 annual guarantee. However, the gabber will hold to his station setup until the picture clears and (eventually will return to Copa City when it resumes. - Operators of the upper New York mountain resorts are still un; decided whether to start a price war or a talent war to entice trade After the season shapes up it's likely that the area will have a combination of both. For example, the Concord hotel Kiamesha Lake, according to book^ ers Beckman & Pranskv, have taken the rubber-bands oft' the waN let. The spot will spend as hieh as .fVS.OOO for its 10-week summer .season and will attempt to get names such as Dannv Kaye MU. ton Berle, Sophie Tucker, -jackie Miles and Joe E. Lewis, Other major spots will make similar pitches for lop talent but in the evert that the upper bracket names aren't fortlieoming, it's exv peeled that hotel rales win be lowered by the time season gets in full swing. * ■ The innkeepers expect a terrific rdrop in number of vacalioners at former tarifts. Many hope to op- 1 erate at capacity with name talent 1 as the lure. Whether thi.s will work j out in light of current economic rconditions remains to be seen. I The hotelmen are reluctant to : drop prices at this point, feellne that theyll get a healthy share of trade during the height of the ! season if they have potent shows Besides, a $10 or so price dip lor the week won't mean anvthina with rates as high as $1,50 per pei' son weekly. If innkeepers start cutting prices there's no telling where the slashes will slop Manv fear that a 50% slice uiil rcsuft once a price war starts The innkeepers think Ihev ll do better if they have top shows. 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