Variety (Apr 1949)

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y^j^^^j ^ril 6, 1949 Club Reviews 'tMct^** Grove, W**^- oatter pattern around lilt W'TXnngs and while some is needed, most of the Contintied from page 52 W'liiiT- good. Hfe pokes fun at ilia former career, his tin's fdvttJtures and his age »r*7,U done in a high good hu- infectious. The only ■""•i. .mV is an unnecessary ven^ SSiSj that should be dis- "^e Voi«5 doesn't seem to have ^- J much in the last decade; "ne of those you-like-it^ "™ Son't larynxes, and more or-yoiMO" I , jijg positive side. rtfniv he knows how to wham "ntt oveT^ whether It's the r^ne •• which elicits strong niT"e^ponse, or such things ffmeV" and "Sweetheart of fll My Dreams." which are care- fl /alculated to remind his audi- f rf some almost-forgotten ro- oniir moment. He works with r^GroTwhose deft pianistics Se » Wsh backing. Full-scale musical support comes from Del Courtney, who played S flrst Grove date five months ■so ind clicked so solidly he was Igned immediately^ for a repeat. He'll undoubtedly be back many: more times. The IS-piece Court- ney crew is well-nigh perfect for J hotel room operation of this type. The* arrangements, many built .round the keyboardlng of Bob Moonan, are slickly designed to leeD all segments of the terpublic happy and it's the kind of easily llstenaMe melodies that provide the perfect background for those who prefer to sit at a table and talk. ^Cap. Village Vanguard, N. V. (FOLLOWUP) The Village Vanguard is going heavier on talent budget these days. Current show headed by Josh White is as potent a display as this spot lias had in some time. White's tongs and guitar, ever a potent draw in the Village, have a shrewd sense of showmanship which causes him to toss political quips into his tunes; However, he's ap- parently soft-pedalling the social significance content of his num- bers. He's sticking mainly to those that have done well for him on previous occasions. The entertain- ment quotient in his turn is still high. Holdover Roger Price is one of the cleverer intime room humor- ists. His illustrated talks appeal to the literate cafegoer and does exceptionally well. Marcy Lutes is discussed under New Acts. - Jose, VillJllBVILLB 53 flame Room, Mpls. (HOTEL HADISSON) MinneapoUs, April 2. Lthcrace (2), Mel Cooper Orch (7); $2 50 min. Silver Frolics, Chi Chicago, March 31. Jimmy Ames, Marian Francis, Frolic Lovelies (4>, Bud Prentice combo; $1.50 minimum. Attesting to Liberace's popu- larity here is the fact that the current is his sixth engagement in this class spot. He rings the bell on all counts. At dinner show caught, the, v- .„ . „ . -- -- pianist v orkei: 45 minutes and had i jn^'W ineffective, albeit amia- to beg off. Every number won I We talk. The yat-tat-ta wears enthusiastic response. While the ^"'"*-'}'' '"^ end result nullifies performer's skill at the ivories and' "f^** "^W^^ l*- a funny routine at his natty appearance, graciousness. i *'"ap drums, plus some incisive clever choice of numbers and'^^Sgery his lyrics on Miami Bea6h and its luxury priced foibles adds to the build, as does a dualogue With wife and accompanist Laura Kellogg, though the crossfire sequence re- minds of vaudeo more than of cafe stuff. Overall leaves impresh that he can handle himself either in a big spot or intlmery. Charlie Carlisle, a vet emcee, should know better than to take up more than 40 minutes of the Blnilio's Club 365, S. F; San FFancisco, March 31. fddie / artell, Valentine, Mark Dumont, Helen Hughes Pvmcers (6), Derle Knox Orch (7) and Pir cante JRhumba Band (5); wo min. imum. showy arrangements are enough to put Liberace in the top entertain- ment brackets, he gains immeas- urably in rating and customer ap- peal because of the showmanly presentation. Lighting is particu- larly effective. Standou' with Fisher is Myrna Bell, a lithe acro-tapstress who socks with two routines that show off aptness at flips, twists, some sharp hei ' and toe work, plus a trim figure and zingy personality. Gets palm reaction all the way, Neighborhood bistro has come up with a comedian, Jimmy Ames who.has been pulling hefty crowds Not only is his material fresh—] itmosplierT'of rsocial'gathCT^^ but It s all clean. i And while hp's nit Prpat Qhairpc ?c Solid built buffoon triple-tongues some gibberish for fast opener, followed by mugging version of "Indian Love Call," in which he really hits the high notes. He has Oceasioi.ally singling out indi-1 Thrush Lorrie Lynn impresses as viduals iii the audience who are I being better for vaude houses than cafes. Soprano versions of semi- classics didn't jell too well With the tab payers, applause being po-. lite.''. ■ Line, staged by Boche-Carlyle^ is, attractive and handle assign- ments in good fashion. Teddy „ „ King's orch is okay on the back^ And while "he's n* great shakes as groundings. Lary. a singer, his occasional informal vocalizing sallies serves well to diversify the offerings and the sure-fire selections help them to click. celebrating an anniversary or birthday 01' just engaging in light, chatter, he gets on intimate terms with customers by dedicating a number to them or making a gift 11 of one of personalized albums; all of which helps create the friendly Helen l.'ughes dancers tee off in nice production number to set things for juggling specialty of Valentine, who contribs a fast ses- sion of standard tricks for hefty reception. ■ Eddie Bartell, singing comic and impersona'ior, is standout with chatter and songs, topped with im-. pressions of Jimmy Cagney, Ga^ briel Heatter, Kate Smith, Lionel Barrymor , et al. Offs to solid ap- plause. Hughes dancers, with Mark Du- mont handling vocal, provide a fit-: ting finale; Derle. Knox orch is okay on showbacking and dance tunes, while Picante's'. group ^ is equally adept on the rhumba tunes. Ted. Itoumania, Miami Reaeh Miami Beach, March 26. Leon FMchs, JWtldred Joc^lyn,. Bruce . Howard, Ken Jones Orch; minimum $1.50-$3. .some off-the-beat imDreshes of Mel Torme, Dick Haymes, Jack Smith, Vaughn Monroe, Frankie Laine^ etc. Zany wrecks a musical saw in rendition of "Now Is the Hour," end tramps through all alcoves of rne nitery to search for the im- mortal "chloe," done a la Paul Muni. Clicks all the way. Marian Francis, radio songstress, has improved in delivery and voice, being much more informal and at ease than when last caught. She has several good special material bits, but could cut one .song for better reception. Quartet of line dancers are more statuesque than usual and do okay in their routines. But Prentice orch does a neat job on backing show. Zabe. "^fumcel it llie most exciting 'single' in the gay places. Her robust toms. lift the fuzz off your 'chmks' the way Jolson did onlht Winter Garden stage." -WAITER WINCHELL, DAILY MIRROR, FEI. ISth, 1949. Dirtetion—M.C.A. He sounds off with a Gershwin medley, varies the tempo as he goes into "Jealousy," hits a lively "Chit Chat Polka" pace, makes merry with "The Seasons," comes through in timely "Anniversary Song" fashion for celebrators. It all adds up to pleasant listening. Brother George Liberace con- ducts, the Mel Cooper orchestra, which does its usual good job of accompaniments 'and customer terpsing music. Room completely filled. Rees. Alan Gale's Miami Beach Miami Beach, April 4. Mayfair Itoom, Clil (BLACKSTONE HOTEL) (FOLLOWUP) \ Chicago, March 30. Shortage of big-name draws in this area is more noticeable in this swank room, since entertainment consists of one act Solo stint re- quires ability to hold audience for 40 minutes with material sophisti- cated, yet entertainment-wise. Ir- win Corey found the going a bit rough. Comic opens with an oration on the Army. Over-sized cutaway, bag- gy pants and sneakers lend comi- cal touch to routine. His material could be perked up, since yocks registered Current installation at this Yid- dish nitery is a well rounded lay- out.. ■ Leon Fuchr is main attraction for the element still in town who know his type of act. The longi lean guy is an adept eccentric dan- cer. His material, though, even in the Yiddish idiom, is old hat The guy is clever, but at times over^ does his "Well; I'm a talent" de- livery. When he goes into impresh- es of Maurice Schwartz, Menasha Skulnick, et al, eccentric dancer lyric work to the Al Jolson "Can- tor" he wraps up. Mildred Jocelyn, attractive aad talented • oprano, wins nice reac- tion with poi)s, "Show Boat" med- ley and Yiddist songs. Brue^ Howard shows marks of developing into a lop mimic once the corn from his are registered Via grimaces and silly poses, rather than the gags. | he eliminates Unfinished sentences and incon-1 intros. His ace carbonings of radio Hal Fisher, with Laura Kellogg; I ^'^ H'* special-1 proeram types; viz "Duffy's Tav - - : ^ t? ' "■^'\'::"'ijy, I tv. could be hilarious, if material I ern," Victor Moore and others. Comedy Material Sale S«ja only 1,1 f„|. goo orlglntil brand ""^»« monolomi, three «»»»s, alx imrudleN, one sketch. W« alio order. write Bpcclal muterlul to ™ UNLIMITED W. 43.1 St., New York—4-BO 13 Diamon«l Horseshoe, (FOLLOWUP) Billy Rc .e's Diamond Horseshoe,- which is slated to abandon the elaborate "Violins Over Broadway" next month after making it pay off for about a year and a half, is currently offering a generous entertainment platter for the tour^ ist trade. Still operating under the old format, a couple of the acts have changed, but the basic in- gredients of light classical fiddling, ballet and choral singing still con- tinue on an impressively vast scale for a nitery layout. Replacing Benny Rubin, who pulled out because of television! commitments- George Givot is de-i livering his familiar Greek dialect routine, which doesn't improve with age. Givot needs a radical revision of his Material, with elimi- nation of the many stale gags and a dressing-up of his dialect solilo- quies with fresh inserts and snap- pier timing. Solid addition to the bill is the impressionist team of Frank Ray and Don Nardo. Two youngsters, taking turns introducing each other, go through a fast series of carbons Of Barry Fitzgerald, Jim- my Cagney, Leo Gorcey, Gary Grant and other-s. Voice, inflection and body characteristics are ex- pertly handled in an all-around neat routine Charlie Carlisle, Myrna Bell, Lor- rie Lynn, Celebridears, Teddy King Orch; no minimum or cover. ity, was as good as delivery. if material | ern," Greg. ' over neatly. get Lary. With owner-performer Alan Gale | on vacation, this intiraery has set I a new sh.w that is entertaining most of the way, with Hal Fisher, I a plastic panned clown and Myrna I Bell on the sock side, and balance I of the lineup fair. | Fisher, a click in this town, sev- j eral seasons ago, returns with a I ^esh array of gags and special I songs material tailored to his fun-1 making for solid results. .Utilizing as basic material ,i"My WifeJ^Ias Gone And Left Me," song idea of | old vaude days, his redressed ver-1 sion servi 3 as a frame lor some i of the yockiest results. With this, PEGGY LOEB announces the opening of her new offices at 48 West 48th Streeh Hew York, suite 906. PLaza 7-2280. Servicing leading clubs,, ftefels and Mea- fres fiirougliouf the country. A vota of thanks to Lson and Eddie's, Copacabanai Casino Royal, Flamingo and the Triton to mention but a few. And not forgetting my fellow.agcnts who have boon so wonderful ond htlpful to me. PEGGY LOEB Herm, our thanks to machito for deferring his opening at bop cily in order to enable us to present artie shaw and his 40-piece symphony for a special limited opening week engagement "■■■MaHMiHBHMM ot new york's fabulous machito and his qfro-cuban orchestra positively will open J thursday april 21st new theatre-cafe bop city the new music center of the world broadway at 49th opening opr. 14 Personal Management FRANK COOPER MANN just concluded PARAMOUNT NEW YORK Recent Radio Guest Shots CAMEL COCA-COLA SHOWS Direction GENERAL ARTISTS CORP. ,.. u..) ti»?d«i i!««Mi9ffifjaM)M}y{iiuriH;ii i;.;^