Variety (August 15, 1951)

Wednesday August 15, 1951 Camp Shows Auditions Korea-Bound Unit Before ‘Average’ Ft Jay GIs VAITPEV11XK The United Nations troops in Korea will continue to get a high brand of entertainment through ISO channels, judging from the previews of units 980 and 981 Jhich auditioned for the brass and troops at Ft. Jay, Governors Island. N. Y., Thurs. (9). This in- stallation, according to Camp Shows execs, provides a good sam- pling of G1 tastes. Theory is that if the entertainment goes over be- fore these garrison troops located in a metropolitan area where diversion is freely available, then the entertainment-starved fighting men will surely go for it. The Ft. jay assemblage indicated its ap- proval of the CS packages. The units, which left for Korea Friday (10), are probably the small- tit packages sent o'lt by Camp Shows since the start of hostilities. With current shortage of contrib- uted funds, the Army brass decided to take a regulation length unit and split it in two to cover twice as much ground. The package will be halved into four acts each af- ter reaching Tokyo. Composition of Units Unit 980 will comprise instru- mentalist Roy Smeck, who’ll pro- vide accompaniment as well as work in his own spot; puppeteer Tommy Trent, singer Dorey Clare and juggler Larry Weeks. Weeks will act as road manager. Other section (981) will embrace impres- sionist Julia Cummings, dancer Roseanne, accordionist Terry Rillo, (Continued on page 54) Taub Exits Loew Vaudery In Play-Time Decimation A further indication of dwindling regular circuit vaudeville playing time came last week with an- nouncement that Murray Taub, as- sociate talent booker for Loew theatres, would not be replaced. Taub left the organization last week. Entire office now comprises booker Sidney Piermont and secre- tary Lillian Gillman. Taub was with the Loew talent booking organization for the past 17 years. Cleve. Alhambra Back After Auction Sale; U. S. Revs Interested' Cleveland, Aug. 14. Jan August and Doris Drew, itarting a two week stint tomorrow iWed.), are reopening the Alham- bra Lounge Club, which has gone through a stormy period of bank- ruptcy, fights among creditors and a public-auction sale to a new syn- dicate in the last month. Nitery was pushed into insolv- ency by three lawsuits filed by a tavern-fixture company, a dairy firm and the Federal Government, which claimed ths spot owed $193,- 000 in cabaret taxes. Total in- debtedness came to over $230,000. The recent auct with a mere $10 Merrill I. Cowan, left creditors to share as of Ahe bank- rupt club’s owners, joined ti*e suc- cessful bidding group. After the sale was approved by a Federal bankruptcy referee, Al- hambra’s new management was In- corporated by Morris R. Blane, bankruptcy lawyer who made the high bid and who represented the Alhambra Tavern & Lounge, Inc., *hich owned the Tavern, and Sam- uel R. Bradley and Joseph M. Vino- cur, two of the creditors. Company officials said they would *ssume a $49,774 mortgage held by (he Alhambra Bowling Co., in *hich Cowan and George A. Har- vey also own stock. Bureau of In- ternal Revenue, left shortchanged, announced it is making an investi- gation of the overlapping corpora- tions, although operated separately *ad without any alleged connection. fn the reorganization, the club, one of the plushiest in town, re- ongaged Hy Baron’s orch for first •utumn floors how toplined by August and Miss Drew. Weekly entertainment budget is set at 13,000. Bill Miller Eyeing Old China DoQ As Sole Negro Spot on B’way Deal is in the works for Bill Mil- ler. Riviera, Ft. Lee, N. J., op- erator, to take over the China Doll, N. Y. It’s planned to switch the oriental policy to a Negro revue format, and new name being con- sidered is Sugar Hill. If deal is completed, it’s likely that a Larry Steele revue, current at the Club Harlem. Atlantic City, will go into the spot. It’ll be the sole sepia nitery on the Stem, and the first Negro cafe in several years. The China Doll, operated by Tom Ball, closed this past spring after a lengthy operation in the red. Ball was subsequently hit on charges of tax evasion, r The Sugar Hill will mark Mil- ler's second try at operation of a Manhattan nitery. Some years ago, he started the Embassy Club on the side of the former Riobamba. It folded after several seasons. Sister Tharpe, Knight Split, Tonr Separately After an association of more than seven years, gospel singers Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight arranged an amicable split last week to tour as separate units. Miss Knight will be booked with the Richmond Harmonizers while Miss Tharpe has not yet decided upon a permanent group. . The Taps Agency continues to repre- sent Miss Knight on personal ap- pearances and on Decca Records but will only represent Miss Tharpe on her Decca deal. AFL-Frisco Powwow to Hear AGVA Ideas on That One-Card Uiuob’ AC. Mulls 100G Outlay For Fall-Winter Lure Atlantic City, Aug. 14. The Atlantic City cooperative Wvertising campaign committee, 21K" la8t year s P* nt more than *‘00.000 plugging winter attrac- uoils of the resort, Is mulling plans *° ditto that sum this winter.' Joseph I. McDonell, general ^nager of Chalfonte Haddon Hall * n .H ^hairman of the committee, that as a result of newspaper, amo, TV and direct-mail adver- 5.000 ’’keyed” Inquiries rr r received from visitors last winter. this year special emphasis will p °n an autumn campaign ' Vr|1 *s the winter series. Last L* . ther * were 641 advertise- rv W rtdio Programs and 36 CARROLL’S REKINDLES WITH HOLIDAY’ REVUE Hollywood, Aug. 14. Earl Carroll Theatre, dark for four months, relights Aug. 30 with ’’Holiday for Love,” new continent- al revue produced and directed by Francis Bunny Weldon. Two-act, 35-scene show will be the second offering at the Sunset Blvd. night spot since it was purchased by Frank Hofues, Texas oil and hotel- man. Initial show* Lou Walters' ’’Pleasure Bound” package, played Carroll’s for three Weeks last spring. "Holiday” has original music and lyrics by Carter Wright. Gerald Dolin, who will conduct, arranged the music. Weldon, Wright & Dolin also have formed an organi- zation to produce TV and radio shows as well. Harley Hardman will be general manager. Rehearsals for "Holiday” get un- derway this week after casting of the main roles. Company will num- ber 54. Auctioned St L. Spot Becomes Famous Door St. Louis. Aug. 14. The sale of fixtures of Top O’ the Town, west end nitery. to satisfy $9,500 in delinquent Federal taxes last week netted Uncle Sam only $320. A mortgage holder received bulk of the proceeds and spot will be reopened as the Famous Door. Total received from sale was $8,- 020, but mortgage holder had a first claim of $7,700 of that. Sale was conducted under a warrant in distraint against former owner Mack Barnholtz. Andy Singer, resi- dent of a downtown hotel, said he and a partner, whom he refused to name, will operate. Celeste Holm Gets Plaza Persian Room Celeste Holm hair been signed to start at the Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel, N. Y., in November, for two weeks. Room will reopen Sept. 27 with Kay Thompson. Music Corp. of America set the deal for Miss Holm. Coast AGVA-TA Row Forces Bob Hope Halt Of Palsy Benefit Hollywood, Aug. 14. First casualty in the bitter bat- tle between Theatre Authority and American Guild of Variety Artists was the annual Bob Hope Cerebral Palsy Benefit. Hope cancelled the show, scheduled for Sept. 19 at Hollywood Bowl, rather than be caught in the middle of the juris- dictional fray touched off when AGVA ankled TA on the Coast after a dispute over clearance of benefits and administration of funds. Hope had not yet set any talent, so the cancellation required noth- ing more than a decision not to go through with what has become an annual event. Last year. Cerebral Palsy Assn, netted some $17,000 from the affair, which boasted such other names as Danny Thomas, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Tony Mar- tin, Dinah Shore, Jane Powell and Dan Dailey. Meanwhile, AGVA Coast chief Eddie Rio blasted back at Theatre Authority, charging it was trying to sway public opinion with a "de- liberate, unjustified distortion of truth.” Referring to tradepaper advertisements issued by TA. Rio declared his organization had never given up its jurisdiction over va- riety performers. AGVA’s with- drawal from TA, he added, stemmed from the fact that "it not only was continuing to supply al- most all performers for both legitimate and ‘so-called’ benefits but was forced through Theatre Authority’s inefficient administra- tion to police these benefits. AGVA sought to correct this situation, but its objections and suggestions were ignored.” Withdrawal was found to be es- sential, Rio contended, to eixd "the many abuses imposed upon variety performers by Theatre Authority.” However, Rio backtracked on the thorny question of the benefit show scheduled for between halves of the Rams-Redskins football game at the Coliseum tomorrow night (Wed.). Rio had Insisted that the Los Angeles Times, which spon- sors the annual charity game, would have to clear all performers through AGVA or there would be no show.^ He changed his mind, however, and declared that the show would be permitted to go on since the contract was signed on June 22 while AGVA was still a member of TA. Rio reiterated that in the future, AGVA members are "not to per- form without pay unless such per- formance is first cleared by their union.” Laine Resting:, Pushes N. Y. Par Date to Oct. Frankie Laine’s date at the Par- amount Theatre, N. Y., slated to start Aug. 29, has been pushed back to October on advice of his medicos, who warned him not to resume work until the end of Sep- tember. He'll go into the house either Oct. 3 or 10. Laine underwent surgery on the Coast recently. Paramount has booked comic Jan Murray and El- liot Lawrence Orch, with others still to be set. 450 Payees at 2 Can. Dates Causes VaUee To Jonk 1-Man Tonr Moncton, N. B., Aug. 14. Rudy Vallee cancelled his tour of the eastern provinces, after two dates, having opened at St. John, and summarily closing in Moncton. At St. John, there were about 250 paid admissions and at Moncton, about 200, with price scale of $1 to $2. Although there was no mention of its being a one-man show, ap- parently the public deduced it and stayed away, on the heels of dates by Tex Beneke orch to good busi- ness. When Vallee counted up the poor gross at Moncton, he wired the Music Corp. of America branch at Boston and announced he was washing out the rest of his tour pronto and returning to New York. For his solo performance, Val- lee sang a number of songs, told a flock of stories, joked, and played his sax. At the close of the per- formance, he played host to a few men and women who presented themselves for . his autograph. "Either this is the wrong place or I’m the wrong man.” Vallee told the few signature seekers. He had arranged to show at school auditoriums and rinks only in his tour. At the cancelled spots, it was announced that money for tickets bought in advance would be refunded. . ♦ Question of a "one-card union** combining all affiliates of the Asso- ciated Actors and Artistes of America will he put on the floor of the American Federation of Labor convention in San Francisco, Sept. 17. Henry Dunn, national administrator of the American Guild of Variety Artists, plans to present an amalgamation plan for consideration by the delegates. Dunn stated that there’s little likelihood that the confab will take any action on the proposal, but he hopes that the AFL board will put sufficient pressure on the 4A’s to create such a setup. Dunn will cite the jurisdictional quarrels among the various 4A affiliates as a major reason inaugu- rating the one-card idea. Another argument to be cited on the con- vention floor is the higW cost of maintsing membership in all 4A Onions. There have been several attempts to bring about an amalgamation of all 4A affiliates, but none has been successful. Meanwhile, Dunn has instituted talks with the Screen Actors Guild in an effort tc work out an inter- changeability deal, so that AGVA members can work films without paying added union dues and film- sters can play the variety fields without additional fees. One of the first steps toward amalgamation will be presented at the 4A meeting next month, when Dunn will ask that the Brother Artists Assn., which has jurisdic- tion of burlesque, be merged with AGVA. Dunn said that inasmuch as many BAA members must work cafes and vaude houses, and since the hurley houses use vaude turns in their shows, interests of the members would be best served by one union In both fields. Carroll to Versailles, N.Y. John Carroll will make his first N. Y. cafe appearance at the Ver- sailles, N. Y., starting Sept. 5. Filmster ha» been making the rounds of theatres and cafes for the past year or so. Carmen Torres opens at the Ver- £4.i | If j i » t #i rtTT Holzman Not Leaving Morris Agcy. for Cantor Hollywood, AugTS4. Ben Holzman is not leaving the William Morris Agency after all but. instead, will service Eddie Can- tor In all fields of show biz as part of the agency's service. He was vir- tually set to ieave the 10%ery to go exclusively with Cantor. In- stead he will handle all phases of Cantor’s bookings out of the Mor- ris office. Jack Crandall continues as Cantor’s business manager. Cantor" and his • TV producer. Manning Ostroff, are due in New York next week to prep his first show on the Colgate "Comedy Hour" series Sept. 9. They’ll re- turn to the Coast in November, where the origination point will shift via the coaxial. LEN GREEN, HARRY KILBY JOIN TO FORM MERCU1 ? The Leonard Green Agency, one of the top percenteries for the booking of Latin acts and hands, last week merged with Harry Kilby Agency to form the Mercury Art- ists Corp. Kilby is a former Gen- eral Artists Corp. veepee who or- ganized its cafe department about 10 years ago, resigning last year to open a Florida office. He repped GAC talent in Florida and Latin- American countries until early this year. Greed will be MAC prexy and Kilby the veepee and general man- ager. Other officer is Charles Green, secretary-treasurer. Date- digger lineup will include Larry Gengo, head of the act department; Lenny Ditson, topper In TV book- ings; George Drake, in charge of locations, and Art Gordon, head of the Florida office. Deal involved an exchange of stock in both corporations. Merger also gives MAC a Florida agency license. Under laws of that state, agents must be residents L. Flor- ida for three years and must be es- tablished in the agency business for that length of time before a license can be granted. Green at one time worked in the cafe branch of GAC with Kilby. He later resigned to open his\ own office. Sinatra’s Desert Stint Frank Sinatra has been signed for a two-week stand at the Desert Inn, Las Vegas, starting Sept. 4. He follows the Ritz Bros. Comic Jay Marshall has been ! Mr ‘rfiffThuifdifik 'lhow*. ‘ 7 I A.G. Renews 'Ice Capades’ For ’52 on 10-15% Deal Atlantic City, Aug. 14. A contract returning "Ice Ca- pades” to the* resort from July 18 to Aug. 31. 1952, was approved by the city commission on Thursday (9). The show has played its sum- mer date at Municipal Auditorium. Contract calls for same deal as a year ago, city to get 10% of the gross after taxes, but if the take goes over $300,000, the city’s share 'Miss America’ Directors Nix Complete Autonomy To Bob Russell, Replace Him Atlantic City, Aug. 14. Bob Russell, who has emceed and directed 10 of the last 11 "Miss America” pageants, has been re- placed this year by Bob Evans, of Helena, Ark., it was announced here last week. • News that Russell had not been offered a new contract was re- vealed by J. Howard Buzby, local hotelman and producer of the pageant, and came as s surprise here since Russell was often ac- knowledged to have done an out- standing job. Buzby explained that the reason for the change is that ”• man was needed who would be available two or three weeks In advance of the event to help out in its preparation and production.** The inference was that Russell was not available for all of this period. Actually, the reason for the change was a personal matter stem- ming out of the pageant's director- ate feeling that Russell hid assumed a greater control over the annual show than the board wished to give him. Russell had made no bones on running the show without ask- ing for much help from a group re- garded by him as amateurs in show business. Once before the pageant board replaced Russell, but after a year’s Interim he was back again. Russell’s replacement formerly sang with Fred Wiring’s Pennsyl- vanians. ML Ians Off 30-50% As Weekdays Decline Business at summer resorts has been off 30-50% in many spots. Hard hit has been the N. Y. State Catskill Mountain area, where nearly all the Intermediate and smaller hotels have been taking it on the chin in comparison with last season's grosses. Spots such as Grosslnger’s, Fern- dale; Concord, Kiamesha Lake, and in the Adirondack! area. Green Mansions, Warrensburg, have been running close to capacity neary every week. These are the excep- tions, however. One factor that stands out during the current resort slump has been the increasing reliance on weekend business to make ends meet. Week* day patronage Is at Its lowest ia