Variety (November 1954)

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Wednesday, November 3, 1954 P'ASilETY Statler Hotel, D. C. Washington, Oct. 27. Hank Fort, Charles Carts, Ah t(ey Albert Orch; $2 cover. it’s a puzzle to Washingtonians \vhy such towns as' New York, Philly, etc., don’t latch on to Hank Foit to help up the level of lively fun at their niteries. The blonde songwriter and entertainer can do no wrong in this town where she • successful at everything from her Statler Embassy Hoorn stints to singing her own numbers at parties thrown by Perle Mesta and '{lie.like, : v Miss Fort; who hails, from the mountain music belt of Tennessee; has a jnusical line of Dixie corn which stirs up the old rebel spirit jn everyone south of Wilmington, Del;, and delights Northerners as ' Aveli- ' Iler current stand at the Statler js typical. She alternates songs and. fast patter, working around the floor with a mike on a long wire,, periodically brihging in audience, participation and even shoving her mike at the faces of ringsiders to capture their cooperation .for the entire audience. Favorite Fort compositions get* ting -a big hand are "Put Your. Shoes On, Lucy," about a gal ho ; likes to slip out of her pumps arid wriggle her, toes; "Don't Tell Joe;” the one about Senator McCarthy Which got national attention some months agp; "Save Your Confed- rate. Money Boys (the South will rise again)"; . ‘Tm No . Spring Chicken (but I'm young enough for you)”;' "Somethin’ Old;- Somethin’ New," about a Tennessee child bride and her fiftyish husband; and more of the same, which she offers io. her "kissi ’ kin in the audi- ence/”' .. Miss ; Fprt plays it . with less sophistication arid more corn than Dorothy Shay,“the Park Ave. HilL billy, but there is a certain kinship in their actsi Charles Carts,, good looking youngster, who does card tricks about as well as anybody now around, has . a nice line of patter and pleasant personality; However, it’s a Visual kind of act which can be appreciated only by those close; enough to the floor to/see the spots on a regular-size deck of cards; Much of the material is a total loss to others in the audience, unless, the rhanagement provides tele- scopes. Lowe. Bar ofMusIe. L. A. Los Angeles: Oct. 22. Doodles & Skeeter, Kitt .C&soh, Constantine Callinicqs &. Freddie Katz, Eddie Oliver Orch (. 5 ).; $2' .-minim The high^polish that poodles. & Skeeter put on their record panto- ini icry should steam up plenty of patron repeats fob the comics' current; two-week stand, , inciden- tally making chances better than good of be mg hold over. Boys are. clever, and they sock over their knockabout routines 'with obvious relish for strong, response. Doodles previously was teamed with Spider and this is his first time around with, new partner. Turn is fast and boisterous as they debut with "Lucky Pierre," as sung by Robert Clary, They, hit a style Which reaches out to smack the audience, and their 30 minutes onstage seems barely half that as they parade their wares. Besides an occasional hat or fright wig, only props actually used.; are in their Dili St. Cyr number, "Two to Tango," click of the show. Balance of show are holdovers, Kitt Carson’s smoky voice tuning in.on special material, among them ‘Motels Are Smarter Than Pep- Ti ano team, of Constantine Callmicos and Freddie. Katz also turns put a group of classical num- bers with skilled ease. Eddie Oliver and his prch hack Miss Carson for good effect as terp music. Whit,: IViumalii 9 Honolulu Honolulu, Oct, 18. ■lolani Luahine:, Hoakalei; Leina- m Haili, Joseph. Sonny Nicholas, ■ Pfthit , Drummers (3 ) , Ancient Hawaiian Dancers (4)j Modern Dancers (4), Little Joe, Billy Hew hen Band (4);: $5.50 minimum. Niumalu Hotel manager . John ...Spencer, who doubles as show producer, has sunk several thou- sand dollars into building a large rnirroivbacked stage arid installirig an ultra-modern stereophonic sound system in the spacious Canoe Room. Investjrient’ should pay off . handsoiriely on basis' of new enter- tainment policy. He’s staging the “#-13 Supper Show’* (that's the official monicker) Monday through Thursday nights and, If the all-Hawaiian show cheks, will continue It until'late *pi’ing. r *'•« > - I.t’a a supper-audieilce-onlyshow, with cuisine that warrants the $5,50 stipend especially consider- ing that the price includes taxes and tip as well as dinner. Let’s face it: tourists haVe riioney and. seem to enjoy spending it, especial- ly when they feel they’re getting in oh authentic Hawaiian enter- tainment. And authentic this is, for lolani Lpahine, as mistress of the hula, was dedicated in infancy, accord- ing to Isle custom, to the disci- plined career of a hula artisan. She has surronded herself with a c h ante r, youthful Polynesian drummers, four girls trained in ancient hula, arid four exponents of contemporary hula. Miss Luahine works effortlessly and her versatile troupe is capably backed by Billy Hew Len on steel guitar, Clem Low, piano harp, David Kupele, bass, Joseph Fiege, console drums. Leinaala Haili, soprano and member of a famous family of singers (Hilo’s Haili Church Choir),, gets a Warm reception, and Joseph Sonny Nicholas' baritone, voice scores with modern Isle songs. Show runs less than an hour; but regular Canoe Room talent goes on. shortly thereafter. There’s no master, of ceremonies for "8:15” and an. offstage voice explaining the symbolism of the ancient dances might be irt order. Either Way, there’s warmth' and color to this inaugural show, which; seems destined to become must-see tourist attraction. * Walt* Cliez Paree, Oil Chicago,. Oct. 31. Sam LevenSon ,. Peggy Taylor, Peggy Ryah . Rdy McDonald, Brian Fafnon Orch (10);. $1;50 cover, $3.75 minimum. The Usual Chez format of song, dance and comedy is represented in This fortnightep by threesome of acts who are each introduced by their tv credits — : leaving no : question as to which Way the wind is blowing on the. live entertainment Scerie, especially with the ropes up on opening night (31); Sam Levenson, headlining, walks off with nearly all the garlands. Looking professorial and sporting a fresh crewcut, Levenson soft- pedals comparisons of his own live r by - instinct childhood with psychological child-rearing today; His tales hit the bullseye every time, and the, hilarity is constant, throughout his 35-minute tenure. Timing is masterful on vignettes about germ hysteria, suburbia, scientific kitchens, and sex educa- tion^ and the teller warmly laughs along With tile crowd at Jiis own devastating insights. Standup chirper Peggy Taylor has a hep offbeat catalog of ballads and specialty ditties that garner a nice hand, especially for her innuendo lyrics. Gal’s a. good- looker with capable pipes, and. has the raw ingredients for 1 '-a.fine nitery turn. There’s something lacking,.however, in stagecraft arid inspiration, . Beaming hoofers, Peggy Ryan and Ray McDonald, contribute a snappy : if disjointed • eyeopener that has a thing of two to offer in the cdmedy vein. Youthful couple engages, in soirie showmanly energized top terp, interlarded with moments of clowning by Miss Ryan, and hitting a high moment in a Charleston burlesque. Brian Farrion orch showbacks adeptly and is likewise effectual on the ballroomology. Les. MEX TOURIST BIZ UP FROM SPRING SLUMP Mexico City,.. Oct 26. Tourism this year thus far has more than recovered from a slump last, spring. It was actually 17% higher during the.first nine, months this year than in like period of 1953, the government’s tourist de- partment has announced. Up to Sept. 30 350,095 tourists had en- tered Mexico. Only 299,202 visitors: had checked in by that time in 1953; It is viewed as significant that only the number of visitors are cited and the amount of Spending ignored. Private sources complairi that tourist spending this year is less than it Was last year and. far less than it was in 1952. Even, hotelmen coin plain of less tr ade. Hotels usually get the pick of tourist tripper trade. Nine hotels say that generally current tourist trade is spotty. As usual, all in tourist trade look for an upswing with the advent of the visitors from abroad, particularly the -U. S., prompted by < the start of cold weather. KUtz Carlton, Montreal Montreal, Oct,. 27. Vicky Aiitier, Johnny Gallant, Joe Seitano Trio; $1.50-$2 cover. Paying her first Montreal date, Vicky Autier shapes up solidly in this two-weeker as a doublethreat for clientele of the lavish Ritz Cafe. A blonde looker with plenty of per- sonality, Miss Autier not only knocks off a very good song, but is a capable performer at the Stein- way. The combined piping and 88’ing is something, new for this room and of questionable value in a spot Where the artist concerned is expected down front with closer payee contact. However, the Am tier flair and song list overcome this minus and patrons respond readily to. her chatter and talent. Routining is carefully arranged despite lighthearted approach and many of (her numbers are backed by Vocal gimmick from the Settario Trio and. house pianist Johnny Gal- lant. Encore sets slip a bit close to the cocktail lounge type of en- tertainer but spirited mannerisms arid Gallic touches lift /her out of this class. Biz.is okay in Montreal’s remaining supper room and follow- ing present stint Miss Autier planes to Paris fqr an opening there on Nov. 15. Newt , Duckling-To-Swan Route Pays Off at Chi Cloister; Chanter Proving Grounds Chicago, Nov,. 2,. v In the past seven months, the Cloister Inn; here has blossomed into one of those suddenly success- ful show; biz phenomena, via the ducklirtg-to-swan. route, evolving from what for years , had been an unknown cellar bistro to what is now a crowded proving, grounds for the "smart’' brand of chanter. It’s become a place where the local theatrical; tribe,, touring company casts and visiting nitery perform- ers make their after-show visita- tions to catch the jazz stylings of. the latest Cloister Innma.te. Last March, bonifaces Pat Fon- tecchio and Paul Raffles made a desperation policy change from a drab cocktail lounge operation and began to attract attention with the. blurb “New Names, of 1954.” First, "new” vocal names were Ann Gil- bert, then riding a fairly hot; BBS disk in; this territory, and Peggy Taft, with Tommy Stat keyboard- ing. . A few months later the house' was able to snag jazz chirper. Lur- lene Hunter, who had built a strong Chicago following from: ap- pearances at the Streamliner and later the BlaGk Orchid. She’s been the houses’s regular attraction, teamed eaeli month with a dif- ferent new song stylist. Since then the Cloister operation has been -.click© as a no cover-no mi imum drop-in bistro, with very few of, the comforts of home. Janet Brace played; a brief date here recently, and Sylvia Syrris, wlio finished last week, smashed the house record in a six-week ten- ure and is tied up to exclusive bookings in Chi by the Cloister. Recently the room plucked the reg- ular services of Ralph Sharon, Brit- ish jazz 88’er, who is an attraction himself. Current featured thrush, Chris Connors, is getting good dejay - action locally to her "Lullaby of Birdland” on the Bethlehem label. She essays this swinging ditty as the. piece de resistance of her sets on present stand. Blonde chirper stylizes in a way that derives from several other modern femme vo- calists and her colorations are slightly . affected, but what is nat- ural with her is fine. Luflene Hunter reigns here With a rich, sound and impeccable phrase,, but seems to be losing im spirat.iqn as she continues to stick with the same repertory she start-, ed with. Gal is expecting and Will be leaving, the .spot in .a couple months; Room will have to search some to find a . standby singer' of. equal merd. Les, ELLA’S TIME OFF FOR COAST NITERY DATE Hollywood, Nov. 2. Ella Fitzgerald plays her first Coast nitery date in three years, opening at the Tiffariy here Fri- day (5). She has just completed a 56-city tour with Norman Granz’ ! ‘Jazz at the Philharmonic", troupe, When the local stand is /com- pleted, singer heads east for hud- dles oil her upcoming fourth tour of Europe with *?JATP. M REVIEWS 53 • ", * House Reviews Apollo, X. Y. Big May belle, Gene Ammons Orch (12), Larry Darnell, Jackie Mabley, Colleanos (4), Regals (5-), Shorts Davis; “Secret of Con- vict Lak e" (20th). House is billing this show as a "rhythm & blues festival,” and they’re not kidding. It's a driving. 80-miriute affair that offers nothing unusual from; the Apollo's past policy .but it’s jampacked with zingy iristrumentals and ypcalistics pegged for the clientele’s cravings. Topliner Big May belle, in the closing niche, is a beefy bounce stylist. Garbed in a petite pink frock, she makes' a striking .'appear- ance as she skips through "Old Man . River,” "You Never Know Just How Much I Ml You” and "Jump Blues.” She’s got a fine rhythmic. style and some uriusual offbeat phrasing that makes her .the delight of the hepsters. Also in , the hep vocalizing ;; groove is •crooner Larry ’Darnell. His appeal, lies mainly With the femmes and he draws 1 plenty of yells as he whips through his turies. Darnell generates most e.xciteirient when lie’s tackling a.rhythm number but he does okay in warming up the house with his posh ballad, styling. . Jackie (Moms) Mabley changes: the pace between Darnell and Big Maybe.lie's turn \vith a comedic monolog. Apollo stage is a familiar stamping ground for her, and she delivers in a casual,, informal man- ner that doesn’t prepare you for the innuendo arid blue stuff that’s, coming. Some of the lines . are pretty rough but the aud, especial- ly the stags, eats it. up. Shorts Davis puts his limber legs to work in the teeoff spot. He’s got a nifty tap technique and enough cleat capers, to rate a lot of initt action. The Colleanos, two guys and two gals, are a sharp jug- gling act. Team, only ofay turn on the bill, has a speedily paced eight-minuter that amazes all the ; wa.y. Gene Ammons shows off best when he reduces his orch to a six- 1 mail combo, (piano, drums, bass, tenor sax, alto, sax and trumpet) for. rhy thmic workovers of "“Street of Dreains” and "More Blues Up and Down.” It’s a hard-hitting unit, that gets most of its drive from Ammons’ slick tenor Work; The full orch (three rhythm, four .brass, and five reed) does a solid backing job . The Regals, young vocal quintet, shape up as slick singing crew in their Apollo bow. Group is . re- viewed in New Acts, Gros. Ol.vinpi;?.>3iaiiii Miami, Oct 29. Eugenie Baird,. Condo's. & Brtin- dow, Ballantine., Johnnie Morrison, Tom & Bonnie Parris , Les Rhode Hoiise Orch; "The Unholy Four” (Lip). Eugenie Baird is a solid-enough thrush who knows her Way around this vauder-s patrons, being a reg- ular returnee. -Vocally .she is well equipped, and visually .. equally pleasing, but solid impact is neg- ated somewhat by a not-too-vvise selection of tunes. Most of them are too much alike in tempo but withal she scores handily. : Heaviest palm-earners - are local- ites Condos and Brandow, always welcomed warmly when they' ven- ture from their around-toWn caft- tv assignments onto the Olympia stage. , In the comedy department, Bal- lantine; vet spoofer of the magico artists, earns himself a heavy, load of laughs with his .torigue-in-cheek patter that attends his tricks Which never quite to come off, Emcee, chores: are. haridled by Johnnie 1 Morrison is okay mariner but the. approach to humor is on the worn $.ide ; . With his. niusical interps ob- viously depended upon to pull him hbrne/.to fair acceptance., Teeoff spot is zingly ! handled by trampoline toppers Torn and Bon- nie Farris. From the Ringling cir-r cus, they exhibit gasp-raising twists and flips to start them mitt- ing early and through their to. Les Rhode arid house orch accomp the layout in skillful style. Lory. Palace, X. Y. Sharidons; (3L Grace Drysdale, Moke & Poke, Gene Jiinae, Three Swifts, Cirq Rimac & Co. (4), Senator Murphy, Shooting Mans- fields (3), Joe Lombardi Orch; “Golden Mistress ” WA), reviewed in Variety Oct. 20, '54. Current Palace sesh runs around '90 minutes and is generally entei> taining. Pace is sriioothi wvith only an occasional slow spot. Bill has a coupe of standout entries in Ciro Rimac /& Co. (see New Acts) and the Three . Swifts. Latter trio ap- ply a huriiorbiis twist to a juggling routine for solid results, with guys tossing clubs and patter in a non- chalant manner. Club handling by all-three members is expert, .. Grace Drysdale's hand-pupDet* eei'ing is effective as she puts net dancing dolls through a number of colorful fvvirls. IVIoke & Poke do okay on taps, but fall flat with their corny patter. Satirization of politico spjelers by Senator Mur- phy pulls some chuckles, but need- ed sock values in the yock depart- ment are missing. In the windup slot, the Shooting Mansfields de-: mpnstrate perfect. marksmanship; Family, comprised of husband, wife and daughter, Work with rifles, firing from a. variety of positions, and constantly hitting tlie target; The Sharidons, terp trio, and. Gene Jimae. juve harmonicist, ar also under. New Acts. Joe Lom- bardi backs show in usual solid style, Jess. raMno. Toronio Toronto-. Oct, 29. ■- Gypsy Nina,. Don Phillips & Co. (2), Billy Sheppard. Evans- Fain* ily (4), Caesar & Lester, - Archi Stone's House Orch; “Go, Mail, Go" LUA). Here is a neat, diversified. 70- minute stage package. which, though lacking pretension, is in the blended vaude tradition 1 and trip value for the customers' money. On for a brisk opening ir the Evans Family, always peren- nial faves here, with mother and father, son arid daughter, over big on taps and softshoe routines. First visit here of Bill Sheppard sees the young baritone over, on resonant voice, looks and stage be- haviorism.'’ Opens with an okay "Hey, There” and then into £ med- ley of Jolson trademarks. Switch to ballad style is "Little Thing! Mean a Lot” for top audience, re-. - sponge, and a fine finale of "Some- body Stole My Gal," this sung , in "Dragnet” satire style and over bi| on deadpan delivery. Don Phillips & Co., man with decorative fferrime, follows with unicycle juggling of, clubs and rings, soirie rope-skipping on bikgs arid the inevitable warid-in-mouth catches of rubber balls, with wholi act over neatly, Gypsy Nina aldc- get's. over on her interpretive danc- ing. But' bill’s top kudos go tc Caesar & Lester, for their whan comedy act, with latter earliei acting as amiable emcee j until joined by his partner for their own hilarious stint, of. mayhem. It*s i zany routine, with a riotous Cag- ney and Bogart bit of gouging, an- other Crosby, and Fitzgerald imita- tion for chuckles; and some top takeoffs on pops: singers. These are two. funny fellows, in tire clean comedy level. McStay, Empire, Glasgow Glasgow, Oct. 28. Frankie Laine, with Al Lerher at piano; Vic. Lewis Orch, with Sylvia Drew, Dean Raymond and. Ronnie. Chamberlain; Trio Rayros, Bill Wadding ton, Lionel King, Rey &. Ronjy, Bobby. Dowds Orch. Frankie Laine, on final week of his British vaude tour, is currently wowing the teenage element at this leading music hall. His name is so big; with the juve element that they, can hardly wait for his appearance in the final spot, and make it heavy goin£.for some of the other acts on a very average supporting bill. . Singer introduces his new pianr 1st, Al Lerner, who handles the keyboard : with accomplisliriierit, arid then .he hushes the youthful customers with tribute to the late Carl Fischer, singing one of his numbers, “I’d Give My : Life to. Have Your Love.” He leaves the customers warttirig mote, as the Vic Lewis orch breaks into the British national anthem. . Opening terping duo of Rey 8? Ronjy, two lively young distaffers, is bright arid: away-from-the-rut; Bill Waddingtori, northrof-England comedian, has to fight latecomers in his comedy spot, which is aver^ age iri first segment and too at- tuned, icr his native Lancashire through football references; etc. Standout act is the Trio Rayros. in excellent knockabout antics. They make novel use of a large trunk on wheels,, which, is reversed to reveal a trairipoline, and tim- ing is near-perfect. Lionel King takes rip too milch space iri a lorig- ish card-manipulating act which requires services of three stub- holders. The Bobby Dowds house orch showbacks for the support turns. ‘ Gord.