Variety (November 1954)

VAITDEVIIXE Vednttday, ^November 10, 1954 Philadelphia, Nov. 9> Collapse of v George White’s "Glad to See You" as an attraction has caught the Latin Casino with its dates wide Open. Flagship of •town’s niteries booked "Scandals’’ for two weeks With options, pecting revue to run at least four weeks and oossibly through •Christmas, ..pn strength of. its 18- montii stand at the. Versailles, New York. Owners Dallas Gerson and Dave Dushoff knew the worst by the first weekend and started cast- ing about for replacements. Package moves ^ out. tomorrow night. (Wed.), and Lenny Kent and. Rosemarie are set for a Thursday* (ill opener. Gerson said he was frying to sign Peggy Lee for the following week, Nov. 21, but ill- ness of. her child makes songstress, a highly tentative booking. Latin Casino ops were . praise- ful of ensemble even though the highpriced package failed to bring them in. "It is a very good show and everybody that saw it" liked it. Unfortunately; 'in this town you have to give them a name to bring them’ out at all,’’ Gerson said. Misplaced confidence in White’s show finds the Latin Casino virtu- ally without a fop attraction for remainder of the year. . Situation wasn’t helped any by ari-indiscreet member of the program’s cast, who went on a late-night radio show and announced “Latin didn't have more than 15 people at the second show:” Remodeled room now seats 600, with all ringside tables. Vs. Mpls. Nitery Figure Minneapolis, Nov. 9. Supreme Court here has af- firmed the white slave conviction of Joe Rosenfield, who was floor- man at Vic’s; leading loop nitery j here, at the time Of his arrest, and he must serve a two-year prison term.. Rosenfield was accused of re- cruiting a woman patron of the club for prostitution, later induc- ing her to become a Superior, . Wis„ resort inmate and participat- ing in her ings. He appealed from the lower court verdict. Vaude, Cafe Dates JOE LAURIE JR. Hundreds of volumes from the library of the late Jot Laurie Jjr. FOR SALE A complete history of comedy (wit and humor) in bound volumes printed in the 19th and 20th cen- turies, offered for sole under the terms of the will of the late JOE LAURIE JR. for $ 3,000 A treasury of comedy and vaude- ville history, fflquire; DAVID L. MARK, Executor 1501 Broadway, Now Torh 3f, N. Y. Washington, Now. 9, Top Washington hotels are arm- ing: for a scramble to increase ban- quet and convention business, They hope to bring all of the largest Conventions to the nation’s capital regularly. American Legion's first D. C. na- tional convention last summer proved it could be done and now The National Assn, of Radio & .Television Broadcasters convenes here next April, first time they have set one of their big national conclaves for this city. Biggest -job of improvement is currently under way at the Shera- ton Park which, with the Shera- ton-Carleton, was acquired last year by the Sheraton Corp. Shera- ton Park is building a $1,500,000 •annex which will contain ah enor- mous ballroom and exhibition hall. Annex is slated for completion next April, in time for the NARTB convention which will be based there and at the Shoreham Hotel, a block away., Sheraton Park, larg- est in town, lias 1.200 rooms.. An- nex ; \yill -offer 20,000 square, feet of banquet and meeting hall plus an- j other 16,000 square feet for exhi- j bition area. Banquet hall is ex- I pecte.d.to hold 2,000 for sealed di - I ers and, up to v . 3.000 for dances. In recent years, the- bulk of Washington’s convention business, has centered about the Statler and Mayflower Hotels, >The two now under the same Conrad Hilton management, indicate that- they be- lieve they will be able to take, care of themselves, despite tire hew competition, by working the Two. Hotels as a unit for conventions and other large affairs. Mayflow- er’s mai ballroom seats about 800. Statler now has the largest' in town, its connecting Presidential and Congressional Rooms able to hold 1,200 comfortably for major dinners. New York Billy Daniels goes into the Copa- cabana, N, Y., starting Feb. 17 . . . Will Mastiri Trio signed for Copa City, Miami Beach, Feb. 3 . . . '‘Hippodrome’’ producer Harold Steinman off to Europe for a talent inspection tour . Christine Jorgensen being booked for an Australian. tour late this month, starting at thd Palladium. Sydney. .. , Pianist Stea Free currently at the Beau Brummel, N. Y. Lucille & Eddie Roberts go into the British Colonial, Nassau, Jan. 27. Jenny Collins set to play -there Dec. 31 at the opening of -the season. James Grady is booking the spot.... Jackie Kanrion can- celled out of a Dec. 1 stand at El j Rancho; Las Vegas, in order to I go into “School For Brides” . Irving Gray to produce and direc.t the annual ‘‘Lights On” benefit for The Lighthouse. Milton Berle will, emcee. Eddy Arnold booked for the Home Exposition, in February Nanci Crompton tapped for the Town Casino, Buffalo, Dec. 27 . Dick Hallman goes into the Hotel Ambassador. Los Angeles, Dec. 1 Bonardi, former maitre d’ at the late RivieYa, Ft. Lee, N. J., to assume similar chores at the Latin Quarter, Miami Beach . , . Tessa Smallpage joined the show at the .Albany Club, London, last week . . Calypso singers Lord Templar and The Charmer go into the Gold- en Slipper. Glen Cove, L. I., Nov;. ! 11 , , British comic Paul Rodney Methuhe has been added to Kay Thompson's act when she opens the Persian Room of the Plaza Ho- tel, N. Y., Nov. 18 . . . Polly Bergen into the Thimderbird, Las Vegas, Dec. 31, Hold Atlantic City Op For Beating Femme Help Atlantic City, Nov, 9. Nathan Goldberg, who has op- erated the Yacht Club in midcity, nightspot for many years known as Babettes, was held for the At- lantic County Grand Jury on charges of atrocious assault and battery Thursday (4) by Municipal Judge Stephen A. Damico. A Waitress at the spot testified that Goldberg beat her twice: when she asked for her.pay after finding her envelope empty; Her lawyer charged that the beating was “sav- age and brutal” and said it was the fourth time the nightspot .op- erator had beaten women employ- ees. Nathan denied the charges as he acted ^as his own counsel. LEW BUCK and PAT DUNDEE (Beauty and the.least) A new note in Slamor Comedy 8ta«ed 0> Mervyn Ntl^on Direction NAT DUNN 1650 B'way * New York Paid-in-Full Stamp To Circus on H’ford Hartford, Nov. 9. Paid-in-full stamp has been placed on all claims arising from the disastrous Ringling Bros; cir- cus fire here on July 6, 1944. In his final report to the Hartford County Superior Court last week, Atty. Edward S. Rogin, receiver for the eircus, said that all claims for. personal injuries and deaths, totaling $3,946,155.70, have been paid in full. As a result of the holocaust, America’s worst circus disaster, 169 persons died and 500 were in- jured. A total of. 676' claims was filed against the circus. Chicago Joe E, Lewis and Peggy Lee helming Dec. 28 Chez Par.ee bill for couple of weeks . . Robert Clary headlining ' four weeks at Black Orchid, beginning Dec. 21, with Buddy Baer and Naomi Stevens featured . Phyllis Branch set for Dec. 8 calypso show at Blue Angel, with eight-week lineup including Count Daville.. Phil Tucker, currently at Chi’s Sil- ver Cloud. pegged for indefinite stand at Chase Hotel, St, Louis, beginning Nov. 19. Omaha Don Romeo of Paul. Moorhead Agency has signed the Mills Bros: to top his week-long new auto show here in. February, and ex- pects to add Monica Lewis and Gil Lamb.in the near future. HART SUBS MORGAN IN HUB AGVA POST Boston, Nov. 9. Smiley Hart has replaced Ralph Morgan as national rep of AGVA here. Morgan, who held the post for about six years, was ousted last week by the union’s national board, acting in New York on the recom- mendation of the local executive board. Hart, who transferred here from Montreal, has also been AGVA rep in Kansas City and Baltimore and more recently, manager of the Hub's Hotel Bostonian Jewell Room. . at the MOCAMBO, Holly wood BILLBOARD “Will Jordan proved to a .tough opening-night crowd that he’s one of the cleverest young Comics to come along in a long time.” VARIETY “Will Jordan, peer of. th present im ressiohlsts,” currently, celebrity room, Philadelphia friday, november 12th steve alien's ''tonight” wrca-tv Management: JACK ROLLINS Direction: MCA 2d Ziegfeld Follies Club Is Formed in NlY. . A second, organization of former Ziegfeld Follies members.lias been formed. New group, tabbed The Ziegfeld. Alumna Assn., has named Mrs; John Russell Green as its prexy. Dorothy Brown Fox is first v.eepee, Barbar Idyl: is second vicepresident; Tess Redfield, third v.p.; Gertrude Vanderbilt,, treas- urer; Mosellecita Stapp Van Wyck, secretary, and Kathryn Cornelli, recording secretary. Marcella Eng- lish and Consuela Flowerton will be on the board. Group, will maintain quarters in the Hotel Beverly, N. Y. The Ziegfeld Girls Club is the othei organization. American Guild of Variety Art- ists “pay or play” ruling has stirred up a hassle, between Epic Records’ crooner Roy Hamilton and Morris Levy, operator of Birdland, N. Y., jazz nitery, Dispute flared up last week When Levy claimed that Hamilton, was skipping out of a previously committed; Birdland date to take an engagement at the rival Basin Street nitery at a high- er fee.. AGVA decision on the rhubarb was that Hamilton would have to pay Levy the $700 he was to re- ceive for two weeks at Birdland. Ruling, however, doesn’t Satisfy Levy arid he’s planning to bring it up before the. AGVA board later this week. Leyy claims that since he. launched Hamilton’s nitery career last February before the singer broke out as a click disker, and since he already had picked Tip the . singer’s options, • Hamilton owes him the playing time. Basin Street offered Hamilton a hefty deal to come into the club in December and the Gale Agency, which books the singer, moved in fast and accepted. According to Tim Gale, agency’s topper, Levy agreed to let Hamilton out of his option time ^f the singer would appear in the Birdland, Jazz Con- cert which played ‘ New York and ^Boston last month. Hamilton developed into a hot marquee name via three. disclicks for Epic, “If I Loved You.” “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Ebb Tide/' Chicago, Nov. 9. As of now, the iriidwester AGVA bureau is in the clear again, having untangled itself from the legalistics that have pjagued it for almost two years, A couple weeks ago the union settled its differences with the Entertainment Managers Assn. Out of court; and restored the local booking agentry to good standing. And last Friday (5), Federal District Court Judge William J. Campbell dismissed the suit of a group of cafe owners and performers, -represented the Cafe Owners Assn., ivho were seek- ing damages and injunctive action against AGVA’s welfare fund. Plaintiff's case, as presented by attorney Stanford Clinton, hinged on the interpretation of AGVA’s mandatory fund as. a violation of antitrust legislation. However, Judge Campbell opined that AGVA was not in an industry affecting, interstate commerce and construed .personal efforts of performers and athletes not being subjects of commerce. He cited an early Su- preme Court ruling in a baseball case to substantiate his decision. Attorney for AGVA. was Alfred Kamiri. DeWitt Ducks Date For His Critically Ilf Kid George DeWitt postponed his date at the Boulevard, .Re-go Park, N. Y., to be near his three-year-old son, who was in critical condition in Variety Children’s Hospital, Miami. Comedian flew down after his son was bitten by dog belonging to a neighbor, Willie Pep, a fbrrner fighter. Kid's upper lip had been badly torn. During the operation the lad, Nicky, was said, to be “medically dead.” His heart stopped beating, and surgeons cut a hole in the chest cavity in order to massage the organ. The Same situation oc- curred agai , and again life was restored by the same process. Jack 1 DeLeon substituted for De- Witt at the. Boulevard. BAR OF MUSIC IN DALLAS Dallas, Nov. 9. Bob Williams, whobuilt the Bar of Music at Las Vegas, has opened a similar spot here. Williams also plans to use out- standing keyboard rtists at th local soct. SHE'S DYNAMITE! KAY MARTIN (and her TRIO) Currently BASIL'S Sapper Club Kokomo, Ind. Direction MERCURY ARTISTS ; St. Paul Flame’s Tax Jam Minneapolis, Nov. 9. i St. Paul Flame; one of Twin '• Cities ' leading iteries playing i floor shows, is in a jam . as a re- | suit of allegedly unpaid cabaret, and miscellaneous Federal taxes ! from December, 1952, through March, 1954. ■ Bureau of Internal Revenue filed a $28.190,.06 tax lien against , H. & G. Go. Inc;, which operates |‘j the establishment. ‘Follies’ in Double Bonus Omaha, Nov. 9. Switch of iceshows from the old Arena to the Stadium in Chicago has. resulted in a double bonus for the Shipstad Sc Johnson “Ice Fol- lies.'’ Not only will they do as much biz in 11 days as they .bandied in 35 at the Arena, but the extra time enables them to pick up three more cities—Pittsburgh, Spokane and Des Moines—In the 24 days. COMEDY MATERIAL for All Branch os of Theatricalc FUN-MASTER me original SHOw-aiz gag rue (Tho Servlet of the STARS) Firof 13 Files $7.00-AII 35 issues $25 Singly; SI,PS per script. • 3 Bks. PARODIES, per book..$10 e O MINSTREL BUDGET........ .$25 O 0 4 BLACKOUT BKS., ea. bk...$23 e • BLUE BOOK (Gags for Stags) $50 o HOW TO MASTER THE CEREMONIES $3.00 OIANT CLASSIFIED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAGS, $300. Worth ovtr a thousand No C.O.D.'S BILLY GLASON 200 W. 54th St., Haw York It—Dept.V Circle 7-1130 WANTED PORPOISE TRAINER Prefer man with experience in train- ing usd lions or chmtpanxees. Age 27 to 45. Permanent position, Contact W, F. Rolleston, Marino- Studj , Ma- rineland, Florida. WHEN IN BOSTON It's the The Home of Show Folk Avery A Washington Sti, ANNOUNCING THE RE-OPENING of the JOE RQLLO AGENCY 205 S. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, Col. CRestview 6-2069