Variety (November 1954)

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Wednesday, November 14), -1954 VAUDEVILLE 59 Lou Walters, operator of 4he. Lati Quarter iteries Ne.W York and Miami Beach, returned from Eiitope last week with a. blast at the. Miami Beach bonifaces who have been influenced by Las Yegas salaries i their bids for talent. According to Walters, salaries being bid by several cafe, operators in the area are virtually equal to those being shelled out by the Ne- vada spots. He stated that Betty Hutton was being offered $20,000 a week by one; another, according to Walters, offered Martin.& Lewis a record $40,000 per Week, and others are being offered salaries which may be impossible to recoup in their spots. Walters stated that these night- clubs are tying themselves down to the necessity of doing capacity business every night in order to come out only slightly ahead or perhaps Only even. A lot of food and liquor has to be. sold in order to make up these big salaries. This kind ,0f wages; he stated, is im- possible without the help of a casi At the N. Y. Lati Quarter, which now has a show topped by Mae West, Walters stated that his own. profit in . the current show is considerably iess than the salary he is paying Miss West. Walters further blasted those who have been offering "fantastic" sums to names as being "salary- happy." They want to be known as being responsible for the highest stipends in show business outside of Las Vegas. Later, he said, Las Vegas may be taken into that ter- ritory. He said that this bidding makes nitery operation more dif- ficult in New York, Chicago, ^Hol- lywood, Boston, or any place. Walters closed, his attack with his observation that, generally, these owners are reasonable citi- WING Currently STILL CLUB-DATING FOR MILDRED LANE (Until Nov. 13th) Dir.i JIMMIE HUS50N AGENCY ■ 19 W. J7th SI., N.w York. GABY de LYS Sensational Subtle STRIPPER EXOTIC PRIM A BALLERINA • Fox, Indianapolis...... . 4-10 • Oajoty, 'Detroit..... ..Nov. 11*17 o • Folly, Kansas City Nov. It-lJ • • Mayfair, Dayton Nov.SS-Dec.l • • Falaco, Buffalo.........Dae. S-l • Contact DICK HENRY 17IS B'way., N. Y. JU t-0014 zens in a business way. "They pride themselves on being able to cut three cents from the price of a pound of meat, or cut a busboy’s or waiter’s salary, Or place one less roll on the table in order to save a minute sum. But all bets are off when it comes to buying talent." Minneapolis, Nov. 9. Night and supper, clubs here face the threat of shuttering as the result of a 10-day strike notice filed against all restaurants and bars . by the. Minneapolis joint board of the AFL Hotel and Res- taurant Employees union. All bis- tros and cafes serving liquor and 2,500 employees affected by the action. Present contract doesn’t expire until Oct. 1, 1955, but includes a clause permitting either side to re- open it on Oct. 1, 1954, which the union has done. Its demand is for a 10% across-the-board Wage in- crease, a third week of vacation after 10 years of service, re- troactive to last Oct. 1. Negotiations between represen- tatives of the two sides started shortly after the union submitted its proposals, last Aug. 1, but have been unavailing. CORDOBA DANCERS SET FOR NITERY IN MIAMI ' The. Hurtado de Cordoba con- cert troupe of flamenco dancers are paring down their concert reper- toire to nitery proportions. The group, comprising 11, which in- cludes two guitarists, will preem their cafe routines at the Saxony Hotel, Miami Beach, Dec. 20. ImporUfrom Spain recently did a stand at a. N. Y. legit house, but critics were virtually unanimous in their appraisal that this was pri- marily a nitery turn. Mercury Artists Corp. is representing them in this field. To Head N.Y. Pierre Show The Cotillion Room of the Hotel Pierre, N. Y., will attempt a Latin show built around Mex matador Manuel Capatrillo. According to Marcel Ventura, who booked the show* el torero doubles as a bari- tone and gets $5,000 each time he enters the ring. Naturally, he’s taking a cut for his Pierre stand, which opens Nov.' 16; He’s also done radio and films in Mexico. Dancers Rafael Ruiz *& Conchita, and flamenco guitarist Carlos Mon- toya* complete the lineup. Brasselle Answers Claim On Nitery Act Material Los Angeles, Nov. 9. In answer to writer Alan Wil- son’s breach of contract , suit in Su- perior Court, Keefe, Brasselle charged that the plaintiff collected money in advance but failed to de liver material for the actor’s nitery act. Wilson claimed he was to get $3,000 plus $250 weekly for writing, directing and staging the act. Bras- selle said there was no such agree- ment and declared he paid the writer $500 for gags that were, not forthcoming. Stan Scottland, formerly with the Kenneth' Later Agency, , has opened his own: agency in New York. CAB CALLOWAY NOW—ELEVENTH WEEK HOTEL SAHARA LAS VEGAS Mill. DLL MITTLER. U19 (roadway, New York Philly May Be U.S. Centre Of Can. AFM Auxiliary; Joint Council Gives OK Philadelphia, Nqv. 9* The powerful Joint Council of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers went on record with an offer of support to the new American Fed- eration of Musicians Auxiliary, which has supplanted the recently- formed Actors International Union, variety performers group. Dick Jones, former regional di- rector of American Guild of Va- riety Artists,, and Charles Garvey, former Philly branch manager for the AG VAT attended the meeting and received the go signal from the joint Council to organize. Local entertainers are b'eing or- ganized under the charter of the Toronto AFM Auxiliary, No. 149, and plans are underway to make Philadelphia the American head- quarters of the Auxiliary.. Move of the Joint Council in- dicated that union lines were being formed here in the AGVA hassle. The action stemmed the entrance of Stephen "Blackie" Cardulo, head of the Seafarers International herb, into the picture. Cardulo’s stevedores are. supporting AGVA and allegedly put the heat on en- tertainers belonging to the . Auxil- iary. N on Jackie Gleason will probably work at the Paramount, N; Yy, for the sheer joy of jmaking fun for a live audience. The CBS-TV comic will probably shell out most of his stipend for cast and production when he plays his first vaude date in years, starting there Nov. 17 for two. weeks. GleasOn will be getting a .50-50 deal for the first $110,000; after that, the split goes to 80-20 in his favor. Out of that sum he’ll pay for 50 musicians which he will con- duct (so he’li save money on the leader) . special arrangements* a dance line of;32, Audrey Meadows, Art Carney,, and outside, acts in- cluding Lou Wills Jr. and Rudy Cardenas. He’ll have a special producer on this show, special sets, and a curtain which will cost $ 10 , 000 . At the same time, the Paramount will undergo considerable expense in getting the house ready for the first stageshow.since. the place went over to a straight pix policy a couple of years ago. For the first time in two decades, the Par will, use the full stage.. During its long tenure as a bandshow house, the pit was the only part of the stage that was used. Gleason will double between the Par and his teleshow. After that he’s set to do a straight dramatic role on "Studio One.” After that he’ll .be so tired that he’ll take two. weeks off in January. The Dorsey Bros. Gleason's summer replace- ment on the network, will again be the subs. However, in this in- stance, they’ll get an expanded budget so that they can get some highpowered guests to assist them. Jennie Grossinger Fete A gross of nearly $100,000 is ex- pected to result from the Jennie Grossinger testimonial dinner which was.held last night (Tues.) at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y. The dinner, which was held in honor of the hostess of the Catskill Mountain hotel, will benefit the Grossinger Memorial Hospital in Israel. George Jessel emceed. ... Others making appearances included Ed- die Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Milton Berle, Jan Peerce, Sen. Estes Kefauver, Barney Ross and others. Attendance was estimated at 1,200. Chairman of the event, Eddie Cantor, had to remain on the Coast because of his health. Friars to Fete Martha Martha Raye will be tendered a testimonial luncheon by the Friars Club, Nov. 17 at the Park Sheraton Hotel, N. Y. This marks the third time that this alLmale theatrical organization has honored a femme performer. Others were Blossom Seeley and Sophie Tucker. Washington*. Nov. 9. Secretary of Defense Charles E, Wilson last week told Jack Irving, national administrative secretary of;, the American Guild of Variety Artists, and Jackie Bright, prexy of that union, that he would study plan advanced by ihe union to furnish vaudeville shows in Vet- eran .Administration.. .hospitals as well as those Operated by the vari- ous services. Under the proposed plan, union would finance travelling troupes but of. its welfare fund. These troupes would then perform in theatres an effort to recoup costs and raise travel expenses for he show, and double into various hospitals at: no cost to the govern- ment. Fontainebleu’s Teeoff Miami. Beach* Nov, 9. The new Fontainebleu has signed' the Lecuona Cuban Boys to start in January for the season, when the hotel bows. Although a talent policy hasn’t fully been decided upon, indica- tions point to the possibility that floorshows will be staged at this hew hospice. FOR CENTRAL AMERICA Dancing Waters, the fountain display, is being, sent on the Cen- tral American route. The aqua spray has been set for two dates at San Jose, Costa Rica, which will serve as an audition point for other dates. Dancing Waters will open at the. Nacional 'Theatre,, there, Dec. 18, after which it plays the Costa. Rican Fair, Dec. 22, Both dates are iirider auspices of promoter Raul Volio. Sam Shay on, of the N, Y. office of Dancing Waters, will go down to Costa Rica to set further stands for the fount. ' The American Guild of . Variety Artists has decided to end the war- fare with the American Federation of Musicians, The performer union has okayed a move to renew the 1950 agreement, which defined the jurisdiction of musical acts bn the same terms that had been in effect when the agreement was abrogated by the union about a year ago. Jack Ifying, AGVA’s national ad- ministrative secretary, conferred yesterday (Tubs,) with AFM execs on renewal of the old contract. Move: was taken by AGVA effort to alleviate the unemploy- ment problem existing for many acts, particularly. in the Canadian region where Walter Murdoch, AFM v.p., has organized a local for performers, and has forbidden musicians to work behind, any AGVA acts unless they resign from that union,. Union toppers felt that with the decline in employment, it would be. better part of valor to concede (lie issues involved in an effort to get more acts, working. Should the agreement be signed, both sides will be spared the ex-, pense ' continuing several cases now. on the dockets of . various courts. AQVA got one temporary, injunction .in, Canada, and lost a plea: for one.. Several AGVA mem- bers, are suing. AFM in Canada be- cause of damages sustained when the AFM refused to abide by their agreement, and play for acts. Discontinuance of the court cases would help alleviate AGVA’s pre- carious financial condition. Union is scraping bottom because of the expenses involved in the various legal tiffs. This consideration is said to be another reason for the pitch to renew the old agreement. Board gave. assent to the move this week in a wire referendum initiated by the national office. There had been some reports that the AFM had been preparing to notify U.S. locals not to back AGVA acts, but this was uncon- firmed. ’Antennae’ Spurts to Stay • M m VUI) Chicago, Nov, 9. Sudden business splurge last week caused backers of Olsen & Johnson’s vaude-legiter, "Pardon My Antennae," to rip off the clos- ing sign. A run at the wickets last week built the gross to . over $20,000, which gave the show a new lease on life after the first three weeks of teetering biis. It’s now planned to keep the show running here indefinitely, and backers, encouraged by past week’s response, again have their eyes on Broadway. Russell Again Picked To Head ARA Midwest Office Chicago, Nov. 9. Artists Representatives A^n. re- elected'Jack. Russell president of the nMdwest regional office and re- tained Fred C. Williamson; Asso- ciated Booking v.p.* as first vice- prez. Second v.p. is GAC’s Floyd Shaw, and third MCA’s Marvin Moss. Goldie Cohan was named secretaryrtreasurer. Board of Governors lists Phil Levant, Sidney Epstein, and Milo Stelt, all of Chicago; and Ray Auler of Milwaukee, Jack Blue of Den- ver, Tom Reardon of St. Louis, and Ruth Best of Cincinnati. Dir.: Gtrb«r-Wolsi, N. Y. CO 5-I4IQ Chant* With a Chuckle “WORKING* AS Dir.) JIMMIE HUSSON AGENCY 119 W. 57th St.* New York NITERY MATERIAL ForNew Yur't Evt rder your Sptdil Material nowl A. GUY VISK Writing Enterpriser 194 Hill Street Troy, N. Y. "Creators of Special Coftedy Material" RAJAH RABOID Return Engagement CASINO ROYAL Washington, D. C. New York: Dick Htnry los Angeles: Hal Gordon Canada: Mae Johnson