Variety (August 1925)

^IBMIHqp 1 Wednesday, August 5, 1925 CABARETS VARIETY S9 MONTE CARLO NAMED FOR BAHAMAS American Money Erecting Pleasure and Gambling - . Resorts An American Monte Carlo Is to be promoted on the Bahamas Is- lands off the coast of'Florida with plans calling for work to be start- ed Immediately. ^>'i .■ - American capitalists, with the eonsent of the English Government, according t« Insiders, wUl build a pleasure, sports and gambling re- sort on the six Islands of the Bahamas group. The project Is Inspired by the Florida land boom, and calls for aeroplane passenirer carrying serv- ice between Florida and the Ba- hamas which will allow the trip to be made In 40 minutes. The syndicate. Which Intends to exploit the Islands, has secured options on the best* sites, and have made all necessary financial and territorial arrangements. Work will be started this summer and rushed through, the idea being to take ad- vantage of the hordes of realty and pleasure-mad spenders who are now riding the crest of the Florida land boom. . The real estate sharps are al- ready gobbling up acreage on the Island and In Florida, at points they figure will be afFected by the new Monte Carlo. - Cafes Picking Up Cafe business Is beginning to look vp although spotty, dependent on weather conditions. New York's humidity has been rather tolerable of late which accounts for the perk- ing up of trade. Outside of two money makers the «Iubs remaining open are below normal. IJEW CLUB FOR 66TH ST. A new supper club is going up on West 66th street, to be situated be- tween the Club Richman and Giro's. Mr. DufTy, of the Silver Slipper, is sponsoring the proposed cafe which : will give the trio an almost shoul- der-to-shoulder alignment on the street. The new cafe may be called the Bert Lewis Club, named after Bert Zjewis who has been doing well at the Kentucky Club. Lewis has also been approached for the Wigwam. The Kentucky cafe entertainer Is ^ Tacationing for four weeks, Chris !. Pender substituting. Weymann Banjos are being played by the world's great- est artists. Their choice Is proof of qual- ity. WrUa for Catalogvs No. tt H. A. Weymann A Son, Inc. »Wt V. MM CfeMtliat SL. PkllaM»M«..nL ENFORCEMENH Reports coming out of Wash- ington on enforcement of Pro- hibition have been many and varied of late. They appear to fall to carry conviction among liquor hand- lers In New York and else- where. The Uquor men admit some high grade executives may become regional directors of the Prohibition forces and that those executives will be honest in intent and fact, but they in- quire where are they going to procure as honest men to do the physical work of enforce- ment? Boose dealers allege the graft is too stupendous and too se- ductive for the ordinary mor- tal In a subordinate position to pass it up, especially when the subordinate sees about him his official companions living at a rate that means, but one thing to him. The matter of politics and politicians in this huge "melon" is another big factor. That the government will at- " tempt to subdue the liquor flood into the U. S. at its sources, is a move, say the boosers, that should have been taken long ago but that neither will avail, they claim, for the same rea- sons. Clamor Over "Padlocking" As for the clamor made when a "Joint" Is padlocked now and then, liquor men snicker over it, saying It is local and mi- nutely local as affecting the wholesale transfer of Illicit liquor In this country. That padlocking may be made propa- ganda toi frighten landlords and annoy restaurateurs, "whether the latter "sell" or not, is an- other concession by the rum people, but as a curative meas- ure in any way for the en- forcement of prohibition they claim that one padlock is like one drop In the ocean. Since statistics bring out that after over six years of prohibi- tion in this country that there has been an increase In every- thing vicious connected with liquor, from the retail booze sale places to drunkenness and crime, the liquor men point to the statistics for their asser- tion of futility of attempting to enforce by present methods the most unpopular law ever enacted by any free govern- ment. Prohibition Unit Tightens On Lecral Representation Washington, Aug. 4. Effective Sept. 1, 1926, all attor- neys or agentb appearing in behalf of any person, before the Prohibition Unit, or its branches, will have to be enrolled and admitted to prac- tice in accordance with regulations of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Previously the Prohibition Unit has been letting most any one fol- low through legal matters and claims, but this ruling on the part of the commissioner, D. H. Blair, will tighten things up all around. Raids in Los Angeles Los Angeles. Aug. 6. Prohibition officers on a rampage here have raided the Montmartre and the Greenwich Village cabarets. Two people were arrested in each place. Alberta Pryne, colored "blues" singer, has been engaged for the revue at the Sgg Harbor Cafe, At- lantic City. The place is run by Oeorge Stamper (colored). A. C. PICKING UP AH Cafes Using "Mikes" Either on the Lsvel or Phoney ' Atlantic City, Aug. 4. Looal cafe trade Is beginning to look up with the advent of August. The forepart of the season was generally characterized as "brutal." 'A new Togue in the cafes is to prominently display microphones which are sur>pended from the ceilings of the interiors. Practi- cally every cabaret is broadcasting and those that are not display prop "mikes% Just to keep In the swim, the theory being that the patrons might become suspicious on the premise that a band isn't any good unless it broadcasts. * Steel Pier, which does not radio- cast, has two microphones thus prominently displayed. They con- templated running a direct wire into the pier, but essayed to tax the music publishers |26 each for the cost thereof, figuring the "plug" worth the tariff to the music men. Atlanta "Importers** Get $80 and $90 the Case Atlanta, GalT^Aug. 4. The liquor scale here has reached an "S to IS bucks a quart or wbat have youT" stage. \ A leading Atlanta bootlegger sells at |8 the quart if the customer comes for it while he boosts a buck it H Is delivered. Other booze merchants get varying prices for their wares and what makes the lo- cal scotnaws sore Is that the same money Is asked for gin. Scotch, rye and rum. The gin Is terrible yet it peddles on the same scale with the fairly good Scotch and rye. By the case, Scotch, gin and rye bring from |80 to )>0,' depending on what the 'logger wants to charge. Single quarts cost |1> from hotel bellboys. Imperial pints of Burke's Irish ars shooting |7 with the qual- ity low and the supply weak. Com whisky, the principal hard drink of the natives, sells for |1 and 11.60 the pint or from eight to $10 bucks a gallon. By going to any number of neigh- boring counties good corn, guaran- teed not to "blind, maim or kill." may be obtained at from $8 to |5 a gallon at the moonshinery. Business has been good this sum- mer, a canvass of the leading liquor merchants shows, but the quality has been terrible and the service worse than that. "Raw" Order from S. A. Probably the "rawest" order yet was offered a New York booking agent by a Latin- American hotel proprietor. He wanted 10 girls who would be willing to mix readily with the guests, the girls to write their own ticket, including transpor- tation, board and salary, plus other "Inducements." The agent found the assign- ment further complicated in that the request stipulated the girls must be able to literally double in brass; 1. e., comprise a fair dance orchestra for two hours nightly preceding the "mixing" hours. The agent turned the propo- sition down, despite an attrac- tive booking bonus. HERE .4ND THERE 4 ^ J. Kenneth Sisson is now fea- tured on the Rivoll theatre pro- grams as orchestral arranger. EM- gar Russell Carver is now confining himself exclusively to the Rlalto, and when the Ben Bernie band comes down to ths Rlalto. the sit- uation will be reversed. "Freshie." by Jesse Oreer, is the new ooUegiite song, based on and serving as a musical theme for Harold Lloyd's "Freshman" comedy. Robblns-Engel. Inc. Is publishing. Dick Long Is back on the Shapiro- Bernstein iMTofessional staff after being confined to a hospital for some time through being kicked by a horssb Dave Bernie and band ars at the Club Lido, Miami. Meyer Davis' Arrowhead Inn Or- chestra became a regular WGBS radio feature Aug. 1. They broad- cast Tuesdays and Saturdays under Harold Yeo's direction. CLUB ALABAM The new Club Alabam show, new in some respects, although the punch numbers, "The Slave Market" and the "Apache's Den" scenes, are still retained, is unquestionabl'" the best floor show entertainment in and around New York. Considering that the talent is wholly colored, this statement is as unusual as it is de- cisive. Each performer takes his work with serious Intent, which accounts for the consistency of the repeat trade. The Alabam, for this rea- son alone, has been one of the best money makers along Mai., street's cabarets. Dave Benn.vt's staging is uppermost throughout. He has injected a sparkle into his produc- tion numbers that is altogether to the |4 musical comedy idea. In truth, that slave market conception and the Apache fol-de-rol would be great stuff for a show. That hoochie- coochie baby who seeks to tempt the turbaned slave Ljyer with her phys- ical charms, is a wow and a couple of woofs for the patrons. Possibly one line that the singing comedienne should elide in the course of a pop lyric is that about "he likes hot tobasco; he was coached by Dave Belasco." That's in poor taste and offensive. Individually a dark male dancer, who is the chief Apache in the Montmartre number is an u'tra per- former. He knows his values and sells himself. The girls are alto- gether comely for their race. They are unusually shapely and in their abbreviated costumes show up to excellent advantage. The Billie Fowler orchestra de- serves a special portlorf of praise. This band is subbing for Sam Wood- ing's combo, now with thj "fchoco- late Kiddies" at the Admirals Palast, Berlin. Fowler first can.e to atten- tion at the recently opened La Petite on West 46th street. It's a smart dance band, but much more effec- tive with its native "low-Cown" doggerels. For some strange rea- son this organization is leaning to symphonic .numbers. They are do- ing ryhthmic paraphrases c : the classics and quite well, but a attle too often. Their waltz com ition of "Blue Danube Walts" is a classic. A little more of the pa rlka would solve the situation for Fowler. Business at the Alabam'is consist- ently good from report; rather fair on a midweek evening last week. Abel. Crillon, Chicago, Closed The Crillon restaurant on Michi- gan boulevard, Chicago, has closed presumably for the summer, bul with gossip ascribing the closing to bad management. The Crillon has enjoyed a clientele of Gold Coasterf and the Rltx crowd who dropped in for luncheon or tea. Charlie Humfeld has brought his Blue Ribbon Orchestra to the Lib- erty Music Hall. St. Louis, for the new season. Dave Levy, former leader at the house, will be pianist at the new St. Louis Theatre when it opens next month. PRINCEY DANCER IS LEFT BEHIND • "^Washington, Aug. 4. Washington's only Russian dta^&m ing-nobleman, Prince Reuffat Be>| Magametoff-Haliloff, who appeared aj a special attraction at Meyeg Davis' Le Paradls here for one week, and who succeeded in that one we«M to win Delight Arnold for a wtfs^ has had his bride return to Wash* Ington from Parir leaving "th< Prince," as she puts it, "on the way to the Russian Caucasus in searvU of his mother and fathe ' The Princess' father. Major-AmokU assistant director of the Vetsraa^ Bureau, sUtes that the separatloq' is but for a brief period. Negro Bouncer Acquitte<| Chicago, Aug. 4. Jonah Nevels. 33, colored boiiacsi' at the B & O Flats, a black and tan cabaret in Chicago Heights^ has returned to his Job after twicd standing trial for the murder oC Clyde Cole, alko colored, on Sept. 6 last year. Nevel in addition to being bouncer was responsible fos seeing that all the customers checked their gats, knives and mis- cellaneous "Jewelry." That was ths cause of the fight. In the first trial the Jury stood 11 to one for acquittal. They wsrsi out seven hours before the Joror who wanted a hanging admitted tad was a Ku Kluxer. Thereupon thSi rest of the Jury beat hlra up, broks his nose and dragged him out Thd Judge dismissed the Jury. Ben Ehrllch pleaded the case tof the negro and on the second irlsji won a "not guilty." Along the Jersey Shore Ross Fen ton Farm, under th^ managership of Frank Ford, had Basil Durant and Kay Durban dancing Saturday and Bunda|( nights. <i^ Club Braxton entertained th« casts of both the new sbowsi "Spring Fever" and "It All D»« pends," at various times during th« week. Most of th« casts lived at Deal Inn. Jimmy Redman, running thd ShrewiAury Country Club CkUls^ now a public place, has Rosootf Alls and a good show. A great crowd f theatrical and sporting people gather at thess shows two and thre0~tlmes a week. Again open air fights at the Holly^ wood Horse Show Grounds, <Jaek)° Sharkey against Harry London oa Friday night, and a big success tor Mayer and Lustbaum, who hays taken a real t^old In Long BraaeK in sports. Fights are to be at ttasi Ocean View A. A., with basketball all winter. Estells Penny opened at the Hotfw brau. New York, last week. DUKE YELLMAN Dlrrcto* at HI* Or«h«stra M Nt^ man'*. Cotmj ImImkI, ■■ so«th«r at the proralnaiit orch^atrs l«A4»rs wke' concurs thM.t ' 'VOBDIXg-KfflKE,' TUNES MAKK BAimg." Mr. Tell- man Is resvlarly featuring TBDB BW FOU«! "Florida" "Look Who's Here!" "Hong KoBff Dream Girl" "MoHy" Publlabcd by Robbiiu-Engel, Inc. ISSS Or mimmj. New TMrfc Ottr ^ »' ■ • I NOW BOOKING! DANCE ORCHESTRAS CHANGED WEEKLY EVERYWHERE NATIONAL ATTRACTIONS of NEW YORK, Inc. Telephone 9327 Circle 1650 Broadway, New York ^n