Variety (August 1963)

sunday (1): with the ‘arrival of the | "62 girlg from all parts. of the nation | ‘ who.-have won ‘state or city beauty -;, and talent .contests,winds up what. _-Mayor Joseph Altman declares: has ‘been one of the most. successful. summers, in the’ resort's Jong. his| ' Atlantic City, ‘Aug. 27. The annual Miss America Pag-}: eant, which gets underway here -. fory. ° -yeleased here by Robert .A::‘Roe,} commissioner. of the “New. Jersey: ‘This ig substantiated by a. Zeport | --Department ‘of. ‘Conservation | Economic Development,. which said > that ..this:.waga record. breaking summer for all New. Jersey resorts. This has been the ‘best.:season ‘in five. years, he said, estimating. that. business had” reached an/ resort. estimated . $1,800,000;000. “There. was: a slight. incréase. in hotel busi/ Hess “but a 10-20% increase ‘in mort, ‘trade with nightclub, ‘busi ness “off somewhat.” win other. resort areas. “his report} 2 revealed: ° 15%; Bradley Beach, up: 10% Cc “Wildwood, up 5%; Seaside hie er r wild: act as grand marsh Ocean. ‘City Increased 10 up. 12%; Cape ‘May, up. 20%, best year ever for‘hotel-niotel business; | Asbury : ‘Park, up 6%; Long. Beach ‘Island, up 5%; Long Branch, up| 8%: Manasquan, up 2-5%; Ocean} Grove, up 5%; Point Pleasant, up. 7%; Lands region, definite upsurge in: general resort “business. condi-_ fons over: Jast year. : ss America selection Saturday | . “night (1) -will again be carried by -JCBS-TV for ‘two: hours, 10. uatil . midnight, from Convention Hall. Gov. Richard J. Hughes this year thrée-hour Boardwalk parade. Tuesday night (3); Candidates for Miss “America honors appear. on. floats _ and in automobiles put at their dis-. :../: posal while they are in the city. Tt. will. be: their. first. appearance: be fore the public. © . To set off the girls there will ‘be $0. ‘hands ‘spaced.between the . 34 floats, :séven of which will: carry .. Miss. America: candidates, all seek“ing Pageant awards from judges. in. their stand at. Convention hall. Bert Parks is again ‘the emcee. .” ‘The Pageant. is put-on by a grotip} of Fesort. business. leaders. headed | by Albert. Marks, who serves as its | president. with. Leanore ‘Slaughter |: its. long. time executive. director..." -seum.. ~ Orly: ‘programs, two matinees, did there: ‘The group: isa ‘non-profit organiza “Holladay On. Ice,” which: made. the 1964 debut, here, was:attended ‘+ by -39,932. ‘people, ‘grossing -around. "$123, 000.. The seven-day stand pro vided a near capacity. for each per-. formance at. Knoxville Ci Civic’ Coli-. e at Sunday . seem to’ be'a lag in attendance. . The-show: will now tour 43. cities.| and several foreign ‘countries. Pro.: ducer Morris *Chalfens -said. ‘the > -phow: will ‘return’ to:Kaoxyille. inj OS for ‘the 1965. rehearsals: ae | CULTURAL EXCHANGES “RESUME WITH LIMON C0. . Washington, Aug: 27." “the ‘State Dept.’s:: cultural exe. change freeze. on professional per ‘formers — ended ‘Monday .(26). when _ JoseLimon’sdance ‘company. left :. for. Australia: and a ‘16-week. tour’| 1 e | Pos of the Pacific... caw ‘ ippinés, ~The Limon: ‘troupe: opens. Aug. 30 |: “dn. ‘Sydney; Australia. and from. ~ there. ‘will go-to: Malaya, the Phil| Cambodia, | . Singapore... . Thailand, ‘Taiwan, Hong Kong :and. _ Japan: Not included in: the swing: of the. Pacific . arc: are™ “Laos. and “South Viet Nam. Besides: peiformarices the ‘troupe: will also. participate in work shops. and lessons on: modern American. “dance. © marshali of the -{when the final ChE Bounces Bamps -. Toronto, Aug. 27: Bump-and-grind cuties: are currently taking a beating. at ‘the ‘Canadian -National. Exhibition; To‘ronto, . where” not a “girlie”. show. As. seen. onthe midway. L Where the CNE last season. offered -aS ‘Many .as six burlesque attractions, ‘this |. midway. impresario, opining that: ‘economics and * not’ ‘morality halted the “girlie”. shows. | 41 Themidway attracted. some. 3,000, 000: payees last year arid: Tealized close to. $900,000: for the.15 days:. ‘Conklin’ is operating some’: 60. shows. at the CNE this year, with | the “family trade” .gross switch-. ing. to rides and fun: houses, with: ever-popular: bingo games accom‘modating as many. as. 40. customers: tT . . couraged to ‘take. off. 4. The agency. setup : ‘calis: for: each | | | -percenter. to. bring in three times. This own ‘salary in order: to. meet bare costs of maintenance. Thus. an. "| agent to make any-kind of shéw on} {the “books has. to concentrate. on. at a sitting. oh ACG | Take Tops at Atlantic City, Aig. 27, ‘for. the 700-seat: bistro, ° tertained approximately 28,000 people during his stay here during his {scheduled appearances. .-. -On-top of this he appeared “be-. fore groups: : ‘raising .funds for @rives, éte., plus when: he was hon-. ored. by. ‘the NAACP. ~All such events took place in Club. Harlem. ‘tT Last -was a: benefit. performance his final night when he helped. to. raise $2,000 for the: Washington | Freedom Marchers. _ “Sammy gave the entire’ town: a shot in. the. arm”. ‘said Larry Steele, producer of -“Smart"AL: fairs,”* which show. he’ headlined. while here.. __-° Estimated | take during his: ap.| pearance ‘was well:.over .$150,000, {and it may go up to near. $200,000 ‘figures. are. in. Ni-. “es yet tery had. a-$4 admission and. $5.50 } ahh | minimum: on ‘weekends ‘and. $3: ad-G38 4 | mission. and * minimum on ‘other. . nights, © ; Knoxville, Aug. 27: frit: appears that. Davis will ‘be. “the: | growth and. employment, it’s an in-: justice to. both to 0 keep them ¢ on the | only ‘major night club attraction to come: into the bistro strip here list. this ‘summer. Neither Frank. Sina|: tra or: Dean Martin : “will: play’. the | Pren-onert A: HERO'S | SMASH $80,000 IN D.C. 500 Club,. “where. they have. ap ‘peared.in other years: ‘Other night clubs. have’ never. gone -for such | top. ‘Ment entertainment, : J Dare Blackbura Heads Texas Th Blackburn, Dallas.. leave of: absence: from :the latter ‘Wynn ‘will: remain with the’ Great South west’ Corp., parent-. firm . of -.the. Fair’ and Six ‘Flags. ‘operations, ‘as a: consultant while. Serving. in. the : Fair ‘post: The Music Hall will lave a ‘show te | produced: for -it: by” Compass Pro|. -ductions © “entitled “To. Broadway. -with Love,” which willbe a caval‘cade of legit: ‘Iausical: ‘Production ee on: the Stem, . | year. .there are none at. all, with. J. ‘W. .(Patty)./ & | Conklin, . heatre.at' Fair. “David. TT. Blackburn’ Jhas’ been: 5 named: general manager of. the “Texas '' Pavilions and-:the Music: ‘Hall ‘at. the. N.. ¥. Worlds Fair :starting.next. . “April.” | who: has ‘been public. relations: di: {rector :for Six. Flags over ‘Texas; a Amusement ’Park. also Op-. erated : by “Angus: G.Wynne ‘Jr.,. “who is heading the Texas fair op-. erations, has been givéti‘a: ‘two-year * ‘an extra. day ‘with. the package. e stated’ ‘that. ‘Blackburn FORGET OF LiSsT|_ Ops “athe mathematics. of agency oper-| ‘| ation. may. force a lot.of acts from | | _ | being represented ‘by majors. eg of maintaining ‘an act on the. book | Pee by the big ‘offices is rising and _it's|’ = foréseen | that. at. least: one. office ‘Will be -lopping talent from the | : | “Some. ‘acts. are. ‘being “told, for q example, that'the office hasn’t been | -Haeaas might.-be better for. them ‘to go. who ask for releases are having elsewhere.‘ In other. instances, acts| £ no| Ff difficulty in getting:-them..In some| cases,. representation contracts are] Fam “not, being renewed. ‘However, ‘this.| #7 doesn’t mean that the majors aren’t| Fan inking new talent. They: will still go|. 5 after promising new acts or estab-| Has lished” performers. It’s those that} Fa -have reached a-certain plateau of | am “earnings, aren't advancing, but who] fi doing too:well for. them and‘ it} : ee may retrogress, that are. being: enBa Mi e | acts that are: more-meaningful comi mission -earners. It’s axiomatic to ‘agents that. it. takes less time and. effort to sell..awellknown talent: than to attempt to convince a buyer | that an:-unknown, no matter. how | cheap, .would. da: the | tricck.. Thus,j Sammy Davis. Jr. wound up.. al ‘the preference! for agencies for | | two-week.: stand. ‘at’ Club Harlem | | Wednesday ‘night (21) longest: he. ‘has ever played.in the resort. where he has entertained during the sea-' ‘son formany years, by establishing ‘a new attendance. and gross -récord | SRO. for most of his 26 appearances, he en long. held that they lose money in ‘New York cafe:. bookings for the]. simple -reason ‘that: arepresenta-|° tive portion. of the. ‘Office has to see. \'the act.on. opening night. . They ‘have: to bring other buyers in to see him, and if an act generates heat, | ‘network. and ad-agency men “must. ‘be. brought. in. Unless. an act. is in a long-running legiter, little money ‘is. to be. made in that. field as well. ‘They: argue: that it’s. a good thing | that films and video bring in. lot of revenue, otherwise ‘they would. {aaye to run an ‘ofice for ‘names | 0 ye mo ’ The . agenciés careful.as to ‘whom they go after. ‘They“argue that it costs-meney to. ‘maintain an act-on the roster of the | -| office, and. unless: the ‘agency can |" do... justice to them. in: terms’ of Opening: a ‘one-week. tand. last | ‘Monday (26) atthe Carter Barron Theatre, Washington, D.C., a pack-. age ‘consisting: of Peter, Paul & ‘Mary, Odetta and: Peter Nero. have ; ‘already ‘ sold-.out for. the -entire: 4-week’s. engagement, through. this This: ‘has’ prompted the’ 4,000-seat ozone the-. | atre’s management tomake a re-. quest it has never made previously sin its 10 years. of operation, -asking | ‘ the‘ show's“ presenter, .Super_ At| if Bertram Mills Circus “Goes Into Red for 886| Sunday evening .(1).. tractions Inc., -to . give the house SRO. ‘Monday-Sunday. week. Has | ‘Guaranteed ' ‘an -$80,000 ‘gross for ‘the. gig. and Super. Attractions is. working out. arrangements . to’ see: if the unit can play the: requested | . extra .performance.. International }‘Talent Associates . represented: the artists | in’ “the* deal: 1 Bias Anza; N Y¥, set to: -resume for the: fall. season: next ‘Tuesday | (3): with ‘a bill ‘comprising Woody. Allen, .. Max’. Morath“and. Enily. at Yancey... o | Nick. Kenny, same. as: good. as it ever was,’’—Milton: "To: add to the. problems: ‘of thie Bohs oy “percenteries, : the personal appéar-] “4, ance departments earn the least in]. \ the offices; and. yet they entail. the} : ‘largest expenses. The offices have |. ‘also argue . that. [packages in recent years have’ be.eome more important revenuewise. -.| than acts. All “this, it’s. claimed, ‘tends ‘to make’ the office: toppers. |extremely cool to: having a‘ large. -list of clients. ‘The executives chave’ -been after the agents to be more “NELSON EDDY. and. GALE SHERWOOD. & Yesounding. success. Theirs ie a. happy union-of vocal talent and. pleasing: personalities." Quinn, N: Y. Daily Mirror: son. has a terrific find in Gale.” Esterow, N.Y: Times. :. Now. at the Roaring Prentice. Albuquerque. = Pe An Ane. ‘handles . The Bureaw’ of: Labor: Manage-. ment Reports is slated to. supervise the nominations and elections: of.} the New York local of the Ameri-. can. Guild ‘of.Variety Artists. ‘Nominations are to take a: meeting to be held Sept..25: at the Americana Hotel. it is the first | time that.-a Federal body: has. stepped into an AGVA ‘election. BLMR_. participation. came as. result. of the -complaint jodeed | ‘with that body: by: AGVA member : Vic -LaMonte after last year’s elec| ttion when more ballots were in the | ballot box than. members’ present. |: LaMonte in.a petition to the BLMR; ‘cited “violations of the ‘LandrumGriffin: Act as well as violations of the AGVA consitution, . which ‘he said, prohibits’ nominations. and. elections | to take place: ‘before. al 10-day" interval. Asa result of the. LaMonte complaint, members ‘will -be able. to nominate candidates. with written : in-person: {seconder must .be present. N.Y. { 4 Local.-will vote on. ‘members. of a _} board: which: in. turn will elect a | prexy..* . BLMR has: the right to step. into the AGVA ‘election on the ground ‘that the Landrum-Griffin Act. pro-. vides for filing of financial state-. ments of. the: various -branches. of nominations’ but. an the union. ‘Many: of. the statements | filed with. the BLMR were not: acceptable because — ‘the. ‘reports { elected: officer. London, iAug. 27. came a “public... company “in; 1947 theBertram Mills. Circus -has had a loss. Fhe accounts for the year _ ‘ended April 5. last.-show a. Joss. of. $88,309, whereas in the previous _year there was a profit ‘of $12,118. -its: The .company is. passing — dividend, but. stockholders: ‘Will re ceive. a distribution of one. cent on: ; out of office. every. 28 cent. unit held.” —Frank “N el ‘place atj . The sudden upbeat in New York: | = nitery grosses during the past few | weeks -has given renewed vigor te the contention of many that new jand. ‘exciting talent, rather than names, will be the “keystone. ‘that | will lure lost audiences. back ‘to | the cabarets. t's pointed out that the business . at the Americana’s Royal Box with | stand at the. Plaza’s Persian Room | by Kaye Ballard and currently con | tinuing with Enzo Stuarti, is prethedry. that viding support for the yi excitement and freshness will re kindle the glamour of going out ' rather than names. _ However, the sole exception (but | who} hasn't. been active and om Broadway for many years, He has brought in a lot of customers Jong missing from the Latin Quarter. He has: brought in virtually every in town. Many hope ot provide 3 thetes “a celebrity “His voles is: their presence will to his comeback. Neverthe Richman’s engagement has ja lot of excitement, both at the ; ‘boxoffice and in the press. 1 While. Richman’s successful ; | stand is causing a lot of comment, it’s mentary impact : ‘the moi A of : | I's this uation that may cause la re-evaluation in niteries. Mary . | questions have started N Y. ACYA Vote making the rounds in the past few weeks. One of the foremost is the efficacy of new falent ‘who offer surprise and jas well. a ‘excitement, over the assured values of the names whe have made good year after year in the cafes. One facet of this problem is the dwindling audiences for many headliners. A hefty per “Continued .on page 50) Appeals by E Penny Singleton on her 10-year ion from the suspens | American Guild of. Variety. Artists was heard. Monday (26) at the -AGVA. offices in New York by the. Appeals Board comprising Georgie Price, chairman, Jay Lester, member ‘of the national board from” Defiver;: ' ‘board . member from Montreal. . Miss’ Singleton,, who was suf. pended for.a 10-year: period, was Tepresented by her eastern attorney, Henry M. Katz, and the |. AGVA case was argued by -attor{ney Bernard Streit. The board must decide the .case before Sept. ‘3 as per instructions from the Federal Court in Los An geles, which . granted a continuance . in. ‘Miss Singleton’s. suit ‘against AGVA. on the ground that ‘steps. were taken within AGVA to adjudicate the matter. Miss Sin-. : king restorati f. ‘were not signed by a-duly elected: gleton is seeking oration of. president and treasurer. National administrative secretary’ Bobby. |. ‘Faye, who has signed ‘previous re~: ports, is ineligible. to sign: the statements ‘because he: is: not..an | -her membership rights and a spot ‘on. the AGVA: national ballot for ‘the post of president. Incumbent Joey. Adams is -currently unopposed. in his quest for re-election. This is the second time that Miss «* Singleton has been. sus-. ; ‘pended by the union. A previous. “suspension, for five years. also pre _|vented her from: having her name on the ballot. Coincidentally, Price, who is one of those deciding her case, started . tthe chain of events. that was ‘to “For. the first time ‘since it. be-. wind up in her removal from the “presidency during the AGVA convention in Washington ‘in 1959. After -a. tirade. by Price against Miss . ‘Singleton. ‘Miss — Singleton walked ‘out. of the. meeting saying that no lady. could listen to. such abusive Janguage.. Her refusal ‘to -come back to the meeting resulted in the national, hoard voting her