Variety (November 1963)

OT It “aos . ‘ “oe: _Wednesioy November, 6, 1965. By JOE ‘COHEN San Juan, PR., Nov. 5 The. era’ when Hollywood cele-. prities. and: newspapermen . pro-| vided the sole popul&tion of a trip to: ‘observe a -hotel opening: are. ‘over. .A. new and. ‘probably more. important. element has ‘now joined: the . junketeering . personnel—it’s |. «Big business representatives. Those '* who: now. control vast gobs. of mass business. that modern chain ‘opera-tion needs to get a new. hotel ‘off ‘to-a fast: financial start, and ‘which’ will keep. stockholders: ‘fn dividends, are now the more. necessary: part. of. the ‘premiere ceremonies. from New York to San Juan for ‘the opening exercise on Thursday (31); of ‘the. Puerto. Rico ‘Sheraton |: were:-limelighted -more: by ‘cap-.| tains of industry than: by: Holly|: : woodites.. Inasmuch as it would ‘be |. uy att]. : ‘expensive. bit of. machinery: sight |: “considered bad: business to ‘unseen, soit’s. considered prudent . £0 :see.. ‘the facilities before. a com‘pany commits itself. fo a cOnven: fion -or-a ‘gales meeting, or giving. “its dealers a holiday for doing 50. ‘well at the cash registers. a . ‘The. Sheraton had ‘much to show’ “big ‘business. It’s. a $12,000,000 structure: of 22 floors containing ' 450:rooms. done in'an excellent and | Serviceable ‘modern:.decor by. the. architectural. firm of ‘Toro-Ferrer.. ‘Jt was built. anid financed. by local ‘capital by: the Enterprise Hotel De-: ‘velopment -.Corp. and. leased to. “Sheraton for. their. first operation in. Puerto . Rico, . structure’ Ag. located on. an: ocean front near the Condado Beach: and La Concha Hotels, not far:from the airport. and a comparatively short. distance to. ‘dowritown. San. Juan. At -has a” grand oom which ‘tween 500. and 600. musicians play | ing in what is-referred to: as. top. | category Class A spots. ‘A ‘threeyear contract between .the® musi-| ‘cians and -hotel-nitery | people: .ex| pired last Dec. 28. Itwas extended. | to: Oct: 1. Negotiations ‘broke: up. after that date: “but, .were resumed: ‘serves as. a. combination. auditor{Continued on ‘page. 52). Playboy Clubs” Would Make Det. Another | dom. Sez Union Official | : Detroit, ‘Nov. 5 | “The. bunnies are ‘coming .to town and ‘all of.a sudden there’s a. hue| and a-holler about them. bringing |" Sodom. and Gomorrah to., Detroit. and “licensing immorality. * ‘All of ‘this hit. the local dailies ‘Mike’ cold. water . ‘on a: hot griddle}. when’ Hugh M. ‘Hefner, ‘publisher |” of. Playboy Magazine, and chief} -Yabbit of thé Playboy Clubs came to town. to look. over. the local would-be. buniiies.. °; Hefner is: planning to open. the | oe AMC ING THE NH O'S V [HO Playboy Detroit. ‘‘arotind Christ vmas time.’’. He’s’ already run . into} “key ‘trouble, meaning. the: ‘booze |. “will be. that soft kid stuff.unless: he gets: around the private club’ licens| ‘ing: hassle. And,now,. he’s stirred Mpa ‘hornet’s nest:.in. the person of -Myra _ K. ‘Wolfgang, _ secretary|. “.{reasurer-of” the. Hotel and. Res-|. -taurant Employees . &_ Bartenders International -Union:” In‘ a. protest’ to the State Liquor. if ‘Wolfgang | said. | fi} ‘the. national. policy: of: the Playboy. | * Commission, Mrs. Clubs “‘is' to pay no wages:-whatso-. ever: to waitresses whom:they com-: Local 802 1812 Okays The Shératon’s chartered plane |. ‘The. 450-room | | Kings’ $ 38. 740,1 Woee Winnipeg, Nov. bee Kingston. Trio grossed solid $8,Z + . 740 and: drew 3,053: to. the. 4,000| seat” Auditorium: Tast. ‘Mon. > BE (28). Top: ‘Was. $3.75... ‘Folksong " New Ticket w 7%, NY. Hotels, Cafes | ‘Local 802 ‘and New. York's: ‘hotel: and ‘nightclub. operators: will be |“ in. harmony for the next. three | ; years. Last week the. members. of Local 802 ‘voted. “155° to 71. to: ac cept anew three-year contract -with the hoteliers: and: nitery ons. ‘The “agreement... ‘provides ‘for © ‘$17 ‘package covering wage in. creases and ‘medical. benefits. spréead’over a: three-year ‘period: |. ‘The tontract includes‘a $10 a week | ‘raise. ‘for -the ‘first: year,’ a: major |’. médical plan paid: by: management | ; ‘estimated’ to cost $4 a-month' for the second -year. and a’ $5 weekly |: increase. during the third: year. The terms are retroactive to-Oct.. -1.°The’.basic minimum under ‘the expired pact: was $132.a.week.. The contract also -ealis. dollar a: week for rehearsals. ‘The new: contract affects . -be on Oct. 18. | SATCHMO’S KNOXVILLE DEBUT Knoxville,’ ‘Nov. 5. ‘Louis Armstrong & his All-Stars have ‘been booked for -their initial |‘performance: at: Knoxville Muniel{pal Coliseum Nov. 18. Advance: sales. Indicate. a food A house.. a act ‘was: ‘pooked by: ; locally-based. Celebrity: . ‘Concerts. and Northwest « Releasing’ OF Seattle. 7 _ a | . ‘EDDY’ S. GIRL FRIDAY oo) GALE SHERWOOD opened: oh, Saturday at. the : Tivoli” Theatre ‘Lin: ‘Melbourne . for’ a. month with. NELSON EDDY, Theodore: Paxson. conducting, ‘VARIETY. recently said]. ‘she's “a top-flight comic foil in ‘her. for an. extra. . technicality, mamma 8 Got. Agencies Sift Blast at Indl “aaal seu; Death Toll Mounts to 68 ~ Sabrina’ 's Click: Johannesburg, Nov. -5.. “British songstress . ‘Sabrina is | pulling: solid biz at. Joe Kentridge’'s -| Ciro’s nitery, where she’s headjaa! | lining a show aptly tagged: “Sabrina. | | Fair.”. Backing ‘the. layout. is: the. ‘house orch led: by Bob: Adams." -Bill is.emeeed ‘by Clive Parnell,. ; with John Rothman and the Ciro’s 7. Tovelies’ s Providing, dance x dance: Toutines. | own right, who. also.:dresses up the ‘stage ‘considerably. in semi-undress,” | .So-she shows-her legs; is that bad? 1. A. P. A, inc.,’: Handles. | Mont] Wins Legal. Move to Shutter 18 Rough’ Cafes . | chain’ operating..17 hotels.in Flori-. | da-‘and Indiana, agreed to buy the | e Montreal: Nov.. 5. he’ overall attempt by. the. city to: close: disreputable niteries’ ‘{n the tenderloin. district of town re-| sulted. -in/a“eritical legal defeat for 18° ‘night spots. The ‘egal man-. uevering -.is. tricky,” ‘since permits to :sell’ booze ‘are handed out: by ‘the Provincial Governoment, and restaurant’ permits. for food serv| ‘ice, by. the city... The. city last. May.. ‘withdrew the restaurant ; ‘permits ‘from the niter ies in. question.. ‘They ‘are: now also “with losing their . liquor. "| permite—or not having. them. re| newed, on : the. grounds: that:-they | ~ were “licensed under. a special category. ‘Liquor. faced setup ‘by the Quebec ‘Board. a. requirement. for. liquor service.. The ‘niteries moved: on. a. legal. ‘claiming . ‘that the ‘director: of permits, rather. city’s than. the city itself, : ‘should’ ‘have (Continued -a on ‘Page 62) 2, | df you consider yourself: or your ‘company; in, ‘qualified. for, or moving toward the big’ fime of show business, you cannot afford.to stay ouf of the old : yé@ar-new year; retrospective-prospective compilation of fame and the. reasons— os therefor. which. is the purpose. and. substance’ of. pel to wear. offensive; scanty -cos| tumes in order: to earn: their living | by the evil. ‘Practice of. customer tipping-only.” . ‘She said the commission “should: not be used by those who ‘would . bring ‘Sodom and Gomorrah to De-. troit.” Mrs. ‘Wolfgang’ added that the. whole thing: ‘simply was" “He | -censing immorality.” -. ‘Meanwhile,’ Hefner: interviewed. 2,000. wquid-be “bunnies | | seenied ‘very’. eager : to. Join his | ‘warren, ‘Oops; Playboy. Club. : FRED VOGEL T0 CHIEF ‘STATE SHOWS AT EXPO || ‘Frederic . Vogel, key. figure | at |. the recent Seattle World’s Fair,: “has ‘been. appointed “special events and entertainment ‘for the.N.Y. State. Pavilion. at the: N.¥. World’s Fair. ‘Vogel. fashioned. -::the Special. Events at: Seattle, managed. the -Playhouse. there and. bossed: the’ Fair’s film pro . N.Y. State. Pavilion will. ‘present |i} ‘groups from the state. din daily | change. --who |f . ‘@irector of | NEW. YORK 1 10036” 154 W, 46th St. aan LONDON, SW. r. a. &. Jemes's Street “The 58th Anniversary Edition of _Replete: with facts: ‘and figures, color ‘and: personality, oiganized. with: an ‘eye te justify: its. traditional ‘reputation as.a useful, ‘preservable, often delightful. special eccasion, this Edition présents you “with. a. chance to: be counted among those. who count: in ‘entertainment. Contact Your Nearest Representative. ‘HOLLYWOOD. 90028. 640g Sonset: Bivd., 400-N. Mickigos Ave. PARIS 7 | “ROME 215. “ Ave. de Breteslt “Sitempe Estére (Foreiga Press Cisb) \Fla. Hotel Chain pertaining to. ‘cabarets, and making food service LV; Plans Ca “The ‘Pallyho. ‘Hotel on the Las. Vegas Strip: reopens today (Tues.) i-new’ ownership, restaurant and:casino on the prem-. ‘With. a: theatre. isés in. its “immediate plans.” ‘Edwin s. ‘Lowe, millionaire New \-York City toymaker. who built the | lavish . stucco-and-wood. hotel. at a cost ranging. in estimates from "$4,000,000. to. -$12,000,000,000, said ‘Thursday (31)°that. :the Kings ‘Crown Inns: of. ‘America ‘Inc:, .a property at an-u tlosed price. (Reliable sources told VaARIETy that ‘the figure was $7,000; 000)... The hotel. will. now be called jot ; ‘the Kings Crown Tallyho Inn, ac-:| ghin cording to. its. new owners, ‘who ‘state -they—and Lowe—believe | that a “no. gambling” policy cannot work in. Las Vegas. Lowe has claimed. that he Jost $6,000,000 in the nine ‘months of: hig “no gambling” .experiment. The ‘hotel -. was huttered by: Lowe. ‘with the announcement that it-would be reopened in May with a. casino and showroom::He opened the hotel, with 450 plush rooms ‘anid: a. “play all day for $2.50” golf ‘course on Feb. 22.. After 232 days of operation, -the hostelry closed without notice, . The new ‘owners. indicate they |. will. lease out. the gambling opera-_ tion, acting only: in alandlord. capacity, ‘sioce none of them pro | fesses ‘any experience in gambling. r administrati on. ‘ge ” ™~ CHICAGO. 60611 Wie detle Mercede $5 VAUBEVILIE —_49 “By CORBIN PATRICK. Andianapolis, Nov. 5. | Investigations by eight. staie, | county and city agencies are un derway to determine cause and Yesponsibility of the explosion that: shattered a. Hirge section‘ of the Indiana. State Fair Grounds Coliseum. and killed 68 spectators. : at. the opening performance of “Holiday day ($1). The. blast occurred ‘at 11:06 p.m., only three or four minutes before the show, which drew a On Ice” there ‘Thurs | crowd of 4,327, would have ended, {None of the: 36 performers who 4A were on the ice at the time was Reopens Tah, | ‘among the more. than 380 persons injured. Probers focused on the pos | sibility the blast was caused by a . | ruptured: valve on a tank of heavy. | propane gas.used for popping corn jin a concession room beneath the. the ‘stand on the south side. of the arena. Investigators said half -a. dozen bottled-gas tanks were found,.:two ruptured, when the debris inside the Coliseum was Ne: Permit _ Use of bottle gas, even when \piped into a building, requires specific authorization, and no permit had been issued, according to State Fire Marshal Tra Ander : sifted. | a gon. “We've been doing it for 16 years,” Melvin Ross, general manager. of the. Coliseum Corp., sald. “Sometimes we've had 10 or more : those bottles out in p | view, and nobody ever said anyg.” “'m. heartsick about this tragedy, * Ross said. He formerly ‘was.manager of Theatre Produc-. {tions Inc., which booked road shows at the Murat until two years ago, and general manager of Starlight Musicals. He resigned early this year from the Starlight post and was succeeded by Robert Young,: who still is his assistant at. the Coliseum. . The only show biz casualty was Fred Cortepeter, 78, veteran doorman at the Murat, who suffered a. fatal heart attack while viewing the disaster scene. ~ Some members of the “Holiday on Ice” company ran ~into the stands to help the. injured . ‘after {the blast and others. went, still in costume, to local hospitals to offer eine show was not damaged and mai could have resumed its 10-day {engagement after recovering from the shock, “Holiday on Ice” gen-. feral. manager. Al Grant indicated. . But State Fair Board. member’ Robert Weeden said the building probably will be closed until next year’s. fair in August, although 1H first, inspections did not reveal structural damage to the building. Deny Late Start Grant denied’ locally published. Teports the. show had begun 15 . AN] minutes Jate the night of. the | (Continued on page 52) ASTS CAN'T HAPPEN ON HUB OR KNOXVILLE “ qhers's no. peeathity Mts os | €xplosion in a Boston arena ‘or stadium because the fire depart {ment does not allow liquefied pe-. troleum gas to be stored or used in. a place of public assembly. 1f| Walter A. Brown, prexy Boston. || Garden. Corp., said there are no 18 | gas: ‘fixtures. in the building. Alt were removed after. an explosion | in .a. North Station drag store four | years ago. Jn Boston, the fire department does nat allow LP gas to be stored J or used inside a building of public | assembiy. ‘This restriction is wide| spread. throughout New England. ‘Gas Tabu in Knoxville | Knoxville, Nov: 35. Butane gas for usé in concession. | booths is: not permitted. at the fireproof . $5,500,000. Knoxville Civic Coliseum and Auditorium, 8) Fred C. McCallum, manager, said {in commenting on the tragedy en {countered at the “Holiday On Ice” show zt Indianapolis Coliseum.. “Holiday On Ice” held its. world preem in Knoxville after using the ‘Knoxville Coliseum as. the trainting arena for. the troupe.”