Variety (Aug 1939)

36 VARIETY ▼AUDE-NIGHT CLUBS Wednesday, August 30, 1939 Saratoga, Minus Gambling, Winding Up Bad Season; No Floorshow Names By JACK PULASKI Saratoga Springs, Aug. 29. The Spa is winding up its second successive summer with the lid clamped tightly on game rooms, but the operators of the night spots haven't squawked as much this sea- son as last. Perhaps they are used to' it how, though they depend on the casinos. As. for the track, there is little dQubt that the bookies have been badly nicked. At Aqueduct there were 109, but the number dropped to 40 here last week, with many empty booths, especially in the shed. High percentage of winning favor- ites is the explanation. Again names are absent from the floor shows of the richly appointed spots on the lake, but the operators gamely elected to provide entertain- ment to keep the establishments in good standing with patrons, hoping that next year the situation will be different. In a few clubs there are girl lines, usually in the less preten- tious resorts, while specialists and dance bands, most of the latter fa- miliar in New York's night club belt, are in the more elaborate spots. Best known act is Cross and Dunn, appearing at Reilly's Lake House, with Eddie Weber at the ivories. When the team arrived at the Spa the engagement was doubtful, but the show finally went oh with Jolly Coburn's band, once at the Rainbow room. Balance of the show is made up of Joan Brandon, girl magician, doing same routine as Dr. Hoffman's 'Think a Drink," Jimmy and Evelyn Vernon, dance team; Happy Bill, English accordionist, and Jay and Lou Seller. At Arrowhead, George Lamaze sports two bands, one being Ernie Hoist, from El Morocco, N. Y., and a rhumba outfit, whose pianist, Car- los Cobien, is known as the Irving Berlin of .South America. Top sin- gle is Niela Goodellc, songstress. Latter was sought for a legit revue, but she declined, planning to wed a physician and retire. Class dance team is Dario and Diane. Spirits HIeh The . daoiDerj tjp_^ambl.ing doesn't affect the'sprn'fs of'ffi? entertain- ers who gather at Matty Dunn's Meadowbrook for Saturday night jam sessions, one of the places with chorines. Bert Gilbert, as m.c, car- ries the late trick show along speed- ily, with most of the performers mentioned appearing, plus Nelson, the marionette crack 'rom Piping Rock, . which folded Saturday (26), and an animated musical girl quar- tet from Mother Kelly's. At New- man's Lake House, Al Johns and his orchestra is sufficient, while the Three Senators are doing okay in the bar. Several spots were raided because of gambling and licenses were revoked for one year. Injunc- tions were secured and the clubs are Vaadfilm Back into Slate, Hartford, Fri. (1) Hartford, Aug. 29. State theatre here returns to vaudfllms on Friday (1). Policy will be practically same as last year, name bands and name person- alities, with emphasis on the former. Opening attraction set is Betty Grable, Rochester and Frankie Masters* orch unit Gene Krupa's orch follows. Booking will be by Martin Harris in New York. holding on to the bitter end, away in the red. In addition to Piping Rock. Riley's Lake House also closed Saturday night (26). In Saratoga proper, Villanova sports the best floor show, with Joe Riccadel's band on the stand and the eight well-dressed Milray girls com- prising the line. Anne Lester tops the show with a song routine, while Ahne Bronte, tloing a ditty single, also scores. Rhoda Chase, fcmme baritone, teamed with Melise Bai- lee at the piano, works, the tables between shows. Cherry's, across from the track, re- mains the favorite for stay-outs. Here, with Al Abrahams at the piano, there are laughs to be had, what with singing waiters and girl table war- blers. Martha Lawrence, who was with the Playboys (WCY), Jeff Vic- tor and the Three O'Connor Sisters are on hand, plus usually impromptu entertainers from among the patrons. Also present is Eddie Byers, mixol- ogist, always at the Spa in the sum- mer and sometimes at Palm Beach in the winter. Rainbow Room Getting Satirical Quintet Sept. 12 The Rainbow Room, Kockefeller- chi-ehi nitery atop Radio City, New York, will get a load. of . satire, when The Revuers open there Sept. , 12. Five-people act is. from the Vanr guard, Greenwich Village cafe, and is strictly a ribbing turn. Performers write their own material. John Hoysradt returns to the. Rai<v- bow Room Oct. 16 fojr a six-week run. William Morris offloa agentcd the Hoysradt and Revuors deals. RICHMAN, LYMAN TOP CHFS CHEZ PAREE BILL Harry Richman and Abe Lyman's orch will co-headline the Chez Paree, Chicago, show opening to- morrow (Thursday) night. Layout will stick at that spot for seven weeks. Supporting show holds Rose Blane, D'Angelo and Porter and Ruth Day. Marjorie Keeler's Act Seattle, Aug. 29. Ruby Keeler planed into town to give her youngest sister, Marjorie, a sendoff when she opened a two- week engagement at the Ranch, nearby nitery. Marjorie's partner is George Davis. Miss Keeler said her husband, Al Jolson, was in New York on a radio dial, and she was forgetting about her fllm career for the time to take care of their 4-year-old adopted boy. CONSOLIDATED RADIO ARTISTS, Inc. and C. R. A. ARTISTS, Ltd. Proudly Announce The Association of CHARLES J. FREEMAN On September 1, 1939 _Mr. Freeman Is The Exclusive Booker_ Of The Interstate Circuit Stage Shows August 1, 1939. I have signed an agreement with Charles J. Freeman whereby he will be the exclusive booker of all stage shows to play the Interstate. Circuit, Inc., for a period of five years. (Signed) Robert J. O'Donnell. Goldin Dead in London At 65; Originated trick Of Woman Sawed in Half Horace Goldin,. rated by magicians as one of the greatest illusionists of all times, died last Tuesday (22) ia London after collapsing during « performance at the Woodgreen Em- pire theatre. He was 65. Goldin's chief claim .to fame, on which he incidentally amassed a fortune, was his perfection of several stage tricks which gave the illusion of a woman being sawed in half His patent on this apparatus, filed in 1911, was the basis of his $50,000 suit for damages against the R, j, Reynolds Tobacco Co. in 1937. The Reynolds Co. was then running a series of newspaper and magazine ads which supposedly exposed ma- gicians' tricks, among them the saw- ing-a-woman stunt. Goldin claimed the explanation was untrue, stating the advertisement shattered the pub- lic's faith in his stunt so that he could no longer get bookings. The suit was dismissed in the Federal court in N. Y. in 1938, the judge de- eiding that the Reynolds company had honestly obtained its informa- tion from 'The Book of Secrets' by W. B. Gibson. Recently, Goldin perfected -and exhibited in England a new twist on this trick, using a power-driven cir- cular saw mounted on the stage. After first sawing through a log, he then placed a woman in front of the saw and it appeared as though she was being cut in halt. He had planned to tour the U. S. with this trick this coming October. His last tour of America was in 1923-24, al- though he returned to the U. S. every five years to renew hiZ-pili- zcnship. A Stormy Petrel — Goldin-was somewhat of a stormy petrel in magician circles, becoming involved several times in contro- versies over the publication of meth- ods used by magicians to fool the public. He was a life member of the Society of American Magicians, founded by Houdini, who, inci- dentally, was the only illusionist whose earnings exceeded Goldin's. Their routines, however, were differ- ent, Houdini being more ot an escapist. Goldin, who was then a shoe clerk, became interested in magic in 1891 i as a result of a sleight-of-hand gag ' played on him by Herman the Great, one of the most famous ma- ; gicians of that time. Herman dcm- : onstrated several other tricks for i Goldin, who iminediatcly gave up shoe-selling for conjury. By 1908 I Goldin established a reputation in' I America and went to London for a : week's booking at the Palace thea- I trc. He remained for six months, i giving command performances for I Edward VII, Queen Marie ot Ru- , mania and other figures ot royalty. It was then that he adopted the billing of 'The Royal IllusionisL' \ Goldin published his autobiography, I 'It's Fun to Be Fooled,' last year. ' He is survived by his widow, a i former actress. She sailed from New , York for London immediately aflcr ' receiving the news of his death, stat- I ing that she intends to bring back his body for burial in the U. S. HILDEGARDE Playing to CAPACITY BUSINESS NIGHTLY SAVOY PLAZA HOTEL KKW yoiiK Per. Mgr.—ANNA SOSENKO Ex. Rep.—JACK BERTELL LORD& STEWART Tailors of Today — And Tomorrow LONDON: 19 Albemarle Street PICCADILLY, W. 1 NEW YORK: 660 FIFTH AVENUE