Variety (Oct 1941)

46 MIGHT CLUBS 'Wednesdaf, October 29, 1911 Night Gub Reviews BLUE ROOM, N. O. (HOTEL ROOSEVELT) New Orleans, Oct. 24. Maurice Ic Cordoba, Ruth Petty, Paul Remos Ic 'Tov Boys', Doris Dupont, Muriel Bj/rd, Murphy Sis- ters, Carl Hoff Orch; $2 Minimum Saturdays. A topnotch band and a halt dozen ■well acts make the new show in the Blue Room of the Roosevelt a hit. It is gay, spirited and solidly put together without a letdown. Carl HofE's musical crew predomi- nates in the new offering, but there's plenty of dancing, singing, acrobatics and other fare to provide variety. One of the outstandmg bands to ap- pear here, Hoffs music includes sweet as well as swing. It is pleas- ant to listen to although slightly heavy on the brass side when caught. Hoff is an easy-going, per- sonable maestro. His band satisfles from all angles anS iTf generafecT plenty of audience enthusiasm at this dinner show. The band also pro- vides nice backgroxmd for acts in addition to dishing it out for danc- ers in way that kept floor crowded. Paul Remos and his Toy Boys are winners, the audience being sold with first glimpse of the two acro- batic midgets. Ruth Petty is play- Ing^ a return. She has swell pipes, tip-top delivery and an ace-high per- sonality. Arrangements of 'Mean to Me," "ThereUl Be Some Changes Made' and 'Strawberry Blonde*.net- ted plenty of palm pounding. She encores with cowboy medley and Down Yonder in New Orleans.' * Maurice and Cordoba, suave dance team, do Waltzes to Latin turns. The pair's work Is smooth and clever ^and their work notable chiefly for ease of their lifts and twirls. Doris Du- pont eiihibits stamina and skill as a tapster. Muriel Byrd, pianist and warbler, keeps things moving and lively during the time band is catch- ing its wind. Got nice hand. The Murphy Sisters, featured trio with band, also rated bows for their har- monizing. LAuzza. YACHT CLUB, PITT Pittsburoh, Oct. 21. Herman Middleman Orch (8), Mildred Baileu, Christine Forsythe, Leon Fields, Franco & Bervl, For- tunellos (2), Shirlev Heller; $1.50-$2 Minimum. Hellers have another winner in Mildred Bailey, playing her first nitery engagement in Pittsburgh. She's been here before, but always in theatres or ..dancehalls, ._Yacht. Club's been rnost successful with singing headliners. Recently Jerry Cooper was in for couple of weeks and Ethel Shutta has been set to follow Miss Bailey. Latter Is sUII a crack song-seller and has 'em holler- ing for 'Rockin' Chair' all through her repertoire. Eventually gives it to the crowd, of course, but not be- fore she has them_in tha.palmjQf .he.r hand with a succession of° wham pops.' The Bailey voice may not be everything It was a few years, ago, but there's enough of It left to go a long way. Besides, the hefty dame has learned how to salv« with style as' well as pipes. Remainder of bill makes up gen- erally what Is best all-around snow Yacht Club's had in months. Sure bet for. musicals one of these days is a tapper by th« name of Christine Forsythe. She's a striking looker who hoofs with the best of 'em and is an unusual tyjie, being well over six feet tall. Carries herself like a half-pint, however, and spins and taps herself into a solid smash. M.c.'ing is handled by Leon Fields, a clever comedian who'd ba twice as clever it someone would edit his material. Has a nice, casual man- ner, somewhat on the order of Frank Fay, and acts as if he didn't care'' whether school held or not, and it's contagious. Young man definitely has possibilities. Dance team of Franco and Beryl is a smash for their first two num- bers but after that it develops that everything they do is the same rou- tine to different music. Guy's an expert at giving the dame a dizzy whirl, which is very showy, but trouble is couple don't mix it up with anything else. Have a novelty that's done without music, and it's ,;ood, as is their subsequent number, }Ut then it's simple duplication. Show opens with Fortunellos, good acrobatic team th&t could do with less cute stuff from tjhe little fellow, however, and more straight tum- bling. . Herman Middleman's band backs up tiie show expertly and doesn't do .a-l}ad job-eith'er-on-the dansapation,- Rhumbas are getting better and their conventional stuff is in the groove. Shirley Heller does the vo- cals. She's competent Cohen. Bermuda Terrace, Boston (BRUNSWICK HOTEL) TITO GUIZAR Just returned from Ail-Time Record-Breaking Engagements In Caracas —> Columbia —Panama'—and Guatemala CURRENTLY LOEWS STATE,NewYork (WEEK OCT. 23) OPENING FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 14 WALDORF ASTORIA, NEW YORK. FOR EXTENDED ENG^EMENT... Latest VICTOR Releases UTTLE PRINCESS DARLING CAMELA TIME WAS YOURS Exclusive Management MUSIC CORPORATION OF AMERICA Boston, Oct. 24. Raymond Scott Orch (14), with Roberta, Billv Leech. After considerable experimenting with various combinations of styles while on his recent summer-long Jaunt to Denver and back, Raymond Scott unveiled an entirely different band-in this room Friday (24) night. It still socks home~ those. -uniquely marked and easily recognizable $cott arrangements, but whereas it once had trouble delivering pops and good dance tempos, it now glides over the latter with an ease and flexibility that surprises one who hasn't heard the band in months. Scott has developed a new and ex- tremely pleasing tone quality via a combination of various instruments and he has threaded the idea through almost all of the stuff now in his books. It lends itself particu- larly to ballads and light rhythm numbers, but can even oe detected in some of his own specialties. Though the leader has replaced three or four men within the past few weeks, there's no easily notice- able roughness, that mipnt stem from new men breaking in. Made up of four trumpets, two trombones, four saxes and three rhythm, the' group clicks off its smartly written stuff -in fine, Ustenable and dance- able style. Though there are only three rhythm instruments .(guitar missing, but will be replaced), a new drummer, a comparative young- ster picked up in the midwest, sup- plies a t>eat and hold on tempo that makes the absence of strings almost undetectable. Roberta, once vocalist with Johnny Green and other big bands, works smoothly in easy, flexible voice, and Billy Leech, formerly of KDKA, Pittsburgh, rates as a new find. His range and pleasing delivery make him a valuable addition to Scott's :w. Wood. maisonette; n.-y. (HOTEL sr. BEOIB) Bvi Ortega. Th* SegovUu (2), Nicholas Matthey bands (6), Yasha Nozarenko; $3 mlnimvm. The Maisonette Russ* In the Hotel. St Regis, with the Russe part of It dropped, despite the renewed sym- patico for anything In the vodka idiom, has reopened, after being dark all last season. Its revival Is In line with the pro-borscht attitude, even though the billing is on the conservative side. Still a class room, with emphasis on caviar,' blinl and beef StrogoiioR, the show is mediocre and out-of-tune with the environment. ^ It manifests a need for revamping into something more ultra to conform with the gen- eral atmosphere. Supposedly an In- formal boite, in contrast to the swank Iridium Room within the same hostelry, this is no 'basket-party-wel- come' joint. Menu is steep and serv- ice ultra, hence the show must per- force match the standard. What unfolds Is an indifferent as- sortment, Yasha Nazarenko, who has been t)ere before, is the emcee, a tall, "pefsblftfBle "Ril'ssfaii' "WhO"does' two guitar solos In somnolent, char- acteristic voice that doesn't match his impeccable white-tie-and-tails. Fur- ther,- what he has to introduce is done with an almost apologetic air. Eve Ortega, who is also a returner, does Latin, French and English ditties acceptably but, on her own, ■isn't—hefty—enough to—bolster—the. 20 minutes' unfolding. That goes also for Lolita tind Alberto Segovia, with their Spanish terps, while Nicholas Matthey, last at the Russian Kretchma, alternately heads the U. S. and tzigane dance combos. The Maisonette lends itself to one strong personality, with the bands sufficient unto' the purpose thereof although, for the dinner sessions, there might be a little more Emphasis on the cymbalom and kindred native Russian instrumentation. Instead, the veering away from the charac- teristic, which seems to be a patent motif, works in reverse. Room, of course, has been out of its stride tor a full year, and undoubtedly the maitre, August, who generally cues the management on those things, will assert his observations. As a din- ing-dancing environment, the Maisonette is one of the most rest- ful in New York, parring the best class rooms extant, but the entertain- ment hors d'ouvres need revamping. Abel. dancer Is very fast In ■ Samba num- ber with Julio, The two encores ar« variations of th* same. Pair ar« on again at the finale for brief terps. Flamenco dancing, with the click- ing castanets and much foot-stomp> ing,. puts over Carta and Fernando It's a variation from the more exotic South American numbers. Anita Rabal sings the music for'the open- ing ensemble without attracting too much attention. . Carmen Montoya striking black-halred dancer, goea over nicely with her flashy 'Espanol- erias' terps effort. Belen Ortega, attractive miss, bal- lads two typical Spanish tunes with pert effectiveness; then does a pair of encore songs, best of which is 'Rio Rita.' Outstanding chorus number Is tha Samba, which brings on Julio and KIki. Finale, while colorful, lacks the verve expected from Latin- American group. Julio Richards (of Julio-Kiki team) did a showmanly job even if the choreography is un- original. Frollan Maya's crack Pan- American crew plays the show, while Don Gilberto's orch provides the music for the dancing—bearing down on.the strictly Latinesque tunes. Wear. FAMOUS DOOR, N. Y. Havana-Madrid, N. Y. SEVEN GABLES INN (MILFOBD, CONN.) Milford, Conn., Oct. 19. Bruce Haley Orch (11). 'Good Neighbor Fiesta,' Julio & Kifci, Felipe De Flores, Carmen Mon- toya, Belen Ortega, Anita Rabal, Carla & Femand chorus (8); FroiUin Maya orch (8); Don Gitberto orch (10); retme produced by Julio Rich- ards; $2 and $2.50 minimums. Havana-Madrid, which started its fifth year bt continuous operation on Broadway last week (22), has a com- pact little' Winner in its new show. A trifle top-heavy on vocalists as pres- ently geared, revue stacks up as a nice nitery entertainment, buy. Felipe De Flores is a happy choice as m.c, combining solid ballads with an Ingratiating manner in introing the acts. Known in Mexico for his singing, Flores wears typical Mexi- can rural garb. On for four songs, 'Amori' and 'El Brava' are standout. Julio and Kiki, latter a comely redhead, are sufficiently clicko to be spotted more prominently. As It Is they give two fast encores and leave auditors clamoring for more. Femme Henry Nemo Orch (14) with Doro- thy Kay; Anita Boyer, Sammy Walsh, 3 Debs; No Couer, $1 minimum weekdays, $2 Weekends. . Since it^ficled as a Euirdiip spoV for new bands, along with, inci- dentally, the dropoff of 52d street's reputation as 'swing, alley,' the Fa- mous Door has had a varied ex- istence. It was shuttered for awhile, but recently reopened under new management with Andy Kirk's col- ored band. Present show, whose three top names get equal billing, is an effort to pull back the the- atrical crowd. It marks the New York debut of songwriter-Broadway tunsted-al lib artist Henry Nemo as a bandleader. Despite the presence of vocalist Anita Boyer and m.c.-comedian Sammy Walsh, it was Nemo whom an opening night (Thursday) ca- pacity mob crowded in to see and hear. They came to catch his band (which he led during the summer at Grossinger's, Fcrndalc, N; Y.) and howl at his antics. They weren't disappointed despite the fact that the opening apparently had him nervous and his stuff suffered. He tossed off his own peculair brand of jive double talk, and earned strong response. Nemo's instrumental combination of four sax, three trumpets, two trombones, four rhythm, is at this fioint only backing for his comedy, t's a rough group that will prob- ably become smoother with time, but that it will ever overshadow its leader is doubtful. Its arrangements are fair. Dorothy Kay, vocalist, is capable. Band uses a tag-line, 'Hit the Beam With the Neam.' Show, with Nemo taking part, runs about an hour. Leader does an imi- tation of Charlie Chaplin doing magico~that 'has several good mo- ments. Miss Boyer, former vocalist with several name bands, easily handles pop tunes, but the first, 'Deed I Do,' Isn't a strong enough opener. Others are 'Jim,' 'Minnie From Trinidad' and Time Was.' Walsh'.s Interlude is fair in spots and bright In others. His best con> tributlons are a couple of tunes In which he uses a deadpanned stooge as a foil. . Wood. Harry Lee and Max Lerner opened at Jim Otto's club in Los Angeles. Here'^-«« Boston Post Road spot that started out as a crackerbox and has now reached a 600-seat capacity, drawing trade from all over south- ern Connecticut. Friday and Satur- day are the big dansapation eves, with Sunday biz largely confined to the type of Sabbath diner who likes sweet,swing with his spinach. Bal- ance of week holds its own with moderate business. Inn is artistically arranged, with a lengthy oval dome effect over the dance surface. Blue background on dome can be varied with shifting spotlights for colorful results. Theres a novel latticed device that is utilized to block off sections of the main room into private quarters. Spot is equally well known for its food and its. musical entertainment. It was here thaV Frankie Carle pre- sided over the ivories until his 'Sun- rise Serenade' skyrocketed him to bigger and better things with Horace Heidt. Present band had Leigh Knowles swinging the baton for quite a spell until he stepped over to the Charlie Spivak crew. Tempo beating is now handled by Bruce Haley, vocalist when ICnowles was fronting. Setup is a four-sax, three-trumpet, trombone, string . ba^s, piano and drums affair. When caught, this ag- gregation gave out nice rhythm for the hoofing element, also tones that were not hard on the ear. Haley still carries the vocals, as well as direct- ing (which he does standing at tiie mike). Lad displays a fair Baritone but doesn't seem quite sure of him- self. Answer may be because his shift from singer to leader Is a fairly recent one. Bone. jnwicus LOEW BOOKING BUILDINO Sim