Variety (Jul 1944)

36 VAUDEVILLE PArIETY Wednesday, July 12, 1944 Night Club Reviews \ i\U- Socieiv.' Downtown (NEW <6KK) Ida James, Peter Rabbit 3, Josh White; Edmund Hall Orch (5); $2.50 •minimum. • Morton, trombone, and JpTinny Wil- liams, bass. Hall's quintet is a cork- ing crew and swings the tempos from straight'to'boogie. Abel. Barnev Jbsephson started with an idea of"unusual colored divertisse- ment and has made his Gate Society Downtown an institution to the de- gree that the^ Uptown counterpart (with its mixed show) frequently runs second to the Greenwich Vil- lage branch in quality. Through the seasons now, Josephson and his Bos- well, Ivan Black, have catapulted personalities like Lena Home. Hazel Scott. Zero Mostel, Jimmy Savo. and Mildred Bailey to the heights, and perhaps in newcomer Ida James history may repeat itself.;" , She's a comely songstress with a cute manner of selling cleancut songs. The lyrics might be con- strued saucy . by a far stretch of imagination. and perhaps .-' Miss James heats up in the early a.m. frolics, but she does plenty all right with "I Won't Say I Will," "Big Brown Eyes," "After You've Gone." "Shoo Shoo Baby" and stuff like that. ■-. : '.. Then there is Josh White, guitar- ing mainstay, with his authentic Negnr folksongs; many of which Libby Holman propagated and for whom' he accompanied when both were at La Vie Parisiennej midtown smart spot. Peter Rabbit Trio from the Club Bengazi. Washington, is a piano- guitar-bass combo of which, the guitarist : is an out-of-this-world specialist, while' the serious'-miened bulldog specialist is a Harlem : road company of Clark Gable in looks and manner, even unto that thin mustache. The Peter Rabbits do a job with "Fly Right," ."Holiday for Strings," etc. '/,' Edmund Hall, tall Clarinetist, is a Teddy Wilson alumnus, as are Benny Kiiipiroltooiii. Chi ' (PALMER HOUSE) Chicago, July 1. Victor Borge, George Hamilton Orch (.14) with June Howard, An- geline & Wynters, Virginia Auitin, Bernice Evans, Abbott Dancers (12); $3 and $3.50 minimum.-'/ : Victor Borge makes his Chicago debut in the Empire Room's "1944 Summertime Revue" and is being acclaimed by both patrons and press as one of the cleverest comedians to appear in local niteries. His ma- terial remains great and his timing perfect • • • Whether he is doing comedy chat- ter, his very funny phonetic punc- tuation routine or fooling around at the pifinCs his artistry fascinates. Virginia Austin's puppets go over, and .Ahgeline and Wynters, grace- ful dance team, also making their first .Chicago appearance, contribute a trio of nicely patterned and smooth- ly executed routines. Abbott Dancers are seen in two Okay numbers. The 10 p.m. "Little Show" features Bernice Evans, one of the Abbot- teers, who makes a hue impression with high kicks and acrobatics, and June Howard, nifty soloist of the George Hamilton orch. Hamilton has changed his musical style considerably since his last en- gagement at the Palmer House in 1937. when his music-box music was in vogue. His present band is well- balanced, dishes out excellent dance tunes and plays the show expertly. Morg. $7,000 Netted by AGVA In Emergency Benefit American Guild of Variety Artists cleared over $7,000 civ benefit per- formance given last March, a lesser figure having previously been given OUt. . ."'..,'' ;/ Emergency benefit was staged at 46th Street theatre. N, Y., in lieu of annual benefit usually given in May. Reason for pushing up date was to raise additional funds for welfare division of AGVA that had been stampeded via wholesale closings and talent: toss-outs, because of the incoming 30% nitery tax effective April 1, but since reduced, to 20% as of July 1. ;':'.''"'/ ; :'',;-" Amount stated' is net after ex- penses and tax deductions : were made, and represents income" from ticket sales and souvenir program. wSmB < CLARK BROS. Artistry in Rhythm Just concluded 37 w*«ks at Frank Paiumbos, Phila. Now »th week . Latin Casino, Phila. Personal Manager: FRANK BELMONT Direction EDDIE SMITH Paramount Bldg. Minn. T«»rra«'«*. Mpls. (HOTEL NICOLLET) Minneapolis, July 8. Perry Martin Orch (12), Dorothy Lewis Ice Show with Dorothy Leuiis, George Arnold, Art Leary, Jo Ann Axtell, Afitii Dexter, Ruth Heinz and Harriette Kenny; $2 min. Negro Vauders Snarl AGVA Pacts American Guild of Variety Artistj huddled last week with managements of the Hippodrome, Baltimore; Apollo, Harlem, N. Y.; Howard, Washington, and Royal, Baltimore, in an effort JojAWk . out pact for the houses. :'•'■':.,'-. !'}'■■. Diverse policy of houses involved is making it a tough nut to crack. Matt Shelvey, national director of AGVA, is studying capacity and low- priced scales, especially as they af- fect the Royal and Howard theatres, both catering exclusively to Negro audiences and employing Negro tal- ent.. Apollo also employs Negro tal- ent. Houses are scaled at 35c after- noons and 60c evenings. Both are small capacity houses and Shelvey agrees with the operators that' it would be difficult to operate at a profit if hamstrung with the 30- shows a week edict, with extra pro rata compensation- for performers doing all over.that number, ••_,:> Current AGVA setup for vaucie houses has but two classifications, A and B. and under' number of per- formances ruling does not curtail any house to a maximum number of performances. The 30-shows a week setup demands extra compensation the bag. • ( for acts earning under $800 weekly Ruling hits mostly new operations . in A houses and those earning under throughout the country. Those of $500 in B houses. In both classifica- proven financial stability can post.' lions' AGVA allows 32 performances bond or letter of security as here-[ weekly for $800 acts, with acts above AGVA MAKES DOUBTFUL NITERY OPS POST CASH Nitery operators or doubtful finan- cial stability will now have to post cash amounts covering one-week salary for performers before being permitted to function with blessing of American Guild of Variety Artists. .', New edict was . decided upon by Matt Shelvey, national director of AGVA to curtail future jtrandings, with performer-members holding BORDE, CRA IN DEAL ON N. Y., CHI BOOKING Reciprocal deal between Consoli- dated Radio Artists of New York and Al Borde, N. Y. and Chicago agent, was consummated Monday (10), with effective date as of June 1. Charles Green, Consolidated prexy, signed pact for CRA. Under terms of transaction, Borde's booking interests in N, Y., formerly handled by his own office (Central Booking), will ..be taken over by CRA, with latter office's midwest deals emanating from Borde's Chi- cago off ice, which is managed by: Freddie Williamson, Borde's partner. Deal is for two years with options. New setup has Jack Kalcheim. who formerly worked out of Central Booking, switching to Consolidated's act department, which, is headed by Hattie Althoff. Borde currently rep- resents about 100 performers. Both offices will be represented on the. Coast by Reg. D. Marshall, but CRA pact does not affect Borde's legit'dealings with Dave Wolper'or similar ventures. It should speak worlds for Doro- thy Lewis to record that her fifth annual ice show at this spot is threshing the, 30% tax soundly/ Last summer Miss Lewis and her troupe skated to the music of Tsemjikowsky:— Currently— sheV 'glamor-icing" outstanding George Gershwin tunes. Layout is less colorful and less elaborate than last summer's revue, but it's lively and still provides superior entertain tofore. Currently the national head quarters is holding $70,000 in cash security, which provas that even the shortroll toys have dug up coin, so as to be able to employ AGVA acts. Fritzie Zivic Finds It Easier To Thesp It Than Fight ■ ....,; ' Pittsburgh, July 11.- ' Figuring that his fighting d ays are just about at an end and williprobably be out for keeps by the time the war ends, Private Fritzie Zivic. former welterweight champion of the world, plans to stick to the cafe belt when ment. Audience enthusiasm is big. I he puts away his khaki. That was Blade numbers^ are notable ^fpr j indicated here last week when Zivic u after taking a licking from Johnny Bell at Forbes Field while home on a furlough, signed a long-term post thrilling spins and whirls at which the two boys, Arnold and Leary, and Miss Lewis are particularly adept. There's a smattering of acrobatics, tap dancing, adagio and jitter- bugging. In her own solo, Miss Lewis skates to an effective arrange- ment of "Rhapsody in. Blue." There is also frequent and pleasant re- course to other listenable tunes from "Porgy and Bess" and "Show Boat." Four lookers of the line and Miss Lewis are provided with stunning costumes. One of the most novel line routines is a maypole bit with Miss Lewis acting as the pole, the girls whirling around her. Perry Martin's band plays for guest dancing and the show with perfection. It's a smart and showy 12-piece outfit and its music is ex- ceedingly pleasant. Martin's singing adds immeasurably to several of the show numbers and is heard to ad- vantage frequently during customer limb shaking. y. Rees. Chez Faroe, Chi ; Chicago, July 8.. Mitri. Green, Maurice Rocco, Bar- bara Perry, Corday & Triano, Chez Paree Adorables (12), Gay Claridge Orch (13) with Mary Osborne, Chez Paree Rhumba Band (6) with Lucio Garcia; $3 and $3.50 minimum. .' war contract with Morry Fremont, local 10%-er, to represent him ex- clusively. Fremont was Zivic's agent when latter made his nitery debut as a comedian and m.c: here at the Villa Madrid several months ago before going into the service. . Boxer also played a couple of other cafe dates after that that figure permitted to do 35 show weekly. All acts under the figures must be compensated for extra' per- formances, '.'■''.' '••.-;;' ■'■::■ .'.;■ To arrive at. , an. arrangement AGVA may have to classify the Howard and Royal theatres in new C classification but would compel houses to meet Class B minimum of $85 for principals and $50 "for chor- isters on the 30-show basis.. Another meeting of principals will be held the latter part of this week when if~7is expeeTecTHEnat a contract will be drafted by AGVA and signed by theatre operators involved. , Apollo will be worked out a little differently since house plays regula- tion bills as a rule but every few weeks books in a high-priced attrac- tion that puts it in class A category. This may be solved by designating the Harlem house a B-pIus spot. ' Current bill marks the return of two favorites, Mit7.i Green, who comes back after temporary retire- , (Continued on page 38) RUSSELL and RENEE Mr. MASK MSODT—Wwt Comedy Trampoline ■ Artists (TKKKN.TI.Y A^PKARINU ■'..»,'.'' •'■,'■ ■':"- AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ' VKW YORK Thank* to LEOIS LEOISIDOFF I.KON NKWJIAN—Katt Ft. Worth Agent Freed Of Stranding Girl Unit San Antonio, July 11: A Fort Worth agent, who brought a troupe of Chicago girls calling themselves the "Sunkist Vanities" here to entertain soldiers, was ex- onerated here Friday (7) by a grand jury of charges that he stranded the girls here. •: i;..'.:.•: ; ';•■■' .> The agent. Whose name was not disclosed, said he had contracted for the girls, but. when they arrived they, were not the same girls as those in the pictures'sent by ..the Chicago agency. He further testified that he paid the girls for three weeks work but had not paid the agent because she failed to send the girls for whom he had contracted. .;>«. I Gay-White Way I Continued fcom page ■ » Rat-surface type, with the dimen- sions of a stage-set. Signs will be "painted" . with lights instead of paint, with new lighting effects for each dimension. Lights will be soft instead of brilliant, to take the glare off. They'll be colored, in delicate pastel shades. The new lighting tech- nique will include black light or in- visible rays; .-translucent plastics filtering the light/ and masses o lamps to suggest size. Americans are impressed with size, says Leigh, and •future sighs will be fewer and big- ger. /Fluorescent instead of bulb lights.will supply Broadway's chief illumination. , •;- Leigh says the N. Y. World's Fair was a precedent-making step in de- sign and lighting, whose develop- ment was stopped by the war. Leigh, whose firm did a $2,000,000 business before the war, says that when the blackout came, he lost only one cus- tomer, others being content to keep their signs until the return of light. When the ban is lifte* Leigh's firm will turn on again with what they have, working out his new designs gradually with his clients. When the blackout came, most of Leigh's signs were covered over with painted sur- faces. -. v- -; ■ Leigh sees plenty of room for ex- pansion, mainly in roof-top space. He hopes the lighting ban is lifted as soon as possible after the Euro- pean angle of the war,is settled, as he looks on a lighted Broadway as a morale-building, psychological af- fair. Bar Queens Nitery From Ziegfeld Title A Queens, L. I., nightclub has been barred from . use of the words "Follies, and "Frolics" in connection with the name "Ziegfeld," according to a ruling by Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Schreiber last week (6) in New York. . Actress Billie, Burke, widow of Florenz Ziegfeld, and the Select Op- erating Corp.. (Shuberts). owri.ers of the name "Ziegfeld Follies" or "Frolics," were granted a temporary injunction restraining Harold Conk- lin. operator of The Boulevard, and De Lories Ziegfeld, an entertainer, from billing the club's entertain- ment policy as the "De Lories Zieg- feld Ice Frolics" or "Follies." Attorneys for the club's operator and. entertainer claimed the right to use the name Ziegfeld as the family name of one of the defendants. 'The court held that "the evidence establishes clearly that- the name of the defendant, Ziegfeld, was not used Honestly.,, but rather for the purpose of misleading the public into believ- ing that the entertainment offered by the defendants was in some way connected with the famous "Ziegfeld Follies." -,' ' ' :''; . - NOW KNTKRTAININC. THIS BOYS IN Till! EUROPEAN THEATRE Ol OPERATIONS WILLIE SHORE Personal Mi»murem«mt: AL BORDE Versatility in Rhythm KEN KENNEDY On Tour for USO Overseas ROY DOUGLAS Different Ventriloquist CURRENTLY 5TH WEEK * : BAL TABARIN New York Henry Bstldridge is hew manager of the Skyway and Plantation Roof atop the Peabody Hotel, Memphis. TOP-NOTCH COLORED TALENT T.hPHtiiciit and musical talent ' rt f (-oelttail - I-ouhk-^s, Theatres, Nlgbt Cluha »nil .Ra-dioi Kntevtainment furnished for all oc- casions. •' -. Write! Phone or Wire Colored Kutlio Artists' Association THEATRICAL BOOKING AGENCY 3458 S. Shite Sf , Chicago . Victory 7!»I7 JUST RETURNED FROM CASSINO BATTLE FRONT! Comedy Stars of U.S.O. Camp Show's "FRONTLINE FOLLIES OF 1944" DICK M and J1ET EV1S LOEW S STATE. New York'.->■- July 13-1* MrocHon MARK UDDY (E«* mm* Wast) SAM KOIERTS (MMwnt)