Variety (Dec 1944)

Wednes(1«7i December 20, 1944 ORCHESTRAS-MUSIC 33 Bands at Hotel B.O/s {Presented herewith, aa a weekly cnbttlatlon, is the estimated cover charge bustiiesj being don* bu name bonds in various Neto York hotels Dinner business (7-10 p.m.) not rnted. Figures after name o] hotel give room capacity and cover cliaroe. Larger amount designates weekend ond holtdav price. Compilation is based on period from Monday to Saturday.) Coven I'otaJ IVeeki Pant Cnrer* Plujed WttU On IMte 9 Band Hotel Hal Aloma Lexington (300; 75c-$1.50) 9 1,825 18,200 Jerry Wald New Yorker (400; $1-?1.50) 0 tl,000 1,000 Les Brown Pennsylvania (500; $1-$1.50) 1 2,825 2,825 Leo Reisman Waldorf (550; $2) 3 2,675 8,330 Dean Hudson ....Lincoln (275: $1-$1.50) 10 850 14.300 Guy Lombardo . . Roosevelt (400; $^-51.50) 12 2,225 34,800 Enoch Light Biltmore (400; $1-*1.50) 12 1.000 14.625 Hal Mclntyre Commodore ( ir. $1-$1.50) 1 1,600 1,600 • Asterisks indicate a supporting floor show. New Yorker, Biltmore, have ice shows. Lexington, Hawaiian floor show. t 3 days. Los Angeles Freddie Martin (Ambassador; 900; $1-$1.50). Second rousing week at old stamping grounds hoisted tabs to top 4,500. Henry- Klnf (Biltmore; 900; $1-$1.50). Drawing heavy downtown trade for solid 4,000 covers. Chicago CBrmen Cavallaro (Empire Room, Palmer House; 700; $3-$3.50 min.> Two-day blizzaid blitzed tabs here, but with Minevitch Rascals heading floor show, got a good 6,500. Bobby Sherwood (Panther Room, Sherman hotel; 950; $1.50-$2.5a min.). Sherwood followed Tommy Dorsey Friday (15). Publicity on Hall fracas didn't hurt IJorsey's last stanza a bit, kicking it up to 6,500. BUI Snyder iMayfair Room, Blackstone hotel; 400; $2.50 min.). Weather should have hurt biz here, but overflow crowds from across-the-street Stevens drew 2,800. Benny Slr«nr (Walnut Boom, Bismarck hotel; 465; $l.S0-$2.50 min.). Pre- Cbristmas shunp felt heire, with only 2,600 for Strong this time. Tommy Tacker (Boulevard Room, Stevens hotel; 650; $3-S3.50 min ). Jampacked room kept Thicker and standard vaude acts at an even 5,000. Location Jobs, Not in Hotels (Los Anpetes) Stin Kenton iPoIladium B, Hollywood, third week). Good business with the jive hounds keeping buyers to 30,000. Bernle Cummins iTrianon B, Southgate, fourth week). Maestro leaves tonight (19) with biz only so-.so, 6,300. Lelgbtan Koble (Slapsy Maxie's, N, Los Angeles, third week). No drop off in holiday biz. Steady capacity 5,200. (Cliicngo) Gay Claridge (Chez Paree; 650; $3-$3.50 min.). Joe E. Lewis, with Rose Marie and Claridge, hit home base to rate 5,500. Chuck Foster (.Blackhawk; BOO; $l-$2.50 min.), Down to 3,100 this lime for Foster. Frankie Masters (Latin Quarter; 700; $3-$3.50 min.). Masters and Ritz Bros, still doing best biz in town, with 7,300. Lupe's Skedded Albany Date Goes to Merry Macs The Merry Macs wiU replace the late Lupe Velez at the Palace thea- tre, Albany, starting Dec. 28. Miss Velez, a recent suicide in Hollywood, was committed to play 10 weeks in vaude as headliner in a package show with Shep Fields' oreh. Music Corp. of America is still seeking a headline replacement with the Fields unit since it is not likely that the Merry Macs will be able to fill out the entire tour. On the Upbeat Alfred Bamscy, trumpeter, with Frankie Carle's orchestra shifted to join Harry James' outfit. Marty Gregor band moves into William Penn Hotel's Terrace Room, Pittsburgh, for a rtm on Jan. 5, fol- lowing Bob Rhodes and his WCAE. Pitt, staff ork. Artie Schwartz and Freddie Mar- tin signed Lou Bring as musical di- rector for records to be pressed under the Maestro label. Inside Stuff-Orchestras-Music Two of the major agencies In N.Y. are currently doing everything pos- sible to block the sale of a band into a major N.Y. hotel'by a third. One of the two exerting the blocking tactics has a more or less exclusive hold on the bookings at the hostelry, while the second is joiniii^g in the niov« simply as a means of preventing the third from getting any, sort of a toe- hold. In addition to fiimply preventing the third agency from making the sale, in order to fill the time with one of their own bands, the two blockers hope that by keeping the bandleader in question out oi the job he will be able to sever his contract with the third and they will liave a chance to sign him. In the middle of the whole deal is a comparatively new band, far in the red, which needs the prestige of the hotel booking. Profe.-tsional Music Men's affair next April 28 at Carnegie HalU N. Y., will be the most ambitious of all that organization's \-entures for the pur- pose of pyramiding funds for music men's relief, it's expected fhat the event will produce somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000 for the PMM's coffers. In the past, between $25,000 and $30,000 has been tops. Fred Waring"s orchestra and chorus of 200 voices, is giving its services gratis. Permission has been secured from N.Y. local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians for the free performance. Scale of prices has been set, calling for $100 for boxes, $10 front oirchestra, $5 t>ack orchestra and $2 for balcony seats. Horace Heidt will move into his own Trianon Ballroom, Los Angeles, Jan. 23, following Ted Fio Rito's mu- sicrew, which starts a five-week stint this week. Stan Kenton band checked iiito the Hollywood Palladium for six weeks after 20 weeks on the road. * Al Donahue band held over for four weeks at the Aragon Ballroom, Los Angeles. Emil Coleman and orchestra re- newed for six months at the Mo- cambo, Los Angeles. \Ial Hallet's orchestra opens a new ballroom, as yet unnamed, Dec. 16 at Ansonia, Conn. Jack Teagardtn's orchestra plays its first theatres date in the east in several years week of Jan. 21 at Hipp, Balto. Les Barnct, composer-pianist, dis- charged from the Army and re- joined Abbey Brown orchestra. Dinah Shore, accompanied by Al Sack and musierew, cut four sides lor Victor. Jimmy Wakely pulled his band out of Sunset Ranch, Los Angeles, after a disagreement over terms, and is looking for a ballroom to run on his own. Al Ayola, arranger for Frankie Carle, and Tommy Ryan, former sub- leader of the Blue Barron oi-che!itra, were pi^essed int.o./ieryice as maestros of Carle's orchestra last week. Leader's mother died in Providence (11) and he was unable to rejoin the band until Sunday (17). Avola worked m front of the combo two days at the Palace theatre, Akron, and Ryan took over for the opening two-and-a-half days at the Circle, Indianapolis. Broadcast Music, Inc., denies that the deal it is now negotiating with Charlie Spivak, to set up an active music publishing house, involves be- .tween $40,000 and $50,000. Performance outfit asserts that Spivak's deal, which hasn't yet been signed, will be Sasically similar to all \ather con^- tracts existing between it and leaders with same rates and sarne basis of payment, based on perfonmances. Spivak's firm will be profes.sionally managed by Jack Osfeld, who shift* over from Edwin H. (Buddy) Morris. American Federation of Musicians headquarters in New York recently received a letter from a wounded vet in Gardiner General Hospital, Chi- cago, asking for a recording of Todd's "Little Lad." AFM referred request to Todd. Platter, made four years ago, is out of circulation. HCA-Victor, how- ever, agreed to dig up platters master and press one disc for the wounded GI, and send it to him for Todd. Because of the season, Mike Todd is releasing "Chiistmas Eve"* from his forthcoming "Central Park.'' Sigmund Romberg operetta, in advance of the show's Philly break-in, which will be- literally around Xraas eve. Wil- liamson Bros, (.the Rodgers and Hammerstein indie music pub firm) will 'uug sitiT EiA i».oqs ^apu^no.. j^lno 9C{|, Sntaq'snn 'anoos s^jstpms ttsiptnd which otherwise publishes "OUahoma!," of their own autlioishipL Major Meredith WtUson has authored "The Same Little Cfaaper* espe- cially for Hildegarde, in which I>ecca prexy Jack Kapp is interested, as he first heard the song in mms. form oa the Coast and wants the cbanfeuse to wax it for his firm. WtUson was east for a few days on oflicial Army business last week, but retumdd over the weekend. TWO GftSAT SONOS TO ORSST THE HeW YEAR- A BeSUTIFIfl BAUAP ANP A RHYTHMIC HO¥€lTY! MILLCH MUSIC COHPOHATIOH 1619 BROADWAY • N.Y. 19 • ion MOONEY, 0«n. Pref. Mgr.