Variety (Jul 1946)

46 VAWEVILLB Wedneedajr, Julj 10, 1946 Holiday Exodus Hits N.Y. Niteries 50%, Worst Biz Slump Since Pre-War Days The four-day holiday which > started Thursday (4) dipped busi- ness in New York cafes 50%. Last week's business is said by many op- erators to be the worst week since Pearl Harbor, and indicated that this summer will provide tough" sledding for many operators. Basic reason for the drop was the terrific exodus to summer resorts, consequently there weren't enough spenders left in town to provide a quorum in night spots. Early part of the week was simi- larly off because of the. fact that many were conserving their dough for the four-day session. . Some bonifaces declare that week- end business for the balance of the season will be below par, and hope to make up the difference with trade from out-of-lowners during ; week days, Convention of the Elks, now being held in N. Y.. compensates to some degree for loss of regular trade, but b.o. loss nevertheless is considerable. CONCERTS FOR BARBIZON, N Y. Dale Wasscrma'n and David Alex ander arc planning a pop concert series at the Barbizon Plaza. N. Y. First recital, Tuesday (1G) will be topped by Moune, French singer re- cently at Cafe Society Uptown, N. Y.. with Gerald Clarke calypso orch and Smith Kids on same bill. Held on 'Hot' £eer Rap . Youngstown, O., July 9. Sam Parillo, 43, owner oflhe Blue Crystal nitery in nearby Girard, has been bound over to grand jury un- der $2,500 bond after waiving pre- liminary hearing on charges that he received 100 cases of bee'r stolen from a beer truck of the Rosenblum Co. on April 24. Parillo is the fifth person whose case is before the grand jury on charges 'arising out of the beer hi- jacking. New Slapsy Show Los Angeles, July 9. New Sammy Lewis production, "Forever Laughter," will reopen Slapsy Maxle's nitery late this month. Ben Blue, Patti Moore. Ben Lessy and George and Gene Bernard are headliners. PLA-M0R, K.C., PLANS 400G FACELIFT JOB Kansas City, July 9. A building expansion program in- volving. $400,000 planned for Pla- Mor, ballroom and entertainment place, by L. E. Guthrie, partner in the enterprise. Pla^\ calls for junking o< swim- ming pool in the center of the amusement arena. Preference ■ of swimmers for outdoor poojs has made il practically obsolete, and it will be replaced by huge rink for ice skating, hockey and ice shows. Pesgy Lee. former singer with the Benny Goodman band, has been signed for the Paramount theatre, N. Y., starting Aug. 21 or 28. CARLOS RAMIREZ CURRENTLY AT THE HAVANA-MADRID NEW YORK Appearing in M.G.M.'s Production "EASY TO WED" Warner Bros. 'NIGHT AND DAY" wTVT\ AGVA Bans Nelson From Troc Data At hearing last .week "al. Holly- wood branch of American Guild of Variety Artists, vocalist Skip Nel- son was ordered out of ftporshow at the Trocadero, Hollywood nitery. Arthur Kaye, regional chieftain of AGVA in far west, had visited Troc on routine check arid found that Nelson could produce neither mem- bership, cflrd nor contract covering appearance in spot. Nelson's explanation was that he lost credentials when a suit was swiped fr»m his dressing-room sev- eral days prior to Kayo's coming. At the hearing the singer paid up two quarters' dues, totaling $24, - in which he was in arrears, and prom- ised he would not again perform sans a contract. . He claimed he had never been given one by Norman Stoller, who operated Troc at time Nelson Opened on June 20. When the singer revealed at the hearing that he was getting $75 weekly for the . engagement, AGVA officials countered that figure was under union scale for a principal per- -former. Nelson's AGVA standing re- mained unimpaired after the hear- ing, and he may accept any engage- ment, provided union rules are abided by, with exception of an im- mediate return to the Troc. where engagement was of dubious duration because no contract existed. Hollywood Bonifaces Form Group To Oppose Guild Bond Demands Gorman Exits Montreal To Set Up Ottawa Aud. Montreal. July 9. Upset in the administration of the Montreal Forum (local Madison Sq. Garden) came Thursday (3) with the resignation of Tommy Gorman, gen- eral manager. Gorman joined the outfit 10 years ago. lie's.moving on to Ottawa to take over tlie Ottawa Auditorium, as owner ami general manager. Gorman was active |t>e<illy in sporting and entertainment circles and he built up the. i:i.5(>i)-.scaler as the key spot for ice shows, circuses and other big events. It's unknown yet . who'll succeed Gorman, though names mentioned are Frank Sclkc. ex-Mack for the Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens, and Eddie Quinn, promoter. Gorman plans building up Ottawa as a road-show centre tor attractions he'd been bringing to the Forum. Arnaz'* Vaudert Desi Arnaz 'will tour his band in vaude following exit at his current stand, Copacabana, N, Y., when he leaves in September. Arnaz figures on filling in all available time until his opening at the Paramount thea- tre, N. Y., around Christmas. He's booked so far into the Circle, Indianapolis, Sept.. 19 and the Palace, Akron, Sept. 26. PARIS CRACKS DOWN ON OVERCHARGING CAFES Paris, June 25. Besides shuttering his Boeuf sur le Teit swank nitery for three months, the Paris court sentenced Edouard Mcisez to two months in jail and imposed a $1,000 fine. He was charged with repeated over- charging over approved prices, and serving forbidden pastries. Trouble came when tax collectors found-that the returns did not correspond with estimated grosses. Within the last few months, the restaurant situation has changed. When the town was packed with troops, civilian niteries did a small hush-hush, business. The natives who wanted a real meal and were ready to pay for it got one from some place where they had been in- troduced. This meant that black market restaurants were operating with secrecy. Since Paris got back more to ci- vilian operation, the ruling was altered by permitting restaurants to feature extra dishes ot foods not of- ficially rationed. This means that in cheaper restaurants the regular meal amounts to next to nothing. In the better places, it merely represents a cover charge, with the real food con- sisting of extras. Except for a few law-abiding places, the whole town is now on an open black-market basis, with nothing said as long as taxes arc paid and no formal complaint made. In the cheaper bislros. Hie average charge is three or four times the advertised price. In regular res- taurants, the sky is (he limit. There is no way for the visiler'who docs not know the place we'll, to leai n in advance what he may have to spend for his meal. Hollywood, July 9. In a- group effort to oppose de- mands made by. American Guild 61 Variety Artists here nine top niterieg have banded together. Demands of AGVA include cash bonds for floor- show salaries as well as a six-day working week for performers. Representatives already lined up are Max Sisenwein, Florentine Gar- dens; Harry Engel, Earl Carroll's; Bill Gray, Band Box; Frank Kern, Tom Brenemah's; Charley Foy of his own nitery, and other bistros include Bar of Music, Trocadero, Slapsy Maxle's and Ciro's. Group met today (9) to put asso- ciation in what is believed to be more than a formative stage. Some niteries have already agreed to terms but others plan to combat them even though Ciro's has posted bond. Lat- ter spot plans toss floorshows and install bands for entertainment. El Brendel making his first per- sonal appearance tour in many years with a start at the Little Theatre Cafe, Minneapolis, July 29. Selette Takes Over Piping Rock Max Sclettc. assistant manager of the Latin Quarter, N. Y., has taken over operation of the Piping Rock, Saratoga Springs. Spot plans use of a Latin Quarter type show with a 12-girl line and is figuring on use of a name to be changed weekly. Wally Wangcr will de the staging. Direction—WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY Saranac Lake By Happy Remvay Saranac Lake, is'. Y., July 9. Holiday visitors t41 Hooded the colony, with special celebrations at William Morris Park and Crescent Playground. The Roy E: Carlsons shot in from Pine City, Minn., to spend 10-day vacation with their daughter, Helen who is doing nicely al the Rogers. Sig Mealy (Welch, Mealy & Mont- rose) has been given, all-clear papers, but will remain, here till Sept. Joe Collins Orch replaces the Col- legians at the Swiss Chalet, with Rosita Rios as vocalist. Rose Hankcn and Edith Garzkc (lashing good clinic report*, as a holi- day gift. Happy Benway. your correspon- dent, ordered to spend balance of summer in bed routine. Mathea Mcrryflcld, dancer and former patient of t*<! Will Rogers, has been willed a c\ •'!> Dresden, Germany, left by-a ■ ■ iom she met in Eurooe wh'i • there some years agq. • Out of the san ex ■'■<:■■ •,,.' doing nicely downtown and l>;>.-,hi:-,; good reports are: Helen O'R iilv Benny Reader,. Arthur Alvro/. Pauline Russell, Ernie Buri,< f ami Carl Phelps, (Write to those who arc ill.: Jack Harris to Cannes; Allen Set for Ciro's London. July 2. Jack Harris finally plans to come back to Europe. Gino Arbib is clos- ing deal for the American maestro to open at the Palm Beach Casino, Cannes, the middle of July. ' Band will be made up of English and French musicians. Harris expects to stay in Cannes for seven to eight weeks, after which he probably will be booked in prominent London night spot. Al Jcnning and his colored Carib- bean orchestra were clue to open in Italy but the contract was postponed due to visa, complications. Outfit now is signed for the Milroy club, replacing Harry Roy. Bill-Duffy, formerly drummer with Don Marino Barreto, who recently formed own aggregation, has re- placed Barreto al Embassy club, with latter off for tour of Belgium. Cocoa-' nut Grove now has Jose Norman and his rumballerocs in place of Joe Deniz and band. Nat Allen and band finally signed to open at Ciro's club, July 15, re- placing Ambrose and band who is to a play at Cafe dc Paris, Monte Carlo, for summer season. Edward Sommerficld and his dance orchestra is set for the new nitery at the Palais de Mediterranean, opening the first week in August for the summer season, Hex, City Hotel to Blumenthal Mexico City, July 2. Hotel Reforma, frontline local hostelry, leased by Alfred C. Blumenthal, operator of Ciro's lo- cated in hotel building at a reported annual rental of $1,400,000 (Mex). Deal is lor an indefinite period. Blumenthal planned to buy the Reforma about five years ago, but the dicker failed. Blumenthal re- cently opened the Longchamps res- taurant- which promises to be as big a gold mine as Ciro's; •-' Hal Fisher "i.iuiKliiiiKly Yours" LOOKOUT HOUSE, Covington, Ky. Tlntnk Yon »;inU find Tony Hcnm-H lUr.: WILLIAM MOKItlS A(ifcN('Y Mf\v York - CIiIcuko - Hollywood STEVE EVANS OfferlBE HAPPY TIMES & JOLLY MOMENTS CI'RHEM'LY STMJBEN'H CAFE, BOSTON UOSEN-ANOEB ASSOCIATE Rapidly Becoaitaa. On of AawHca'i . Foremott Nlto Club lotertolreri 'WHITEY' ROBERTS - AI.WAVN WOKKIKti Now a* STOCK CLUB, Omaha Din-Wlon: 1VM. HOUIB