Variety (Oct 1946)

S6 KITE CLUB REVIEWS Wednestlay, October 2, 1946 Persian ftoom, Y. The DeMorcos, LilUon Cornell, Joel Herron omd Mark Monte OTchs; $1.50 co«»ert. There's something the seasoned vets have which the upstarts in show business just ain't got^yet. Eventu- ally they become warhorses and they look back at the Jiew crop with the same askance. Take the DeMaicos— and very easy to take, too—frixam- ple. Or Astaire, Or Ted Lewis. Or Berle. Not to mention Joe E. Lewis, Allen, Benny, et al. Each is pos- se.ssed of a poise and positiveness that nothing but seasoned showman^ vshio can achieve. In whatever thoy ■ do "they take command. And it's never sc well demonstrat- ed as with the suave DeMarcos, easy on the eye, ear and terps.; You take the dancing for granted, £ind likewise Sally DeMarco's good looks and stun- ning wardrobe (couturier Nettie Rosenstein got ad lib billing at the prfeem> as you do Tony DeMarco's impeccable tails and terps. But the ear is something new. 'This routine is a conversational, music^less con- celt, as they dance quarter-notes. ■ halE-notes and ■ eighth-notes,, each takins I'he opportunity ,to "shine," • although he smartly throws it aiU 'to his femme vis-a-vis, conversational- ly, naturally and with consummate ease tell .her how well she looks; that "the folks apparently like them tonight"; "we. may as well permit Joel (Herron) to take it easy while we do a tew steps without music," and the like. The DeMaroo.<i uncorlt a routine from their opening "Holiday for Stcings" through the bolero ("Got You Under My Skin"), foxtrot ("S'Woridferful"), .. tango ("Nostal- gias"), samba ("Tico Tico"), and the ensuing polka vs. rhumba, "chal- lenge" (sans music) and "Merry Widow" waltz that's-a treat for the auditor. In between, they use their tfademarked chairs at the floor table for respites and conversational in- terludes, Neither is strained, damp or panting. Whatever it is, they look as composed and not overheated as if they were dancing for their own pleasure in privacy. That phase alone is refreshing. This is their nth return to the Persian Roomv and they can continue coming back indef. For the rest Joel Herron, who last season accomped Jan Froman, and who was bandleader at the Ver- sailes, heads a dansapation compel- ling team of three strings, three reeds and four rhythm, with the maestro's entr'acte specialty, "Warsaw Con- certo," registering. Lillian Cornell (New Acts) precedes the . dancers. Noticeable m this era of shortages that one thing not lacking is the Plaza courtesy and catering. Maitre d' Fred, at the door, somehow main- tains a class crew—and this should be a cue for many spots which ap- parently don't know there's a peace going on—whose hospltalitj; dpes much to offset the menu deficiencies. And they are deficient! Especially with hotels, which now, as in the war years must maintain meticulous in- tegrity on ceilings abhorrence of blacketeering and the like. In many respects this has hurt the hotels hard ■where straight food is a factor; but in the entertainment rooms apjiar- ently, -the attractions are a sufficient antidote. Abel. tapsters; and Joyner and Hamid, who give out with staU comedy pat- ter not up to ata*dard of the rest of the show, Dusty Fletcher's drunk act is effectively tilted for laughs although his danca routine makes for a weak windUD. Princess Nyoka, billed as an Bast Indian muscle con.- trol artist, gives out with some in- teresting torso and hand contortiojis but without any exotic fireworks. Eddie Vinson and his orch back- ground the show with a nice beat. l*»nlli<>r Room, €iil (SHERMAN HOTEL) Chicago, Sept. 20. I,oui.'! Prima Orch (17) with Jiidv Lynn, Jack Powers, Tune Timers; Garl Mmu'; $1.50-$2,50 Tuiri. . The gravel-voiced lad of swing opened in the Panther Room for a four-week stay. .For the boys and girls: that expected Prima to blast the roof there was a little surprise . . . the New Orleans maestro plays a nice brand of dance mtisic. Of cbur.^e, he doesn't neglect his novelty jnumbers such as, "Angelina" but, in main. Prima has a good commercial ■.band. Band carries 17 pieces^!) reed, 8 brass, 4- rhythm, plus two soloists and a new song quartet, the Tune Timers. Band is youthful and makes a nice appearance in cardinal col- ored jackets^ • Prima opens "show with "If You Were the Only Girl" and is joined In the chorus by shapely Judy Lynn. Pair swing into a nice bit Of by- play, a la Arthur Murray. Band then junips into its latest disking, "A Flea and a Fly Were Caught in a Flue." The Tune Timers, three chicks and a boy, reallv sell the number. Group then chants for an encore, "South America Take It Away," which is just so-so. Charlie Leeds, tenor saxist with band, makes a production number of "Stormy Weather." The guy has good style with a gutter kick in some passages. Prima then rides into one of his best recordings, "Angelina." Even the customers that didn't im- derstand Italian liked the swingy lyrics. Jack Powers baritones "Prisoner of Love." He would do well to stop acting with a Sinatra stoop as he iS over six feet tall and huskily built. Starts to sell when he lays off hug- ging the mike and socks over the ending. . Band boys get together on the finale and send "Brooklyn Boogie." Maestro takes a few licks to shovv the swingsters that he can still ride with the rest of the men. . Carl Marx, who enters his 10th year in the Panther Room, carries on with his genial clowning. Ximnierman^s, N. Y. Olga Orloua, Helen Wenzel, Paul Arnold, Sinclair & Alda, Esiga Bela, Gene Kardos Orch (7), Jansci Mo- ktila Gvpsu Orch (5); no minimum ■ujeekdavs; $2 min. Saturdays. riub nelvedcre, Pitt. Pitfcsburflih, Sept. 28. Max Boer, Slopsie-Moxie Rosen- bloom^ Roy SedleVi Floria Vestoff, 3 Little Sisters, Helen Lynn, Fati! Mar- ko, Gordon Edwards, Tommy Rey- riolds Orch (13); $2 cover, There are probably few clubs in the country that'll back the Belve- dere into a corner. Estimates vary what it cost Henry Lewis to put this place up about 18 miles from heart of Golden Triangle; they slide between $200,000 to nearly 300 grand. Whatever the figure, spot looks it. Room's big. ample, niftily decorated, and all in good taste with a big circular bar at one end and the bandstand at the: other. Floor extends out from the stand, with the tables on three sides. Seat.s around 800. Lewis, who once owned a small drinkcry in' nearby Mc- Kecsport. has been working on the Belvedere for around two years now, and some of outside, marquee, etc.. hasn't been completisd yet, Opening night, in fact, there' wasn't even a sign to show it was the Belvedere. Entrepreneur's going to have his probleine. The location, for one thing. McKeesport. only a short hop away, won't be able to support it, and Belvedere's a sleeper jump from downtown Pittsburgh. ' 'This needs transient, trade,, and Where's it to come from'? Although prices for food and drink are reasonable, spot has stiffest cover charge town's ever had. For the getaway show it's 2 bucks per person.. Lewis says, however, it'll depeiid .on co.st of attraction, and. some weeks it'll drop to $1. Getaway show is a mistake. Pitts- burgh's never been a fast, hep town from a cafe standpoint, and Max Baer and Maxie Rosenbloom are strictly for that type of audience. Opening night they were probably wondering time and again what hit them, when some of their stuff, gen- erally siire-flre elsewhere, fell flat- ter than a steam-rollered pancake. By the second show they had caught on a little, dipped into the corn-and- blue barrel; and did a little better. But still not well enough. A place this size is hardly their forte any- way. Too much of their stuff went over the closely packed-together heads. The Maxies are for the gam- bling-racetrack-show-wise mob, and that lets Pittsburgh out. Roy Sedley works hard, both on his own and with the two Maxies, and fares better than the" stars them- selves. Floria Vestoff has slowed down quite a bit since her last time around here, but manages to make a fair impression with her taps and spins. Three Little Sisters open with good, fast acrobatic turn, and singing single is on mostly for heckling. purposes by the Maxies. Boys have Gordon Edwards at the piano for accompaniment and Fats Marko, a funny fellow, to help with the hellzapoppin stuff. Tommy Reynolds' orch okay for both dansapation and the show, and Reynolds himSelf proves a whiz on the clarinet in a couple of numbers interwoven into the non-dancing entertainment, Cohen. Viennese Hertha Garon, whose skat- ing waltz to "B''lamingD" is in the best tradition of her native land. And not the least of the revue's features are the kids of the chorus. Outstanding is their Haitian voodoo number. All in all, the show Is lavish, colorful, gay, fast-paced aild thor- oughly professional. Backing up show and playing for dancing, too, is 18-man band, of Dean Hud.son, a burly, blond maes- tro, who is making first appearance here. Crew impresses as a hard working group which plays music with compe^nce and confidence. The band can play it sweet or heat. It is pleasant at all times, not over- arranged and with good respect for melody. In addition to giving the show fine support, the band makes a dis- tinct musical contribution of its >wn, and keeps' the dance floor crowded. Band has talent of own, with Sonny Stockton and sultry- voiced Frances Colwell doing the vocals. Both, have nice pipes and the gal i.s a blond looker with a nifty-chassis. Frank Castle, saxo- phonist with band, does an imitation of Phil Harris and "The Darktown Poker Club" for laughs and kudos. Hudson emcees show competently. Kanxiliar, Y. Ink Spots (4). Thelma Carpenter, Peg Leg Bates, Dusfij Fletcher, Hot Shots (2), Princess Nyoka, Joyner & Hamid, Line (12), Eddie Vinson Orch, Claude Hopkins Orch; $2 min. Luring them in with a snappy, full-bodied, top-budgeted sepia re- vue, the Zanzibar continues to offer one of the most attractive bargains In the Broadway sector. Besides getting a big vaude show and a palatable meal for their tabs, cus- tomers are furnished with a large- square on which to dance to the continuous music of Eddie Vinson's and Claude Hopkins' orchestra. At thp preem .show, the payees were he' 'g stacked up in layers. New layout is topped by the popu- lar Ink Spots quartet with solid sup- jjo'-t: lent by the warbling of Thelma Crrnenter'and extraordinary hoof- in" by Peg Leg Bates. Show is ds- ficient somewhat in the comedy de- partrncnt and matters weren't rriueh improved by the last-minute addi- tion of Joyner & Hamid to supple- ment Diisty Fletcher's antics. Addi- tion, of a half-dozen show girls to Zimmerman's Hungaria, N, Y., continues to maintain its traditional lure of family trade and others who take their food seriously "and enter- tainment homcopathically, which has long since paid off neat divi- dends and still does for that matter. Zimmerman's stars the chef and his culinary achievements rather than entertainment. Its full course dinners from $1,25 up, and surpris- ingly palatable, have built the spot into a profitable operation. News of the bargain has mounted through the years and consequently this subterT ranean bistro continues to pack them in nightly. There's also two. bands for show- cutting and customer dansapation and a modestly budgeted floorshow of four acts that suffices as enter-, tainment. Also a homey' atmosphere that immediately puts the customer at ease and the friendly spirit is con- tagious.' Paul Arnold, tall, dark and bari- toney .emcees floorshow and spots his own song sesh further down. He brings on Helen Wenzel, youthful and nifty-looking gal in abbreviated costume for a brace 6£ tap-twirls neatly done and appetizing. Olga Orlova, songstress, is a nat thp 'regular line hypos the general """al for the -spot with her Russe €.yp-appeal and their costuming and production ntimbers register okay. Ink Spots run through their regu- la" routine of emotive ballads in- cluding "Prisoner of Love," "To Ef '-hiHis Own," etc., and have trou- ble bowing off. Those tricky falsetto tremolos by , Billy Kehiiy, quartet's pivot man are sure-fire selling.points despite their frequent use, aiid even over-use. - Smart showmanship by the group gives the crowd exactly what they want. Introductory appearance of Miss Cprpenter into cafe life via the Zanzibar was a dangei-ous route, considering the boite's size and hec- tic crowdedness. But the gal comes through solidly, completely domi- nating the scene with her looks and voice. Peg Leg Bates, who also emcees the program, delivers those Incredible one-legged acrobatic terp stcDS that amaze the ispectators. Rest of the bill is comprised of the Hot Shots, a pair, of fast-stepping Spanish and English'Chanties. Garbed in attractive Russian costume which sets, off her fine points, she tees off with ''Sjeighbells'* in Russian,; then "Play Gypsies" in English for change of pace to set her pretty with the payees. Gomes back for "Lady of Spain" and "Russian Gypsy Song" for .additional palm^whack- ing. Gal is a nifty looker and has acceptable pipes. Arnold takes over and does neatly with "Song of the Open Road" and, "Beguine." Sin- clair and Alda, ballroomologists, take it away for clever dansapation, with waltz and samba particularly effective. Between numbers Esiga Bela gives out nicely on the cym- balom on' ''Mexicali Rose" and Hun- garian folksongs to merit apprecia-j tion. Gene Kaldos orch does okay on showcutting and customer dancing with Yansct Makula's Gypsy combo alternating on the bandstand for the terping. Edba. ItluR Room, N. O. (HOTEL ROOSEVELT) New Orleans, Sept. 25. "The Skyway Express," ice show produced by Don Arden, with Ar- nold Shoda, Terry Brent, Phil Ro- mayne, Hertho Garon, Alice Farrar, Rae Hoyt, Mary Maclnnes. Itforis Shetwood Palmer, Patsy O'Day. Kay Guier, Dorothy Chandler; Dean Hudson Orch (18); $2.50 min. Sat. and Sun.; $1.50 other nights. It was worth waiting for reopen- ing of the new Blue Room. No ex- pense lias been spared to give cafe society a nocturnal i-endezvous it can be proud of. The opening night capacity crowd h a d ' admiration written all over their faces for the spot's lavishness and taste, dreamed up by Jac Lessman and executed by John J. Bryner, chief engineer of the Roosevelt hotel. The new room is cheerful, gay, smart, intimate, and oozes with ul- tra-sophistication and luxury, from its deep blue walls and ceiling to its rose-red upholstered chairs; from huge white simulated sea shell be- hind the band to its studded white leather alcoves; from the huge chan- deliers, tall, white tapers on walls, to the chubby cupids dangling from the ceiling: The new entertainment policy of the room, all. on ice, is also very, much in keeping with its other ap- pointments.. Billed, as "The Skyway, Express," the show is pre-sented on a hydraulic,, vanishing rink which comes frOm under the bandstand. It proves a : fine ' display of vibrant showmanship and the. htige crowd which packed the. nitery. w.as ioud .:in its bravos and palm-pounding for the acts, j • . 'It . was "hard to pick the best act. But the brilliant ballet .'skating of Arnold Shoda to Gershwin's "An American In Paris" is outstanding and gets prolonged applause. , And nifty is the word for the grace of ■Terry Brent and Phil Romayne in their dancing in "Land of the Pyra- mids," another ballet.turn. Tiny, delicate-featured Alice Far- rar (she's a local kid whose real name is Barberito) is a featured member and her skating solo of "Warsaw Concerto" was a fine dis- play of grace and finesse on the blades. Featured, too, is blonde, Walnut. <>rov<N llalto Baltimore, Sept. 26. Lou Holtz, Ray & Pedro, Jo An- drews, Nils k Nadynne, Tune Top- pers (4), Vincent Lopez Orch (14) U'ilh Bruce Hayes & Patti Dv.gan; $2.50 min. . ' ': ' ■ , ■: ' Most elaborate nitery setup in town opened by Frances McLane and budgeted for top entertainment got under way here Thursday i26) night with a seating capacity of 1,000 and said to cost well over two hun- dred grand to complete. Located considerable distance from center of city and essaying, two frolics nightly at 9:30 and 12:30, spot is dependent upon drive-in trade with facilities to park 500 cars, an underlined feature. Same minimum charge ($2.50) pre- vails nightly including weekends and present nut will have to be met by early spill making late show seat- ing available. Top-heavy advertis- ing budget in line with dough laid on the line for decor and entertain- ment has them coming since open- ing with Lou Holtz and Vincent Lopez set for two weeks to be fol- lowed by new layout headed by Willie Howard and. Johnny LOtig oi'ch. ■ , Lopez and combo of six brass, five sax and four rhythm seated in huge walnut which opens and closes on cue, play for dancing and show and are spelled in lulls by The Tune Toppers, singing instrumental quar- tet of accordion, trumpet, guitar and bass. Bruce Hayes and Patti Dugan, vocalists with Lopez, pitching in during dance sessions. Holtz takes hold of emceeing and a fulsome spot of his own gagging in sure and familiar pattern and throwing in a brace of flip parodies including his trademarked "O Sol Mio." Starts matters swiftly with good hooCery by Jo Andrews fol- lowed by Ray & Pedro in comedy knockabout well-larded . with legiti- mate tricks highlighted by head- stands that earn a begoff. After some typical ivory tickling by Lopez, Nils and Nadynne punch out strong adagio and Holtz then winds up matters with bulk of his stint. Opening night bugs via amplify- ing system; handling of tape and general service setup Will no doubt be overcome and spot will settle down into smoother running gear and a practical policy. Maintaining present stratosphere nut to potential patronage after opening spurt against heavy in-town competition is going to be a test of showmanship subject to name availability and an every- night-in-the-week public response. May be a year or two late but it's a valiant effort and a fine display of heart that deserves a break. Burm. Riviera., Fort Lee, N. ,1. Jackie Gleason, Edwards k Diane Hal Winters, June Taylor Dancers (8), Bobby Ramos Orch, Ralph Font Rh«7nl>a-Bo?id; $3.50 mtnimurn lucefc- days, $4.50 weekends. Jackie Cleason is doing a one- week fill-in currently at Bill Miller's Hudson River lighthouse, and it is certainly making for one of the hap- pier seven-day periods of the season at the spot. Gleason seems to have hit the groove between sophistica- tion and pure corn that the Riviera requires, and the customers aire showing their appreciation with yaks and plenty of • handpatter for the- cherubic comic. Unfortunately, Gieason's stay is limited to the one week, due to a picture commitment to 20th-Fox. It will be his first film, incidentally. He's apparently been boning up for it the past few weeks by doing a lot of cuffo stooging at the Copa, N. Y,, for Phil Silvers, currently a refugee from Darryl Zanupk Rest of the Riviera layout' is strictl.v fill-in material. Dance team of Edwards & Diane shows -some tricky lifts and spins, but otherwise is on the awkward side, while Hal Winters gets by, and that's about all, with his hoar.se vocalizing of pops. June Taylor Dancer,' (8) score rather nicely via Bettcr-tlvan-averagc line " routine and nifty costuming, al- though the femraes are below the average of top New York niteries in the looks department. The two bands are holdovers and provide standard" backgrounds for terping and the show. They are- Bobby Ramos for the straight music and Raloh Foi\l for the rhumbas. • Herb: . ■ Ciro's, H'wood Kolll/tuood, Sept, 19; Carmen Camllaro Orch (16) uiith Gloria Foster; . tot>er $5 opening night; $2 regularly. With return of Carmen CayaHaro to Ciro's, this bi.S'tro is .assured' of packed houses nightly. Maestro's' appeal to all types, of nitery trade drags: out everytbing from sports coats.!,ta,...blac!fc:ties, which wore in. prepohderSnbe ' for "premiere night. Bow-in date had "Poet of the. Piano" at the keyboard from iO p.m. on, while band had pla.yed earlier '-ses- sions for dancing minus a front. At show time; Cavallaro opens quietly with "Flamingo" and, .then runs wild on the ivories, displaying ace virtuosity in every department and type of cleffing .from clas.sical to boo.gie woogie with. Latunes thrown in foi*. heavy eniphasis. En- core yelos and requests from the audience kept the 88'er on for over a half hour, while he tried to do all the songs asked, of him. Following show and ■ regular dance session, staylaters stiU demanded more, with Cavallaro winding nocturnally on the stand; minus his band. Gloria Foster handles thrush chores as usual . . . neatly attractive. Huts, tM i'onfia. IS, Y. Mignetito Valdes, Estele & Dimas, Lynne Fader, Machito Orch (14)., Pnpi Camptllo Orch (12) ; $2.50 min. Miguelito Valdes, first headliner at Ihi.s Latin terpory when it was unveiled earlier this year; can, ac- cording to the business he's bringing in, make several visits annually to this bistro and be certain of snag- ging his salary in customer checks. The uninhibited Valdes hasn't brought in any new numbers on this trip, since there's heavy demand on his old items, such as "Babalu" and his Latin medley; Departure from his regular routine could conceivably bring protests from 110th streoit elie- ments he attracts, who give him ex- plosive response or. all number.s; He's here for four weeks before gor ing into the across-the-street Strand, theatre, but it's evident he could re- main here indefinitely. There's also a secondary show draw in Estele and Dimas. Cuban terps who. have been here for. some time and whose options are being picked up continually. Femme in this team is with her third partner, having started out with the late Rene, continued with Papo and is currently displaying Dimas. But no matter who she works with, net ef- fect is the same. Customer interest conver,';es on her tricky hip-weav- ing, which takes such novel twists as gyrating with a belt of maraccas, and some alternately slow and fren^ zied torso-throwing She makes for excitement. Layout is completed by Lynne Fader (New Acts), while Machito's crew does showbackin^ with Pupl Campillo's orch supplying relief. Jose. tilasa Hat. N. Y. (HOTEL BEbMONT FLAZA) Russell Swann, (3), Dancing i9uai!os (2), Buddy Moreno, Mivii Walters. Eddie Stone Orch (12) with Lois Long; Noro's'Rumba Band AS); $3.50 miri. ; Glass'. Hat has changed . show :, format with departure of the Kathryn Duffy dancers, dispensing with gal line and projecting amore intime la.yout of four acts, which is perfect for this room. Topping current layout is Russell ; Swann, comedy magico, whose hocus-pocus is interlarded with a rippling stream of comedy chatter and quips, which with Iris baffling trickstering makes things all the merrier. Assisted by a nifty looking femme and Chinese boy, Swann clowns his merry way through a neat routine comprising r.ope-cut.-,: ting trick, disappearing rabbit and the gijillotine stunt wherein payees : are invited up to stick their nocks under the blade. It's all in fun and pays ofl' plenty in laughs. Swann's as .sock as ever here and cops plenty salvos. • , , Other items Include cute Minii Walters, who contribs heat tap- ■ stering; Dancing Duanos, Ted and Rita, who are a sock" as always in ' their ballroomology routines and Buddy Moreno, who holds the crooner spot. Lad displays good baritoning on "I've Got the Sun in the Morn- ing," "Prisoner of Love," a Spani-sh chanty and "Memory Lane" medley that gets solid response. Eddie Stone Orch holds over and does nice showcutting and equally well for customer dansapation, Lois Long does okay by the vocals with Noro's rumba band alternating for Litin tunes. Edbtt.: