Variety (Dec 1947)

46 Weiine»fhy» thtnetiAii^. 8, 1947 m Cinb Reviews Carnival, N. Y. Georoe Jessel, Xnba Mttiimi, Elsa & Waido, Graham Sisters (2), Roy Jacqucmot & CHarles Irwin, Line; presented hy Nicl(y BWr; devised and staged 1)2/ Jolw Murraj/ Ander- son; costumes, Thonias Becher; songs, Henry Sullivan and Ira Leff; settings, Herman Rose; dunces, Richard Bar-' stoio; technical director, Bernard S-usman; Charles Blackman orch and Cao's Rhumba Band; orchestmtiomB, James Toliuer; $3.50 minimum. "When waiters stop serving, to watch open-mouthed, a performer isn't likely to have anything to worry about. It's probably the best test of his entertainment value. Now you know why. you had to wait a half-hour between drinks Friday night (28) at the Carnival Opening' of George Jessel. ■ . Friday was one of ttiose memo- rable evenings. There aren't many times when Broadway ,win turn out as it did for Jessel in Kls first local engagement in years. And he threw the book at them. He could have sold "anything. He could even have sold Hussion real estate to Frank Fay. On in thrfee different spots, the vet comedian undouWecBy gave a performance that he. wouldn't re- peat, generally, for the' rest of his engagement. For this was an open- ing^night mob of Broadwayites, who spoke bis language and- \)ndcrstood his every quip, his every "inside." A3Et6r the preem it was to be Engle- USe TMCSe INEXPCNSfVCN PERSONALIZED—I r-POSTAL CARDS FOR YOUR FAN MAIL Tou geC true photosrapMc repnxlnr J iioutt in our bladt-HJid-whitft '*(31<^ss^ TOM'" Postal Ciu-rta quolea l»e)o*.: Delivery (rom 4 to $ wteltt. Ml wev need ia your photO' . ' NEW.'/. .ItEPJUNT T,0QO ....410.50P«rM $7.30fiaHW::; 2,000' >... . isaft M ' MS p*r M, 'i,000 7JSe|MrM 5.85 par ia 4,000 7.19parM C.65p<rM S,000 .... C:WptrM S.SOp»rM: 10,000 .... 6.45 ptrM 5.25 per M A flat charge of .|S.60 will be aadcd to the total cost of otcler Wparatrvayli gia* tlesU-ed £or the a(l<lresf^.«lde ot cavd^ ;iiot ttt exceed Bfty -woraK". •.( oF. O. B. Vurt tr»3raej Imt. Witl* t«» fn* SompiM-tla Obligation i^rriDtiiigi^p, .FORT VTAYNE 2, INDIANA—.. mUHEDY PATTER Fm; ah IraKim ^f 11i*«lrie«U . ;1FUN-M ASTIR" 'Ikd Sftmr Hag Kl«" Noc 1 h»t2 # $1.«» M. m fer $11,00) 10 PARODIES for $5.^ "How fo an Cmecc" 4M.00 laeliKlinir t ft09 Rlw atma -for Jlsf of mnterliM, vairmlirs, eomcay wniEs, mlngrtrel |>it8—Matjc- wrttt vklta, et«. KO C.O.D'« . PAULA SMITH m W. Sllh St., Ncm■ Tork 19 wood, Larchmont, Freeport and the Bronx—they would be the ones to fill the till. And will. But opening night was a "special" for "the mob."- Premiere night saw Jessel's per- formance recall nostalgically the passing of the monologist, once a key talent but one -who has now long since packed his word kit and gone on. He was sentimental in his memories, even emotionally oveiv whelmed at times by those memories. Especially when he spoke of his mother and Jimmy Walker, and if this sounded corny, sure it was corny, but there wasn't anyone at Nicky Blair's joint who didn't ac- cept it for an honest emotion. They listened quietly, intently to a story they knew as well as Jessel himself —*of Gus Edwards days, his career as a songwriter, his mom, Walker, "The Jazz Singer" and, finally, his more recent career as a film pro- ducer for 20th-Fo3t. AJl sentimental stuflF that only he, and perhaps only one or two others, could get away with in a bistro, or anywhere for that matter. And all shrewdly told, punctuated by a sense of gentle humor just when it seemed as if he was getting a little too sticky. And all readily accepted, as if it were new all over again. Imagine reprising: th« Hebrew prayer-chant, "Kol Nidre" (which he did originally in "Jazz Singer"), in a saloon and yet never for a mo- ment allowing it to lose its austerity and an audience respect for its im- plications! Imagine baring his own human, perhaps even einbarrassing, frailties in a public performance, and yet never.once permitting this audience to feel that all the corn- husking isn't clone in Nebraska! Im- agine not giving a damn that the waiter is more than a halt-hour late with your drink because^ after all, on stage is a little guy who makes everything but what he says seem so unimportant! For uproarious humor Jessel, iii his third spot, does his by-now. standard "Professor Larbermacher" routine, in which, as'a near-sighted refugee scientist, getup 'n' aU, he tickles the risibles in what on open- ing night was an abbreviated rou- tine because of the extreme length of the show. ' .If there seems to be a neglect for the rest of the bill, it'trnot because of any special lacK of appreciation for its ability; It's jUst that there is so much of Jtss^ «onietiody faw to suffer... - ■ Elsa & Waldo, comedy dance" team,' are hilariously funny with their slow-motion staff and con- torted kissers, but they're on too long by several, minutes. tiuba .Malina is somewhat-out of place in, this, show, thou^ certainly not out'of place anatomically. Miss Malina is a lassie with a chassis, and with a flair for low-cut gowns, her beaut looks.and disturbing der- riere, who's listening? This is too <big a. stage for her to hold alone in ^, son{[ performance that'demands a more intime background.. J The Graham sisters (2) are lookers who sing nicely in^ the production numbers, as do Ray Jacquemot and Charles Irwin, who also do well in their brief spots. • ' ■ ' John Murray Anderson calls this "The New Look Revue." and he's staged it expertly,^aB is usual with aU. his shows; thergirls are nifties, the costumes (by Thomas Becher) colorful' and designed to !*ow off the gals, with the songs by Henry Sullivan and Ira Left being pleas- antly tuneful. Richard Barstow has done a neat' job of st^ng the dances, and Charles Blackman batons the show well. But this is Jessel's show. And who cared about that drink ^y? Kahn. Lanv Adler with John Clayton; Joan Metrni, Abbey Albert Orch, Ed Han Quintet; $3-60 minimum, Those habitual nitcry addicts who seemingly, know that pre-Christmas biz at the boites is supposed to- be oilish will "find plenty of masterful entertainment at Barney Josephson's Cafe Society Uptown. Josephson has pulled a neat stnnt in booking Larry Adler into the club, at this time. His name is always a good d^aw and his emphasis on the longhair material ^dds a- nice iy:e-hoUday touch. In additipn, songstress Joan Morrill of-; fers sock entertainment as the only other performer on the bill, Crowd tiras a little noisy the night caught (26) but Adlier quieted them almost as soon as he stepped under the spotlight—though he played only three 'pops ttrhong his eight selec- tions. Best. of the classics is the Roumanian Rhapsody and a Mozart oboe quartet, which he's adapted for harmonica and piano. Pop tunes, in- cluding "It Ain't Necessarily- So," "When Day Is Done" and an origi- nal, "Hand to Mouth Boogie" are tops. John Clayton furnishes stand- out accompaniment at tiie piano. Miss; Merrill, attroctive as ever, has a tendency to overdramatize her gestures, thereby drawing: too much attention to them. She sells her ma- terial well, nonetheless, and her "How Did He Look?" is a standout example of modern torch numbers. Her medium-pitched voice, coupled with good. phrasing and shading knowhow, is- well-suited to the bal- lads she offers, including such tunes as V(3ientleman Is a Dope," "Man I Love" (to which she oilers a novel treatment via a traveling, mike) and some. special lyrics to *'Summe<c- time." Encore, "S?nd Me a Man," is partially spoiled by her over-emot- ing, sua. AlayJair Ro«m, Clti (BLACKSTONE laO'TEI,} CMeago, Nov. 28. llona Moasey, GUberto Xsais, Ray *forton Orch (8); Cover )fl, $3.50 minimum. • The current show at the Mayfair is an hour of music for concert and operetta lovers. Whether or not it is an hour of enjoyment for bistro inhabitants is a moot matter. To Ilona Massey's credit, however, is the fact that almost 300 people braved a snowstorm to hear the honey-blonde ^ soprano on opening night. Gilberto Isais is making his first appearabce in niteries, and the young Mexican composer projects a fine musical background. His pro- gramming, however, is a bit faulty, in that he does two fairly slow numbers, Rachmaninoif's "Concerto; in C Minor" and "Clair de Lune," before exhibiting/the rapid fingering on "Fire Dance." Crowd's attention, might be held better by replacing one of the slow numbers with a faster item. : .■ Miss. Massey -in. her first local nitery appearance has a sock act. Singer, is gowned in a silver and white creation and. her natural coloring Is Wghtened by a jeweled hairband. Obviously nervous," ghe picked up the beat of "Zing, Zing"' to receive neat returns. Her next number, "Cherie Je T'Aime" ("Cherie, 1 Love You"), though well done, could be replaced by something in the semi-comic vein. t. Soprano turns on tuU color of her voice in "What Is This Thing Called Love" and ''Jealousy." Follows with the Hungarian standard, "I Brought You Lily Flowers," and then the title tune from the picture, "Bala- laika," for additional salvos. Encores' with' another Hun.Barian song and closes wjthi Spanish version of "Witiiout You." Zabe. lNonn»lndi« float, Moni'l MmHreal. Nov. 28. DtiTce Alden Puppets, Harold Barry & Co. (5), Neil Golden Orch; cover $1 weekdayi, $U0 Saturdays. 1 Duke Alden is a smart puppeteer. His handling of dolls shows dexterity. He also deepens the general presen- tation with superior lightinig and sparkling 'ebsturaing of puppets. Starts off with "Tabby-the Cat," jitterbug that dances tinder phos- phorescent lights for a very neat effect.: Follows' with "Carmensita Banana,-" who dances not only on her own little stage but also does table hopping. The latter is Some- what different and gives a chance to audience to see Alden's work at close range. Harold Barry sings, dances and emcees, aided by five dancing girls and joining them for "MacNamara's: Band." Barry's outstanding talent is dancing and he is- a treat to watch when he does bis version of a jitter- bug or his slow dancing impression ot Ted Lewis. On opening show, when Alden missed performance. Barry and*gals had to do the whole show and in- troduced an agreeable ensemble on the theme "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" with each girl representing »n nice costumes the songs, done by Barry in background, "Irene." "Do- lores," "Louise," "Rosalie" and "Margie." Nice but not enough choreography to take the number away from a slight reminder of bur- lesque groupinp:. Weil Golden's Orch backs show capably. Mrtrts' NewAets PETEE LIND HATES ft MARY HEALY Comedy 65 JHlBS. . Copaeabalu, N. Y. . '* Peter Lind Hayes' repeat stand at Monte Proser's Copacabana jserves to strengthen the terrific impress 'he made on his initial visit here- With his tremendous talent he's now right up there alongside the top boite en- tertainers. Hayes' comedlc value is.) accentuated by the Mary Healy, who is able to delineate a "show of artistry on , par with that ot-her talented husband. : Hayes' premiere was delayed a week beeau.se of his illness, during which time his mother, Grace Hayes, one of the top performers in vaude's heyday, filled in along with others. However, the delay was no draw- back to the gala opening. Holly- woodites, and virtually every cafe comic who could make it, showed up. Hayes is doing some familiar items, such as his impressions of celebs, for his throwaways, to get started before going into his new portrait collection. Among the fresh items are his impressions of an Irish tenor, a Gallic chanteur and a Negro quartet. He retains the Punchy Callahan impression, a. gem: of gentle humor. Mary Healy (Mrs. Hayes) provides a valuable assist in several of his numbers, Her takeoff on Hildegarde is virutally a caricature of the chan- toosey, with her husband ai^sting as a midwesterner brought out on the: floor. Miss Healy also delivers a song delineatiqn on "How Sweet You Are," lylth Hayes supplying an offstage voice depicting a youthful swain. ,■, , ■ Perhaps one of the more colorful aspects of the' preem show came after Hayes' regular tuni, 'whe(<i Van Heflin came on the fiodr to do a bit', and Grace Hayes showed that she still knows how to entertain solidly with her dissertation oh, showbusi- ness. Withal, the Copa- session inteU'', sifies the prevailmg belief that Hayes has just about everything a performer needs. Surrounding Hayes is the usual capable support, including Blair and Dean, a pair of flyweight bailroom- ers with a cute set of routines that xvin applause with tasteful tricks and fetching dance designs. Jet MacDonald and Bay^Amet do the production songs and dance work capably. DanCe and show music -is by' Michael Durso and Fernando Alvarez, while the Doug- las Coudy production and line jnoake for a diversified and «ntertaining display. Jose. DAN DXILEY ' Sracst Dsnclnf > 14 mm. Boxy, N. Y., . As he emphasizes repeatedly dur- ing the act, Dan Dailey's current personal at the Boxy, N, Y., is a symbolic achievement for him, as he was in the dancing chorus at the house several year.1 ago. Only re-, cently in pictures, as Betty Grabfe's leading man in "Mother Wore Tights" and opposite Jeanne Grain in "You Were Meant for Me," he's next assigned^ to the' remake of "Burlesque," also with Miss Grable." For his current act, Dailey sticks to numbers from his two recent pic- tures, adding seemingly (extempora- neous exjglanations and personal an- ecdotes. The numbers themselves 'are only moderately impressive, as Dailey doesn't demonstrate any gr«at impact as a singer or remark- able dancing proficiency. However, ne piakes a pleasant appearance and' has^fl distinctly likeable personality and manner. Except for. his mild film name he doesn't impress, as a par- ticularly strong vaude or nitery act. M Sju^ests musical comedy (and. 01 course, fllmustcal) potentialities. In the traditional song-and-danca man's wide-brimmed skimmer, and with the inevitable cane, Dailey opens with a lively vocal of "New "Xork Is My Home Town." He then reminisces about bis days at tha Boxy and in vaude, ihcliiding a story of how he got the then-un- heSrd-of Van Johnson to replace him in the Roxy line. He then sings and dances "You Do," from the pici- ,ture, "Tights," and in. with othey anecdotal introductions offers "Ko- komp, Indiana," from the same film, and 'the .title song from "You 'Were Meant for Me." For the last number he brings on Audrey Wood (doubt- le.ss uo relation to the play agent) from the -house chorus as his .silent vis-a-vis. Ifobe. Texas Honors Mex Trouper , : Mexico City, Dec. 2. . Virginia Fabregas, Mexico's Sarah Bernhardt, 55 years a trouper who has been honored by, the Mexican government and private organiza- tions, is now an honorary citizen ot the state of Texas, She became that at a simple ceremony at the U. S. embassy here, Nov. 25, when Am- bassador Walter Thurston gave the vet dramatic actress a parchment signed by Go'y. Beauford Jester. A SINGIN' ACT THAT REAUY JUMPS! For Example Sine* Augiui; CLUI NORMAN. TORONTO. ONT. STORK CLUt. COUNCIL liUFFS COUEftC INN. CHiCAftO . CUIifKOHTIGR, OCNVER MCntOrOLITAN, SEAtrU SrOKAHE CITY CLUI, SPOKANE CAVE CLU1« VANCOUVER. B. C. 6OL0CN 6ATE. SAN FRANCISCO NICOLLET MOTEL. MINNEAPOLIS RKO.KEITH ROSTON, ROSTON KAJAK THEATRE. RiADiN», PA. HI, LO, JACK T DAME NOW-~Untii DM«mb«r 13th WII.PEIIttH0TEL.PimBIIR6lt BOt KERR. RNO RMr., Naw York MIRIAM SEABOLD CMrrMlif—Nw*. T7-3a Marry <S« Reiind • YoKMgffvwii, Ohftt Dm. 1.-14 Wm. Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh ParimiMirt' IMnttt: 1221 Oakby fkau Si. Uuh, M*. iiiilitivAii CURRENTLY LE RUBAN BLEU, N«w Ydik RADIO: Sundays, 3-3:15 P.M., WNEW ,TOS£FU HSBSOItAins DirtCliMt SiiSSal?" MUSIC CORP., 0»AM«ICA pod Illg . "Tfta Amtrkau Rhmnba King" A pMiMdbMr MMttro Who Knows Tempo and R«Mrtolra for DiMriniMrtiR9 PMpI* .^^ Woks—Nicky Blair's Carnival 1M Wodis—Riily Rosa's Diamond.^ Horsaskoa JEAN ROSE 4S W«ti'4iiii Sr.. N. r. BR.9-2030