Variety (Jan 1948)

62 VAVBBmUE .VejwgBdiiy, January 14, 1948 IG^t CUb Renews Copacalianaj N. Y. GertTOde Wiesen, Florence & Frederfc, Sondra Borfett, Jeffrey Cloy, Jet MwDonald, Anna Kon- stanee, Line, AIic?iael Durso Orch, f'ernandd Alverez OroK; $2i50 mini!- mum. Put Gertrude Niesen down as giv- ing one of her better performances as headlhier on the new Copacabana show. At the same time, when is she going to stop making a career of "I • wanna Get Married 7 The number, which she helped popularize in the •'Follow the Girls" musical a couple of seasons ago; has already been done to death: by Miss Niesen and others,: and Miss Niesen is just making too much of what was once a good thing. Miss Niesen, however; still remains one of the great singers of pop songs; with a voice that has an enormous vibrancy that probably none of the singers of her type can show oit to- day. Her phrasing is among the best, and her performance shows a greater care than that revealed, say, in her comparatively recent date at the for- mer Vanity Fair on Broadway^ (now ,the Harem). Her versatility is par- ticularly evident in two such e^- treme numbers as "Freedom Train" and "Love for Sale," the latter nota^ biy being a pulse-quickener because of the way «he does it. What Miss Niesen must do, how- ever, wherein "Married" is con^ cerned,. is relegate it now to ju.st a, JA^ PARKER throwaway number, instead of the production buildup that it now gets. A couple of verses of the tune, and off! she shouldn't have her whole act revolve around it, with some of the line as bridesmaids, etc. There's nothing momentous about the bill otherwise, the rest of the layout featuring Florence & Fred- eric (New Acts), Continental act billed as making their first Ameri- can appearance with their ballrpom- ing; Sondra Barrett, tapster; Jeffrey Clay and Jet MacDonald, production singers, and Anna Konstance, pro- duction dancer. Miss Barrett captures a few mo- ments Of attention with her. neat hoofing, though she could do nwre Jn the way of selling her turn. Clay, former Buffalo radio singer, is- a nice-looking baritone who handles himself well in the production rou- tines, as does Miss MacDonald, th« rubber-bellied acros, which .Is another repeat of something they did together years' ago, And, of course, the pin-up routine wherein he drapes several girls with the latest fashions. Both Miss Pickens and the Remys have their own spots, of course. MLsS Pickens is attractive and dis- plays a pleasant voice. The Remys, whose act is focussed on the hefty girl, draw plenty of laughs, and they get by, too, on their straight and novel aero stuff. Greb and Lober are a mixed pair of dancers in the Jack Cole vein who likewise sock over in their briefie. Best of the bill are holdovers, all of them pro- duction people.; Kah?ij llonlcivard ttoom, Chi (STEVENS HOTEL) . Cliicopo, Jan, 13. Dorothy S}\ay, Pride & Day, June Taylor Line (12), Skitch Henderson orch (15) ■with Nancy Reed and Andy Roberts; minimum $3,50--$l cover. Carnival, Y. Ed W)/nn, Jane Pickens, Dicfc & Dot Reniy, Greb & Lober, Graham Sisters, Rae Jacquemot, Chorles Ir- min, Line, Charles BlacJcwan ana Gao's Orclis; $3.50 minimum. "WE JACK ' OP euiBS" Opsning fo-day (Jan. 14) af RKO SOIDEN OATE THEATHE . Ian FranciKa Din«ti«ii! TOM FiTZPATRl'CK ISO W. St., «. V. PhmC'Pe t-MIt Ptfnfo-MiMi'ery 3rd WEEK SAMOVAR MONTREAL WANTED harrowing -ftitaiit agency sticks «X|»«H*netd talesman for night club, vaudeville ond personal appearonee bookings. Salary and com- mission. All letters held in strict confidence. Present employees know of this ad. Write fiox 647, c/o Variety. m W. 46th St., N. Y. 19. ■ Since this is .the age of nostalgia it wa.s inevitable that the name of Ed Wynn would again find its way back to Broadway. For his fuvst m- person engagement in some years, "The Perfect Fool" is also making his initial appearance in a catef at the C!arnival, certainly one of the toughest ^afe rooms in America. "Wynn may not be able to lure a lot of customers to a cafe these days, but he still possesses much of the showmanship and laugh-prpvokers that once pushed him to tlie f9re as one of America's tojpflight comics. He has starred in musicomedy, radio and vaudeville; Wynn certainly .still has enough savvy from those fields to excite laughs in a medium in which he's venturing for the first time. ■", ■ If Wynn fails to be as funny as he once was, much of that must be attributed to the fact that he has been away too -many years. No matter how great a performer is, or was, there's no doubt he requires work, and plently of it, to get him- self into shape. Lay off for ]ust a week or two and he'll find himself missing, out here and there. And .Wynn has been away for years. ^ But he can still Bntertain--don t. make any mistake about thati There s no doubt he's -lost his edge, and per- haps this, is only noticeable to those who remember him when, but to the Johnnie-come-latelie$ Ed Wynn can still be a very funny guy w"h ^his odd getups, his distorted chuckle, his feigned foolishness. After all, there is no substitute , for youth, Even Jolson will tell you that despite his own-phenomenal comeback. Opening night produced a situa- tion Wynn probably never before ex- perienced in his more than W years in show biz. For fully two minutes, at his' intro as^ he walked to the apron, the predominant show crowd cheered. For two minutes more, on his exit, they cheered again. It was a tribute to one of the most in- defatigable performers in show biz. For his age—and he's past PO^ Wynn is punching as hard as ever* It's remarkable that he's as nearly active on stage as ever. He opens with a monolog, after-a corny pro- duction, introduction acquainting, the audience with his past successes; then follows a series of appear- ances solo , and with other per- fqrmers on the bill. W^n is reprising a bit that he did some years ago with Jane Pickens, in a Broadway revue, wherein he wheels her around on a bicycle fitted with a piano, while she warbles. There's also a piece of business with Dick and Dot Remy, New Acts Room is back to name act policy after several revues and, judging from patron response, it's a wise move. In making the change hotel was fortunate in snagging Dorothy Shay, now riding high in record an^ radio popularity. Another smart booking is the Skitch Henderson orch; which puts on a fine betweenr shows revue. June Taylor line opens with "Bal- inese Jive." Costuming is .above average with pagoda headdress and lame costumes standout. Girls close show with • a number built around "Papa, Won't You Dance With Me" from "Allegro." Pride & Day, jugglers, work comic angles into a standard act. They finish to strong returns when femme on the shoulders'of male ffips tetjnis balls in tempo with Indian, clubs manipulated by partner. Miss Shay clicks with opener, "I'm Doing All Right For a Mountain Gal." Follows with ''Feudin and Fightin'." "Will You Treat Me in the Style," "It Was Just a Friendly Feeling ,on My Part," and "Uncle Fud" for additional. salvos. Encores with "Efficiency," and begs off with "Ob Wliere Has My Baby CiOne?" Songstress is solid all the way. Henderson also scoresi His well balanced crew are on the brass kick, but treat it with restraint,— mostly as a backing to .maestro's . piano efforts. He does a lot of solo work during the show and also in the dance sets. While leader uses a good deal of late Hal Kemp's book, his arrangements are strictly his. own. Band carries two vocalists, Nancy Reed and Andy Roberts. Gal does neatly on "Put Yourself in My 'Place, Baby," "Papa, Won't You Dance With Me," and duet with Roberts on "Cora Belle." Roberts does okay on his vocals, best being .the Ink Spots Impresh on "Gypsy:" Zabe. JVm MAGEE Comedy, P«nt«]iiim« ZS. Min. S»movw, nrontrenl Here is an outstanding personality and brilliant comedienne who has everything , to reach the big top very fast.' Girl; pretty and a polished performer with constant sharp de- livery, has so much material, all good, that she is a natural to do a one-act show. Bulfc rif her work now are pantomimes on well known re- cordings of equally well known personalities to which, through panto-mimicry, she brings a definite and distinctive talent. This per- sonal gift permits her to go over and above the. usual, record>aet. Variety of her material dnd her genuine versatility of expression constantly bring out her own remarkable flair for comedy. Lip sync and timing are excellent. . ^ She does enthusiastically received Routines on the Spike Jones re- cordings "Chloe," "Hawaiian War Chant" and "Trumpet Solo", (Laugh- ing Song). Fantastic musical parts of each record provide her with op- portunity to show all her .own smart comedy and "Jones'- humor and work practically become just musical background. Pantomime on Beatrice Kaye's "The Nightingale" is a solid hit as is a lively version of Betty Hut- ton's "Doctor, Lawyer.". Biggest sue-! cess is Jimmy Durante's "Inka Dinka Doo" when girl impersonator catches all of tfre comic's antics perfectly. Her versatility permits her to do impressions on French recordings by Maurice Chevalier and Andrex, quite a feat for an American comedienne. Andrex's "II Await Le Charme Slave" (He Had The Slavic Charm) will even get over with completely American au'dience. All other French records, "La P.'tite Dame de I'Expo" by Chevalier, "Bebert" and "Pomme, Petite Pomme, Pom-Pom" bv Andrex, would be smash with sophisticated pubUc in high class Cabarets, Gal h6s to beg off at every show after doing at least seven or eight impersonations. A unique comedienne and personality,^ dif- ferent and sijiart all the way. More. FLOBENCE tc FREDERIC Bainroou Dsnolng* / 8 Mins. CoiAcabana, N. Y. Florence and Frederic are ball- room dancers who are more in the acrobatic vein than usual for acts of this type. They have some exciting lifts, their Latin-iype dancing being standard for ballroomologists. The pair dovetail their dancing and aero stuff neatly but what they require is better selling. They're not a handsome couple in the strict sense of the word, and consequently, the girl, for instance, could do some- thing about costuming herself with better ta.ste. And both need to be more aware of their audience, though, probably, they were nervous on the opening night, which is understandable in view of their un- familiarity with American audiences. A Continental act; this is their first professional appearance in America. : The pair, when once they get these minor faults ironed out, are likely bets for the hotel cafes and spots such as "the Copa. Kalin. NICK LUCAS HELD OVER UNTIL JANUARY 24th AT WORLD FAMOUS WAIKIKI LAU YEE CHAIS HONOLULU, HAWAII RECORDING EXCLUSIVELY FOR HUCKSTERS RECORDS ALOHA to LEW and HERMAN ROSEN and TATSURO MATSURO PITTS. NITERIES FOLDING UNDER TAX PRESSURE Pittsburgh, Jan. 13. Usual number of nitery casyallies took place here following the New Year's Eve celebrations, but this time a contributing, factor was the new city amusement tax (5% cafes, or 10% figured on a basis of half the tab), which several own- ers figured was too much to buck. Particularly since they've already had so many headaches from the continuing 20% federal levy. hou Abrams, who had reopened his Club LuMarba only a few days before Xmas following a six-month shutdown, shuttered after ' just 10 days under a new black-and-tan policy, which didn't pan out, and it's understopd cellar spot's days as a night club (used to be the Villa Madrid) are over. Reports are that it'll be reconverted into a cafeteria in the spring. Vogue Terrace, big, theatre-restatirant near McKeesport and at one time a money-maker, was another shutee. Lease was trans ferred from Bill Household to Andy Chekeris as of Jan. 1 but latter de cided to stay closed for the winter and doesn't plan to open tmtil Deco' ration Day after extensive remodel ing.' ■■■ • . ■ ; ■ ■ An additional i% citjr tax has also resulted in recession in live en- tertainment at many places. Many bars and lounges which had been extending themselves on talent have gone back to music only, with Mer cur's Music Bar leading the pack, in order to eliminate not only the city levy but also the Federal 20% tap. Other niteries have cut down on number of acts ordinarily used to cut down the expected slack Irbm the new tax. ICE 'VANITIES' 526, DENVEE Denver, Jan. 13, "Skating Vanities of '48" did a good $52,000 in 12 shows (nine nights and three mats) at' the 5,000-seat audi torium, at $2.50 top. Favorable word-of-mouth and excellent yress helped. New Longrun Mark Sighted As'Blackouts'Nears 3,000 Hollywood, Jan. 13. If anyone asks how long can a vaudeville show last. Ken Murray has the answer. Starting off the new year with his latest edition of "The Blackouts of 1948," ■ comedian will hit the 3.000th performance of the long-lived production one week from today. By the time the end of the sixth year comes on June 24, show will , have surpassed the perform- ance records of such b.o. pullers as "Tobacco Road" and "Life With Father," both of which closed with 3,182 and 8,209 Showings, re- spectively. Current edition of "Blackouts" at the El Capitan is offering few new turns, but has brought back several favorites from other editions. As a tourist attraction,' it rates high, be- ing on the must-see list of most out- of-towners. New faces in this edition are Felix De Cola and Robert Brown, twin pianists, and Irene Kaye, harmonica, expert. Brought back for repeat engagements are the ballroom turn of Grace Poggi and Igor; the Lip- hams, foursome of juve acros; and Jan Rubini and his violin. Marie Wilson continues to be the headliner. longest with the show. George Burton and his birdSi Peg Leg Bates, Owen McGiveney, Jack Mulliall,' Harris and Shore are among the other favorites; COLONIAL IHN HARRY A. ROMM Fla. Hotel's Bs|nd Policy Casa Marina hotel. Key West, Fla., has inaugurated a band, policy in its casino.. Initial'orch is th^ Bob' Mc^ Grew band, which recently con- cluded an engagement at the Drake hotel, Chicago. Spot is owned by Julius Kasdin, who was married two years ago to Ruth Barr, former booker of the La- tin Quarter, N. Y. HOSE MARIE INIO HAREM, N.Y, Rose Marie has been signed to re- place Belle Baker on the Jan> 24 show at the Harem^ N. Y. Miss Baker begged out of date in order to remain in Florida. GABOTun DRESDEN A NEW THRILL IN DANCING Now Touring Australia "The Telejmph'^ —'Sydiifr Daneen)' CABOT and I>IM';»n:(iN are th« hv»i er«r serai In-.^tMtmllii, Tliey gave a flovrliiff aeries of as- touiidlns and orlslnul adnxlo lioIdH Into one Kracetnl daiico pattern. Dir. KENNETH tATER WM. MORRIS AGENCY PHIL FOSTER Nil»4ih'( Ntviml hrff-Sentafioh HH RECORD-BREAKING WEEK SiA PSIE iWAX IFS '0|pa"l"9 JmHory 21 EL RANCHO. LAS VEGAS "Fott*r*il by" SOL TEPPER, RKO Mdg,, Now Y«rk SPECIALTY ROUTINES CREATED OR RECREATED FOR A REASONABLE FRICE For Info. Call MRS« PAGE MO. B-A550 MAXINE SULLIVAN CURRENTLY LE RUBAN BLJO, New York RADIOt Suiulays, 1-3:15 P.M.. WNEW Penonal Manager JOSEFH MdtlSOIiAIB 1687 Ilnwinray • New Tork finite «M « CI-B-«fta«—S MUSIC COM. OP AMERICA