Variety (Mar 1948)

44 Dusting the Attic (For «o other than nosfolffic rea- jotis these Palace bills will be re< ))rini.e(I each week, ^nd ^qr the cof V: re$poncii»0 week, as they originally appeared in Vabiecy 25 years ago.) PALACE, N. Y. XSfareh -19!iS3) George Gottlieb's ..final weekly, fling at .the Palace bill is a corking effort, although there s,eemed to be an .edge in iavbr of the first faaU of the program, ~Even'the "Topics" ' narrations highly amused,^ > Abundant' witb fens^nine. names, the .show. impre£^e4. reselling its highes.t point witli Fjipiiy.Brice and the BiUmore Orchestra,' Nqs. 4 and B respectively, ^ey closed out an initial portion that,, va itself, testified it would take plenty of following to gain additional momentum. To hold the pace set by the opening stanza looked to be about impossible. It was, and while entertaining values were affluent during the; latter stages, ii was a grade below "the ve- locity 'plreceding the interim. Wtiss Brice, Grfette Ardine, DeLyle Alda> Jue Quon Tai and Robbie Gor- done comprised the fair Sex contin- gent of the nine-act bill. They per- formed in pairs, the initial duo placed ahead of the ist):etch .period, tliR'n^xt two foUoiying thbb cessaiipa of «ictivities, withi': liliss Gordohe cloitirig. iQtitt«r ''thiEin.^'fhe musicians, tliQ'THr^e LAndoiis, dojiahe Sc Nev- ins, 'niid Van & Corbett rounded' out the evening! ■ : The former "Follies" c6m«dienne ran .away with the performance, do- ing nine songs and a recitation for SB minutes, with -still' a 'demand. MiM-Brice literally. Went'lor ''the works,"'even untO'« Cockney lyric that listened as being an' emergency ditty from former. deySi and made it problematical as' to hOW'the men in the pit played tlie «i«hestration. Their rendering wafted fiuspiciously of a more or less degree of faking, EDDY "H*If«li of 4li* .'htrmoHic!*.'" < RAINBOW RECOIIOS Bxdnslv* Margery Wallet 'it Rfoo u A N S 0 N COMEOY PftTTBI , l^r Alt JtnmUMt af IMMrieaU I WMASTER : VTh« Shew lis Gotl f »< Nos. .1 to 22 at $t.Olpi ea. 10 i>AR6dlES for $10.00 "How io Be an Emee*" $3.00 liieluiiiiig 2 Gag KIcs Stad lor list ot material. ptU'odjM, comsilr Rnnitti, minsticl Utc—1>tack- out«, Kkitft, '«K*4 NO C.O.I>'« PAULA SMITH too W.. Mill St., New Sork » but so was Miss Brice's Cockney- Yiddish accent. A return entrance lor an encore finaH wjtli the hotel dance miisic combination, brought another outbavst as a reception for the singer. It reached the clamoitous claEsifioation at the conclusion. This, last bit had Miss Bri.ce in male even- ing attire £tept)ing to 9 "hot"selec- tion. Someone with a sense of propor- tion evidently :has re£ramed the< rou- tine of the Biltmor?. orchestra. Be- sides an opening medley rendered behind a gauze screen, upon which flowers float downward,- there is but anojtiver.pop .conglomeration ot. mel- odies and a violin sol|o.. Ibe foHow- up wa? the encore, with Miss Brice in front, and finish. Jt makes for a compact offering that, has not the fault of running on indefinitely and is neither too much n6r too little. Additionally, there is the maneuver- ing of .Willie Crsager at the drums, whd. is practically putting the .band over by his comedy mannerisms while workjng' around traps^ Not that the orchestra is without merit, albeit there is many a musical comr bination that cap play right along with this one; many can top it; but Creager possesses a sense Of show- manship and humor -and .sells both to the end. The band is not .only a band," but an act. The Three Londons j>ushcd off at close to eight, succeeded by Coome >& Nevins, who carried it .along nice- ly with their songg. Miss Kadice'asr- sisted by John Tyrell and Tom lUacb, •flashed a speed dance episode that, for 17 minutes, provided as much action as could normally be con- tained in such a length of time. The costimies of the girlj backed by the special setting, .iUusioned prettily,, while the stepping was 'way'above par and of sufficifeht merit to over- come the aoi&ewhat weak vocalizing and minor'dial4)g., SiBglyi doubling or in ensemble the trio seem equally at home, while an early swing of the girl (by the two boys) is bound to be "copped" right and" left. The end was a. tieup, although the- necessity of a speech was sensibly passed. Van k Corbett, next, to closing, froliced through to continuous re- turns and went to the head of the Glass as far a$ the latter half of the schedule was eoncemed. . The team tacked on a bit, for a finish,- th^t had a reappearance of the Chinese girl as an excuse. It iramed as'a neat comedy situation and sufficed a.s to its purpose. ' ■ Mis.s. Alda ■ was on ■ seventh with her elaborate satire on the: musical legit productions. The act clicked Tcgularly and was accorded a subr stantial outburst .at 'the "finale. .The cast iS'capable in their support of the J Reading, member, whose- high notes were not all they, should, have been and developed an inclinatioxi to register a little oil key every bo often.. The. pantalette costume, of Miss Buckley, y/orn in the second scene, was decidedly unpicturesque and out of place, Santos,.&. Hayes, ■ although pro- graranned, did not appear, and Jue Quon Tai blazed the trail for the second heat. The miss froni the Orient seemed to find it difficult to ge>.started. That may,in some part have been due to the morale of the previous succession of events she was forced to follow. The bringing pn of the' sister- provided th*, impe- tus, with' th6 song and dance of the protege putting the turn on the right side. It looks now as if the younger member co"uld go oiit and give her close relative plenty of opposition. Miss Gordone's. series of poses ter- minated for the night to a' house that was quite willing to sit and not take any chances of missing a trick. Skig. POLLACK CIRCUS SUED BY INJURED BffiERfllR * Chicago, March 2. Pollack Bros. Circus was sued for $S0,000 in Superior Court here last week by Elsie Walther Sidney, trick bicycle rider. Miss Sidney claims she was per- manently injured last Oct. 30 when she fell 50 feet from a rope. Fall, she maintains, was caused by in- secure rigging. . " . '. Attached by Attorney June Richmond, sepia singer, cur- rent at the Club Ebony, 'N. Y., is Working sans salary these days. Her coin has been tied up by an at- iachmenf obtained by attorney Leon- ard Loewinthan on a $800 judgment* ment. , ' ■ After the judgment was filed. Miss Richmond went into bankruptcy list- ing no assets and |5,600 in liabilities. She subsequently sought to have the attachment vacaited and have the at'? toritey take hi» turn along with other creditors. Justice"Byrtte of the Nj Y,- city court last week refused to vacate the attachment. She may get some , of her salary when - her ease comes up before : a federal ^efer^e next .week. George Wood's Aussie To London Via N. Y. Stopoff Georgie Wood, for many years a leading • British comic', returns to Australia for some commercial radio starting next October. Wood, just back from' Down Under, where he established . himself as a legit and pantomime producer, flies back-to 'Lond'on Friday (5) . His two biggest.hits in that coun- try were "CI>itterbuc}c". which ran 14 weeks in • Sydney, and the panto- mime. "Aladdin," which did smash business for the traditional • six weeks. His production of "Sweetest and Xiowest" met, with a fair recep- tion. Upon returning to England, Wood is slated to confer with Parliaftien- tary ' leaders on the question o£ British tax *laws governing U. S. pei'formers.. Nigirt Club Reviews Conniee Boswell Doubling ■ WSami, March 2. Connee'Boswell • is here doubling between the Olympia theatre and the Brook Club/and doing a click b.o. .iob at both. Singer opened at the theatre last Wednesday (25) for one week and the Brook date is for two weeks. , . Nitery booldng was made after the singer left New York to fulfil] the Olympia commitment, along with a theatre booking in Jackson- ville, Fla. AMERICA'S TOP HEADLINE SiMGiMG GItOUr ICurrmlly' LAkKY POTTER'S SUPPER CLUB Hi|Hywe««, CM. All MajAr Notwurliii, TlM-atren iinil Cliibi), Vt Sp and CnniKlti BOYS RCA VICTOR fAVORITES Personal I>lrectl<in-~'ICI> Knmmv tm KKQ BiilUtac. J)'ew Yarii 2«. M. Y. JACK PARKER "r##f JACK OF CLUBS" ' CURtCNTLY ^ COTILLION ROOM HOTEL PIERRE NEW YORK TfeMkt f* NAUY KUf Y. VAC ,-,'?■ . IMmcHm: , , YOM niZPATmCK l^<in Qiifurtcr, N. V. Frank JLibuse, Radio Ace* (3), Nick Long, Jr., Marion Manners, Tito & Corinne Valdex, Patricia Adair, Mona. Piroska, Beau BrummeU (4)^ Proinenaders (4), 7-iine (17), Vincent Trouers Orch, Buddy Harlowe Orch; staged b]/ JVatcuho Kamarovm; pro- duced by Lou Walters; $4 rninimMm. Lou Walters' current show-at the Latin Quarter Is still showing 'em how to deliver entertainment value in the pop priced, nitery belt. This Is one for the hiasses that'll sell to visiting, firemen and regular nitery patrons. A 90-minute layout titled "America's Hall of Femme," show has pace, color, and variety with plenty of laughs to build it into,a solid payoff for th? customers. ■Production- numbers are elabo- rately dressed and neatly designed to give , a firm base to the proceed- ings. Opening with "New Orleans Mardi Gras," number arrays the full line of girls and ciwrus lads in e flashy choreographic place 'based on a cai-nival motif. Good specialty dances are delivered by a lowdown adagio team, Tito and Corinne 'Val- dez,,.«nd ballerina Patricia Adair with an assist from Mons. Firoska, an agile acrriterper with clas.f. Two other production humber.s, matcliing the first."include '"New Orleans Bai Mosque" and "Doing the New York," all of them featuring voicals stints by the cbantcuses assisted by two male quartets, the Beau Brunuaels ^nd: Promenaders. Bill ^ates highest in the key com^ edy division with Frank Libase, "Hellzapoppin"' zany, in the top spot, Libuse, equipped with props^ pratfalls and stooge, delivers a broad type ot comedy that rolls the cus- tomersi- tile fives « pre-ahtiw taste of his act by acting' as a faeadwaiter and making mayhem on the floor with water squirts, fake <disbes and fresh talkback. During his regular stint, Libuse uses an operatic sopranb stoogt for hi* takeoff point and bis routine is expertly timed for maxi- mum reiults. Other sock comedy item ia fur- nished, by'Rmiio Aces, a .{pale trio in the Sitz Bros, vein. Team is stocked with click novelty nunttwrs' including "What Does the Public Want," ''Sam, You Made the Skirt Too Long'' and "The Last of the Masters of Ccreqfionies," Some> of the gags a!re on the comy side but the trio eompensates with a v»satile brand of warbling, tricky gag de- livery, effective mugging and plenty of zest. Encore bit is a radio quiz program satire that earns big salvos. In terping department, Nick Long, Jr., displays some clever' terpology with a series of impressions oii a cavalcade of hoofers ranging froni Pat Booney to Ray Bolger. Bill is rounded out by Marion .Manners who shows off a good set of pipes on "Basin Street Blues," a new num- ber, "Matinee" and a couple of Ster, phen Foster tunes. Muriel King, lyric soprano, warbles an operatic tune that sels off a mild striptease, act by a couple of showgirls Which precedes the flnalt. Vincent 'Travers orch, with an. as- sist from the Smith Sisters, a harpist, quartet, cuts the show in competent fashion and doubles With the Buddy Harlowe'combo in furnishing dance music for the customers in a variety of styles. Herm. Bowory, Detroit Detroit, f'eb. 28. PrortJcfe Lolne; Franleie Ropp> Dubinettes (6)- J«ne McPonoupIi-, Flying Barryt, iBovsery Hepcats (4), Tubbv & Kettle, Ben Yottnir Orch (10). The Bowery has a sock layout for current stanza that should pay off. Frankie Laine toplining, clicks in his song session. Lad has 'em from walk-on and holds them ail .the wav Opening with "River St. Marie," he follows with "That's My Desire" '^Black and Blue," ''Baby All the Tune," "Someday Sweetheart" and "Shine" for solid returns. Encores with "We'll Be Together Again" for additional plaudits. Frankie Happ, versatile emcee liicores in his stanzfi. His fodlerv with the Dubinette linfe of girls and other clowning keeps show moving at a merry pace. Jane McDonough does neatly in her song session. The Flying Barry«, roller skate team, arc okay With trick aiiud fancy skatinfe. Bowery Hepcats provide additional comedy to bill. , Tubby and Kettle, sepia hoofers, contrib clever terp routines; Ben Young orch twckgrounds show expertly. St<^n. CItek, Philty PhiladelplUa, Feb. 19. Ina Ray Button Band (]2l with .Danny Siceardo; Page Cavanangh Trio. Ina Bay Hutton, she ot the cling- ing gowns and swaying torso, is still an attraction when she steps In front of her orchestra on any band- stand. Current stint at Frank Pa-- lumbo's Click is no exception. The gal has collected, a workman- like' dozen of musicians who play danceable, as well as listenabte mtr- »ic. • Vocals are neatly handled by •Danny Riccardo, whose voice regis- ters Well in the massive Click. Miss Hutton takes over with the novelty tuners,' giving 'extra meaning to the lyrics with her swaying chassis. Lulls are handled in fine style by Vasfe Cavanaugh. trio. B'z good, with plenty standees at bar when reviewed. Sliat. (fOtliOWOT) Martha Raye's return to the Ilarem tor her last' date in the U.S. prior to sailing for England for a March 29 opening at the Palladium, London, provides a view-with-alarm outlook. (Continued on pa^e 46) THE DE LEON SISTERS "Tkose Danelag Darlliigt" CwTMiHy .,'„..,' TROCADERO CLUB tVAMSVILlE, INPIANA ThnnlM, »AM ROBKHt'M DIreeHon: TOM FI1ZPATRICK ISO WmI 42lld StTMt. New York COMEDY lAftGAINSi PAIfODIES, snpCIMt MNGS, tITS. ate. .ir iarg'tAl )uieta*m in' sbwwbic! i tots CATMiOti KBBK! „ , ii ExclnNiire aUitMiat mit kim'^IuH}-! J. & H. KUINMAN HOKLYWOOV «S, C'Al.ir. ISM COMEDIANS—M. C.'t-AtL ACTS! C*l«Ml VllM! 'PrtMtliml INDEX CARDED Cm FII> H MlMhly SWViie. (O 2.00* CMV Qulm, HmMw tttftt: CoMly Stuiib. <te.> •n 3 ky 5 Inch INDEX CARDS, ClastMled W Subjute. (2) Portakli Fil« Cakimt. (3) PUs- tlc TRANSPAREKT Wlllduttid Walfcl kollliag 48 Giita VISIBLE far OuKk SiiMly ak Tralai. at Lmuli, Id Drwtlai Raani, etc. OUTFIT as akavt. plus 3 Mcntkt' Srrvlct, Fr«sh Gawi, <tc. (LIMITED). tl« faitaaU. SAMPLE WW Gail, aa Cards (Jaauary Itsus), M. "PATTEH^DEX" BOX I5t WOODSIDE, N. Y. Saranac Lalie By liappy Benway , Saranac Lake, N. Y,, March 2. Lillian Bergson elated over gift of a. gold wristwatch by Paramount Pictiu'cs for 25 years oS faithful i .service. Her sister, Gertrude Klein | in from N, Y. C.'for the bloWout. ' Jeanette Binkley shot in from Lnn-1 "I'^tev, Pa., to visit her father John ; (lATSE) Binkley, who is proeres- siiig nicely. Eel Warrin in from Newark, N. J„ for \yeekend visit with Arthur ProfCitt, who's doing nicely with in- firmary routiiie. Eddie VogJ appointed as chairman of Publicity for the Red Cross drive- Mane Southard handling Will Rog- ers collections with George I'ee, Inez Delm-cs Liverpool and Mary Mason asw.sting. " George Fee, musician, given an all- clear and now part-time switch- board operator at the Rogers. . Bill Lalis cheered up plenty by surprise visit from Rose McMahon, Marie Lalis and Irene Langtry last week. Kenneth Chetwood planed in from Cheyenne to bedside chat with An- drew Grainger, who is doing nicely. liaura Sloan upped for meals and visiting privileges, Mabel Burn.s in and out of the general Iwspital after masterinit the BronciMcopljy operation *tsA resting ■*t the Soger*. , (Write te these wita are III). . MAXINE SULLIVAJX CURREHTLY VIUAGE VANGUARD, N»w York RA»iO: SMrikvi»13$1|>.M.. WNEW MUSIC eoti. «N> MMBIICA