Variety (Dec 1948)

44 OKCHESimAS-MIJSIC Wednesclajr, I>eceinl>er 1^ 1948 RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS Survey of retail sheet tnttsic tale*, based on reports obtained from leading stores in 12 cities, and showing comparative tales rating for this and last weefc. . National Rating This Last wk. ' wk. : Week Ending NOV. 27 • Title and Publisher M Q s i A. ■ 5 ■■«•■ ^1 i T O T A L P O I ■N. ■ T S On the Upbeat New York Stan Kenton added a Cuban bongo drummer to his band at the Paramount theatre... Johnnie Johnston's current date at the Ra-- :disson hotel, Mmneapolis. which Immediate Openings For Cirl Musicians on Radio Network Show To txpond Misting band and pro- vide iultabi* lubititute for absen- tee* eqn.uf* tho followtnfi lnstru« mcnts:: , TKOMBOXK - \CC0KI)10\ - TK» \(- PV.'r - STRING B\,SS - S\V<»- I'HOMl - OUFT.Ml - I'llTh - iM \M» - obot; - niirM>« - n\iu- T'lK-OI or .rSO «*vi»<'lielU'e<l ri-ofcrrcd Box 7201, VARIETY 154 W. 46th St., N. Y. 19 opened Nov. 19, calls for $1,500 weekly, and Connie Haines opens there Dec, 31 at $1,000 Billie Holiday-Charlie Ventura grossed almost $11,000 at. the Chicago Civic Opera House .. Dizzie Gillespie band dated for concerts at Carnegie Hall Xmas night atid one at Acad- emy > of Music, Philadelphia, Dec. 28. . Modemaires' Campbell Soup I radio commercial option renewed 1 until next April, and the group 1 inked a two-year deal with Colum- bia Records . Al Porgie publishes I "When You Left Me," new tune be- ! ing worked on along with the same firm's "You're All I Want for Xmas".. .RGA^Victor handing gold watch awards to 853 25-year em- ployees Eli Oberstein back at work at Varsity Records after knee cartilage operation. . Chicago Sid Mills, of Mills PublishinR Co.. in from. Gotham, looking over : Ghi operations . . . Joe Whalcn, , former BVC Chi head, opening own i publishing firm ,;. . Mercury Rec- ■ ords is settling out of court with Frances Langford. Miss Langforrt sued Mercury for $5,000 for back royalties ;. . . .Leo Rojo, guitarist !,with Felix Martiniciue band at Buttery of Ambassador-West hoi pi. MORREY BRENNAN and His Orchestra Featuring ELMA OLSEN Currently HENRY GRADY HOTEL, ATLANTA, GA. left for L.A., with Armando ller- rero replacing . . . Art Kassel takes over his oreh again and goes into Melody Mill, Dec. 12 .. . King Cole Trio into Showboat, Milwaukee, Dec. 2, then to Oriental theatre, Chi, starting Dec. 9 . . . Ken Grif- fin, organist, set for one week at Lake Club, Springfield. 111., Dec, 10 . . .: Chi Symphony ended season with $166,000 deficit . . . Chi disk jocks Eddie Hubbard, Linn Burton, Dave Garroway, Two-Ton Baker and Rosemary Wayne at AGVA's hospital benefit,. Nov. 27 at Chi stadium . . . Tony Pastor starts a one-night tour in territory, Dec. 3 from Bloomington, 111. . . . Dick LaSalle's opening at Mayfair Room of Blackstone hotel is for indefinite stay .;. Al Trace goes into Casa Loma ballroom, St. Louis, Dec. 3. . . Desi Arnaz, Ray McKinley, Leighton Nobe and Johnny Long arriving from both coasts for one- night tours in midwest . . . Sid Piermont, Loew's booker, in Chi -last week; looking over Burt Lan- caster at Oriental and Skitch Hen- derson at College Inn. for holiday show at N.Y, Capitol . . .'.lohnny i "Scat" Davis goes back to Silliou- I ette for two weekti, Dec. 28 . . . ; Sonny Dunham skedded for two weekends at Blue Moon, Witchita, {Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 . . Jimmy i Featherstone set for three month.s al Melody Mill, Dec. 15 . . . Tex Bencke will play the Dallas in- ! du.strial show Dec. 4-12 . . . Leigh- , ton Noble set for Edgewaler Beach I hotel Dec, 17 for a month . . . Bob I Tunison becomes disk jock Eddie ' Hubbard's man Friday . . . Duke [Ellington into Blue Note for an I all-time high ot $o 500 for the jazz i bistro . . Three Bla/es open at the 1 Pershing ballroom, Dec. 12. Pavilion Royal 11 . Continuta from f>f« M t [bardo did about four, and It was I during this span of years that he became interested in bo.ating, though at first only with a pleasant old cabin cruiser in which be used, to waddle around Long Island Sound prospecting hopefully for blueflsh. Even in the slKck winter season some pretty good people worked at the Pavilion. Playing one of his very first engagements there, for instance, was Charlie Barnet, who would grow embarrassed when the management would relay ei phoned wire from his mother in* sisting that he should be earefui to wear his red flannel underwear. A chubby arranger with Bert Bloclc was Axel Stordahl, who since has done well with a boy named Frank Sinatra. And so on and on. John & Christo were the team;, that ran it, along with Major Fos- ter. There were Sunday night shows, with Ethel Merman, Sophie Tucker, Alice Faye, Martha Raye, and just about everyone in shoW; business appearing at one time or another. It had perhaps even a slightly larger capacity than the huge planned 1,800 of the Casa Seville. Well, over 2,000 people jammed it the night the Democratic party I in the summer of 1932 there hon- I ored; their candidate for pi-esident I of the United States—FDR, who ■ like another Democratic candidate who ran in 1948 didn't really hiiye a chance, according to the smart' ■money. The Pavillo^ Royal was a tre- mendous showplace and money- maker all through these last giddy years of post-War I prosperity, and well into the depression years also. It would be running yet, if it weren't for the bypassing of the Merrick Road as a tlirough high- way by better and newer thorough- fares—the Sunrise Highway, the beginning of the parkway system. No; We can certainly A^fish Gene Seville . and; Lombardo every con- ceivable good ^fortune, and we do. But the Casa Seville won't be the first big spot, chronologically, on; the Island; not quite.: But how come I recall these de- j tails of other years?. Well, I vised to fall asleep, one block away,: to the music of Lombardo or White- man and the rest, when I was a small boy, For. you see, John Stein- ] berg was one of the owners of the j place—and my father. ... , : ;LaTr3/„SfeiOTberg LEVY BOYS WAKEY'S 3 OATUNE PUBBEIUES Hollywood, Nov. 30, Lou Ijevy has' purchased Jimmy Wakely'g three sage^tune music publishing companies. Mono Music, Fairway Music and Jimmy Wakley Music, for Leeds Music Corp. Bob Stern, coast publicist for Leeds, h-s been named to head the western and hillbilly department : of Levy's firms. Leeds now has 5,000 oatunes in its catalog. Freeman Heirs Nix Sale of Jobbing Firm Los Angeles, Nov. 30. Heirs of the late Morse M. Preeman have decided to hold on to the sheet music jobbing business left to them. One of the top music dispersal points west of Chicago,.' the organization had been souglit for purchase by Ashley Music, Carl Fischer and others. For • while. Freeman's heirs were on the verge of selling. Eastern publishers and jobbers were advised last week by wire that Harold L. Preeman, son of the founder, had been named president and that John J. Appfel will, con- tinue as general manager. Mrs. Edith Kritner remains as assistant manager and head of its music.' sales division, and Sara Hill retains her spot as head of pop music sales. THE GREATEST WESTERN SONG OF ALL TIME . Bob Nolan's Immortal COOL WATER (25 Rocords Available) AMERICAN MUSIC. INC. .' Gnret Romero, .Prof, Ust, >tO0 Sunwt BiTdi . 15}< BroadwnT Holb-wood 46, Cat New Xork, N. T. [Jolin Steinberg, ?ioto nianager of the Hillcrest Country Cluh, Beverly HiJls, only recently, and with justi- fiable pride;! apprised , V ariety tliat; /; is hoy Larry had just hung out his :, law shingle. His ex-partnor, John \ Christo, oions. an east :side~ tavern ', aird is;, d sale.?: e-recMtwe/tiuf^^ the ; Tromtner biemery—r-Ed.l ; Feiitureil in M-G-M'e Bla Hit "DATE WITH JUDY" IT'S A MOST UNUSUAL DAY Music by,, . JIMMY MeHVGH ROBBINS Pittsburgh Charlie Spivak orch? opens two- week engagement at Bill Green's Friday (3) and Tommy Carlyn comes back the 17th with the Merry Macs . . . Eddy Organ's unit has replaced Stan Bailey three- some at Carlo's . . . Ernie Neif, or- ganist and WGAE announcer, had option picked up at the Sheraton Lounge . , . Duke Ellinerton con- certs at Syria Mosque Doc. 7 . . . Dick Smith's Miami Trio now pro- viding music for dancing as well as shows at Blue Ridge ... Frances Gill, organist, checked in at Had- don Hall for run . v . Freddie Cor- tcz band into new Clover Club, for- merly Redd's Cafe . . . Barry Lane orch stays at Balconades until end of year. , Capitol Records' Divvies j Hollywood, Nov. 30 1 Oapitol Records has declared the I firsl dividend m Us six-year span on I the oonipanv'si common stock. A divvy of 20c a share will be made I Dec. 21 to stockholders on line be- fore Dec. 9. I In addition. Cap's director board marked off a regular quarterly I payoff of 65c a share on convertible i preferred, to be doled out as of [ Jan. 1 to those on record bv Dec^ 15. UNIVERSAL RECORD-JUST RELEASED "JUST ONCE MORE" . Bached with "DON'T EVER FORGET" JOAN BROOKS .■.■and, ■ - . HI, LO, JACK AND THE DAME LAUREL MUSIC CO 1619 Broadway New York, N Y / RECORDED ;BYj the mills brothers, decca BUDDY CLARK, COLUMBIA • RAY ANTHONY, SIGNATURE BUDDY BAKER, EXCLUSIVE • THE FOUR GABRIELS, WORLD JOHNNY MOORE'S 3 BLA2ERS, EXCLUSIVE • ALSO RELEASED ON VARSITY. Niw York Offic* 941-543 SIXTH AVI.. HARRY WKINSTIIN LEON RiNI PUBLICATIONS ■ Holly wood Offlc* ' U72 SUNSET BLVD. IRVINO MASSIV Exclusive Managemenf ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION JOE GLASER, Pres. Now York Chicago i Beverly Hills 745 5th Ave. PI. 9-4600 203 No, Wabash I Mezz, Fl, Bsv.Wil. Hot.