Variety (Dec 1948)

4S IVIGHT €I.IJB REVIEWS Wednctsdajr, Dctieml^r If 1948 Maisonette, N. Y. (HOTEL ST. REGIS) Rollv Rolls; Milt Shaw Laszio & Pepito orchs; ?1.50-$2 mover. tha star's popularity as welt MS the entertainment's merits, is prov* „„j|inK successful, follows the usual pattern and, lilte its predecessors, provides a full measure of audi- ence enjoyment. The -revue' builds around a> ceh- (ral idea of holiday seasonal events Wlien Roily Rolls first hit Anier lea, just before tl»e war, lie inv , . .- i pressed as a polite personality for I that ties the various numbers to- the class bistros, judging by his de but at the now lamented Rainbow Room in New Yorlc. Since then the French pianistic comedian has piclced up a lot of savvy, has ex- tended his orbit beyond the plitsh saloons, has proved himself In such divergent media as the massive. Roxy and on Texaco's television. But; bacic again in a class cafe, Rolls repeats his impact with a : thoroughly engaging ■ personality, ■ Inlierent Gallic charm, a fetching manner of English lingo (nary a word of Fi^endiv despite the domr ^„ „ ^ Inant accent), and a choice ad-1 top billing with Miss Lewis, and mixture of Steinwaying and vocal- time it's Lewis (n,o relation comedmg. I to the sUr), and Ms sensational gether, making , for effective co- hesion and unity. It's unpreten tious, but the skating is top-drawer, the pace fast and the costuming colorful. Comedy again is missing, but there are sufficient compensat- ing features to malce its absence not felt tor much. Considering the small ice space, the sicaters, and particularly Miss Lewis and Buddy Lewis, do a tre- mendous job with their spins, whirls, le.-ps, acrobatics and silver blade terpsichore. Each show brings in a new guest star to share Wisely, he alternates between the piano and the floor, utilizing a pli- alile milte. wliether seated or fur- ther out amidst, the. customers. For a real-linger'he leattires a diminu- tive -concertina from' -which he ex^ tracts lotsa music, playing a Gersh- 7onti^l'^^S''^M^v'^li IrL «il 'ome arresting slow motion skat J;'?"IL?L'L^lr; '<!-.MT„«f^ing. Then Miss Lewis solos to a as bents 1 the season. The dhristmas numbei? junijis over barrels and other oh* slacles afford real thrills. The show's lour' girls and, two boys are topnotch performers. Vo- cal accompaniments enhance the value of much ol the proceedings. There's a fpotball opener with pleasing opener, "It's So Nice toi'"? . „ ,.„«„„f 6e Witll You Tonight," to the stew,! ^n^w^all lighting effect fairy tale, Brazilian excerpt,■ types of concert artists, and tlie finale boogie-woogie. He did a resoand- ing 25 minutes and could have stayed on longer, appropriately brings on Santa Glaus;. the march of the toy soldiers ■and the girl (Miss Lewis) in-the picture frame, with Buddy Lewis IncidenUUyT August, the maitre 1 introduced as the jack in the bjox, d', has his hands more than fuU;A champagne ballet finds Miss now that the Maisonette is the Lewis in a dazzling sequin-studded Stv Regis' only winter entertain- ment roomi The lridium has become an enlarged King Cole Room, lat- ter's original 5th Ave. frontage go- ing for a store. When the Vincent Astor hostelry's clientele ran both •the : ritzier Iridium (usually iee- •how policy) and the Maisonette, it: distributed the patronage; now the latter (downstairs) is overtaxed. It's further complicated, talent- wise, because of the midnight- show-only policy. Management de- : Cided that the fashionably late - diners only wanted- dansapation, some openly.' resenting _the 9:30 show interlude Interrupting their food. Terp tunestering both by costume and furnishes-, flash. There's, a night club setting for a New Year's masquerade ball that winds up spectacularly in whirl- wind fashion as the finale. The Cecil Golly orchestra does an excellent job, playing the show and the music for customer danc- ing. Miss Stanley,' its chirperj; is an asset. Room well filled for-din- ner show when'caughfc- Jlees.' lloyal Roost, ^, Y. E!la Fitzflrerald, with Ray Brown Trio;' Lester Young Sextet, Tadd Dameron Orch (5); minimum $2 plus 90c. door adniijjsion. Vrnm hpr "TUkpt-a-TaskpUne" of' f*"^ f"^""* 80od routining, although from ner iisKet-a-iasKeiing .o', individual acts do well. By com* Band" and "Phil the Fluter's Ball" are applause getters and "Most Unusual Day" and "M^yhee You'll Be There" provide,a good change oi' pace..' ' The Glass Hat show, however, is the mid-'30:.s to bebop may be poles apart hut EUa FiUgerald leaps the gap with room to spare in making her bow at the Royal Roost last week. Also; newcomers at this Broadway jivo emporium are the Ray Brovin trio, which accomps tlie. buxom songstress, along with the Lester Young Sextet. Tadd Dameron's small unit is a hold- over.' ■ While the Young and Brown groups obviously don't compare to the marquee strength of their predecessor. Woody Herman, the Roost has-more than sufficient cus- tomer lure in Miss Fitzgerald. Table biz was strong on night; caught (Wed.) and the "concert section" was also amply filled. This area, incidentally, is for those who only pay the 90c. admish tap and: they're not subject to the minimum, tariff. Fresh from a British vaude tour. Miss Fitzgerald is on her mettle as always in warbling some five n u m b ers. Versatile songstress opens with a plaintive ballad, ''Too Soon to Know," then moves into a slambang. ''Mr. Paganini,'.' which she embellishes with added lyrics —a takeolT on the disk jocks. Par- ; ticularly sock stuff is her version of "How High the Moon." Young Sextet has been around some of the W. 52d St. spots in the past. It's a vbrisk aggregation- comprising trumpet, trombone, bass, sax, piano and drum. Boys' staccato style fits in well with the Roost's bebop idiom; Young toots a neat, tenor - sax. isolo on "Body and Soul" while the outfit's inter- pretation of "Tea for Two" best summarizes its' technique. .Notes are sluffed off, the beat is rapid and the melody degenerates into a wild hodge-podge as. the ^roup cuts .loose almost ad< .inftnitum. Despite the cacophony, or because of it, the customers avidly lean on every riff. Brown trio, with Brown on bass; Hank Jones, piano, and Charlie blning Novis with mimic Bernic George and dance team Mack & Desmond, room was faced with problems. If Mack. & Desmond opened the show, generally the most logical choice in this setup, a male talking turn would be fol- lowed by a male singing act. So George teed off. Mimic, while not an opening act, did comparatively well with his impressions, using : crowd noises, satires on filmsters, and some well- written chatter. He has a pleasant turn which could be made punchier with more pointed humor. His fidelity to the vocal chardcter- istics of his subjects is excellent, and applause winning. Mack & Desmond have some good comedy terp routines more suitable for theatres than in this room.. Best part of their act is their straight dancltig efforts, In- asmuch as their other antics lose some effect here.. The Eddie Stone band provides excellent backiug and fills floor for dansapation,: while Al Castellaiios hits a good stride with the Latin tunes. - Jose. New Acts „, J X. - r , . .Charles k LuciUe, Jean Arlcn, the ;MUt Shaw and .the Laszlp & | Bohby Turk, Jeanrtie Soofc, Jerri/ Boulevard Room, Chi (STEVENS HOTEL) Chicago, Nov. 23. „,.^ „„„^,, j,.„„„, World on Ice," with 3 Rookies, I Smith, drums, are okay in accompt ing Miss Fitzgerald. Boys Slsp-: aire Pepito- (Latin) bands is grooved in the right "society" idiom. Abel. Harem. 1¥. Y. (FOLLOW-UP) If nothing else the preem of the Korn Kobblers (6) at the Harem, N. Y.; Thanksgiving Day brings about a change of pace in relation to the spot's holdover acts. Bube musicmakers undoubtedly provide a sharp contrast. Their bow also represents a bid by the man- agement to.capture a slice of the hinterland trade. Kobblers, furthermore, are a familiar combo in the Broadway Rehfield, Manuel Del Toro, Mel utile Fiitlaj/son, o?i.d the Boulewar- Dears (6), Franfcte Masters Orch (13) With Phyllis Myles, Tommy Traj/Tior; $3.50 Ttiiniwium, $1 corer. Third of the ice shows here since la.st spring,: this one improves on its predecessors. Sequences are compactly welded together, and there's no tendency to smother ac- tion by crowding the rink; or swath-, iiig femmes In ankle-length gowns. Jean Arlen, Bobby Turk,-- Jerry- Rebfield and Manuel, Del Toro holdover. spotted in a brief stint on their own to win appreciative response; Rounding out the bill is Dameron's band., Relief orch contribs a good sesh. Gilb. House Review^l s Continued (ram Wfe m Capitol, Wash. are largely those of emcee and piano- accompanist, though he does some harmonizing with gals. Troupe sticks to conventional sen- timental numbers, including "Make Mine Music,-'"It's » Most,Unusual' Day,'' "May I Never Love Again" and a Victor Herbert medley. Femmes , seem a . little stilted, though their voices register well. Something off the beaten path in selections might give the act the desire glitter, though it did okay with customers at show caught. Jack Parker, &■ lotial lad, does a fine job in juggling routine as cur- tain raiser. Works smoothly for neat results. Lowe. ViyiENNE SEGAI^ Songs 14 Mlns. Le Directolre. N. Y. Veteran - of. musicomedy and a star in- that medium for yean, Vivienne • Segal is making her .supper-club debut with this ap- pearance. Thei pity of it is that; from a strictly business stand* point, it could have been mora auspicious. Mis9 Segal still has plenty of voice, charm, dignity and personality,, and >it's to her 'credit that she could go over aa well as she did with the spars* attendance when caught. Miss Segal hasn't what on* might call "a cafe act," since her performance comprises little of tha special-material vein, being mostly excerpts from tunes from shows with which she's been associated through the years. But when sha tips her larynx and starts to sell a aotk of her old standbys, tunea from the days when she was tha top prima, to the more.: recent shows; which established her, aa a comedienne, Miss: Segal needn't apologize to anybody. She handles her Introduction* neatly, is smartly groomed and ia never at a loss in handling her audience. She had to beg off at this catching. Kahn. Clover Club, Miami Miami, Nov. 28. Tomrny Dix, Angelle & Vernon, F:reddie Lane, : Boclie - Carlyle Dancers (7), Tony Lopez Orch; minimum $3. . Show is a Baedeker, on blades area" havine'woWed aTthl defunc! I«'8ht parts, with Frankie Mas; Roeer, -cSrn^r and ^ndrv other' '"'^ Tommy Traynor supply- nearbv nUer^s DwDuTits enerlv i'"^ motifs. Line bon voyages ^nd ebimfence thi Broun "eems *" "P^"^'"' clutching suitcases ana eouiiience, tne group seems i^^^^j bouquets. The Tliree Rookies somewhat of an anomaly here on the same: bill with Myron Cohen and Mary Small. Overall, effect of the booking -impresses as that of a "groping in - the- dark" by the Harem's ops for. a magic b.o. in- gredient. Now in their 10th year, the Kob as bellboys take over the .props for clever by-play, ending with a wheelbarrow formation that gets good returns. Melville Finlayson bagpipes for a Scotch sequence while the kilted I line romps through a.reel..Number There's a heavily overbalanced bill on. tap. here, with accent on dance acts; and only tlie solid sing- ing of .Tommy Bix to relieve the situation.' - Surprisingly enough, it all comes off as a pleasant; albeit nothing, sensational parlay; where a novelty note might have brought 4t into the hit class. For there is no gainsaying the fact'that the individual talents of Hippodrome, Balto. Baltimore, Nov. 27. Connie Haines, Pogre Cat>anaugh TriO; Leo -De Lyon, Bobby Van, Jo Lombardi House Orch-:HZ); ■"Re- turn of October" (Col). Nice layout plays well from the teeoff with - good musical support from Jo -LombarSi house orch on stage for musical: backing. Bobby Van opens with : sprightly vocal wrapped . around impressions of Cagney, Cary Grant and Walter Brenan, followed by. sock hoofery, highlighted by Ray Bolger takeoff which grabs solid appreciation. Page Cavanaugh Trio utilizing piano, guitar and bass to back up vocals of "Slow Boat to China" and "All of Me" following scat novelty holds - pace : mightily and provides swingy sesh to make good spot for Leo De Lyon next; Youth- the slick terpers' makes the tab , . - lifter forget the plethora of dance, i f"! comic works at piano for dou biers retain their basic bag of nominally cued to Switzerland tricks. The hat and wig changes, , brings on Charles 4 Lucille for clowning and mugging, washboard 1 one-arm swings plus lifts and iti'umming, bellringing, etc., are 1 Mines well received. Jean Arlen, RliU the backbone of the novelty I as a pert ma'mselle, spins off a combo Boys pack all of these i bi"et doux tableau with skilled routine^ along with other bits of .business into a noisy; .uninhibited "recital." Primary' instruments are tuba; drum, trombone, clarinet, trumpet and piano. However, most . of the men double on- other equip- ment. "Red Hen Polka" is strictly in the corn motif, as is the tuba solo of '.'Drit'ting and Dreaming." Two , guys click nicely in extracting the melody of "Now Is the Hour" out of a score of varied size dinner bells. Entire outfit handles "Casey Jones'' well. Also score with a bur- lesqued operatic number. "McNa- mara's Band" is a strong finale. .skate geometry. Viennese sojourn has the line in waltz tempo and Jerry Rehfield as the gallant blade liora his, majesty's regiment. .:. Jeannie Sook's ice hula builds up to a' slick: response. Bob . Turk, garbed as a sailor, garners rewards via twirls and speed work. Trini- I dad number is the top spectacle, I with. Manuel Del Toro singing a I calypso while the line congo I weaves. Luminous costumes have ! nice impact in the darkened room. ! Rookies return in U:S.A. finale i for : near-spills and falls that get [ready laughs: Threesome grab ' water buckets to douse each other For early shows the wisdom of and get a gasp by tossing a bucket Including such numbers as "Don't of cellophane streamers at ring- Give No Goose for Christmas Grandma!" is .somewhat dubious, due, to the presence of youngster.s in several 'dinner parties. There's a market for the Korn Kobblers. but is the Harem within its scope? (Customer reaction was mixed when caught Friday (26). Gilb. Minnetsota Terrace (HOTEL NICOLLET) Minneapolis; Nov. 27. , Dorothy Lewis Ice Show (7) with Buddy Lewis, Cecil Golly Orch (18) with Mildred Stanley; $1.50-$2 minimum. siders. Line. dons red; white and 'blue in a Fourth of July closer, I with principals: decreed out in larnied force.s' uniforms. ^ Costuming is impressive through- out, including five changes for the line. Frankie Masters' orch, an old fuve returning here, backs fluently in original music by Hessie- Smith and orchestration.s by Norman Krone. Baxt. Freddie Lane is ^an agile young acro-tapster with plenty on the ball. Angelle and Vernon (New Acts) ble-voice comicalities, scoring legit quality of falsetto. Connie Haines' is a groovey pi-ovidfe- a refreshing addition to clincher with strong vocals of "How the better : class dance duos. Aurora Roche - Carlyle dance group, installed in this big; room for over a year, offer routineii that are imaginative and niftily • cos- tumed. Miss Roche takes the solo spots in the three routines pur- veyed and socks with her lithe work on rhythm. Indonese and I interpretive dances. Orb appealing | and authentic . in hehr work, she sets the pace^fbr the group. Dix; boyish-looking lad with the belting baritone, wins audience from the walkon. Clicks with "Great Day," "I Got Plenty O' N o t h i n '," "Whiffenpoof" and "Buckle Down, Winsocki" for zesty returns. Lory. Come You Do Me" and "Uarktown Strutters Ball" with smart: change of pace Tia '-It's Magic." Has a legit set of pipes and gives out in Bixieland style for top returns. Biz all right. Btirm. Olympla, Miami Miami, Nov. 27. Jerry Murad's Harmonicat's, Stan- vlrwin, Warner tt Co., Corky Rob- ' biii.s-, Eddy Ready & Eileen. Lind- say's Lovely Ladies; Freddie Car- love & House Orch; "Two Guys From T^xas" (WB). MURIEL SMITH Sonts 12 Mins. Le Directolre, N. V. Muriel Smith is a Negro soprano with an operatic-type voice, and she. goes over strongly here. Sh*. has - a fine voice that hits the - up- per registers easily, and she has neat phrasing and breath control. Miss Smith had the title role in Billy Rose's "Carmen Jones," and has, done considerable concerting' plus straight legit. Her per- formance here suggests fine pos^ sibilities for smart bookings. Her opening is "Speak Low,* then into "Love for Sale" (espe- cially good), an operatic excerpt, a rhythm pop, followed by "That'a Love" from "Carmen Jones." All of which suggests careful routin- ing, since all are different types of numbers that can, and do show off her versatility. Miss Smith has the know-how, excellent diction in both speaking ' and lyricizing, and also neatly projects her,personality. Kahn. ANGELLE & VERNON Daneinir ,'15 Mins. Clover Club, Miami . In 9 . room , which lias always showcased many of the classy. dance- duos, Angelle &, Vernon are one of the better teams to play here in some time. Handsome looking pair purvey numbers in the class manner, with the femme partner featured. Her grace and looks are dominant in- telligently worked out routing to "Clair de Lune." It all adds up to a nifty present, tation that marks the smart looking team as perfect for the top bistros and- presentation houses. Tliis is their first date in tliis country, and if immigration problems can b* worked out, certainty will not b* their last. Laty. UA Climbs .Continued- from pate 3 Glass Hat, IV. Y. (BELMONT PLAZA HOTEL) Donald Novis, Bemie George, Mack Si Desmond, Eddie Stone Orch; Al Castelanos Orch; viini- irmtui,- $2.30, $3. The Glass Hat's new show is dis- tinguished by tlie first N Y. cafe appearance of Donald Novis in Fairish layout here this week is brought into sock brackets by top- lining HarmonicatS; The Jerry Murad quartet rings the bell ail the way via an intelligently blended set of offerings. Standouts are "Harmonica Polka" and "Peg O' My: Heart." Lads are solid all the way. Comic Stan Irwin is a refreshing departure from the fast-gag- stars and once he builds his impact with the stubholders, wraps up. Some tightening of material would help, but in the present setup, he im ■i'/.'VAl^E-;M»,' prH»Y;i)ATES I' Alaii CaihttWy into Capitol thea [tre, N. Y., Jan. 20. "Season's Greetings," third Dbrv.i Beatrice more than a decade. The former i presses as a welcome newcomer to radio tenor who has worked many • " . .. .. top radio programs, retains the know-how of song technique that can dick in most cafes. Although Novi-s' vocal timbre is not as strong as it once was, he's lost little of the knack of putting over a number. Like most singers after many years on the circuits lie's learned the trick of vocal con- iservation .so that he can tackle ! but need more "work with line Tor the ranks of the comedians. . ; Rest of layout falls into standard class. -There's Corky Bobbins with .some fairish 88-keying and ma- terial; Warner and Cole's crossfire comedies in the old vaude vein and the Lindsay: :linev With some nice costumes and so-so routines. In the terp spot, Eddie Ready & Eileen are okay with their terps othy Lewis ice show Since this class | Blackslpije spot's adoption of the permanent | Sammy Walsh plays the -Ankara, akatlng revue p6Iicy which, due. to ! Pittsburgh, Dec. "S. w«i r<hRL« nil Wl^imosttypesof tunes without putting vice versa) on the stagings. Fred- noiei, i,.nicago, uec. io. too much of a strain on liis pipes. | die Carlone house band handlrs His most potent numbers are in i backgroundings in competent fash the Gaelic idiom. His "McNamara's ion. Lory. tinning to give UA $15,000 a week in rentals. ■ On the other hand, the removal' - of bottlenecks in the organization to which Paul N. Lazarus, Jr., has been giving muciv attention sine* he took over as exec assistant to Sears late in the summer, has ma- terially speeded playoff of product. Combination of this, with slashes in operating expenditures, have re- duced cost of distribution to UA to 26%. Since most producers pay 27Vu%, the slight edge is evident. Board, in quest for product, okayed . one new distribution deal and a switch in another. New on* is with Anatole de Grunwald for production of "Another World" in England. Pic will be budgeted at £250,000 ($1,000,000). BriUsh bank will advance the funds; with UA guaranteeing it that it will get 75% of its coin back in nine months^ Advance is based on UA's frozen coin in England. Film will be di- rected by Anthony Asquith ands .scripted by Terence Rattigan. ' Contract switch was approved for Sam Goldwyn, Jr. He was to have made. "Diplomatic Passport" in France. In.stead, pact was ex- tended to include two pictures. New one, which will be made first, is "Criminals," which young Gold- wyn will produce in Hollywood in collaboration with Martin Mooney.