Variety (May 1949)

46 !VII«IIT rVVB HKVIKWS P^RlFff ▼♦dnetday. May 11 , I 949 Kniplro ItfMim. I hi (PALMEK HOt’SE) Chicago, .Mac .i. Tinni & SiiUii Di'Mnrro. Marotirrt PIn-laii. Pciro Bros. < 2 '. ^lrrri>-l Ahhof! Dancrrs Teef .S'frfu*f«T O/u h '12 I; $3.50 niiitiiintii'. SI coriT. Hack lo expanded layoui aller solo act prcsentatioM.s ol tin* past i( w months. Empire Hoorn s cur n nt bill aims at all tastes. De- IMaicos’ live-year absence from Chi may have been reason for their prolonged routines on opening night. I Tony & Sally DeMarco, easily top - h'aguers among terpteams. breeze through “Holiday For | Strings" and "Tieo-Tico." sticking to expert floorwork instead of re- lying on aero-technic.s. A soft-slme medley and “Beguine" enable cou- ple to display versatility, at the same time maintaining consistent poise and polish. Encore, minus Ted Straeter s backing, has crciss- firing gab while lerping. which makes for a nonchalant exit. Singer Margaret J’helan. on her first Chi engagement, captivated onlookers with her easy manner and well-trained pipes. from ‘•f)uvre Toncoeur” as an opener, to ‘ Wonderful Guy." Brunet looker runs gamut of light opera to show tunes in click fashion. I’eiro Bros, sprinkle comedies into an otherwi.se standard juggling routine for socko results. Merriel Abbott comes through V’ilh two slick line numl>ers. in which each gal dressed as a bird, does neat solo, garnering hefty applause. Ted Straeter's orcli backs show' neatly and dishes out danceable tunes. Grcq. trick in which the man does a handstand on a pile of blocks and then gradually works himselt down to the floor. Opening the show, the Singing Hoad Agent, a baritone garbed in a black cow- b(,\ suit and a mask, renders .s<»me conventional romantic numbers with a strong .set of pipes. His rcpertoi’N. however, has no rela- tionship with his getup and one or the other should Ik* changed. AI Nystrom trio, a solid rhythm outfit featuring a standout guitar- ist. alternat** on the bandstand tor the customer hoofing. Ingles orch. pla>ing straight, also dish up first- rate Dixieland jazz during the show interlude.s. Herui. I'oq R€»u|(e, Y. Sara Ann McCabe. Lrni^ Warren Orch. O.scar Caircf Trio; $2.50 nmiintum. New Acts at Hilx I'afo. Monir«»Ml Montreal. May 4. Sn:!/ SoUilor. rvith Georf/c Kent piano: cover $1, no vtiniinuin. I'afo lt€»u|go. !V. V. (HOTEL STATLERt Eddy Howard Orch (T3>: Vi'nihnum; cover $1.50-$2. VO Eschewing behop and fancy ar- rangements. band of warbler-com- poser Eddy Howard plays it straight and schmaltzy for the mixed trade of the Hotel Statler's Cafe Rouge. Replacing Jimmy Dorsey at this plush rose decored room. Howard’s outfit is a dance- able combo that’s built around three rhythm, five brass and five reed—same makeup as it used at a stand early la.st vear at the Hotel Commodore. N. Y. While Howard leans heavily to- ward the oldies and walt/es. he’s at his best with fast, racy numbers that are embellished with an oc- iasional tiff from the trumpets. An ingratiating leader. Howard croons about every other number in a slick, friendly baritone. Sweet idiom is ideal for the older clientele at this hostelrv. yet the band’s style is sufficiently ver- satille to satisfy the college .set. Organized in the midwest about eight years ago. the band was then built around Howard’s singing prowess. Foundation of the crew w.is a firm one for the maestro, is •ti'l solid in the vocal d<M>ai'lmenl. .Although warmer weather will Tiio trad(* at ho*el sjmts. Howard’s jiopularity on disks should provide a partial cushion to a customer slump since buyers of his platters reoresent a large slice of potential payees. On the W'hole Howard's success i.s understandable inas- much as his band never abuses the melody as do so many ot his con temporaries. G'tih. Imng e.stablished as the town’s lop hostelry, the new management of the Ritz makes a further bid for carnage trade with the innova- tion of entertainment in its re- furbished cafe. Their choice of Suzy Solidor for the opener was a click from the start, with chan- teuse appealing to both the French and English patronage. • Doing practically all her songs in French with English intros, song.stress does a strong 40-minute stint, mixing her 10 numbers with a couple of dramatic poems that set well with audience. Her Brit- tany sea chanlees score heavily, and such numbers as "Le P’tit Rat de Opera" '“The Ballet Dancer”', “The Dancer is a Creole” and “If You Want to Know” gets solid re- action. with “Le Vie en Ro.se” as encore and a beg-off. This type of entertainment is I filling a much needed want in the town’s night life and the personal touch that Miss Solidor adds w'ith her table hopping is paying off. Opening night crowd more or less cramped her style, and present stage could be enlarged for better elTects. George Kent rates a nod for his piano accomps.y Newt. The C’oq Rouge for many years ha.'' been an effective showcase for lemme singers. The room has in- troed debs taking a flier in show biz as well as promising unknowns. S|)ot is now veering to standard performers with Sara Ann Mc- Cabe’s engagement. Miss r.IcCabe does particularly well here. She registers with hep song selections and a migratory mike stint with plenty cooperation from ringsiders. Songstress wi.se- ly depends on show' tunes to a large extent. They’re run off with sufficient dramatic conteiit sans extravagant gestures and are pitched in a manner to command attention. One of the major attractions in this room for many years has been the society and rhumba relief hands. The Ernie Warren group and the Oscar JL’alvet trio, with two ^ibilled femme ‘kingers. pro- vide^sveltc brand of dan.sapation. Joae. Clii Boulevard Room. (STEVENS HOTEL) .Chicago. May 4. Betty Atkiuaon. Chuck llain, Briuckmann Sister.<s (2', Charles Si Lucille, Gerry & Bob DuRay, Jack Raffloer, Jerry Mopes, Won- der Wheeler.s (3'. Gloria Bovdy, Martha Collins. Buddy Rust, Bou- levard Dears (6». Frankie Masters Orch (13' with Phyllis Myles and Tonnny Traynor; niinimuni $3.50; conyr $1.55. liiib I'arnival, >lplM. Minneapolis. May 7. Mel Tonne (2'. Jeon Carroll. Perrii Martin Orch (12'; $2.50 niinintuin. Current ice show at the Boule- vard Room tops previous eftorts with tighter pace, better costum- ing, and fine routining. Instead of merely presenting the acts. Doro- thie Littlefield, stager, has woven production together with a circus theme. Show tees off with orche.stra and cast parading through the room and onto the stage. Aero clowns, Gerry and Bobby DuRay. do flips while dance floor rolls back to reveal ice rink. Charles and Lucille, hold- MARION HARRIS, JR. Songs 20 Mins. Savo.v-Plaza Hotel. N. Y. Handica|)ped by a somewhat off- the-cob billing—“songs my mother taught me”—and a reflected glory nomenclature through a second-gen- eration tag, Marion Harris, Jr., should overcome this with time and the natural progre.ssion that always attends inherent talent. She has that. A tall, comely personality, she will make the grade on her own. Right now it’s the appar- ent intention of the Savoy-Plaza management to play it safe and re- alize all po.ssible on the Jr. billing. Of course that’s a question. In show business, where fame is so fleeting and memory never suf- ficiently lasting, there is doubt how’ many actually remember the yes- teryear Ziegfeld musicomedy and Victor recording star who al.so clicked big in the London niteries. Perhaps the Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., . analogy best points that up; and certainly it’s debatable how many second-generation film fans ever saw' the original Doug. However, having achieved her purpose of a showcasing. Miss Har- ris. Jr., makes much of her oppor- tunity albeit spottily betimes. The opener, “I’m a Big Girl Now,” belabors the point of heritage, as do reprises of "More Than You Know” and “Ooh That Kiss.” cre- ated by her mother. More to the point is the fact that Marion. Jr., does quite all right with them on her own, just as she does with the skillful medleys of the "South Pacific" and “Kiss Me Kate” scores. She mentions she "never saw ‘South Pacific’ but wish 1 did,” w hich is a charmingly frank throw- aw'ay line, but considering the ex- pert mannerisms that go with them she might just as well not be that frank since the impressions are fetchingly authoritative. Miss Harris is no novice. She’s played London niteries: studied dramatics at the Royal Academy; appeared in a straight role in Uni- versal’s “Kiss the Blood Off My Hands.” toured with Ed Wynn and fessional authority denda to know-how. Sh and is a decorative ad- any smart cate. She has been more or les.s expertly rou- tined. Perhaps with time she will play her maternal heritage oblique- ly by more studiously throwine away the takeofts on her late mother, than by too patently utiliz- ing that as a prime stock-in-trade Miss Miller gets able assist fioni her special accompani.st. Bob Frann. who also did a tiptop ar- ranging job. and from Irving Conn's svelte .sextet which dis- penses a versatile and brisk brand of "society” dan.sapation. Abel. LESLIE BROS (2). Comedy I 15 Mins. Havana-Madrid, N. Y. Leslie Bros, are a young, person- able comedy team who still need considerable sea.soning before rat- i ing in the. top cafes. In their first I Broadway date at this rhuinba- torium, the lads make a nice im- pression by dint of their zestful- j ness, but their material is slightly ' frayed by age at the edges and definitely sags in the center due to ofl'-timing in delivery. Yet. if they jettisoned about three-quai1ers of their current routine for a less familiar repertory of gags, this duo could exploit an evident comedy- vocalizing flair for promising re- sults. Their entree with a duetted i lyric. “Is There a Talent Scout in the Hou.se.” gets them ofl to a flat start. The segue into a series of impressions is handled more brightly but. once again, it’s that .same old gallery of carbons of Durante. Lorre, et al. They also I make too much of tho.se gu-ga bug- house antics which can he easily overdone. In their bow-ofT “French profes.sor” number, they try for a laugh with the “oui. oui” phrase which used to be funny way back. Herin. overs, score with panto version of' phii Baker in their recent vaudery. Villfii<f* Knrn. .Y. Y. Red Trif/le Orch (7' with Karen •dder; The Vernettes '2'. Siei/- inn Road .Ai/ent. $2 mini ninm. .\l Nystrom Trio: In Me! Tonne and Jean Carroll I this show l]as a pair of sterling performer.s and it registers nicely, but probably not so well as it might with better pacing, lighting and routining. In short, the fine talents on tap could be better sold. With his slick personality and exuberance. Torme. making his first Minneapolis appearance, lands solidly. He is on firm foot- ing with hi.s dialect comedy stutf as well a.s his vocalizing that has sent his platters into the bo.st-selt- ing brackets. And he tops it all W'ith sock cyclonic manipulation of the drumsticks. Good material and rare skill at putting it over put singing come- dienne Mi.ss Carroll into the show- stopping class here. Much of the material may be of ancient vintage, but most of it has al least new twists and for all that counts she passes the test of keeping the cus- tomers laughing almost coiitimi- ousl\. Her singing, too. leaves nothing to be desired. Belter routining might have re- sulted from the insertion of a band number l)ctween Miss Carroll and Torme. who follows her. Spotlight- ing also eould have been u.sed to jdvantag«* on both of them. Perry Martin ..ings well and trouts a first-rate band. Room full al din- ner show eaughl. Ree.s. high-w'ire act. Brinckmann Si.sters, nifty lookers, garner chuckles im- itating French poodles. Jack Raf- floer and Jerry Mapes click In a precision routine. Martha Collins regi.sters as the unhappy tattooed lad> with skating aspirations which has Betty At- kinson and Chuck Hain. in a dream sequence, doing terrific lifts. Mi.ss Atkinson, in solo spot, gets best response for drum ma-1 jorette offering with neat single -1 hand cartwheel finale. Wonder Wheelers almost steal the show 1 with comedy cycling act. using regular bikes and unicycle. Gloria Bondy and Buddy Rust impre.ss with their blade work and six-gal line does neatly in their routines, j Frankie Masters makes an ex-' cel lent barker with his orch pour-' ing out lively big-top tunes. Tom- my Traynor does nicely on the vo- cals. Zabe. bit role and appeared in a lesser w ith Baker at the Roxy way, recently. But this big solo opportunity. She is an Anna Soscnko-Hlldegarde protegee, both being responsible not only for her Cafe Lounge (Savoy-Plaza) sbow’ca.se. which first spotlighted the Milwaukee chantoo.sey, but Miss Sosenko is mentoring her sans fee or professional ties other than one of friendship. By the same token Phil Baker made her premiere night a gala with his per- .sonal assist. But stripped of all this. Marion Harris. Jr. (or Marilyn Williams, which is her name in private life' shapes up as a very likely soloist in the class saloon circuit. She has personality and pro- JUNE CHRISTY Sivting 11 Mins. Bop City, N. Y. A vocalist with Stan Kenton be- on Broad- i fore the batoner broke up his band is her first last winter. lis.some June Chfi.sty is now doing a single. Blonde, young and vivacious, she has a wide fol- lowing among the college and hi^i school- set reaped chiefly through her Capitol recordings and tours W'ith Kenton. Miss Christy has a coy, plaintive deliveiy which she ii.ses effectively on such tunes as “I Got a Guy” and “I Cover the Waterfront.” With a nod to this house of “modern pro- gre.ssive jazz.” she winds here with a number in the behop idiom. Her tricky tones, combined with her visual attributes seem to be all neces.sary to qualify the .songstress for most vaude or cafe bookings. Gilb. Returning to this Greenwich \ il- Jage spot after completing a cross- country tour. Red Ingle and his combo carries the main load of Hu* Village Barn’s new layoui. .Al- though the current floorshow is cropped sliorter than usual, sup- porting two acts maintain nitcry’s reo for combining standard turns with amusingly corny atmosphere ami country games. Ingle’s combo has a zany st,\le of hashing up musical numiu'rs with the usual trappings of pratt- falls. hokey garh. on'-k''\ instru- nienlation and twangy choral vo- calizing. Septet shows neat pacing in delivering Its highjinks, and while it’s roughhouse stufl. keeps within the bonntis of go«)d taste for the family trade. Band's vocal- ist. Karen Tedder, blends well inu* tills setup with her liillliillv ver- sion of “Temptation” llei' w.'irbling of more conventional ballads, while okay, lo.ses impact due to the gen- eral comedy flavor of her back- ground. The Vernettes deliver smart jug- gling, working with hoop''. i>alls and tenpins. Femme and male member of the duo each tak«> solo turns in executing the stunts atter joining .up for a neat double stint Act wind.s on a good acrobatic .\«»riiiMnilh* Roof. Yloiil*! (.MOUNT ROYAL HOTEIJ Montreal. May fj. Jnein Corey. Alan Si Bhinehe Lend. Buddy Clarke orch il2'. Ma.v Chamitor Trio; cover $l-$l.,50. Stepping up pace after several weeks of so-so layouts. Normandie Root makes a strong bid for the late trade with the satire of Irwin ('orey and the ballroomology of .Man & Blanclie Lund. Lunds open .show and win salvo.s for smooth t»*rping. mixing roii- ^linos well and bow’ing off witli a slick soft-shoe number for plau- dits. Irwin Corey ambles onto tlie floor in a baggy frock coat, siring tie and sneakers. With a voice 441 the best Oxford tradition, and a dash ot Brmiklynese. he breaks ui) this usually staid room. Material takes the form of a lecture, includ- iiu' everything from child care to the atom. He garners plentx of yocks. Encores with a sock bit plallcr ol “Figaro ” that clincln'S a solid 3.5-mimjl(‘ stiiil. Buddy Clarke orch contrih^ okt> hacking and times tor cus- loincr dansapation. with the Ch:i mitov Trio faking reliet spot wii!- neat Latin numbers. Neiet. Hop I ifv. .Y. Y. (FOLI,bwUP) King Cole trio and songstress June Christy bounced into this bastion of “modern progressive jazz” last week replacing Ella Fitz- ' gcrald. Although the Cole unit and Miss Chri.sty prove they catr* bop with the best of ’em via one or two numbers in that genre. , both rely upon their standard re-' pertoires. I ^ Despite its billing a.s a trio the Cole group has four members— piano, guitar, bass and liongo. With Nat Cole at the piano and also ' liandling the vinaiing. the outfit ; sells nicely with everything fiom "Portrait of Jennie” to “Sweet , Lorraine.” Bongo player is a' strong novelty with his spirited , thumping. Rounding out the bill are Machito’s Afro-Cuban band, which generates plenty of heat, and Milt Jack.son’s small combo, both of whom are holdovers from the previous show. Booking of Cole and Miss Christy 'New Acts' might be an Indication of a shortage of ^mafide hoppers Change of pace, however, appeared to be welcomed even by the addicts. Gilb. pression of Hildegarde. engaging in amusing banter with patrons as she makes the rounds of the tables. Various hair-dos are employed to create sonic stricking facial re- semblances during impreshes of Katherine Hepburn. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt and Ingrid Bergman. Jimmy Carroll, seated al a piano, rattles off songs from “Show’ Boat.” “Brigadoon” and “Finian’s Rainbow,” along with such pop numbers as ’‘Galway Bay” in a maiyier that’s satisfying. He has a good voice and a wise choice of numbers. Danny Fergu.son scores at the keylmard as he conducts his or- chestra for guest dancing and the show. Room well-fllled for dinner show. Rees. the-niillToutines with such comedic stepping interludes as “Blow the Horn” and "Shooing the Mule,” which, with their bmly gyiation.s. mugging, clowning ami hip-swing- ing. are show* stoppers. A well-filled room at the dinner show. Rccs. RuHiareMi. Yl4iiilr4*iil Montreal. May 7. Claudia Jordan. Rene Castclar, Hamilton Dancer.s (3'. Will ncr Orch (3'; cover, $2. Skin- ^linn. Torracte. Mpis. (Hotel Nicollet) Minneapolis, May 4. Carlos Molina Orch (12) with Bobby Rivera, Ann Ayers; Raul & Eva Reyes: $2.50 Tutuiuium. I'lamo Room, Mpis. (HOTEL RADISSON) (FOLLOWUP) Minneapolis. May L This is a neat entertaining, lav- out well suited for the room. Eliz- alx'th Talbot-Martin with satirical Impressions has built a local fol- lowing from several previous ap- pearances. She’s back with the same sparkle, charm and mimicrv talent w'hich clicks. Her good humor and ability to create the impression she’s having as good a time as the customers niake for all-around conviviality. She’.s parllcularl) solid in her im- Carlos Molina orchestra is famil- iar here from previous visits at other spots and return.s in As usual fine Latin-American fettle, provid- ing lively music that’s ear-tickling and al.so enhances cuslo'uer danc- ing enjoyment. Comprising four saxes, three violins, one brass and three rhythm, outfit dispenses mel- odic fare that's smooth and snappy. Does nicely on such Latin tunes as “Rhumba Rhapsody" and "Eno- jado" as well as "Slow Boat to China." "Nocturne" and 'Moon- light Madonna.” Bobby Rivera is solid on "Bahalu,” "Burca" and "Saravanda." Ann Ayers confines stint lo the sure-fire current pops. Raul A' Eve Reyes, hallroomolo- gists, work for 40 minutes, and e\on that isn’t too mucli. Their top-spinning hit and their whirls are exciting, but they get av from the conventional and run Under capable direction of Carol Grauer, who built a reputation and follow'ing at the now' extinct Saiiio- var, tliis .<pot is now one of Mont- real’s top rooms. ' In line with the present vogue for dance groups current layout is lieaded by the Hamilton Dancers, two attractive femme.s and a guy. Trio is from "Inside USA" company with Ham- ilton handling the choreography. Group does two numlHWs. a satire on the East Indian terpers and a trim West Indian dance. Simple, but effective, costumes point up both. Claudia Jordan, brunet thru.sh with nifty pipes, scores with spir- ituals, breaking up the pace with torchants sucli a.s "More Than You Know" and "Body and Soul." Rene Castclar. robust tenor, gives out tn heroic vein with “Granada" and operatic arias for good returns. Familiar to the local concert fans he dispenses with the mike for better tone in a room of thi.s size. Will Skinner’s orch backs show ex- pertly and dishes out neatly for customer terping. Seu't. V.JIV t-of- Curtii Joins Rickard kgey Jimmy Curtis, currently w-Rh Loew' vaude hooking depl.. switches to the Al Rickard Agency. J.,, He’ll assist .Rickard and Bin Mack in setting talent for theatres.