Variety (March 1950)

WedttwJay, March gft,1950 Talent agencies are finding it in- creasingly difficult to get proper N.Y, • cafe showcases for top acts. The Copacabana and the Latin Quarter are probably the only mass cafe^ that can play a four-figure salaried turti. The Riviera, Ft. Lee, N. J., is another spot in the N.Y. I area that, can afford the higher- WM Up* Seligman Bernie Seligman, assistant to Nat Kalcheim, • head of the William Moms Agency theatre and: cafe de- . partmerits, has been upped to the WM theatre division. He’ll work with Sol Shapiro and pave Shapiro. ‘ ... •' COMEDIENNE PERSONAL WM. H. KING 2025 N.Argylt Avt. Hollywood 28; Calif* priced names, but that’s a summer operation. As a result, the agencies are hard-pressed to get N. Y. - bookings for many acts. If LQ boniface Lou Walters and Jack Entratter and ,Tulie podell of the Copa reject a performer there’s no place for him to work advantageously. With the current status of nitery business, a placement in any other cafe frequently puts the act. at a disadvantage. Bookers for other spots viewing the turn, Can’t be impressed too much with enter- taining or drawing powers if there’s a lot of empty tables. Some per- centers feel that an act might as well be shown in a rehearsal hall. The situation is further compli- cated for the agencies due to the fact that the Latin Quarter, at the moment, is going along with mod- era te priced entertainers. Walters feels that he does just as well with less evpensive performers even if gross is lowdr, since the differences in payroll and advertising budgets permit the same profit. Several agencies have been working oh Eddie Davis of Leon & Eddie’s, to open the spot to stand- ard. names. Except for the times when Davis is on Vacation or in- capacitated, percenter pleas haven’t been too successful. Danny Thomas Big Click At London Palladium London, March 28. Danny. Thomas opened the new Vaude season at the Palladium to a sock ovation by giving t perfect blend of comedy and song senti- ment in a 60-minute. show. Me clicked immediately with his open- ing gags and became an instanta- neous favorite. Thomas’ success ranks with the best since the American 4 Star inva- sion and is a sure indication of smash boxoffice during the comic's four, weeks' stint. George and Bert Bernard again register as do Frank Ross and Anita La Pierre, -to- PATRICE JAN HELENE and HOWARD Currently CLUB DATES and TELEVISION Chicago, March 28. Betty Sc Jane Kean into the Oriental, April 20 for two weeks , Eddie Sc Lucille Roberts open | at the Edgewater hotel, March j 31 . X:' Leo Salkin has taken ; over booking of the Club Holly- wood .. . . Step Bros, fill in two i weeks before sailing ‘ for Lido, Paris, at the Chicago theatre, March 31 . Ethel Smith and, Frances Langford co-headline at ! the Milwaukee Sports Arena, April 9 4 . Jackie Heller set for Baker hotel, Dallas, April 27 . .. . Willie Shore, Rita Sc Allan Farrell pacted for Vine Gardens. May 19 .. . . Sophie Tucker due at the Chez Paree, May 12. Berry Bros, set for the Frankie Laine show at the Chicago, April 14 . ..... Kenny Milton into Turin Inn, Sioux City, March 31 . Gene Baylos comes into the Silver Frolics, April 14. Sydney, March 14. It’s a redletter day for hypnotists in the Aussie territory. The Aus- sies, who haven’t seen an hypnotist in action for a couple 6f decades, when vaude hit tHe skids, are pay- ing solid coin to watch their friends go up on the stage to take a sleep handout and then go through all those old stock-in-trade tricks to bring the same old bellylaughs of yesteryear. First to cash in on the new setup is Frahquiii, young hypnotist hooked by J. C. Williamson in New Zealand and brought to Aussie for a run bid. He’s doing okay, Frah- quin works solo for 150 minutes, and that’s something for a single performer. Breaking into the lush biz around the Antips while the boom lasts are the Great Levante, who for- merly stuck strictly to magic stuff, and Tex Morton, a former cowboy crooner, with other ex-vauders dusting off their old hypnotic gear for plays in the keys, nabes and Stix. .1 ' !■■■■— . ' ' YOU MUST VISIT RAILWAY LOST PROPERTY when In LONDON for Bargains In Furs, Fur Coats, Luggage, Travel and Sports Goods:—Call at 1 Port- man Street (corner of Oxford Street), Marble Arch, London, W.l. Froos Vice Arden , Singer Toni Arden, who opened j at the Capitol theatre, N; Y., Sat- urday (25), was forced out of the i show after the last performance I the following day because of laryn- : gitis. She was replaced by Sylvia Froos for the remainder of the two-week . run. Holiday Attractions, Inc., has been chartered to supply enter- tainers and musical acts and to produce musical and dramatic pro- ductions, with offices in New York. Capital stock is 100 shares, no par value. MB Cafes in Red Continued from page 39 LOEWS THE THEATRES OF THE STARS > MARCUS L OEW BOOKING AGENCY GENERAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES L O EW B U I tD IN GAN N E X 160 W, 46th St., N.Y. C. • JUdson 2-2000 gages. Shutdown brought news that some of the newer creditors may hot be paid, which again leads to entanglements. Many observers wonder if Ned Schuyler, operator of the Beachcomber, would chance the accruing debts and inevitable lawsuits if the merger went through, Many of the operators privately admit that the best thing which could happen to their biz would be a levelling off of prices. Some eVeri admit that many acts have come down in demands. But the big ones, fought for as they are, sim- ply won’t. Not as long as they can get it. But, in line With the trend, those who have been close to the scene for some years'believe that even the Copa and Beachcomber, if they remain rivals, cannot afford another season such as this one. Be Kind to Customers And that the patron must be han- dled more respectably, from head- waiter down to busboy, And there’s also the thought that something must be done to snare that late biz. It’s been brutal. Many feel it all must be adjusted to an 8 p. m. dinner revue and an 11 p. m. sup- per edition. They just won’t stay up for a 1 a. m. show anymore. At least, not tl)e types to be at- tracted to the oversized spots which depend oti mass trade to keep alive. For those who want the ayem divertissement, they point out, there are plenty of small spots pitching for that patronage. All are waiting to see whaf hap- pens, now# that only the Five O’clock, Clover, Kitty Davis are running in the set-show idea, while Park Avenue and Bar of Music, handle the intime crowds, and the Paddock and Chez Paree remain, for the strip-minded. There are the hotels, of course, with many a club operator wondering how far the bigger hostels will go now that they city ordinance limiting the type of entertainment they can utilize has been fought to the state supreme court, witfi the city thus, far on the losing end. Sherry-Frontenac hotel, with a huge nightclub room in operation, is testing and already planning to bring in the De Castro Sisters to join Nino Yacovino, who heads up the shows here. Other oceanfronts will probably join, with Sans Souci, Saxony and Deldpo definite to compete; Which means more competish this spring and summer for the small clubs, and, come win- ter, offering stiff opposition even to the big cafes. Atlantic City, March 28. Once again the Palm Sunday and' Easter Sunday crowds will be scanned as a barometer of whether resort will have a good or pool’ season. But this year, perhaps more than any year in* the past, at least since the war, both city, amusement and hotel people are cooperating in presenting attractions to lure the crowds on both weekends. The pre-Easter fashion; parade scheduled for the Boardwalk this Sunday (2) - Will find the city awarding corsages to those select- ed pest dressed Women in the pa- rade. •Easier Sunday three former Miss America’s will select the 10 most attractive hats worn *by women strollers. Likewise the 12 best- dressed men will also be picked; by the beauts. Muininers’ Bands The city is trying a hew one this year in bringing ■' sevep of Phila- delphia’s famous; string ( bands which enliven the Mummers' pa- rade here for an Easter Pageant to Saranac Lake By Happy BenWay , Saranac Lake, N.Y., March 28. Charles (Chick) Lewis and Mur- ray Weiss Boston; Variety Clubs hospital execs, in for periodic in- spection/ % : Marie (Warners) Gallagher and Charlie Dillon, in from Philadel- phia to visit Dolly Gallagher, who Hbs made nice progress from re- cent setback. Mabel (Legit) Burns, who mast- ered plenty surgery and licked a longtime bed routine, back from a 10-day furlough in New York. [ Henry Perry planed in from i • Cleveland for a weekend to bed- ‘ side eliat with his brother Arthur. (IATSE) Perry, who is showing nice progress. . New appointments that boost some of the gang: Jenny Foley, asst-s witchboard operator; J ohn Rosenberg, newspapers; Charlie Kaufhold and -Sam LaBalbo mail- Lmen, Sam Kelley and Bob Pas- quale on special deliverys, Trudeau Club presented its ■‘Varieties of .1950” with entire proceeds going to the Red Cross. Outstanding were A1 Porter, em- cee; Lilo Guggenheim/ accordion- ist; Sally Dornstein, singer, and a male quartette. Eddie Vogt staged the show. Write to ihose who aire ill. be held in the convention hall Sat- urday night (8), )■ Nightclubs and grills at the hotels Will have added talent, and Will operate About the same as New Years, when beach front houses had a 82.50 to $10 mini- mums, with souvenirs, floorsliows and early morning breakfasts. ’ George Hamid will open the. .Steel Pier / With a special holiday snqw with Jimmy Dorsey Orch tppling and Vaude show by Five De Marco Sisters, Johnny Downs and others. In addition thAre will be films arid other, attractions. Hamid again has donated the pier for, the annual Easter Sunrise service. 'SUPER CIRCUS' Tv SHOW CHICAGO' APRIL t New Yerk Tom Fitzpatrick _ Chicago fam Robarti ii.- Delay Apollo Dat<s George Shearing Quintet, sched- uled to play the Apollo, N. Y , week of April 14 has cancelled out and will play the Earle, Philadelphia, instead. The combo will fill its Apollo commitment week of May 5. The five-man crew is set. for a one-week stand at Bop City, N.Y., beginning April 6. RUSTY FIELDS ONE Ixeluslv# Mlt.: 7 AL DVORIN 54 West Randolph Chieago HAVE YOU SEEN JACKIE KANNON Jane Whyte, former singer with ; the Phil Spitalny band, is now do- ; ing a single. Phil Napoleon’s Memphis Five signed by Music Corp. of America. H4,749 Mimics; 75,944 Racords Acts; 4,fi7 Puppet Acts; 913 Knockabout Acta; 4 Upside down and backward writers. r BUT ONLY 1 ‘WHITEY’ ROBERTS ALWAYS WORKING (But not at the Palace ) BEN JANE "Often imitated but. never surpassed!"—S. F. Examiner. NOW — ORPHEUM, LOS ANGELES L. A. TIMES—"Pafroha triad to keep Rochelle and .’Beebedoing thoir hilari- ously funny ballroom burlesque on- L. A. EXAMINER—. . burlasqua rhumbas and waltz routines as danced by flossy night club teams, they arc stage rest of the day, the femme half both amusing and skillful, and Jane being that rare creature, areal coma dltnne." VARIETY.^-". . ; burlasqua ..Sail- roomology to a continuous rouhd of audience giggles." has all the earmarks of i btg-time comedienne." Manager: AL WOLF 1501 Broadway, New York City