Variety (April 1950)

Wectiie$<lay 9 April 129 1950 Atlaiitic City, April 11, If Easter crowds are ah iiidlea- tion of a successful summei:' season this resort is due to have one of the best ever. ; Easter Sunday parade along the hoafdwalk, in siinpy but breezy weather, was o*!^ of the largest pre- sea son Orowds the resort ever had in its history. Police estimated the th rOng to be over 200,000. After a rainy Saturday night which found ; those down for the weekend filling hotels and cafes to capacity, the weather , cleared Sunday to give all a chance to join; the famotis Atlantic City Easter parade. The city, through, its publicity bureau, arranged to give the 10 best-hatted women and the 10 best- dressed nien prizes as judged by three former Miss Americas, Bess Myerson, 1945; Barbara Jo Walker, 1947 and BeBe ShOpp, 1948 winner. Starting down the hoardwaik and admired by all again was the 18-f60t: buhny “Harvey,” a major attractioh for the sixth year. He was again set ;up in a c01oi*ful garden which contamed live chicks, r bunnies aiid ducklings. Plenty Lures N : Resort men went allout this year to entertain/ String bahda which participated in the Philadelphia Mummers’ Philly parades put Oh a show in the auditoriurti Saturday night before a crowd of 9,000. Steel pier started the 1950 open- ing With Jimmy Dorsey’s orchestra as top . attraction while, Johnny DoWiis. and the five DeMarco sis- ters headed the vaudeville show J Operator - George Hamid dOriatcd the pier for the annual. Easter Morning Sunrise service Sunday Hotel grilles and nightclubs featured atigiimented shows Satur- d<W night with Sam Singer and Gliarley Johnson opening the city’s only sepia spot, the Harlem, with Billy Mitchell and a line for the weekend. Aided by. the rainy Saturday night business was better than ex^ pected at night spots which offered talent and early morning snacks at from $2.50 to $10 cover Charges in, top places, while Others did well with hd cover policy. AAA Maps Meitibrials Tb Hyjnie Associated Agents of America met in New York last' Week to set up a series of memorials for its late prexy, Hymie Goldstein, who died of a heart attack ■ several months ago. First on the agenda will b^^^ the unyeiiihg of a bronze plaque in the Jewish chapel; of Belleyue hospital, N. Y,, Aptil 26, by the Welfare staff of the hospitj^l; in ap- preciation of Goldstein's efforts, in providihg entertainment for pa- tients Over a span of. years. Simi- lar plaque will be unveiled by the agent group in the Actors’ Synar gogue, Ni Y., on Memorial Day- Agents also plan setting up ah hual; Hymie Goldstein Memorial award for outstandihg service in shbwhusiness, nature of which is yet to be set, Goldstein drgahized the AAA in 1938 and had 'sparkplugged its ac- tivities until his death- $yd Leip- zig succeeded to the presidency of the group. C 65 05. ZONE IN CERHANY .Frankfurt, April s, Horace Heidt’s, new vaudeville show, ‘^Stars oh Parade,”; will tour the U. S. zone this month. Show is sponsored by U. S. Air Force headquarters in Germany. Shpw got a special publicity buildup. today (2), when Heidt’s talent scout, Bill Belcher, gave a special auditioh at a local GI serv- ice club. The audition was open to all professional or amateur tal- eiit in the Arniy, Air Force or Navy^ Ui S. civilians and their depend- ents Were also allowed to volunv teer, with only condition that de- pendants must be over 14 years of age. Pittsburgh; April II. 'Things are; looking up for perr formers along the local nitery belt again. With moi;e spots using live entertaimhent than ever before in an effort to combat inroads of tele- yisioh, couple of more major rooms, which heretofore have stuck to a policy of. music and dancing only, ar6 going in for shows, too, Ankara, which had dropped per- formers several months ago, is re- suming with them this week, and Bill Green’s, identified for a long time strictly as a dance hall, will go in for acts as well beginning on Monday (17). Out in East McKees- port, about 17 miles from down- town, 1,100-seat Vogue Terrace has pulled off the wraps, too, and launched an occasional name policy for Easter Week with Denise Darcel and Jack E. Leonard. Nice Gesture Pittsburgh. April 11, Although Carousel and Copa are rival downtown cafes, be^ ing across the street from each other, their respective owners, Jackie. Heller and Lenny Lit- man, are on friendly terms. So last week when Heller came through here bn A1 Mor- gan’s TV show out of Chicago, where the singer-nitery opera- tor is, playing the- Vine Oar- deris, Litman immediately sent him this wire: “Caught you on TV and thiiik ydii have great possibilities- ftaye week open in May- Will give you: $ 1,000 net; Please confiirirt.” Ohio ad. Oobnis Slots, ; But Will Salvage Coin Columbus, O., April XL . Ohio'Liquor Board has ordered the eonfiscation of a number of slot machines, all seized; in ^ raids throughput the state since early in 1949. The machine were used ab evidence la cases heard before the board, and the money wUl he removed from them and deposited in a special account before the slots are destroyed. : Pittsburgh, April I L Quiet boycott has been put into effect, here against Music* Gorp. of Anierica by operators ■ of four of the leading niteries in town as a result of local booking, for Denise Darcel. .Actress had been penciled into .Carousdl for this week, and j spot requested p postponement uh- til Monday tl7) so it could play the Bbbby; PinkuS unit, “Fun for Your Money,” for a fortnight. Accord- ing to Carousel management, MCA okayed the; switch and after getting an offer of more dough for Miss Darcel at l,lb0-seat Vogue Terrace lO-Veaf Ban on GeriiiMis London, AprU 4- A special meeting of the yariety Artists Federation is being con- vened for Sunday, April 23, to dis- cuss the 10-year ban on German artists which was imposed in 1945 and endorsed last month with a 3-1 ballot vote majority. The VAF ban applies equally to Jap performers, but the special meeting, it is understbpd, is com cerned only with the Germans. The special session follows a recommendation from a joint com- mittee of the VAF and the Enter- tainments Protection Assn. Steihinan ‘Vaniti^* In Secdiid Swiss . Zurich, April 4. Harold Steiiiman’s '‘Skating Van- hies of 1950” is due in second Swiss appearance April 15 to 24 at Hallenstadion, Zurich; featuring Glpyia Nprd, Peggy Wallace, Eileen McDonneil, Rose Piccbla, Douglas Breniser, Tony Mirrelli, Flo KeUv’s dance groups, Count Le Roy> Also ^or the first time in, Eu- rope the Romano Bros., Harold oarnes and Paul Remo and his Toy ^ ^ ^ V -9 9 ^ W 6 ^ 19 S9 'A 9 4 9 6 9 *6 V Penthouse, N.Y., Scrams Shows to Offset 20^ Tax Penthouse Club, N. Y., is drop- ping its floorshow, this week in a move to beat the 20% cabaret tax. As additional boost to slipping grosses, club is also, eliminating its cover and miiiimum tabs. Paul Taubman, who recently bought into the spot as a partner with owner Phil Rosen, will head up a trio to supply dinner music. Harold Minsky Takes Over Chi’s Rialto for Buriesk Chicago, April 11. Harold Minsky is taking over the operation of the Rialto tlieatre here. Deal set with Nate Barger and Jack Rosenbri’ger gives him active n;ianagement of the hurley house with the purchase, for ah undisclosed siim, of half interest of the theatre, ; Rialto switched to burlesque [shows recently, after severaT years of unsuccessful attempts with pix and vaiide policies. Stock buriesk; will Contihue yvifh occasional hartie strippers fea- I tured. Minsky will headquarter i here until next winter when he j Will again operate the Colonial Inn, I Hallendale, Fla. He also nvUI con- itinUe to package units for bistro and theatre dates. Dave Fox’s suit against Ameri- can Guild of Variety Artists to recover $ 1 ;600, back salary which he alleges the union owes him, has been set for trial in the N: Y. mu- nicipal courL April 24. Fox, former, eastern regional di- rector of AGVA until he resigned in 1948, claims in his complaint that the mphey is due him for ac- crued vacation pay for several years, [ when, because of union duties, he had to forego his an- nual vacations, He said he was promised that amount in remun- eration. During the interim, Matt $helvey, whom Fox claims asked him to forego vacations and prom- ised he would be paid for the time, was supplanted as national admin- istrator of AGyA in 1947. Fox, however, had remained with the union and says he took the matter up with the new administration; . Also claimed by Fpx since, leav- ing the union fd set up his 'own agency. Vidoray Productions,- is that he had made cdnsistent de- mands Upon Dewey Barto, succes- sor to Shelvey, arid Henry Dunn, former treasurer and currently nar tional exec "secretary of the unioriV but without results. He subse- qpentty filed suit. Fox is represented in the suit by I, Robert Broder, with Silver- stone & Rosenthal repping AGVA. ' OR outskirts, agency promptly thcre, where she ’Average value .of the machines is $250 to $300, but sonie of the gadgets to be wrecked are the new- er electric console .type^ worth around $1,500 each. Philadelphia, April 11. Chorus lines were installed in the Embassy and at Giro’s this Week, raising to seven the number of midtown spots sporting femme ensembles. The Embassy Club formerly had a * chorus of six, although it was discontinued at the height of the rhumba craze. Other clubs here vvith choruses are the Latin Ca-, sirio, Little Rathskeller, Palumbo’s, Celebrity Room and Smith’s Show Bar. Recent police enforcement of the state Liquor Control Board’s rul- ing against hoste.sses. ha.s put a premium locally on dancing girls. Gentlemen who; come to clubs to feast eyes on femiries will get them in floor' routines, constant police supervision having cut down the quota on hatcheckers, photogs, cig- arette girls, etc. MinrieapyliSr Aprii^ The jurisdictional dispute ber tweeiti the A.F.L, stagehands union arid the electrical workers unioii, which resulteij in such a pro-, tracted, b i 11 e r fight centering around thb Hollywood film studio?, hit Miiirieapolis whrin the city elec- trical inspector ordered temporary “feeder” lines installed' in the mu- nicipal Auditorium to carry the emefgericy electrical load for the annual Sportsrileh Show, currerit there for 10 days. After the stagehands union in- sisted on doing the work and the electrical workers union thfeateried[ to picket the show, the city council stepped in and brought about an amicable temporary settlement. The council voted to let George Adams, Auditorium manager, de- cide who’d do the work and he chose the stagehands. Then the aldermen got Bill Donnelly, stage- hands union business agerit, and electrical workers union represen- tatives together and when Don-: nelly agreed tp the employment of two additional electrical- workers for the show, the idea of picketing was abandoned. David J. Sniilow, stagehands at- torney, explained to the city coun- cil that it was “getting into a jii- risdictiorial dispute that Hollywood, the unions and 40 years had failed to make a dent in.” date at Carousri. Jackie Heller, who owns and op- erates Cdrousel with his two bfoth- ers, did a burn; naturally, and .sev- eral of his rival operators agreed he had a beef. Sortie of them w^ e still peeved over previous dealings With MGA; and agreed among themselves to lay off acts frprri that agency until they get assurances of a fair shuffle. Besides Garousei, others are Bill Green’s, Lenny Lit man’s Copa and Alan F. Clark’s Monte Carlo. That leaves MCA with only one ihajor spot downr i town, William Penn Hotel's Ter- race Ropni, where it has an exclu- sive through tierup with Statler Hotel chain. In line with” an economy iriove to telescope activities in certain areas and curtail unnecessary expense by redistribution of work ^mong other locals of the union, American Guild" of Variety Artists has closed its Newark branch. Latter had taken in jurisdiction of theatres arid cafes in northern New Jersey and part of south Jersey. tinder pew alignment, Jack Mil- ler, who headed l^e Newark branch, will continue to police the north Jersey area arid part of south Jersey, but will work out of AGVA’s N. Y. branch. The southern outpost of the territory will be handled by Dick Jones, of the Phil- adelphia branch, ZIVIC, EX-PUG, BUYS IN f Jiianlta Hallos R^p^at Juaiiita ilall, bicycling between her featured role in “South , Pa- cific” arid nitery dates; Is set for a repeat at I (otel Shelburrie Lounge, N, V;,; opening tomorrow (Thms ) night. [ She played tlie spot recentiy. Surrounding bill includes Louise Howard, singing comedienne, and Lucille & Eddie Roberts, menta- lists-magicos. Holding over are Norman Wallace and Cy Coleman’s Pfeiffer Seeks to Amend 350G Suit Vs. AGVA Ghieago, April 11./ Jules Pfeiffer last week asked the court’s permission to amend his suit against American Guild of Va- riety 'Artists, Equity, and itk offi- ciMs, in which he charged they vio- lated the Taft-Hartley act in pre- venting him from bpening a Gay ’90’s cafe here last year.’ He. is seekirig dariiages of $350,000: Fornier legit producer claimed that associations had conspired to prevent him from cafe operation due to troubles over his production of ‘‘Swing Mikadp,” which stranded in Minnesota. \ Judge Joseph Garber, in Chi su- perior court, gave defendant.^, »’ep- resented by Phil Dayis. 30 days in which tb file an an.swer: Pittsburgh, April 11 • Fritzie Zivic, one-time boxing champion and for a tiirie a nitery performer, has returned to the cafe field, but in a differerit capacity this time. He’s just purchased the i a - i. r-. v .controlling interest in- Carnival I Lounge from Lenny Litman, Who also oXvns and operates the Copa, Carnival was formerly the Holly- wood Show Bar and has been run* ning for last few months with all- girl shows on a continuous policy. zivic hopes to make Carnival headquarters for the sports circle, and the . central ticket agency as Well for his boxing and wrestling promritions. He has a piece of Zivic Arena in nearby Miilvale,’ where open-air sports promotions are staged in the summer. Court Appoints Receiver To Salvage Det. Nitery Detroit, April 11. Circuit Judge Miles. N. Gulehan appointed Paul Sanderson, prez of the Detroit Cab Co. and the Adr variced Accounting Co., reeeiver of the Four Dukes Supper Club. Sanderson, a fprmer cafe owner, said he thought he “could pull the club out of its financial mess.” He add: “All it needs is proper man- ageirient.'’ Sanderson said the deluxe nitery was in the Ted “over $100,000.” The club is qwned by two of the Dukes—Neal Patterson and Dan Giannaris—and Giannaris’ father- in-laV', Spear Karas. The other two Dukes are Robert The Four Dukes provide the entertain^ ment along with other acts. The Dukes bought the former Palm Beach Club about a year ago and spent considerable coin redecorat- ing it. Ak-Sar-Ben Aiigling Price for Siimnier Show Omaha, April ii; • Ak-Sar-Ben is dickering with i Georgie Price, comediari-singei'. to forth hiv d&vY'ntown basis will be I called Fritzie Zivic’s Lriunge. r » r h i V a I! season at tis outdbor plant. I Price lured okay biz last yeaiv [ Idea is to build yaude show f around Price. For Eckstine iii tA' , Pickens Act James E. Strates Shows, Inc., has been Chartered to conduct an amusement business, with offices in Elmira, N. Y., and a capital stock of $200,000, $100 par value. Directors are; James E. Strates, Frank A, Zacaroli: Harry Irving Tong of Llmira, was filing at- Los Angeles, Apriill. : Billy Eckstine i’acked up an all- time record attendance at the Oasis nitery and strolled, away from his one-week stand with over $5,100, In at a flat $2,000 plu.s 50% of all door ad)nissions, .Eckstiri 4,587 admission.^, topping Sarah Vaughan's old high of some 3,800 Jane Pickens, song-stress, ja e- emed her new supper-club act, SM ported by a male sextet of singer- dancers ala Kay Thompson, at the Detroit Athletic Club Monday <10) night. After a four-day engagement there, she’ll move into the Cop- ley piaza hotel, Boston; loHowecl by the Billmore,. Provideneje, before coming into the Wedgwood Room of the N. Y. Waldorf-Astoria, I m •- • 0 payees. *Miiy IL m m.-m • •