Variety (October 1952)

64 VAUDEVILLE PjfcRlETf —iMurwmtiia—*■* Wednesday? October 8, 1952 New Acts SLIM GAILLARD Comedy-Song 15 Mins, Apollo, N. Y. Slim Gaillard, who generally makes the rounds of the jazz cellar clubs and Negro vauders with an instrumental trio, remains a winner in his solo turn. His songalog Is pegged for the hepsters, ‘which limits his appeal. Gaillard strikes out with those who don’t savvy his patter but is a rib-tickling click with those who do., In deadpan style, he offers such items as "Groove Juice Special,” “Besame Bourbon,” "Laughing In Rhythm,” "Cement Mixer” and a parody of "Come On-A My House.” The special Gaillard gab is inter- spersed before and during each number. It’s madcap stuff and if it bears any resemblance to any- thing it’s purely coincidental. He accomps his patter with some class guitar\work and displays an interesting keyboard technique toward the end of the act by play- ing the 88 with his palms upward. Closes to big mitt with a frenzied instrumental on the bongo. With or without the trio, Gaillard Will have to continue in the cellar club and small vaude house rout- ing. • Gros . LEW BLACK and PAT DUNDEE ' (Beauty and the Least) A new note In Glamor Comedy Oponlng Oct. 13th CLUB 14 Wllmlnutun, Del. GERBER-WEI8S AQENCY 1007 Broadway, N.Y. Club Dates NAT DUNN' LOIS ANDREWS Songs * 10 Mins. Cafe Society, N, Y. Lois Andrews, once the bride of George Jessel, must show more than she did on her first show at this spot, though this is. her first cafe date in some time. Miss Andrews’ primary fault is her selection of tunes. She makes a smart appearance and her voice suggests she would be more effec- tive in the sophisticated vein. Selections- such as "Botch-a-Me” and "Can’t Take It With You When You Go” are not in her groove. Another tune, a special-material bit depicting the woes of a wife whose husband is a tele addict, had some comedic force several years ago. As for grooming and personality, Miss Andrews can hold up in the majority. 4 of situations, but needs some fresh, pointed material to meet requirements of most rooms. Jose. JOHN DUBOIS Songs 14 Mins. Alpine Village, Cleveland Hailing from Louisiana’s bayous, John DuBois comes off with sur- prisingly good effect and promise in a singing jump from operetta stage to nitery field.* Young bari- tone recently made cafe bow at Moe’s Main Street Club, after summer in strawhat tuneshows here, but appears to much better advantage in the Alpine Village’s larger revues on hydraulic rising stage.' Newcomer is a 26-year-old good- looker with excellently trained, flexible, Resonant pipes that can handle any sort of song. Without’ imitating anybody in the pop-singer school, he has a dramatic style of coloring a fast rhythm item via high-ringing vocalistics. They’re generally legit, stemming from his light opera experience, but he’s a hotter natural bet as a ballad stylist.- DuBois works 1 in some flashy Mario Lanza flourishes in neatly arranged medleys around "Lady Be Good” and "Show Boat.” From these he segues into a punchy version of "Because You’re Mine,’ followed by several pop bestsellers. Knowing value of change of pace,* he sandwiches in a humorously gusty version of “Chili Sauce” with another high-geared jump tune. When it crimes to Cajun folk songs, he does them with fine feeling and haunting beauty. DuBois’ gestures with hands are still too extravagant in operatic fashion but they can be toned down easily. Pull. ETTA MOTEN Songs 20 Mins. Gotham Club, Chicago Etta Moten, a former Bess of “Porgy and Bess,” has invaded the nightclub scene. It’s all to the ad- vantage of the Gotham, newest in- timate nitery in the Windy City. Miss Moten sells—in French, Spanish and English. Her fine voice, plus her charm, all add up to a slick performance. Her well-bal- anced program ranges from a sexy "My Man” through sambas, spir- ituals, native songs which she brought back from Africa, to a su- perb "Summertime” and a begoff "Gotta Go Now.” She’s a natural for better-class spots. Accompanist Leigh Barron does an outstanding job at the •oimd Don. TOMMY JOVER. With Raf, Pat and Julian Comedy 15 Mins. Empire, Glasgow Crazy comedy of this family act is of high standard, making it a natural for video and vaude. Clown- ing predominates, so there are no linguistic barriers. Act is English, anyway, though of Continental de- scent. Tommy Jover is the father of the act, with Pat being his brunet daughter, a pleasant looker. Raf and Julian are the two good-look- ing sons. Jover, Sr. makes much useful play of comedy props, wear- ing a wooden coat-hanger in his coat shoulders, unzipping a prop banana, and telling the time by a MEMO: • Dear Hal Broudis: You are too good to be true ! First you treat us like royalty and now you want us back for a return engagement* All this and sunshine tool ‘Herewith is the picture you asked for your scrapbook* With best wishes to you and all the staff* Add love and kisses to Marty Baum and Abe Newborn for bringing us together* C<£k3> ' > ~ F* S * Did you- hear about the wonderful job Joseph Santley did staging our appearance in the All Star Revue on NBC October 4th? Nolle, fyilUe.'i and fjeVitf /loM Personal Management JACK YAUGHAN & PEGGIE GATES 7 East S5th Street, New York CO 5-0232 giant-size alarm clock strapped to his wrist. He wears cod braces, runs on with a mammoth set of false teeth and, generally, employs comic tricks in much laff-raising business. In addition, he offers a commendable dame study iiL com- edy with his family. Finale is a surprise, with act exiting to a chase across stage by a bulldog, released from the wings at breakneck speed. Gord. FIVE SKYLINERS ’ Songs 14 Mins. Empire, Glasgow Five men, all on smallish side, provide harmony act with verve and personality. They add touches of comedy, play musical instru- ments and dress brightly in blue suits with red bow ties. At show caught, act scored strongly to warm mitting. Their numbers have wide range, varying from a Latin-American medley to "Mississippi” and the pop tunes. "I’m Yours” and* "Live Till I Die.” Comedy slant includes one mem- ber of the quintet making much play of piano. Act has much enthusiasm and would be okay for general run of vaude dates. Gord. HARRISON & PATRICIA MULLER Dance 8 Mins. Palace, N. Y. Team's opening is standard tap and soft-shoe that’s impaired by the femme’s poor costume in which one side is abbreviated for offish effect. Technical and physi- cal improvement is displayed in the followup. Male does dance while drum- beating in sailor’s garb and his partner counters in Calypso-like terp and wardrobe with a prop fruit basket on her noggin. Girl is barefooted in this and a good derriere-shaker. Duo is okay but can be hypoed by revision in routining. Trau. TOKAYER TROUPE (7) Teeterboard 7 Mins. Palace, N. Y. This Danish teeterboard troupe, six boys and a girl, is razzle-dazzle in execution of the seesaw stuff and displays some rarely seen tricks. Triples to chair are han- dled with graceful ease and their midway boffo has four of them in succession being catapulted to the lofty seat, all members remaining in position. At show caught, the final man had two near-misses, a fact which drew a hefty mitt for the difficult tries. Outfit betweens with rapid-fire acrobatics. Top trick is plugged as the world’s highest somersault to the basket chair, given as 18 feet. It isn’t that high, but even at 12 or 14 aloft, it’s a wrapup stunt. Trau. Ft. Wayne Bookings Fort Wayne, Oct. 7. "Holiday on Ice” was the first major production booked into tlie new War Memorial Coliseum here and not the Billy Eckstine-Count Basie-George Shearing show, as previously reported. Latter plays one-nighter here Oct. 15. It’s the first one-nighter booked, but "Holiday” opened Wednesday (l) and runs through Thursday ( 9 > for 10 performances including a Sun- day matinee (5). "Holiday” previously appeared here outdoors at the smaller Zoll- ner Stadium. "Skating Vanities,” with Olsen (native of Fort Wayne) & Johnson, will play the Coliseum, Nov. 11-16[ the second major show at the $3,000,000 hall. Roy Acuff and his "Grand Ole Opry” has been booked for the Coliseum for two shows on Sunday (12) under the promotion of Johnny Apt, who is also ballying the Eckstein-Basie-Shearing package. Robt. Maxwell's Dallaser Dallas, Oct. 7. Robert Maxwell is booked for two weeks in the Anacacho Room of the St. Anthony Hotel, opening next Tuesday (14). Harpist follows Margaret Phelan into the spot. THE CHORDS Instrumentalists without Instruments CLUB DATES Logansport, Ind., Louisville/ New York/ Boston Midwest Club Dates HARRY GREBEN 203 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, ill. Direction: G.A.C. NICK LUCAS Held Over 2 Wks, ITALIAN VILLAGE Sait Francisco Queen to Attend Dec. Variety Circus Gala ^ London, Oct. 7. A special gala show of the Ber- tram Mills circus at tho Olympia Dec. 18, sponsored by the London tent of the Variety Club, will be attended by the Queen and the Dukfe of Edinburgh. Proceeds will be divided between the Central Council of Physical Recreation and the National Playing Fields Assn. The Duke, who is an honorary member of the Londoij tent, is prez of the last-named organization. The London Variety Club mean- time is prepping a special Corona- tion Gala since a large contingent from the U. S. is expected to visit Britain. Plans are still in embryo . .‘.stage, but according lo present inr tentions it is intended to stage the event during the Coronation week celebrations. DICK HENRY Now Representing . The Colstons 1733 RVay, New York 4U 2-0015 WANTED—the mo»t baautlful femal* midget In the world, t* be the spearhead for a na- tion-wide promotion campaign. The little lady we’re looking for must be pretty as well ac petite and ae gracious and dainty ae the prod- uct she will represent. Her laeo and form will be seen by the eyes *f the nation. Wo’d like te see ploturei first. 8* . . . please •end your most glamoreus shot to Box V-5050, Variety, (64 W. 46th 8t., New Yerk 36, N. Y. Oct. 8 thru Oct. 21 Management BILL LOEB 121 S. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills Grant’s Riviera RESTAURANT AND BAR 1 SB W. 44 St., Hew York LU 2-4488 WHERE SHOWBUSINESS MEETS *TALENT CONTEST* MONDAY NIGHTS Prize: Professional Engagement Duplicate Prizes Awarded In the Cat* ef Tiei WHEN IN BOSTON I ft Me HOTEL AVERY Avery A Washington Sts. Tk‘e Home of Show Folk WANTED ACTS, SHOWS AND ATTRACTIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND CIVIC FUNCTIONS IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS CHARLES JOHNSON Radio Station KBTA Batesviile, Arkanias A top Independent agent for nH® club vaudeville A television will eon ' alder taking a few new clients for rep- resentation only top standard actsw be considered. All correspondence will be kept confidential. Write bo 44. Variety, 154 West 46th St., New York 34, N. Y.