Variety (December 1952)

S2 VAMttEVIIAE pmffif Wednesday, December 17, 1952 Chi Agents Lam ARA inland Fuss; Operators Powwow With AGVA Chicago, Dec. 16. Chicago bookers, who had in- dicated they would break away from Artists Representatives Assn, if parent group persisted in de- manding welfare fund benefits for American Guild of Variety Artists, last night (Mon.) took the final plunge and disassociated them- selves from the New York group, stating they would not pay the AGVA levy. Group revived Enter- tainment, Managers Assn, with same officers as Chicago ARA. Motion was unanimous and board of governors sent wire to ARA ad- vising them of decision. In secret ballot last week, when meeting lacked quorum, vote was 40 to 3 to cut off from New York. Although notices were sent to 160 members, 40 club-date bookers showed up and swung vote after discussing proposition for more than two hours. Altogether, these agents represent more than 3,000 acts, many in the outdoor field, where AGVA is not too strongly entrenched, and in addition, they book most of the smaller clubs in this area. Meanwhile, Chi cafe owners’ representatives flew to New York this morning (Tues.) for confer- cation is that some settlement will be made. If not, an official of Chicago Federation of Labor said that bartenders and waiters will be asked not to cross picket lines. AFM bandsmen, however, will probably not be asked to respect picket lines as traditionally they do not join any joint labor action. Decision of Chicago agents not to pay the $1 casual AGVA bite poses problem of who will. Most of these dates, numbering up to about 50 a day now, are being held in hotels. Latter, however, have no control over such acts and gen- erally don’t know names of per- formers on bill. Likewise, sponsor- ing firms wont pay this tap. Many of the agents who acted on voting down the $1 levy also book strip spots and if bistros give in to AGVA, the percenters would be in a spot. They’d risk being put on AGVA unfair list for failure to as- sess club-date tax and thus could not book for theatres, „cafes, etc. AGVA Continued from page 4S striking and some 50 others have locked out AGVA performers and strumas.'•who, >&ee. -3, formed I - w.? w, •'' •- ■■ •"Chlir fcMmaMea; We cafeTwie!& whoSlne in to owner-inspired protest against de- | confer with the union are Ben Or- Ice Review Holiday on Ice (HALLENSTADION, ZURICH) Zurich, Dec. 9. Morris ChaXfen production of ice revue in two nets (25 scenes). Produced and directed by Marie Carr; musical arrangements and conductor, Andre Muscat; addi- tional arrangements, Earle Moss, Dolores Pallet; costumes, Billy Livingston; costumes for “Carni- val in Rio n finale , H. R. Fost; sets, Andre Pelegry, G. Grobois. Vocal*- ists, Marcelle Normand, Arthur Lincoln. With Hazel Franklin, Jo Ann McGowan, Olive Robinson & Ber- nard Spencer, Chet Nelson, Guy Pigier, Ted Deeley, Ria Baran & Paul Falk, Lydia Cloots, Harry Reddy, Claude Pigier, Harry Glick, Peter Van Gils, Mel Olive t Steve Pedley, Rosina Blackburn, Buddy & Baddy, The Percellys (2), The Glamour leers. The Ice Squires; Horst Schimmelpfennig, Hammond Organ. Copa City Foreclosure Continued from page M mands of $2.50 per performer for welfare fund. Cafe owners claim AGVA’s disciplinary action was arbitrary in that there was no ne- gotiation and acts are, in their view, independent contractors. With ops going to Gotham, indi- THE CHORDS Instrumentalists without instruments Club dates week of Dec. II DAYTON AND CINCINNATI Dir.: GENERAL ARTISTS CORP. €lub Date Bookings by HARRY QREBEN 203 N. Wabash Ava. ChUaso, ill. NAT DUNN I ISOS B’way Now Yark COMEDY MATERIAL For All Branches of Theatricals OLA SON'* FUN-MASTER THl ORIGINAL SHOW BIZ GAG Fill (The Service of the Start) 35 ISSUES $25 First 13 Files $7.M. All 35 Issues $25.00 Singly: $1.05 Each IN SEQUENCE Only (Beginning with No. 1—No Skipping) • 3 Bks. PARODIES per book $10 • • MINSTREL BUDGET $25 • • 4 BLACKOUT BKS., ea. bk. $25 • HOW TO MASTER THE CEREMONIES (reissue), $3.00 GIANT CLASSIFIED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAGS, $300. Worth over a thousand NO C.O.D.'S BILLY GLASON 200 W. 54 St., New York 19 Dept. V Circle 7-1130 Latest Comedy Material for MC’s, Magicians, Enter- tainers, eto. Send for our latest price list of jjreat ORIGINAL gagllles, mono- logs, dialogs, parodies, l skits, etc. Written by show Iblz top gagmen. Or send '$10 for $50 worth of above. Money bock If not satisfied. LAUGHS UNLIMITED I0G W. 45 St., N. Y., N. Y. JU 2-0373 loff, Silver Frolics; Ben Rynkus, Gayety Village and Dave Keller, Rendezvous. They explained that they resented the method by which the assessment was put to them. They said that it was the welfare payment “today,” and bigger things “tomorrow.” They declared that they wanted agreements that are arrived at mutually. They are not opposed to the principle of welfare payments, they said, but opposed paying for insurance for any performer except chorus mem- bers. It is also their position that since they would be making wel- fare payments, they should have a voice in administration of the fund. AGVA is expected to use every means of quelling the Chicago up- rising by both performers and cafe operators. It feels that not only is the success of the current wel- fare payment contingent upon a successful conclusion to the Chi episode, but that every future un- dertaking will depend upon the outcome. Gunning for Bookers It’s not only processing against the cafes that are involved; the union will also take action against recalcitrant club-date bookers. It plans to take out liens against both casual producers and bookers as well as. cafe owners in order to get the cash for the welfare fund for dates already worked but for which payments were not made. • Any negotiations by the CCOA and AGVA will put the former in a peculiar position. The boniface group has already recognized one union, and it would be reversing its stand by any negotiations with AGVA. All entertainers now working in the spots operated by CCOA are members of CEU. One of the con- ditions of employment was the joining of the union sponsored by the employers. Operators declared that AGVA membez’s could work their spots only if they joined CEU. JACK DE LEON (FOR LAUGHS) LATIN CASINO, Phila., Dec. 11-20 CLUB KAVAKOS, Wash., D. C., Dec. 22 LUIGI’S, Niagara Falls 5™? AVAILABLE JANUARY 19 Contour: PAUL KALET KNS ASSOC., INC. 1550 Broadway, New York City Continental edition of “Holiday on Ice” winds up its Swiss tour, which started at Berne and Gen- eva, with a 12-day stand at 10,000- seat Hallenstadion where it regis- tered a mild total of about 50,000 visitors for the entire Zurich run. Show moves on to Brussels from here. It has a cast of 125. Contrary to last year’s “Rhap- sody On Ice,” starring Barbara Ann Scott, Michael Kirby and Heinie Brock, a rather poor affair as to production values, “Holiday On Ice,” though boasting no star names, is a beautifully 'mounted ahQ lavishly presented Ice revue in grand styld; ‘living up to expec- $®tp.ns; Jsrp sip-. receives a lvfTof nnuing, dna press | reviews were unanimously favor- able. Out of 25 scenes, seven are big production numbers. These are: “Under the Snow,” eye-filling “Champagne Cocktail” number with giant-size champagne glasses complete with blowing bubbles and all; firs>act finale, “Sym- phony in Pink,” featuring Hazel Franklin; second-act opening num- ber, "Drum Roll.” with pert and pretty drum ma.jor Claude Pigier leading the parade; “Paris, I Love You,” one of the weaker spots; “In a Persian Market,” biggest of them all production-wise, with fluores- cent effects at end; and finale, “Carnival in Rio,” with entire cast. Solo stints are neatly carried out by Hazel Franklin, Olive Rob- inson and Bernard Spencer in several duos, Jo Ann McGowan in a Hawaiian solo, inevitable in every ice or other show, Chet Nel- son in a brilliantly executed rhythmic jazz number and Guy Pigier in a “romantic” solo. Top honors as well as mitting, how- ever, are carried away by German duo Ria Baran & Paul Falk, who won the Olympic world champion- ship, in their first pro assignment. Their three stints in this show, “Dreams in the Moonlight” (done to an arrangement of “La Ronde”), “Olympic Program” and “Mam- bo .. .! Mambo . .•are remark- able for their precision. Personable young couple rates watching. There is only one vaude act, the Percellys (2), head-to-head bal- ancing and aero, which has style and quality with a comic touch. Although more vaude could do no harm for a change of pace, this lack is more than made up by rich general production values of show. Coitiic relief is offered in topnotch * fashion by Ted Deeley in a hilarious “drunk” number done in Scotch kilt, as well as in a rapid-fire “Scene In An Old New " York Street,” where he is assisted by Harry Reddy; and fi- nally in an act billed “No More Flats to Let,” poking fun at hous- ing problem. Two Swiss comedians, Buddy & Baddy, are also promi- nently featured in several num- bers, but rate only mild response. German Hammond organist Horst Schimmelpfennig has two solos preceding act I and II and pleases by his able rendition of U. S. and local faves. The orch, directed by Andre Muscat, who also did most of the musical ar rangements, is uneven and not al- ways up to show’s high standard. Vocalists Marcelle Normand and Arthur Lincoln are just- average. Costumes, made entirely in Paris, are among main assets. They are tasteful, rich in color and imagina- I tion and help a lot to provide 1 “Holiday On Ice” with that touch of glamour without which the best show would only be a half-breed affair. Mezo. pearing at Ciro’s, which is being enlarged to an over-400 seating f capacity. A definite contract switch from Copa to Ciro’s is singer Joni James. Heavy mortgage-holder Sam Kaye (who, incidentally, has a big hand in operations of Nautilus and new Biltmore Terrace hotels, with both going in for the betters acts), through nephew Ralph Resnick, grabbed control of Copa City via the foreclosure and public sale proceeding. Understood the Nor- man Bel Geddes-designed idea in niteries which cost close to $1,000,- 000 to build and required an over- sized staff to run, is available for lease. That means someone who can come up with $8,000 a year ground rent, $18,000 in real estate taxes, $5,000 for liquor licenses, plus other operational charges which total up to approximately $80,000 a year. Figuring that the plushery is good for strictly a win- ter run of some 10 weeks or per- haps 14, with that big nut -for names to draw them, it adds up as an expensive deal. Glamour Gimmick Thus the hotel cafes are taking up where Copa City left off, in the sense of providing the glamour seekers places to be seen in and to patronize. New Algiers 'Hotel has, Doretta MorToW, who closed last night (Tuefe.),' fpr its JjOO^seater, with, Joyce Earl Wrightson, and Beatrice Kraft Dancers on the agenda. Sans Souci has booked for its Blue Sails Room Sacasas orch and Lenny Kent, Beverlee Dennis, Betty Reilly, Phil Foster, Johnny John- son, Dick Shawn. • Saxony, with two rooms, the Pagoda and the Veranda (formerly the Shell-I-Mar, since converted into a theatre-restaurant) gets Los Chavales de Espana, Pupi Campo’s orch and Trini Reyes for Pagoda, and for the Veranda, Val Olman’s orch plus local acts and one top name. Nautilus has entered the com- petish with a solid lineup which in- cludes Mel Torme, Jan Murray, Luba Malina and has bids out for others in the $2,000 class. Another newie is the Biltmore Terrace, far up the line near Surfside, with ops dickering for Xavier Cugat and his unit, Morton Downey and Con- nee Boswell, Casablanca fills out the two- week date list with comedy-angled bookings of Myron Cohen, Billy Vine and Jackie Miles. Of the group Saxony, Casablanca and probably Biltmore will run two shows nightly. All add as lures for performers, room and board in their swanneries, with a 1 o’olock closing law making the hours more attractive. Clover Sets Names For the nitery run, Clover Club is set with A1 Bernie and Joanne Gilbert, to be followed by Johnnie Ray, Lena Horne and possibly Tony Martin. Latin Quarter, ready to open, advanced date of annual preem to Saturday (20) with the usual Lou Walter lush production and load of imported faces. With it he’s added Joe E. Lewis for a February date to play for the late biz the comedian always attracts in this town. As noted, Ciro’s will fill out the bidders for top acts. Big question mark is the Beach- comber. Former ops, the Schuyler brothers, had subleased to Ed Fielding, Philly steel magnate, when they joined forces with Copa City two seasons ago. Sublease confined Fielding to booking acts that could not fit Copa ideas. Now, with that setup gone, observers are awaiting decision on his policy. It may still turn into a big femme production with perhaps one name for draw. The former rival of Copa is expected to open Christmas week. With competisK from established spots of the Vagabonds and their backers and - Martha- -Raye at h-sr Five-O’-Glodt'Oubv plus- the -40 or *'<^ | k r Qther clubsjan;tJojmg$s featur- ing r *fce-fr , 6ui. ^bflUfhgsi lib and down the county and Beach line, it adds up to the fiercest battle for the tourist buck in the history of this pastel belt. JON ANDRA Carlton and Karrol ' Opening Dec. 19th BANJOU TREK CLUB Boynton Beach Florida Toronto Fair Charts Big Expansion Move In Year-Round Bid Toronto, Dec. 16. To provide an eight-lane high- way into Toronto’s western en- trance, all attractions of Sunnyside amusement park, including rides and the roller coaster, will be moved to a new location in the Canadian National Exhibition’s 375-acre setup half a mile away. Overall plan is to make the CNE a year-round revenue-producing operation. Patty Conklin, t who operates most of the Sunnyside concessions, plus a 10-year franchise of the CNE midway, has agreed to the plan and claims a steel priority for construction of new $150,000 roller coaster. Plan also provides for a year-round restaurant to service visitors to such seasonal CNE ven- tures as the International Trade Fair and the Royal Winter Horse Show, FOSTER AGENCY. LONDON. presents Currently TOURING ENGLAND American Rap. WM, 'MORRIS AGENCY TAVEL-MAROUANI AOENCY, PARIS No Yule for Tex, Balinese Galveston, Dec. 16. The Balinese Room will not open for the Christmas hoidays, accord- ing to a Maceo & Co. spokesman. .Famed beachfront nitery has been closed since Labor Day for remodeling. Chi Chez’s 200G Gallic ffecor for Joe E. Spree Chicago, Dec. 16. Chez Paree, which closed last week for a reported $200,000 remod- eling, will reopen with Joe. E. Lewis Dec. 30 for nine days. Host Dave Halper is bringing in Jackie Miles and Rose Marie Jan. 8 for two weeks and options. Chez will be transformed into French motif, complete with Paris newsstands, window flower boxes, and third dimenensional photos. In addition, stage will be elevated for greater patron visibility. Grant’s Riviera RESTAURANT AND EAR 158 W. 44 St.. New York LU 2-4488 WHERE SHOWBUSINESS MEETS * TALENT CONTEST * MONDAY NIGHTS Prize: Professional Engagement PupIIeato Prim AwtrM la Uw Caw ei Tla» MONTREAL • NEW YORK • CHICAGO PE* iR J. STEELE P. O. Box 647, Hollywood LONDON • PARIS • BRUSSELS