Variety (February 1953)

S4 NIGHT . cm . IEVI1WS P&Rfflfr Wednesday, February 4, 1953 La Yi« Ea R*m, S', Y. Sue' Carson, Georgia Gibbs, Van Smith Trio; $5 minimum. Mass or class, Georgia Gibbs can reach any type of audience—as she does here. Monte Proser’s intimate spot is a sock.showcase for a per- former, and this Mi$s Gibbs re- veals to her personal advantage in a song repertory in which the diminutive songstress really belts 'em out as they were written, Miss. Gibbs can sing anything and get ’em, and that goes for the latest pops, the hillbilly tunes and the standards. She has a neat change of pace and her great sente of rhythm communicates itself to the audience with her opening pop; and she holds 'em all the way. For a neat pace-changer she does “Yid- dishe Momma," and the good taste that she always manifests is partic- ularly evident on the latter tuqe, which -she does in English. Too often singers adopt an affectation in doing ’‘Momma” in Yiddish. The only other act on the bill is brunet Sue Carson, comedienne with a neat sense' of delivery and a lack of inhibition. Miss Carson is mpre extensively reviewed under New Acts. Van Smith, as usual, does a nifty job at the keys, for both'the lulls and the.show'Accomp. Incidentally, La Vie is on a biz spree these days. Kahn. Chez Paree, Chi » Chicago, Jan. 28. Jerry Lester, Nita Bieber 8c Gerald Gotham, Halina Gregory, Johnny Martin, Chez Adorables Brian Famon Orch (10); $3.50 minimum, $1.10 cover. Even though Jerry Lester hasn’t been around the Chicago nightclub scene for. about five years, he still has a large and loyOl following. Whether'that" is due to. friends he has made in the past, or new de- votees through TV, is a moot point. However, little of his stuff here is material he has used in his video stands'. Not once; did be use the “George” which he more or less coined and popularized in his TV series. * Lester establishes a remarkable camaraderie among the tables and, opening night, did a heart-warm- ing few minutes for some grammar school graduates. Cdmic also is cognizant of the juves, keeping his material wholesome for the family trade for most part. Majority of his quips are about the local scene, recounting his school days, which registers strongly. He does “Afri- ca” in which he squelches a heck- ling drunk' beautifully and then apes Harry Richman in an acid sketch which is interspered ,-with bits of old vaude turns as a cigar box juggler. Scene gets hilarious as the unpaid drunk keeps yelling for “Africa” at every waking mom- ent. Lester winds up the proceed- ings with a skit Imitating Dan Dailey in a Betty Grable pic with Nita Bieber taking the Grable part. Gal does clicko straight job and the. saga gets hefty yocks. Miss Bieber, with the assistance of Gerald Gotham, starts off the show'with a slithering, heated Car- ibbean number which has the male members of the aud paying acute attention. Male works the bpngo drum for a few moments before entering the chase. Pair walk off with a fat hand. Halina Gregory, petite and pretty blonde, has been working in Eu- rope in opera, according to reports. She displays training in that field but, unfortunately, this is not the room for her offerings. She has tried to adapt some of the more, popular or standard tunes,- but her arrangements are more fitting for a singer of pop tunes, not one with an operatic mien. Perhaps in- a more intimate spot, with a -re- vised score; she might be more’ effective. * . The Chez line -pleases in two new production numbers, assisted by Johnny Martin, production singer. Brian Famon batons well and takes a few solo .licks on the sax for neat results; Zabe. Mocambo, L* A. Lo£ Angeles, Jan. 28. Billy Daniels with Benny Payne; Eddie Oliver Orch (8), Joe Castro Quartet; $2 cover. More and more the number of nitery attractions are dwindling down or, for reasons of higher salaries elsewhere, staying away from L. A. The two Sunset Strip spots of glamor and capacity, Mo- cambo and Ciro*s are finding the matter of getting headliners tough indeed, with result that they have to repeat certain personalities to the extent that they appear to backing up on themselves. A case fn point is Billy Daniels, who is such a Mocambo regular that , even though he hasn’t been here for some months it appears to be a matter of weeks. Not that he isn’t welcome. —• particularly . to Charlie Morrison, wh6 can 'always count on Daniel* tor okay biz — 1 but. some new avenue* for name talent will l?*Vo to be found by both Morrison *and Herman Hover if .the Mocambo and Ciro’s are to avoid the frequent dry spells *b«h tween headliners and retain thejLr top rating, Daniels, per usual, delivers^- If smooth . entertainment. -Opening night (2'l) he writhed through a 38-minute songalog of w.k.-stand- ards, with expert and personable assist from Benny. Payne on the 88, latter also occasionally adding a note of song. Only possible criticism of Dan- iels Is his inclusion of “My Yid- dishe Mama” in his repertoire. His arrangement is socko, but that type of song just doesn't seem to belong in a*nitery, particularly when Daniels’ type of grinding delivery makes the little old lady take on the mental portrait of l^Iae West. i Otherwise, there’s not a faulty moment in. Daniels’ routine, from his opening “This Can’t Be Love” through to his closing trademark, “Old Black Magic.” In between are “Night and Day,” “Somebody Loves Me,” “Because You’re Mine,” “Bye, Bye Blackbird,” “Tea For. Two,” which is done nostal- gically as a Palace Theatre soft- shoe standard; a medley of “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” “You're Marvelous” and “It Had to Be You.” The only compara- tively new number is -the Jule Styne-Leo Robin “Bye, Bye Baby”- from “Gentlemen Prefer -Blondes.” Along with his songs, Daniels make? quite a sartorial picture 4n a new type of tuxedo—grey silk with a shawl collar of the same material and no' side pockets in the jacket. It-Tl probably start a new trend for stage arid nitery enter- tainers. During Daniels* session, Payne also conducts the backstopping Eddie Oliver orch, augmented from six to eight for Daniels’ booking. Oliver later takes over expertly for the patrons’ hoofol- ogy, alternating with Joe Castro’s Latin quartet. Scho. Sahara, Las Vegas Las Vegas, Jan. 27. Sugar Ray Robinson with Joe Scott; Harvey Stgne, Eileen Wil- son, Bob Giraud, Sa-Harem Danc- ers (12), Cee Davidson Orch (11); no cover or minimum. Sahara can chalk up another winner for the next two frames in the headline lure of Sugar Ray Robinson. He has the punch of a show biz champ and his solid one- two is a light fantastic of fancy footwork, coupled with a warm personality that registers socko. He'll do more than okay in this burg, having the magnetic name plus stuff to go with it. With the very excellent aid of Joe Scott in the comedy and duo- tap sections, Sugar Ray raps over a solid opening stanza. Sets up his legmanid with Scott by bleating “I'm Never Satisfied” and tears in- to his footwork with enthusiasm. For this he receives pe^k plaudits from tablersitters, but could min- imize his jokes with Scott, and in some cases, eliminate them alto- gether. This is especially apparent after Robinson follows Harvey Stone, show's comedian. The ex- champ makes a pleasing emcee, and whenever he trots on exhibits more of his hoofing .prowess. Whether he’s polished or not (six months is a very brief span in which to learn all the hoofing ropes), audiences here like the way the - former pug presents himself. He earns every last salvo. Stone is slightly nervous follow- ing,a six-month hiatus. Breaking in some new material finds .the come- dian with some jitters, but they’ll pass. Some of the new stuff is strong, making for goo.d yocks, and other fillips will be culled as Stone weighs reception. Overall reaction is good, with highlights being wife and horse routines leading into “Riders in the Sky” parody. Potage of gambling bits and surefire Army monolog are his windup. Eileen Wilson, makes her Vegas debut in compact session which wins favor. From bright “Another Opening” through “Why Don’t You Believe Me” and '“Who Cares,” she makes a return couplet consisting of “All the Things You Are” and “Blow Gabriel Blow.” While meandering around in* low itnd me- dium register,. Miss Wilson's pipes have sexy .overtones but ride into hard and edgy quality on pushed volume. Sa-Harem'gals-set spirit on the Sugar Ray opus by tapping off an opener themed with training camp calesthenics. Halfway choreo turns to “Winter Wonderland,” with spe- cial amounts,of orbing upon four paraders. Bluesy “Tuxedo June** tion” has the 12 .prancers in se- quined tophats, brief black and white costumes,-and aiding , unison tapistry with canes, . Will. . BlnelVotc* N- V. Lucretia, borothv Greener, Nor- man Wallace, Nancy Steele, Ron- nie 'Selby Trio; $2,50 minimuyi. This cellar on West 46th -St., has. been a problem site for the .past couple of seasons and current ;management* is out to break the ;jmx by attempting to duplicate the 'setup of smart eastside niter-; ies. It’s a comfortable room, nicely laid out and with plenty o£| area for the acts to work and the clientele to terp, but it’ll have to sharpen its bill if it doesn’t want to .go the way of -the Habibl and Jimmy Ryan’s which preceded here •As it stands now, layout offers a potpourri of comedy and song that doesn’t quite jell. Headliner Lucretia, of the French -chantoosie genre, is a mistake. Warbler seems to be blending the styles of Yma • Sumac and Johnnie Ray in her songalog, but impact of either .missing. Voice is high-pitched and the odd arrangements leave tablers amazed. Works over “Gypsy In My Soul;” “Happiness Is a A Thing Called Joe;” a patter specialty en francaise and the fave “L’Accord- ianiste.” Comedienne Dorothy Greener comes off best here. Her impish monologs are okay intimery fare and she delivers each with an in- gratiating and carefree abandon. Her travesty on Metro pix is a surefire yock winner as is her shopgirl’s lament. ' Norman Wallace’s, pianologs still seems to Indicate that he’s not yet .found his act pattern. He accomps himself on Gallic chansons and comedic specialties and although some have an appealing flavor, the sum never equals its parts; Thrush Nancy Steele is reviewed under New Acts. Ronnie Selby’s trio supplies a tasty backing for the turns arid whips up a solid beat for customer dansapation. Gros. Mt. ttoyal Hotel* Mont’l (NORMANDIE ROOM) Montreal, Jan. 30. # Andrews Sisters (3) .MaxChami- tov Orch (10) with Norma Hutton, Bill Moodie Trio; $2-$2.50 cover. The much advertised and pro- moted appearance of the Andrews Sisters for their first cafe stint in Montreal skedded for last Monday (26) was delayed three days when Patti came-down with the flu. Trio finally preemed Wednesday night but without the services of then- regular pianist (Patti’s husband, Vic Schoen) who had to skip their opening because of illness. How- ever orch leader Max Chamitov [.stepped in for two performances and backed chirpers handily as they clicked to a capacity house. Before a crowd made up of the curious and their - many admirers, the Sisters prove conclusively why they’ve been ranking faves for more than a decade. Teeing off with “Back Again” which includes a lot of localized patter, group switch in a number about poodle coifs. As they all sport this hairdo in various colors (red, blonde and brunet) audience reaction is solid and shows them .to be something more than femmes fastened to a mike. “South Rampart Street Parade” in rollicking Dixie tempo scores and Patti, who does most in- tros and bulk of chatter, solos with “Wanna Be Loved” to plaudits. Teaming up again, combo does hilarious parody about Hawaii and then drops back into Calypso rhythm- with the obvious and hack- neyed “Rurii and Coke” sequence. A reprise of one of their first hits, “Apple Blossom Time,” goes well with the nostalgic set and then gals bow out with an ad lib collection made up, for* the most part, of pa- tron requests. Garbed alike in black-sequined gowns and ' effective hair styling, they do upward of 40 minutes at every showing and their somewhat rowdy but personable approach to both the clientele and their singing is surefire. Experience, which they have plenty of, .lias taught them how to out-heckle the hecklers, bandy a fast ad lib and still keep overall pacing and showmanship at t6p level. An enlarged brass sec- tion in the Chamitov orch gives ample support to the - Andrews’ thrushing and house vocalist Nor- ma Hutton makes an attractive femcee. ' Newt. Colony & Astor, London _ London, Jan. 28. Tony 8c Eddie, Felix King Orch, Don Carlos Band, Sid Philips Orch ; Colony: $5.50 minimum; As- tor: $3 minimum to 11 p.m., $3 cover thereafter. noting, the . spontaneous audience reaction, and the ,same- customer acclaim was evidenced on the fol- lowing night when act was caught. The novelty of pinning to disks played backstage has long since worn off, hut the exponents of this gimmick sometimes -develop their own approach. These two new- comers from America, currently making their British debut, play the comedy angle for all it is worth from beginning to end. Thev make an unabashed pitch for the laughs and .succeed all along the line. For a solid 30 minutes they maintain the pace at high pressure and are forced into a begoff. If word-of-mouth is all it’s cracked up to be, these comedians should be pulling in a regular flow of new customers in addition to the staunch regulars. It was on that assumption that the manage- ment made the unusual decision of prolonging the engagement with- out waiting to see what the long- pull reaction would be. Tony & Eddie run through a slick routine of somO nine disks and among the victims of their comedy technique are Ethel Mer- man, Durante, Vivian Blaine, Kathryn Grayson, Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, Nelson Edddy and Jeanette MacDonald, anu Edith Piaf and Noman. Wisdom. Each number is given production treat- ment with appropriate costume al- terations and props. A broad in- terpretation of a French road com- pany doing Menotti’s “The Medi- um,” with eerie lighting effects and ghostlike trappings, brings more than the usual quota of yocks. Because the American sound equipment could not be readity converted to British voltage, the artists have had something of a problem in getting adjusted to the alternative equipment acquired lo- cally. That may explain why the volume, particularly on the first two opening tunes, was substan- tially over-strength. Myro. Palmer House* Chi (EMPIRE ROOM) Chicago, Jan. 29. Jean Carroll, Mary Raye & Naldi, Gregory 8c Strong , Herbert Moore, Merriel Abbott Dancers- (8), Emil Coleman Orch (12); $3.50 minimum, $1 cover. Something must have gone.awry in the booking sheets; unusual for the director of entertainment of the Hilton Hotels, Merriel Abbott, who has probably started more acts to fame in her spots than any other booker elsewhere. The result is two dance acts, plus the two line numbers, with numerous, hoofings preceding headliner Jean Carroll. Comedienne gets a laugh with her opening line, “To really be a well- balanced act,” she says, “I guess I should start with a dance step,” Plethora of teiping affects the stanza of Mary Raye .& Naldi who couldn’t overcome table indiffer- ence until their second number. Miss Carroll is a welcome addi- tion to the ranks of Empire Room toppers. She works fast, tossing off remarks about progressive edu- cation and the children who attend such schools; the advantages of suburban life, the vagaries of Mi- ami inhabitants, all which, give rise to constant laughter. Some of her quickies are old but, in the main, her male counterparts might come around to learn how to freshen up some of their material. Femme, however,, should cull some : oi her stuff, especially the one about the baseball fan, which falters. Monologist gets hefty yocks with. double-meaning jokes and scores with her standard racetrack story about touts, and the actual run- ning of the race. Here again, some of the corny description of the nags should be eliminated for a better closer. Comic get? a big hand forjher efforts and has to beg off. - Mary Raye & Naldi, one of the top .ballroom teams in the country, are unfortunately, placed right after Gregory & Strong, a more demonstrative • dance and instru- mental pair. For the first number, Raye & Naldi operate against raised voices and dish clatter, but the splendid work they do makes the diners quiet down and devote their attention to the team.* Seem- ingly effortless lifts an,d catches are an excellent contrast of the grunt-and-groan school of terpol- ogy. Miss Raye, a stunning brunet, swathed in while, seems light as a feather -as she's tossed aloft. Duo get a hefty mitt after five num- bers. Gregory & Strong are an unus- ual act, with one male following the other around the room, pump- ing on a little concertina, while th ,?t. 0 ^ h , e , r / ta P s out flve offerings, with ballet overtones. Offbeat*ga- votte is an imaginative thing* and the other endeavors also are clev- Latin Quarter, Boston , Boston, Feb. 2. Frank -Sinatra, Gloria Gilbert Manny Williams, ’ Donn Arden Girls (8), Larry Green Orch. (4)* $4 minimum. *« • » Although the first nitery appear- ance here of Frank Sinatra con- flicted, during his first week, with that of Frankie Laine at neigh- boring and spacious Blinstrub’s, the former swoon king proved strong marquee lute in the smaller but more lavish Latin Quarter. In sharp contrast to Laine's popular- ity among bobbysoxers, Sinatra’s audiences were conspicuous by absence of screeching juves. Also in sharp contrast to Laine’s ener- getic vocalizing is the casual, al- most offhand* manner Sinatra han- dles his balladeering. Sinatra makes his entrance from ringside to warble “When You’re Smiling,” following with a slick “You Belong to Me,” Remarking that while he’s made “several” platters in the past, his record company (Columbia) has finally decided to release one with a “hole,” he intro his latest biscuit, “Birth of the Blues.” Balance of songology consists of ballads such as “I’ll Never Smile Again” with a low bow to Tommy Dorsey, “I've Got a Crush on You,” “Don't Cry Joe,” the rhythmical “Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and the inevitable “Old Man River.” Cli- maxes stint with “Old Man Cros- by,” a bit of*comic byplay on the indestructible Bing. Between vo- cals Sinatra gives out with casual bits of chitchat but at Show caught bypassed any remark regarding his private life and ignored the many requests for “Nancy.” Midway in stint he takes time out for a cup of tea to “relax my aging pipes,” the gimmick getting so-so reaction. However, his overall showmanship is such, that customers respond with nifty palms down the line. Balance of lineup is strong, tee- ing off to fast start with acceler- ated caperings of ballerina Gloria Gilbert. Manny Williams, local comic-magico, who scored neatly in initial nitery stint at Sheraton- Plaza last spring,. grabs nifty re- sults with assortment of tricks and gab aided by audience stooges whom he lures onstage. Maestro Larry Green gets solo spot to' give “Concerto to Moon” a slick work- out on 88 anji Donn Arden girls appear in three production num- bers prancing to Peter Hanley’s vocalizing. Zarde Bros, combo fills, lulls. * Elie. Casablanca, Miami B’ch Miami Beach, Feb. 2. Jackie Miles, Dick Brown, Maya Orch., $3.50 minimum. fi > ana-rj icM-e • ,:tjc ,! r -mra;ii i-ii ib vt-i Within a few minutes of their preem performance Tony & Eddie had their engagement extended from a month to .six weeks. Colony j erly arranged. 'Challenge” tbrp‘'to and Astor bomface Harry Morris 1 fastie “Fiddle Faddle” is a strnn* inade an immediate decision after 1 clincher. Zab£ * Jl u* 4 * ) r k'» i ‘4 . ri J Casablanca offers up the biggest hotel-cafe (over 500 capacity) in the area in its Club Morocco and has, since opening several seasons back, experienced plenty head- aches trying to set attractions that will draw them in. It took such bookings as Frank Sinatra and Joe E. Lewis to bring any profit margins in former seasons. This year, management has stuck to a comedy topliner plussed by a song- act and has seen steadily building biz, with Myron Cohen starting the trade parade; currently Jackie Miles is keeping the trend de- veloping. Slight-looking comedian is prac- tically -a native in this area, what with his frequent and long stays at the better nightclubs around. This is his. first hotel appearance' and soft, easy style applies itself to the more conservative atmos- phere of such surroundings with considerable impact, unearthing a new circuit for his comedic talent. Miles still, attracts the consider- able group of inveterate pub- crawlers who rarely hit the hotel- cafes. Though presenting most of his'standard material, he mixes in enough newies^to keep matters go- ing at a solid laugh rate. Has him- self a new piece in opener on be- ing identified with a song a la the vets of yesteryear. Then spins out his array of yarns on racetrack habitues, prices of* hotel rooms in Miami * Beach, the cowboy pjc lampoon and comes back for de- manded repeats on other familiars , in his log. Dick Brown .acquits himself in effective fashion in the tough warmup spot. Delivers Ills song- idpas in smooth manner, with ac- cent on the 1 ballads, *to reaction on the hearty side. Blends in “Stop the’Music” routine for identifica- tion with the' program, via .** tongue-in-cheek Version of “Baby Face” that makes for -good change of pace. Shows aptness for phras- ing .and shading in “Music* Maes- tro Please,” ‘/Almost Like Being In' Love,” “I’ll Be - Seeing You” and “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” to round out a satisfying session.’* Lary. $ •* • • J "J > • + 4