Variety (April 1953)

/ Wednesday* April 8* 1953 PiSsiETY VAKBEVMXE 53 Palisades Park’s Heavy TV Sked palisades Amusement’Park—that Tiardv perennial among open-air. f in emporiums—reopened in Cliff- side Park, N. J., Saturday (4) for its 19th season under the manage- ment of Jack & Irving Rosenthal. A warm April sun brought out a large crowd Easter Sunday (5), but heavy showers dampened the press unveiling the previous evening. . Spot is primed in . fresh paint and spoils thousands of feet of colorful neon tubing. Existing fa- cilities have been augmented by several new rides in what’s billed as the “world’s largest kiddie park.” The widely balked opening attraction for the first two weeks is the 1953 Hot Rod and Sports Car Show. But the season’s real new twist, veteran park publicist Bert Nevin^ points out, will be a greater em- phasis on use of TV and o radio names as b.o. lures. Policy calls for air personalities to' appear on Wednesday and. Saturday after- noons. For the Saturday spots the pitch will be aimed at the juvenile trade while the midweek matinee guest will Jiave “femme appeal.” In line with this policy, Capt. Video (A1 Hodge) and his Video Ranger (Don Hastings) were on hand opening afternoon. Coming up for the hausfraus on the Wednesday daylight sessions are such radio-video stalwarts as Renzo Cesana (The Continental) and WMGM’s Carlton Fredericks, * Park also has good results from a live DuMont TV show which last season originated froip the midway Wednesday nights. Program is scheduled to resume in the same time slot again via DuMont shortly after Memorial Day. In general, admission prices re- main the same as last year. There’s a 25e. gate tariff but parking is free, as are several entertainment packages. Latter, for the opening fortnight, comprise the Buddy Wil- liams and Johnny Reo bands plus The Gonzales Sisters with their “educated canines.” New rides include the Rodeo, a Jean Goldkette Charts Nat’l Artists Foundation As Talent-Hunt Setup Detroit, April 7, Jean Goldkette has announced plans for a national talent-finding and development project for all creative arts and applied crafts to be called National Artists Founda- tion. Goldkette, a former orches- tra leader, has been credited with giving Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Russ Morgan, Glen Gray, Hoagy Carmichael and the late Bix Beid- erbecke a lift up the ladder, will serve as national director of the foundation. Directors besides Goldkette are Burt E. Wolf, Florence J. DeCour- sey and Luke C. Leonard, all of Detroit, and Norman Beasley, of New York. Leonard will be public relations director with offices in Detroit. ERNIE-MOSTEL-DURANT CLICK AT PALLADIUM London, April 7. Tennessee Ernie opened to a warm reception yesterday (Mon.) in his debut at the Palladium here. Hillbilly singer capitalized on his disclicks hut half-hour stint was weighted down with excess gab. Zero Mostel, also making his preem at the house, scored a smash with his comedies, as did Jack Durant, who registered suc- cessfully here several years ago. Remainder of the billy which is in for two weeks, comprises im- pressionist Florence Desmond and the Beverley Sisters, vocal trio, both returnees; Annell & Brask, trick cyclists; Morecambe & Wise, comedy duo, and Louise with her dogs and ponies. combination merryrgo-round and shooting gallery; the Turtle, the Tank and the Wildcat. Highlights of the Hot Rod and Sports Car Show are exhibits of Hitler’s armored chariot along with one which Stalin reportedly, used. Gilb. VERSATILE COMEDIAN AND SATIRICAL ARTIST Currently Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chicago Just Concluded 3 Week Holdover Headliner Performance - / Sherafon-Mt. Royal Hotel, Montreal "A cabaret comic of very high order." HAROLD WHITEHEAD-GazctU e * "Headliner Don Tannen returned to this swanky room and brought with him all the mimicry and comedy that estab- lished him as a favorite performer here on previous dates." AL PALMER—Th# Htrald JACQUES TREPANIER—1« Petri# Un comique original ... tres versatile . • .son imitation l a H* m t*nd qul donne tm contort est de la verit- able caricature." _ ROLAND COTE-U C«n<;4« « J “ » ■» •> , j, o i.%.* . s % j ( * Doue d'une magnifique voix." Henry Tobias to Repeat As Prod, of Totem Lodge .Henry Tobias will repeat, as en- tertainment producer-director of Totem Lodge, Averill Park, N. Y., this summer. The songwriter, in Hollywood .for .the .past .three months working on TV, arrived in N. Y, Sunday (5). He’s handled the Totem assignment fpr a number of years. * JOE LOUIS’ VAUDEBUT IN HARLEM PACKAGE Joe Louis, former heavyweight champ, makes his vaude debut at the Apollo Theatre, N. Y., Friday (10), heading a bill which he is packaging under a guarantee and percentage deal. Louis will team ! Pearson’s 5 Units For Natl Tours Hollywood, April 7. Ben Pearson has packaged five units for national tours getting un- \ i. Music Corp. of America, Tobias’ rep, and his personal manager, Abner X^reshler, are currently ne- gotiating for him to join the ABC- TV production staff on the Coast following his Totem stint. Henny Yoniigman opened yes- terday (Tues.) at the Monteleone Hotel, New Orleans, for two weeks. with Leonard Reed in a song-dance- comedy act. Reetf was associated with Louis in various capacities when the latter was fighting. The rest of the layout consists of the Nicholas Bros., the Five Keys, Hal Singer’s band, Barbara De Costa and Vera Davis. Lew & Leslie Grade Agency is booking the package. derway within the next few months. . Units are Cesar Romero’s “Inter- national Revue,” previously an- nounced; Reginald Gardiner’s “Night Club Revue”; “An Evening In London,” featuring Constance Moore; a Judy Candva parcel and a George Fisher “Hollywood Re- vue” package. U MARQUEE LURE 6i ENCHANTRESS" ❖ ££ NEVER BETTER If $ HER SEXELLENCY- Currently ; ACADEMY OF MUSIC NEW YORK Aloha, Nui, Nui! Opening June 16 in HAWAII * Variety "Sally Rand has lost .nothing of her marquee lure, judging from daily lineups for Her. . . • The diminutive blonde over to wide-eyed sock customer response. ^ Climaxed by a thunder- ous begoff ovation. Whole show is handsomely mounted and rich on pace and diversity from beginning to that eye-filling flash finale." AtcSfay. * EARL WILSON "Sally was never better." *THE READER'S DIGEST By PHIL STRONG "At a rate of 10,000 every evening they bought tickets and went in to see her. The dance is beautiful, and Sa(!y herself, only a lovely clean-cut face above the slowly mov- ing ostrich plumes, is a; new enchantress." for Bookings ' FRANK TAYLOR of LEW & LESLIE GRADE 250 Wort 57th Str«,t. Now York, JUdfoo Ml W N. Y. • 1* V « # a ( I I . I|