Variety (April 1953)

60 VAIHEVIUJB PSasnefr Wednesday, April 15, 1953 Philly Cafe Owners Take AGVA Case To Federal Court in New Injunction Move; Acts In-Out at Struck Spots Philadelphia, April 14. Counsel for the Cafe Owners Assn, of Greater Philadelphia to go into U. S. District Court here today (Tues.) to ask for a Federal; injunction against the American Guild of Variety Artists, the Sea- farers International Union and all parties involved in the strike which temoorarily closed four niteries weekend before last. The dispute between the nitery actors andthe local cafemen, which has spread into a nationw’^* *•■»*- sle and something resembling a showdown fight, was forced under judicial order to mark time here since last Tuesday <7\ when Judge L. Stauffer Oliver, in Common Pleas Court, issued an injunction restraining AGVA and allied un- ions from picketing four spots— the Celebrity Room, Little Raths- keller. Big Bill's and Ciro’s. Judge Oliver withdrew the* in- junction at a further hearing Fri- day HOi, when James L. Price, attorney for the cafe association, told the court that “AGVA’s mini- mum basic agreement violates the Taft-Hartley Act and in the attempt to force the plaintiff into signing an unlawful agreement “would sub- ject the cafe owners to Federal prosecution.” 'Temporary Halt on Pickets When Price announced he would move the case to Federal court, Edward Davis, AGVA attorney, and Louis Wilderman, counsel for the Seafarers International, said there would be no picketing until the case was filed in District Court. Judge Oliver ^insisted upon the unions’ promise not to resume picketing as a condition for his withdrawing the injunction. The Friday morning hearing drew a large crowd of Philly’s late night life, both performers and nitery ops. Also present at the hearing were Jack Irving, national administrative secretary of AGVA; Henry Katz, resident counsel for the actors union; Dave Fox, execu- tive secretary of Theatre Restau- rant Owners of America, and Her- man Comroe, president of the Philly cafe group and a TROA v.p. Offshoot of the litigation was the return to work of the service un- ions and entertainers at the struck cafes over the weekend, but this (Continued on page 62) 'fiimmo’s Reno Divorce; Bures at Second Slot 'JReno, April 14. Comedian Harry Mimmo, dissat- isfied with second slot in the Mapes Skyropm show which began last Thursday (9), walked out during the afternoon rehearsal that day. Billed at 100% though under baritone Herb Jeffries, Mimmo asked Charles Mapes to move his act to closing spot on show. Mapes said he told the comic that the show would stay as set unless first- night r^actioh proved the lineup to i be wrong. No act has been signed to re- place Mimmo yet, and Eddie Fitz- patrick’s orch is filling in with three instrumental numbers. Other act on this two-week stand is Stuart Morgan Dancers. AGVA’s Unfair’ Label Vs, Philly To Pa. Labor BA Philadelphia, April 14. t The American Guild of Variety j Artists is filing unfair labor charges against the Cafe Owners Assn, of Greater Philadelphia with the Pennsylvania State Labor Re- lations Board. Union is charging the nitery org with “unfair and discriminatory tactics against union | ( members, coercion by owners to get AGVA members to,resign from the union, and coercion by the or- ganization to get the Ainion to deal with the association rather than permit AGVA to deal with nitery owners as individual operators.” Action is being filed by AGVA attorney Edward Davis, who is rep- resenting the union in Philadel- phia. The SLRB action is the latest step in -the battle between the cafemen and the union. Tiff origi- nated over nitery rebellion against payment of the welfare tax of $2.50 per week per performer. Borge lSiG, Detroit Toledo, April 14, Victor Barge has been booked for four performances of his one- man “Concert in Comedy” at the 1,800-seat State Theatre here, April 30-May 2. Show pulled $15,- 500 last week at the Cass, Detroit. The State will also house a one- nighter of Mia Slavenska, Freder- ic Franklin and Alexandra Dani- lova and their ballet company be- ing brought here by Mrs. Flora Ward Hineline April 24. Omaha’s Shrine Circus SRO for 24th Time But Low Gear on Top Acts . . Omaha, April 14. Omaha’s 24th annual Shrine Cir- cus continued as a show biz phe- nom here. Like its predecessors, it was a sellout for all 12 shows; April 6-11. However, producer Rink Wright either was given a slimmer, talent budget this season or top acts weren’t available, for the overall stanza was below par. j Top acts were the Langs, teeter- j boarders lured from the niteries; Unus, ex-Ringling one-finger-stand specialist, and Ming Sing, contor- tionists, who lost out by making their tricks look too easy. Around for the umpteenth time were Chick Yale and his table rock, Cyse O’Dell and her one-arm planges. Art and Marie Henry’s dogs and hosses, and the Flying Valentines, breaking in new' femme aerialists. New acts here on the credit side were Eric Philmore, who plays ten- nis against glass backboard with four balls; Victoria Troupe, cycl- ists and musicians from England; Valentino Sisters, featuring Cherie, 5, who duplicates Betty Hutton’s “Greatest Show” stunts; Freddie and Shirley Logan’s elephants (5) and Cepler Family, on high wire. Bozo Harrell and Bobo Barnett pro- duced the skimpy clown alley guf- faws. Trump. Miller Not Using NJ. and Vegas Cafes As Twin Booking Wedge; Talent Pacted ¥ Kats’Meow Answered Ancbcrage, Alaska, April 14. A quick search of the town a few hours after arrival netted the Krazy Kats trio enough instru- ments to open their show at the Tropics Club last week. The dozen instruments used by the comedy trio were late in arriving for the teeoff. Krazy Kats—landing here from San Francisco—looked up friend? and strangers alike to secure mu- sic-makers. A1 Martino to Palladium In June With Kean Sis A1 Martino has been signed for the Palladium. London, for two weeks, starting June 8. He’ll be on the bill with the Kean Sisters. Time slot wag originally allocat- ed to Guy Mitchell, but date has been postponed to July 20. Mitch- ell will tour the provinces for four stands prior to the Palladium. Chi Cop Probe Puts Heat On ‘Femme Cafes Chicago, April 14. Current police investigations are. closing this town tighter than the •proverbial drum. With the dis- missal last week of a police cap- tain'for failure to control gambling in the Loop and near north side area, heat was really applied with the result that most of the small bistros have reported a slump of 20 to 30%. Among the edicts were a ban on 26, a dice game, and unescorted females at bars. Crackdown on the femmes cuts sharply into the drop-in spots and hotel intime bars. Hardest hit, of course, are the strip and girl joints, which depend on “B” girls, or hostesses, who mingle at the bar. This is definite- ly verboten. In nearby Calumet City, spots are also feeling the heat. Town is usually a refuge for the more ac tive nightclubbers, especially wfien things are quiet in Chicago. The Cook County sheriff’s office has been policing the area and conduct- ing raids and has also asked that military authorities declare the town out-of-bounds for armed forces personnel. K&RlEfr “Cabot and Dresden flash their fancy hoof- ing exhibition with ace results. Duo has a tricky adagio stunt in which the male twirls his femme partner above his head with one hand with dangerous-looking speed. Pair also click neatly in a light folk dance breather.” Herm. LEE MORTIMER, Daily Mirror “At the Copacabana, the sensational dance duo of Cabot and Dresden.” HY GARDNER, New York Herald Tribune “Old-Fashioned Easter Bouquets: To Cabot and Dresden—for their dazzling acrobatrick dancing at the Copa, as thrilling as a flash under the Big Top.” GENE KNIGHT, New York Journal-American “Those lifts and spins of Cabot and Dresden at the Copacabana, the dance duo, are thrill- ers.” CABOT and DRESDEN currently 3RD RETURN ENGAGEMENT COPACABANA Bill Miller, operator of the Rivi- era, Ft. Lee, N. J., and booker for the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, hjs bought the majority of his talent for the season for the Jersey spot and has signed acts for the Sahara until September. According to present buying indications, he isn’t using the Vegas spot as a wedge to get talent into the Riviera, and vice versa. Not one turn is so far booked into both spots. Miller closed the Miami Beach edition of the Riviera Sunday (12t. He had opened the spot experi- mentally with a moderate-priced Negro show, but policy failed to pay off. There had been a previous shuttering. Set so far for the Ft. Lee cafe are Lena Horne, Alan King, Szon- ys, Pupi Campo and Walter Nye bands for the opening show, April 28. Donn Arden will again do the choreography. Tony Martin, Bambi Linn and Rod Alexander are down for June 2. Eddie Fisher has been signed but no definite date has been set Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy go in Aug. 25; Will Mastin Trio, .June 30. and Vic Da- mone and Marge & Gower Cham- pion, May 19. For Las Vegas, Miller has signed Eddy Arnold for May 5; Jan Mur- ray and Teresa Brewer, May 19; Ray Bolger, Ames Bros, and Les Zoris, June 2; Vaughn Monroe as a single but head of a package, June 30; Paul Winchell and Snook- ie Lanson, July 28; Vagabonds heading their own package, Aug. 25, and Martha Raye as head of a unit will go in Sept. 8. In addition, ‘ Miller has set a return for Dick Powell, starting date indefinite, and a repeat for Jeanette MacDonald, who’ll play the spot around the Christmas holidays. Miller declared that as far as the Sahara bookings are concerned, money is an object. He feels -that it’s just as wrong to go “crazy” on prices for that spot as it would be for him to spend outlandishly for the Riviera. He said he’s in the market for attractions at prices that would make bookings worth- while. NEW YORK April 21st, “KATE SMITH SHOW,” NBC-TV (4th Return Engagement) Personal Management: KENNETH LATER 4 Hotel Warwick, 54th St. and 6th Ave., New York, N. Y. Add Brit Olympic Skater To ‘Capades’; Omaha SRO * Omaha, April. 14. John H. Harris has added a comer to his “Ice Capades” to ac- company Donna Atwood, Bobby Specht, Jacqueline du Blef, the Old Smoothies, Ruby & Bobby Maxson, Ginny Baxter, Sonya Klopfer, et <al. Newcomer is Michael Carring ton, a member of the British Olym pic team. And he’s talented enough to more than hold his own in such spectacular company. Young and handsome, he’s spotted in a solo number in the second half and comes through with a series of twists and leaps that earmark him as a future star. o Only other change since the New York engagement is the drop- ping of Hugh Forgie & Stig Lar- son, badminton exhibitionists. “Brigadoon” feature was clocked at 42 minutes at opening {91 and could stand still some pruning. Maxwells, terrif acros from Australia, are moved up to the No. 4 spot to take badminton players’ spot and inject top com- edy in the first half. Jen May- hall’s band (23) cuts a neat show. Capacity biz, despite rain and cold. And it’ll continue through last day tomorrow (Wed.), thanks to outstate promotion work of Aksarben Coliseum boss Harry Fowler and his publicity chief, Bernie Kelly. Trump. Nick Lucas headlined last night , (Tues.) at the State Fair Audi- torium, Dallas, at show held for dealers of Texas Power & Light Co. TERM STEVENS "Terri Steveds hoc great voice, beauty and a tremendous personality.” J. Donovan, Horizon Room, Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pa. Currently, BOULEVARD, NEW YORK STAR MANAGEMENT S4S 7th Ave.. New York BAysIde 4-0910 Latest Comedy Material fer MC’s, Magicians, Enter- tainers. ete. Send fer our latest erica list ef treat ORIGINAL taiflles. mane- let*. dlaltft, paradiel, iskits, etc. Written by shew 1 biz ten taimen. Or send |i0 far $5# wertlf ef above. Money back If not satisfied. LAUGHS UNLIMITED 104 W. 45 Sh, N. Y., N. Y. JU 2-D373 JIMMY and G IN I JIM AE Currently Appearing "$T, J mam * Theatre" AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND Thanks ta Low A Ltslla Grade, Ltd. ta PJPOP.* 1 .Meneaement—KEN SB RIVERSIDE DRIVE, NEW YORK, N. Y. and “Eddie Echo* APPEARING AT "SEVILLE THEATRE" MONTREAL, CANADA (APRIL 14TH TO 22ND) Thanks Dan Friendly GRAYSON ^ SUsquehanna 7-14*4