Variety (April 1953)

52 MGHT CLOU REVIEWS PAfSIETT Wednesday, April 22, I 953 ^ « TV "V propelled props in his -direction. Coiwcmhmnm, *• g^me goes for Durso. Eddie. Jack- . Jimmy Durante, until Eddie ^ partner of the original Jackson. Wanda Smiths Cwer s c 0 ^ y { 0 ^ y jJ c kson & Durante’;) of Girls (5), Jack Roth, Jules Buf- course j s added insurance. Jules fano; Sonny King , Buffano at the ivories and Jackie Dale , Ramona Lang & Barnett, his special songsmith, con- cell, Helene Dtmonej Ted Martin, titute an all-American aggregation Copa Girls (8): Michael Durso formidable proportions. It is and Frank Marti Orchs.' staped bj amaz i ng how much they pack into Douglas Coudy; songs Matt Dubey 50-minute stint. & Harold Karr ; costumes, Billy otherwise well-schooled ■Livingston; orchestrations, idiot ^ ]j ne an( j specialists with their G. Eberhard; $5‘minimum. “Strange Rhythm” finale is virtu- 7“ « 1. ally anticlimactic except as a The Wizard of Schnoz out- breather. In the forepart they are schnozzed himself opening mgnt con sistently standout- with some at the Copa, and probably has been good songs provided by Matt Dubey making a habit of it ever since. and Harold Karr, a new writing Jimmy Durante—- in po^sen ■— teain un der Doug Coudy’s per- conjures up a magic medley usual topflight staging. The open- showmanship that is a blend 01 tne j Calypso, “For Love or Money,” boost hotcha aspects of the old . g a brisk teeoff. • Harbers & Dale, Parody-Club Durant-Dover ^Club f ea t ur ed terp pair, click with their days and the post-mldcentury s TV f OX trotology, lifts, holds and cake tempos and techniques. Jules ro- Ted Martin is a good produce dell’s current new billing foi the Uon singer who> Uke others ^ a Great Schnozzola, shown in rah-ran spo t over the years, with getup, college pennants, et ®-» as maturity and possibly a disclick “America’s greatest young come- oppor t un it y , will emerge import- dian” is no misnomer-—the veteran an tly.<aETe’s an effective baritone funster’s bouncing buffoonery can handling “Now I Know What They give a handicap to any Grossmger Mean » ^ his opener. Jack Purcell, circuit newcomer and beat the production dancer, opposite the pep and pace. There^s argument hol( fo Ver and leggy Ramona.Lang, on the aspects of surefire rapiei i ooks like Don Loper (himself a thrusts at audience nsibilities, £ opa a i um nus until clicking as a warmth of human appeal, tongue- Bevhi i ls couturier), in-schnoz deprecation ^ and, sonny King is in the featured above all, that something which yoca i spo t. He’s one of those ener- comes only with the vintage years ge ^ c barytones with a penchant for . —heart. falsetto interludes in his pop and The show biz adage Durante s classic repertoire. From “Get *'heart being as big as his nose Happy” and “Speak to An Angel” comes through like one of those he segues into special treatments little knicknacks they’ve been test- 0 f “Donkey Serenade,” “Melan- ing on the Yucca Flat in Nevada. c holy Baby” and “Pagliacci,” a His warmth is of steamroller pro- strangely variegated pot-pourri, but portions, and his exaggerated he holds the room. Also effective in pseudo-exasperations with drum- the singing department is produc- mer Jack Roth, lifetime side-kick tion thrush Helene Dlmone Who Eddie Jackson, Copa conductor handles herself well vis-a-vis Ted Mike Durso are eclipsed by his Martin. rich concept of kindly audience Withal, Jules Podell is in for a values. Even his s.a. tricks with goldmine with the Durante dura- that quintet of pulchritude-packing tion. Ritz Bros. next. Abel, chicks is fraught with an affection every drop of its epaotional theme. In a medley which she actually sings—as opposed to the usual talk-lyrics—She grabs a handmike and does a little jig around ring- side singing “I Wanna Say Hello. Before this she jiggles through “After You’ve Gone” and “Look- ing Over a Four-Leaf Clover. Climax to this, of course, is Some of These Days,” which gets ex- pected appreciation. The Great DeLage & Shirley are the only other act. Of late, there s been a noticeable trend toward a big name and one supporting act., few singers around ®uch as S the George^Ioro °Starlets^ nowadays who can do so well by a and with sucb production, the pro- rhythm number or give a ballad m seems t0 g0 well with both that extra poignancy that enhances customers and casino owners. Mtfemiftlbo, Hollywood Hollywood, April 15. Ella Logan , Eddie Oliver Orch (7), Joe Castro Quartet; $2 cover. This should be one of the better fortnights in the year for Charlie Morrison, particularly since Ella Logan is seen all too rarely along the Coast saloon circuit. The Scot lassie’s brand of bleating has a hefty following and though she disappointed somewhat at the initial show with a style shift, she returned to her familiar genre thereafter to insure good results. There are DeLage magico has disappear- ance as its forte, and climax is making Shirley vanish. Constant that is almost as paternal as it is earthy. This is a pretty difficult premise to project, or even want to * . * 1 • 1.1 * ^ AMA latter combo while Castro vaca- tions. Ka P- Edgewater Beach, Chi .Chicago, April 17. accept, in so realistic an atmosphere Hildegarde, Alphonse Semola, as a saloon—and at these prices. Robert Norris Orch; $3.50 mini- But such is the virtuosity of Du- m $1 coveTt rante’s deftness and quondam daffi- ness that he achieves both conclu- Hildegarde is making her second sions at one and the same* stand at this large hostelry, her There’s not one who wouldn t want g rs ^- a seven-week stay a year and to swap that business with the a half ago. Only in for four weeks Wanda Smith Cover Chris as they this time, she demonstrates her stroke the trademarked proboscis, pu n t despite a general slump in. while at the same time he mayhems other bistros here, with a large Roth, Durso & Co., acts impatient gathering of her loyal followers with Jackson, and all that goes opening night. Marine Room, only with it. in her case, dispenses with all This engagement is a tour-de- other entertainment except for the force for the .Great Profile. It’s as orch for show and dancing, if he sets a challenge pattern for p er usual, the chanteuse does himself, and set out to top any- only one show opening night. But thing he’s ever done before. In this not per usual, singer has dropped respect it’s like the Joe E. Lewis the concert aspects and has come return engagements to the Copa— up with a genial and warming there is constant awareness that hour-long funfest. More symbolic, this is the Palace of the bistros; the maybe unknowingly, is the choice audience constitutes his peers; and of the first tune, “Relax,” which the job is ever to impress them, seems to paraphrase the new turn. Playing to the top-drawer segment From'start to finish, even’ in the of hepsters, be they the profes- more serious tunes, there seems to sional saloonatics- or the averagely be a lightness and warmth per- discriminating customers, the end- vading her stint, result must be only one of ultra she waltzes with the males, performance. chats amiably with a youngster, At a Copa opening some seasons and carries off an interesting ses- back this reporter overheard new- s ion with a just returned Korean generation firstnighters express vet without getting sticky. Her themselves that this was a first in- little mishaps are covered with person glance at Durante, and clever explanations and there are “what has he got that appeals so none of the attempted - clever much!” By the third number, with stories, just little quips, not too an eye and ear as much on this original but well liked here, new-found audience-reaction as For this family spot the Mil- well as on Durante s fol-de-rol on wa ukee chirper hasn’t brought the floor, the youngsters threw m much new material, which is all to the skepticism towel. It was a the good. Obviously, the customers pleasant enough challenge, such as want old fashioned schmaltz, and * any show biz great must experience it’s hard to think of anyone more with fresh audiences, and the qualified to dish it -out. What has young couple veered from the skep- been added falls neatly in this tic to the ecstatic. 4 classification. From her European Durante doesn’t permit for any tour she has brought back several coasting. Enlisting tne five lookers, pieces, the most outstanding an from his TV show, who constitute English tune called “Vitality,” a the Wanda Smith Cover Girls—the watered-down “No Business Like titian heads the quintet, along with Show Business.” a blende and three indeterminate There’s a trio of items from the but pulchritudinous brownettes— »20s in which Hildegarde gets a Durante started to sew things up chance to show off some good from the very first .opening num- pianol 88ing. However, her best bre, “We’ve Got Any Evening With reception comes for her reprise of Jimmy.” The shapely fillies doff her hit tunes starting off with their skirts for a lithe and legsome “Last Time I Saw Paris” and then treat as they work with Schnoz sue- .winding wistfully through “Dar- cessively in “Hot Potato” (including ling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup,” and the strutaway), “Start Each Day scores with “Lili Marlene” as With a Song,” “I Refuse to Wear a 1 finale. She mixes up “All the Beret” (clever parody on “Dry Things You ’Are” as scored by Bones”), “I Like My Women Hard Bach and other composers, includ- to Get.” “I Just Can’t Put. It in ing Jerome Kern/,who actually Words,” “Gotta Feelin’ You Wanta penned the tune. This, her last Go,” “We’re Back in Our New York number, is straight key work and Town” and the inevitable “Inka shows some imaginative chording. Dinka Do,” with plenty of local She has to how off. asides and ad libs, and also some Robert Norris wields the baton very effective insults against the during the show with fine restraint ‘bosses,” this mine-shaft” and Alphonse Semola, on the second kindred small-talk that interlarded piano, fills the bridges neatly when the lyrics. ^ Hildegarde steps down from her That the Durante team is a well- platform to work ringside. Al- kmt cohesive unit is cliche, but the though Anna Sosenko, personal manner in f which - they • disport manager and lighting technician themselves is constantly refresh- for the singer, was absent due to ing. Roth is a bulwark at the drums illness, everything was perfect and And an iron man for catching the on cue, Zabe . its appeal. That’s why rlngsiders were startled at the initial show when she clung closely to torch tunes, eschewing the and frantic mustc background adds ^i n \>on't W Want t 'Him" m and I1 ^ Tliat Considerably to excitement. Old Feeling” should be retained Starlets are socko in two rou- excellent change of pace, tines. Lavish costuming, slick Otherwise s£e should hew .more to choreography, c0 ^tr as ting th ®™* s “Ronnie Lies Over the Ocean (a floating waltz opener and a racy, . rinmhpr she sells so well .heated intro to Miss Tucker) plus of course the “Glocca Morra” the best-looking cast of eight girls whleh’has becoml a virtual trade- Moro has ever assembled here, all mark! h OpXT show” too, she Pullmittscomparable to thereat nassed nary a word with her audi- of the show. tors. Incidentally, she’s now sport- ing a boyish type haircut that Fairmont Hotel 9 S. F. doesn’t do justice to that warm, g an Francisco, April 14. pixie face. Joe E. Lewis, with Austin Mack, As ever, the Eddie Oliver orch Ernie Heckscher Orch (10); $2 does a standout job of showback- cover. ing and continues to please on its - alternating dance stints with the This is Joe E. Lewis' first Frisco Joe Castro Quartet. Marco Rizo pitch but opener had a jampacked has taken over keyboarding for the an( j almost all-fan crowd on hand - And the Venetian-Room check- payers gobble his wares as if re- covering from a 10-year local fast. iMA. n aM :c, In turn, Lewis pours on his best Bl?fip D ® SWM® assortment o f entertainment Paris, April 14. curves, which leaves the as- Suzy Solidor, Colette Mars, sem bled worshippers satiated with Henry Bry, Gino Donati, Igolen & conviction that they had lived Rita, Vicente Beltran Orch (9); $3 again. At least they no longer have minimum, to travel to New York, Las Vegas, —• . .. Chicago and other points to get Plush intimery is back to “S th eir fill of the Lewis nectar, completely Parisian layout with a It » s a typ j ca l Lewis bellringer; solid* triple-threat adhne the inevitable salad of chatter, that is bringing m the Gallicc S0ngS( hoke and general whimsi- nage trade and / calities plus the readiness to oblige Chantoosies Suzy Sohdor and Col reques t items as lisped from ettq- Mars, with glib story-teller . , fiiiir? make this a fine show. Included in his repertoire, if it Prices have been cut down for the can be called that, are his “South- tourist ^^seSson vdth best cham- land,” “Two To Tango,” “Men of uacnf for two going at $12 and-a Distinction” and “The Biggest Pair mlled driidTfor $3. of Parakeets in Town.” But it is QnUJnr the «r an de dame his old fave, “The Groom” which Miss Solidor, ^oKra e re ally sets the customers to gibber- of song, starts the Proceedings ing £ their drinks He scores with rfeffance in this item with an impact which 5howma^Wp, wit nd g - the evening to assure him- 1116 self of another hot town op the rtnSnnd suriehtlv stor- Lewis sawdust trail. Indications alog and poems ana sprignuy sior , , stand will cram the cash ies. She starts with a nice medley are tills stana will cram tne casn of tunes of which “Nuits De Notre register. ..... . Dame” and “Braziliera” are stand- Special credit is due Austin outs She utilizes her svelte robe Mack, who turns in an amazing with aplomb as it becomes toga, chore in following, sparking and veil or sari as song demands. Miss adjusting himself to Lewis’ “fluid” Solidor has the showmanship that performance. Music by Ernie Heck- makes for big mitting. scher and his troupe is at its usual Next up ts saucy, dynamic Col- high level for terping and show- ette Mars, who scores in a batch backing. Ted. of numbers (New Acts). Also un- der New Acts are two good fillers in hep magico of Igolen & Rita and tenor stooge stint of Gino Donati. Savoy. Hotel, London , London April 17, Three*s Company, Eddy Edico & Co. (3), The Laveres ( 6 ), Carroll Gogi’9 Larue, N. \\ % Dany Dauberson (with Jean Bouly ), Ted Straeter Orch, Peviia Lopez band; $5 minimum; $2 cover (no minimum) Fri,-Sat, after 10. ■■■ 1 ' f Dany Dauberson is the latest French singer to make her Ameri- can debut and she more than makes the grade. She is handsome (not the beauty of the advance billing) statuesque, a piper with a legiti- mate voice, and conducts herself with grace and quiet authority, in her preem at Gogi’s plushery, she wore a smart jet strapless that showed off her nifty figure. She’s a cantatrice in the best Gallic tra- dition. Her style and behavior do not embrace.sex; in view of her considerable plus qualities, she can leave that to the near-pros. in addition to possessing a solid throat—some of it in the husky groove— Miss Dauberson is a com- petent actress and she employs her hands and arms, for instance, as a perfectly synchronized device dur- ing her extra-good songalog. In her coming-out she did eight numbers. Each has an iptro that demonstrates command of English, while in the handling of American lyrics there is sometimes an admixture of ac- cents or an almost imperceptible French accent. Were it not for the notices preceding her, she could pass for, say, a Viennese doing a French repertoire. Understood she is actually of Swiss origin. Miss Dauberson’s opener is a French street, song, and she begins a steady climb with the followup, “Amour Perdu” (“Lost Love”). In “Mile, de Paris” she goes gay and rhythmic in the ditty, handling it in two tongues. The segue Is to a finely-sustained dramatic piece, of a jealous husband who kills his wife. After the inevitable and well- defined “Padam,” Miss Dauberson reaches the crest of her perform- ance via the Charles Trenet fave, “Springtime in Rio,” with double lyrics. (She said in her intro it was her first try at that number; if so, she’s a terrifically quick study). In the tear-jerking vein, with espe- cially socko lighting, she does an encore announced simply as “My Song.” This shows her versatility plus that thesping talent. The madamoiselle’s begoff is a number “taught to me by the GIs in Paris.” It turns out to be “Stormy Weather,” in English, for one of the best blues beltings since Ethel Waters captured the country with it. It rated the opening-night ovation, but the. chanteuse, after half an hour, denoted with her ex- pressive eyes that her stint was fin- ished. There is no doubt that Miss Dauberson can join the choice ljine of Parisian singers who have scored on this side. Expert cuing from the' piano is by her own accomp, Jean Bouly, the French composer. Aside from knowledgable show- backing, Ted Straeter’s footers bring out the customer tootsies in force, sharing this chore with the Latino arrangements of the Pepito Lopez group. Miss Dauberson, with but one day here before going on, had to pass up the Sunday and Monday shows (19-20) due«to laryngitis-ex- haustion. She was to resume last night (Tues.). Trau. Henry Bry, a dapper, poised per- Gibbons Orch, Roberto Inglez former, gives out with a barrage of Rhumba Band; $4 minimum. stories and patter that is fine in delivery and innuendo to end Headlining the new layout at the things on a high chuckle status. Savoy is a terping trio billed as Brv. who is strictly for the Gallic Three’s Company,' soon to make set, also engages in laugh-lined badinage with Miss *5olidor about her designs on him. Vicente Beltran orch dishes out good dance music and when caught biz was tops. Mosk . Riverside, Reno Reno, April 16. Sophie Tucker, Great De Lage & Shirley , Riverside Starlets, Bill Clifford Orch with Betty Holt; no cover Or minimum. This show evidently launches the summer session in Reno. Theatre restaurant was elbow-to-elbow, and the bar four deep to welcome Sophie Tucker. Whatever combin- ation of elements is needed to build an excitement and reception such as this, the pattern was cer- tainly complete. Biggest element of all, of course, and the one es- sential factor, was Sophie Tucker herself: She could do no wrong—not even when advocating, as the pol- icy of the “Sophie Tucker School for Red Hot Mommas/’ such things as “a Marilyn Monroe in every bed!” Habitues of this spot have walked out on material which, alongside this, sounds like “A Child’s Garden of Verses.” But from her—it was all too positively charming. Bedecked in a cllnging-clanging black gown Miss Tucker gets her first big mitt on launching “Life is a Wonderful Thing,” played for their U.S. debut, having been booked jby Merriel Abbott for a three months’ season at the Palmer House, Chicago, opening July 30. The team consists of two men (Paddy Stone, Irving Davis) and a gal (Beryl Kaye) who appear indi- vidually as hoofers in the new Gene Kelly British pic, “Invitation to the Dance.” For their current engagement, Stone has written original music and breezy lyrics. To open the rou- tine, the two males come on first and, to the accomp of fancy step- ping, pave the way for entrance of their femme partner with a risque lyric. For the riext 15 minutes or so they work together with grace and ease in a series of highly special- ized routines which get a top recep- tion. They move across the large, rising floor freely and gracefully and the act is touched off by a cute exit number which has an abund anefrdf charm. It.is a complete con trast to the rest of the act. Eddy Edico & Co. are a moderate trio of knockabouters. Their busi- ness is mainly in the conventional groove and the act is below ac- cepted West End standards. The Savoy’s resident dancing troupe, the six Lavere girls, open and close the show with attractive steps. At times the backgrounding by Carroll Gibbons’ aggregation is overpowering, occasionally drown- ing the lyrics of the main attrac- tiori. Rhythm music by the Roberto Inglez rumba combo is in their usu- al clicko fashion. Myro. Crescendo, Hollywood Hollywood, April 17. Eileen Wilson, Dick Kimball, Jack Nye Orch (6); no cover or minimum. This newest of the Sunset Strip spots has had a tough struggle since it opened a few months ago, managing to lure just enough pa- trons to keep going but not enough to indicate any great future. The current layout looks like it could spark added attention fropi the town’s pub-crawlers but, ironically, it’s probably the last floorshow at the spot. Rising scale and the con- stant booking battle have virtu- ally cinched a management deci- sion to operate as a restaurant with dancing and eliminate shows. This bill marks the Coast debut of Eileen Wilson and the Lucky Strike “Hit Parade” chirp is a cinch to build a new following. She’s a singer with a real voice, and easy presence and a conscious- ness of how to handle a nitery stint. 'The result is a half-hour songalog that’s well paced and highly listenable. She moves with equal facility from ballads, including a skillful “King and 1 to the rhythm stuff, and # her medley “Blow, Gabriel” final® earns her a begoff. Pic offers could develop from this stand. Crescendo also has a promising comedian in Dick Kimball, who has been kicking around on the fringes, of the burlesque style saloons for some time. He’s ghn and with a wealth of material that derives steady laughs. There s an occasional throwaway line and he has a tendency to pun a bit too much for general tastes, but its all in.a happy vein. Weakest 01 his stuff is some miming. Kap.