Variety (July 1953)

VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, July 22, 1953 N.Y. Vs. Fla. Joust (or Vinter Names ANGELO’S VS. 7 SEAS IN Golden Jubilee the permanent closing of the Riviera; Ft. Lee, N. J., in October will make the New York area cafe industry even more of ai closed corporation than it now is. Mass biz in N. Y, is currently confined to t [>,> Latin Quarter, Copacabana, aiul in season the Riviera. With tin* evaporation of the Riviera, the undercover talent wars between .•tli id nitery and the Copa Will disappear. . Talent agencies will no longer be. able to pit tlie Copa against ' the Riviera as has been done In the past. To equalize the competition,; Copa boni face Jules Podell recently inst itiited a tworshows-nightly policy as against the three that previously prevailed. He was thus able to get Danny Thomas away from the Riviera by that maneuver. . In the name field, the Copa will be virtually the sole outlet. Lou . Walters at the Latin Quarter uses names only occasionally, to bolster a long-running show. Walters has Sophie Tucker coming in pet. 12 for four weeks and then goes into a new edition which Will have a batch of imports. , The talent agencies, however, 'will be able to pit N. Y, spots I against Florida during the winter I season. The reopening of the ’ Beachcomber, Miami Beach, may provide the peg for the competition. Although the talent needs of the forthcoming Florida . season cannot be estimated, at this, time, it will still be a good competition peg. However, the agencies and the nightclub owners know that a N. Y. showcasing is highly, necessary. Even established names must play a Gotham spot to provide a peg for national publicity, with video shows aiding in the. buildup. Omaha, July 21. Best local nitery competition of summer looms this week, . Angelo's will bring in Ella Fitzgerald July 24, day after she closes twtMveek' stint at the Chicago Theatre. Don Hammond of Seven Sbas Will counter with Lucille & Eddie Roberts, top magieos, same dates, Hammond hopes $1 TovOr Angelo’s will ask Will send most j nitery fans his way. Continued from part I DANCE ACT (THE VALENTINO WHIP) and Currently GLOBE THEATRE Atlantic City TEXAS’ 1ST SEARCH FOR NEGRO TALENT Dallas, July 21. The first statewide talent search for Negroes is being planned here as a highlight of Negro Achievement Day at the 1953 State Fair of Texas on Oct. 19 Winner will be sent to New York for appearances at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem and for possible TV auditions. ." The search will be conducted with the cooperation of 51 theatres jn 20 Texas cities. (Bobby) : Held Ovar FAIRMONT CLUB Ottawa,. Can. Booked thru WILLIAM SHILLING 165 West 46th Street New York City • Jehovah’s Witnesses Continued Irom page 1 U '. Chicago Felicia Sanders booked for six weeks at Black Orchid beginning Aug; 18 ... Les Paul & Mary Ford open Chicago Theatre for two stanzas Aug. .7,. playing Illinois State Fair Aug. 22 . . . Manny Opper bows into Dort Bowl, Flint, Mich., July 28 for indef engagement... Jack Richards and Marksmen into Crest Lounge, Detroit, July 28 for four frames, following with four more at Chari ute. AFB, ill., beginning Atig> 25 . . . Furnessa Bros, play Rossinian Hotel, Denver, Aug. 14 for three stanzas . . . Beverly Hudson takes over Henry Grady Hotel, Atlanta, Aug. 13 for fortnight . . . Harmonicats repeating at Michigan State Fair, Detroit* Sept. 4-13 . . . Norm Dyffon opens Jaguar Club, Indianapolis, July 27 lor single frame . . , Dominoes, Gene Krupa Trio, and Louis Armstrong booked for Michigan State Fair for week beginning Sept. 4 ... Ted Lewis into Lake Club; Springfield, today (Wed.) for single stanza, followed by Mills Bros. July 31 and Margaret Whiting, Aug; 14 . . . Ronalds Bros; taking a month vacation from their long engagement at Cairo Supper Club and return Sept. 16 for another indef run. on the extremely busy Saturday nights. That policy will be a permanent clause in all contracts written by the William Morris Agency for her— a maximum of two sh ows nightly, Y et at the 500 last Saturday (18) she was preparing to go home, at 2:30 a.m. ( meaning Sunday ) when a full house of freshly admitted patrons were in the room. Soph took a look at the crowd and told operator Paul (Skinny) D’Amato she was going on; . Consequently, there’s liable to be plenty exceptions to that rule, though a boniface better not count on them; . Life Is full of Latins From the Latin Quarter, ; she goes to the Latin. Casino, Philadelphia, thence to the Latin Quarter, Boston, and over to Miami Beach where she’ll work until March 15. After that her schedule calls for the Chase, St. Louis; Baker, Dallas; Roosevelt, New Orleans, and the Chez Paree, Chicago. At future dates she’ll work on the Coast, and will Play Ciro’s, Hollywood, and the El Rancho, Las Vegas,. Soph, who was ’ brought up in vaudeville and musical comedy, is likely to stick to cafe from here on in. She has been asked to play the Palace Theatre, N. Y., but declined on the premise that she doesn’t have on act for that house. She says what she’s doing Is strictly for cafes "where"* they know me and know what to exect of me. If I did that act in vaude ville, I’d be criticized severely end I just couldn’t take it." Soph explained that she’s virtually regarded as an institution in her particular field. What she can do in a cafe, couldn’t be done by a young girl. Thus she’s found a niche for herself— one that she feels is suitably becoming for a girl who’s given a half Century of her life to show business. Climax of. her golden jubilee year will come in New York on Oct. 4 when the Jewish Theatrical Guild will tender her a dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria. Already over $10,000 worth of reservations are in, and like many of her other endeavors, all proceeds will go to the actor guilds of various denominations. Work is already starting. Harry Brand ty chairman of the Jubilee Committee, is throwing a welcome home luncheon in her honor at "21’’ next Tuesday (28). Saranac Lake SEILER /Formerly the 4 Hawaiian's) • Scheduled for:— Blue Angel, Black Orchid and Purple Cow Pmialty LATIN QUARTER Newport, Ky. Baokid 'til Lata Summer Dir. — Altheff A Novella 225 W 57tli. Naw York City COMEDY MATERIAL For All Branches of Theatricals FUN-MASTER THE ORIGINAL SHOW-BIZ GAG FILE (The Service of the STARS) First 13 files $7.00— All 35 Issues $25. 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 • • BLUE BOOK (Gags for Stags) $50 • HOW TO MASTER THE CEREMONIES • $3.00 GIANT CLASSIFIED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAGS, $300. Worth over a thousand No C.O.D/s BILLY GLASON 100 W. 54th St., New York 19--Dept. V Circle 7-1130 Lew end l» AT DUNDEE (Beauty and, the Least) A new . note In Glamor Comedy .. Mot. : ' V-’ KERB Fit WF1SS • M) nCU.HY ARTISTS ■’jii av.. m. y. city, the JW expenditures meant a terrific bonanza for the "N, Y. hoteliers. Bulk of the Witnesses, other than those who spent the night, at hotels or in private homes, were housed in a temporary tent City at New Market, N. J. They set up tlieir own cafeterias, supermarkets, dug thei r own water supply and solved their own sanitation and. sewage problems. Their .coiielave at the Yankee Stadium on Sunday M0 1 was better attended than , a World Series game. It drew an! estimated 75,000> , : What’s . more, the . Witnesses did n’t de mand m uch in the. way of policing. Aside from a few traffic cops around the Yankee Stadium, the Witnesses could be trusted nnvwherb. One JW spokesman, declared that each delegate i$ under obligation to the Lord to conduct 'himself properly. During the ■Simpers’ and other .conventions, pol ice sometimes have t o look t he other way, but in the case of the Wi l nesses, they even aided the police (o apprehend themselves. One delegate wlio wanted to mail a letter unwittingly broke into a fire box. He realized his mistake and \yaited until the fire .engines came. He was .fined $50 in Bronx Magistrates Gourt. The Witnesses, spent considerable coin bn the lower priced amusements. The yap-wagons did; a thriving business, film houses did some and department stores gpt a ri reniendous amount of additioiTffl coin. One thing Is certain, there wefe never so many children at any convention ever ' held in New York .; The kids Vrere evident eve ry where', and . the adults’ be! linyior measured up to that of any; family head. . wlio had the . children with' him. . London Chris Cross doubling from London Palladium in Savoy Hotel nitery with Betty Luster following him in for the next fortnight . . . The Three Madamoiselles after four weeks at the Colony & Astor opened, yesterday (Mon.) at the •Pi gall e restaurant for indefinite run , Tlie Deep River Boys besides String of dates for Moss Empires, opening Palace, Manchester, Aug, 10, go into the Colony & Astor month of November . . . | Page & Bray play return date at the Savoy entire month of August, after which they open at tlie Bal Tabarin for eight weeks . . . Lew Grade has booked Georgia Gibbs for one-night at the. Sporting Club, Monte Carlo, Aug. 7. to lo.ok her. over , as a West End nitery prospect. i:. Philadelphia F 0 IDS ORIGINAL MAGICAL JUGGLER LATIN QUARTER, Boston x *orm Jimmy Burryll held over for two more weeks at Warwick Hotel . . . Bill Layne and Don Ilines headlining Club Shaguire bill which reopened after a brief vacation , „• . Cathy Allen is the singing feature | at Charlie Ventura’s Open House j ■■which has resumed its weekend ; shows . . ..Singer Bob Petti will play 10 weeks at the Hurricane Room, in Wildwood, N. J., this summer, marking his third season at | the spot . -. ... Dottic Blaine and Florence Wells are now dividing piano chores at the Sans So.uci, which remains open all summer . . . Big Bill’s reopened after a facelifting ... Billy Hey, the Saxony pianist, will play out the Summer at Merlin’s Bar in Atlantic City . . , Tommy Dennis at the CamBridge Club is being groomed for a five-week TV show; Buddy . Lester and Judy Johnson paired for the Beverly Hills Country Club, Newport, . Ky,; starting July 24';.... . Vic Dam one . signed f or . the. Chez Paree, '..Montreal,' Oct. 5 .Pinky.. Lee into the Mapes, I Reno, Aug; 27 • Lenny Kent ' tapped for tlie Sans Souci, Miami j : Beach, Aug. . '7 ... . Chandra Kaly Dancers terpirig at. the Mt, Royal, Montreal, July 27. ; Dandridge in Rio . Hollywood, July 21. . The . Brazilian, government, anxious to line up U. S; name, talent for the impending visit of Dr. Milton Eisenhower, brother and special emissary of President Eisen _hower,_turned_bookingagent_las.t. " « . • •./'*’ . • ... By Happy Benway Saranac Lake, N.Y;, July 2L Ivan Annenberg, circulation director of N. Y. Daily News; Sid Kornish, sheet’s traveling rep,, and Harry Danhing, N.Y. Giants excatcher now Rockaway News Co. credit manager, skied in in their private plane. Baby Doll, for a look-see and chat with MurrayKissen, who licked a serious relapse and is now back in circulation. . ;'■ Bobbie Elmer Trimble. Bakersfield. Cai., manager, hit the end of the. rainbow by rating a top clinic that u])ped him for a move to the ambulatory division. Ditto_ Adonis (Don* Torres, Loew’s 175th St., N.Y., asst, manager, who ended his observation with an ace report. . Birthday greetings to Bob • (Mello-Larks) Smith, Charles (Par) HillyCr and Adonis (Loew) Torres. Three months of faithful observation and Morris Dinnerson, of Randforce Theatres, Brooklyn, leaves for home and work with a definite all-clear. Hugh Carney, CBS executive who’s vacashing at Lake Placid, took time out to milt the gang and take the annual, checkup for a 100rr. rating. Sidney and Norman . Bornstein in from Portland, Me., for a bedside chat with Marlene Bornstein, Maine theatre staffer whose progress is tops. Jose Torres, Josephine Rivera and Lotte Rivera, in from Gotham to ogle Adonis Torrcs. .. .’ . Jolin Kelly, manager of Majestic Theatre. Perth Amboy, ;N.J., shot into the general hospital for a major operation and is back at the VC hospital recuperating in comfort. ■ Marie Gallagher, Vvh^orgradira ted here in class of 1945, in from Ph illy to chat with daughter Dolly, 1951 alumna who's now on the office staff of the VC hospital. . Among oldtimers progressing slowly in our ambulatory depart-: m e nt -are George ( Ele 'ph ants > Powers and John ti ATSE ) Streeper. Harry Martin, , nitery comedian, in. for a summer vacasli and annual checkup, . :■"■■■■ . ; ' ; Write to those you know. THE CHORDS Instrumentalists without Instruments W'«k of July 23 Club Dates: Bristol, Coon., and Magnolia, Mass. Dir.: GENERAL ARTISTS CORP. Club Date Bookings by HARRY GREBEN I NAT DUNN. 203 N. Wabash Ave. I 1650 B'way . Chicago, III. I ' New York TALENT-'-AII Typts of Atfs Send Photoi and Literature to: 1 Room 4Q9 McKinley. Building ' 259 Delaware Avenue,. Buffalo, N. Y. Phone: WA 8539; Cl 5510 FOSTER AGENCY, LONDON, presents Now Playing CASINO Lucerne, ^Switzerland American Rep.: WM. MORRIS AGENCY TAVEL MAROUANI AGENCY PARIS Latest Comedy Material for. MC’b, Maoielani, Entertalners, etc. : Send: for our latest pried 'list of gre*f ORIGINAL gagflleo, rnono-. log*,' dialogs, parodies, skit*, otc. Written by.ohow biz. top gagmen. Or ; send $10 for $50 Worth of above. Money back If not. satisfied. LAUGHS UNLIMITED 104 W. 45 St;, N. Y„ N. Y. JU 2^0373 For no P*' % show ■ SPECIAL RATES! Right in the heart of Phiiidelphi*’j . ^ theatrical and night club district . ♦ . \ excellent facilities, spacious, homey rooms, week and . set Dorothy Dandridge for a stand at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, thrush opened there Friday (17) ; zzi i i.i m ..v-'l. V, ' ^ BROAD AND LOCUST STREETS V’ f ■ Robtrt P«arc«, Resident Manager