Variety (December 1953)

Wednesday* December 30f 1953 V AUDEVHXB 47 The American Guild of Variety Artists is scrutinizing the legal front preparatory to the impending battle between the performer un< ion and the American Federation roHVIusicians^: _ ; A s l —. r- • •—r Presently, AGVA prexy Jackie Rrieht is studying the legal aspects nf the refusal of the Pittsburgh lo- cal of the AFM ta back him when Up performed , last week at the Carousel in that city. Bright nlayed that town for less than a week, consequently it was impos^ sible for him to get a temporary stay which would forbid the mu- sicians from boycotting him. Whether some action can be taken against the local is still being stud- ied. Bright defied the AFM baiq on personal appearances on disk jockey shows. A. Frank Reel, of the law firm of Siiverstone & Rosenthal, AGVA national counsel, went to Boston yesterday (Tues.) to confer with the Massachusetts Board of Con- ciliation in an effort to settle the dispute slated to start Jan. 4 in Boston when the AFM Will refuse to work With. AGVA performers from that date. In Baltimore, AGVA is prepare ing to process a claim against the AFM there for attempting to in? duce a performer to quit AGVAi Case revolves around Judy San- Ihompson-WQIiams to Sub • tini, a singer and daricer who sometimes uses an accordion to ac- company her ^songs. As yet, no action is contem- plated in Montreal, where AFM I win slip away from working with ]_AGVA_meinhers_after Jan, 1. Pre- sumably that date was selected to permit members to get in all the holiday work; available. Basic reason for the .dispute stems from the. abrogation of the agreement between the AFM and AGVA in effect for several years Some months ago, AGVA gave the |AFM the 60-day notice To cancel that treaty which defined to which union performers who play musical instruments should belong. Notice expired last month and presently, there is no agreement between both outfits. Kay Thompson Sc The Williams Bros, have been booked for the Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel, N.starting Jan. 6, as a replace- ment for Nanette Fabray. Miss Fa- bray has been hit by influenza and had to postpone her stand. Shell play the plaza sometime in April. ; LENNY COLYER "Mr. Specs Hfmitlf" Currently* Stivi Harm* HOLLYWOOD THEATRE RESTAURANT Chicago ■ Rcr. Mat. AL BORDE 203 N. Wabash, Chicago Special Pormdnont Rate* from $17.50 Wotfcfy Transient rooms j 1 also available. v MUISSN AVI. 1 SStfe ST ntlph Hamrick. Mr. N«w Ysrlt, N. Y. As a result of their, stand at the Bandbox, Los Angeles, Rose Marie and Lenny Kent Will be booked as a duo. They, were hooked into the Coast spot as two singles and started working together with a few gags. Routines have been ^enlarged, and they’ll be set as a package. They’ve been tapped for the Flamingo, Las Vegas, in February, and will work at, the Clover Club, Miami, in April, William Morris Agency, booking the duo, recalls that Dean. Martin & Jerry Lewis started the same way—through individual bookings into the same spot. There was also another combo that Worked out Well in Florida, but didh’t jell in the northern climes.: Several years ago, a combo with Vaga- bonds, Rose Marie and Jan Murray tried it as a team, but came to a halt with their, debut at the Rivi- era, Fort Lee,. N. . J. The Vaga- bonds, on their own, have hit top b.o. since then, probably as a result of numerous appearances on the Arthur Godfrey show. Hamilton Trio to Fill Its Pact at Pitt Pittsburgh, Dec. 29 Bob Hamilton Trio will fill its unexpired contract at Copa, down- town nitery, week of Jan. 18 right after it finishes up three straight Saturday night appearances on "Your Show of Shows.’’ This is a date dancers have owed Lenny Lit- man, Copa owner, since last sum^ mer, when they came in and play- ed, only two nights, cancelling out when Hamilton was stricken with appendicitis and had tb undergo an emergency operation here. . At that time, the Hamiltoif'Trio was launching a nightclub tour fol- lowing a season on “Your Show of Shows.’’ Same week will bring back Georgie Shaw, new Decca record- ing star, who clicked at Copa just A fortnight ago. Shaw had been booked into another Pitt spot, Twin Coaches, JL or that date, but was available to Copa for a repeat when the Coaches decided to go to weekend operation only for the winter. It Doesn’t Strike Twice, Baltimore, Dec. 29. . Magico Milbourne Christo*. . plier, in conjunction with his . one-man show at the Hilltop- Parkway Theatre, Baltimore, did a gratis show at the. City Jail where he performed a few escape tricks., v A local paper, reporting the . event, recalled that the late Houdini pulled the same Stunt some years ago. However,' one of the prisoners later figured ■ out; 'the ~ Houdirii” trick arid broke out of his confinement. Texas State Fair Netted 350G for Autumn Rim Boston, Dec. 29. Refusal by. Mayor John B. Hynes to grant a 1954 license to the Old Howard and Casino The- atres here yesterday (Mon.) ap- parently sounded the death knell of Hub hurley. Hynes,;" who has sole power to issue hurley licenses, indicated his action was the re- sult of police reports which disap- proved new licenses on grounds that hurley was not the type of en- tertainment which should be per- mitted. here. Hynes agreed with an emphatic “I believe that, too.” It's believed pressure from the clergy influenced his stand and while the mayor was partially re- ceptive to issuing the theatres vaudeville permits, he also feared the “vaude” might emerge as bur- ley once the heat was off: Spots have been shuttered since early November, When three strippers and managers of both theatres were hailed into court and fined for appearing in and producing “lewd and immoral shows.*- - v ” Edict wTlT undoubtedly be the finale of the Old Howard, the Country’s oldest burley house, for its situation in an offbeat section of downtown Hub would probably not lure sufficient patronage to continue as a picture house. How- ever, the Casino, which has op- erated in the past with a film pol- icy, may continue.’ Pittsburgh, Dec. 29. With unshuttering of the Casino Xmas Night (25) after three-week shutdown, town’s lone burlesque house has gone on a stock basis, and will bring in only featured strippers from week to week, other- wise running with a permanent company. It’ll be headed by George Murray, longtime burley comic who has been manager of the Ca* sino for the last two years. Mur- ray’s giving up the front of the house to go back to his baggy pants and putty nose again. He’ll be assisted by Eddie'Lloyd and Murray’s wife, Eileen Hubert, who has been producing chorus numbers at the Casino ever since her husband came here to pilot the theatre. She’ll remain in that capacity. Regular straightman hasn’t been picked yet although Dick Dana is in for the first cou- ple of weeks. Casino has always had its own chorus, and gals from the line will look after the femme bits in the sketches with Murray and Lloyd. - Dallas, "Dee. 29/ ; State Fair of Texas in 1953 made a net profit of $350,438 in its 16- day run, Qct. 10-25, directors’ board learned here last week. Take fell below the ’52 net of $397,677- Record profit for the 68-year-old expo Svas made in 1949, when the net was $511,000. However,, attend dance this year wst 2 382,712; unly 4,000 short , of the all-time gate record of 1952. — T . ~ ; Fair directors reelected' R. L. Thornton Sr., bank prez and city's mayor, to his hinTlr term as fair’s prexy: Also reelected were Janies H. Stewart, exec veepee-general manager; Charles R. Meeker Jr., veepee r assistant general man- ager; Fred F. Florence,, treas- urer, and Arthur K. Hale, assistant secretary. New Year’s Eye nitery reservar tions are starting to hit a good stride iri New York cafes. Much space has been accounted for and the last-minute rush will assure sellouts in most spots, according to all indications. Cafe_oPS .declare J.hat,tb.ere’s lit.*, tie doubt that space will be at a premium for the big night. Con- sensus of opinion is that with the number of cafes having dwindled during the past few seasons. New York will have very, few problems as far as getting rid of space. In some spots, it’s anticipated, some influence will be needed in order to get a location. The Latin Quarter has been sold (Continued on page 50) Bill Miller’s Riviera, Ft; Lee, N. J., grass \vas $1,394,467 for 25 weeks of Us operation during 1953, according to an accountant for the | spot, who tes tified at a hearing before the condemnation board, in nearby Hackensack to determine the value of the property. The accountant, Jacob. B. Hoffman, maintained that the club showed a profit only during the past three years. At that, it was testified, af - ter expenses and payments to of- ficers, taxable Income Hovered be- tween $15,000 and $30,000. Hoffman testified that the spot's low was in 1947, when a gross of $753,000 was scored in a 39-w'eek season. During that ‘year, Miller had attempted to convert the Riviera to a year-round nitery. Failing that, he hung on until New Year's Day. Decision was reserved in the hearing to determine the valuation of the Jersey cafe. Spot is being condemed to maike room for an entrance to the Palisades Inter- state Parkway still under construc- tion. Miller Is hopeful of being able to beat this rap and main- tain the cafe. He claims that an entrance can be constructed a short distance from the spot, in a posi- tion which will eliminate the neces- sity of utilizing the approaches to the Riviera and the . ground upon which it’s located. A realtor testifying at the hear- ing put a $983.9861 price on tho property.^ He said the land alone was. .worth$115,362. .... Another, realty expert testified the. land was worth $37,825 and the build- ings $460,480 and added a fran- chise value of $120,639 as the value of the site for residential purposes. One builder stated that the prop- erty could be duplicated today for $575,600, but the builder w ho con- structed the Riviera in 1937 for $370,700 stated that at today’* prices construction would run to $1,118,000. Spot Vaude in St Loo The Fox Theatre, St. Louis, will reopen for spot vaude Jan. 22 with a show including Don Cornell. The- atre, operated by Fanchon & Mar- co, will line up other shows as headliners become available. Booking is being done by the F&M office on the Coast. happy holidays SIBYL BOWAN neiuM. ADD0N HMl ®"«* °ENNIS HOTEL—Atlantic City Wok of Doc. 28 Thankt to JIMMY GRADY Violinsky Uiiexpurgated An Anthology of (Solly, that It), by tha w.k. com- edian, who's now working on Mt book “Laying Off Under Four Presidents’ 9 ' * 0 #. an amuiing bylint pitco In tho 48th Anniversary Number of Variety OCT NEXT WEEK WALLY BOAG Just Completed 14 - WEEKS - 14 LONDON HIPPODROME U CHAMPAGNE ON ICE” Via LEW & LESLIE GRADE Bach in America—Dir.: MARK J. LEDDY. LEON NEWMAN