Variety (June 1954)

VAmmUG W«AM»d«y, JnBe 50,. 1954 PATTY ANDREWS (With Wally Wewhlct) Songs 40 Mins. Last Frontier, Las Veras Patty Andrews proves she can do a single in her fir*st solo try since the breakup of the Andrews Sis- ters. Most of the special • material is good but she perhaps mistakenly rakes up some nostalgics like “Apple Blossom Time” and “Penn- sylvania Polka." to bring up the image of the Three Andrews gals doing these tunes, and alone Patty must suffer by the comparison, The star gets the 40-minute act on the road with “An Orchestra Behind Me And An Audience Out There,” and ably chirps “Sing, Sing.” ‘Ttampart Street Parade,” is solid and with Maxene and Laverne would have been a smasher. “Song Of A Fool" is okay on tile moodful side. “Peony Bush In My Garden” is a bouncy pleaser. Blonde belter scores with “I Can Dream, Can’t I?" She’s good in the song-sketch “Hawaii,” and the topper is “My Joe,” from “Carmen Jones.” Hus- band Wally Weschler is a strong act-factor at the piano, guiding the Garwood Van orch, and he propels the bombastic Andrews girl in a stint which, given a little experi- ence, can emerge as a solid nltery bet Bob. f sical clicks -in past decade with such current items as “Little Things” to update and change pac- ing. As expected, Miss Augustine intros a group from“Kingand I” about midway through offering an<] wisely stays away from the obvious numbers for a solid reception.. Be- cause of her close association with this particular and despite familiar- ity of the score, medley would' trave greater impact with more person- alized situation patter preceding each song. ., ■ ■■ Chantootsle’s charm and manner overshadow her rather hesitant cafe style at the moment but past experience should speed overall development and set her up as a click in any of the more sophisti- cated cafes. Ideal performer for guest tele shots. Newt. material sufficiently colorful to make the grade |n most situations. At thia point, their development has been fairly limited. They seem to work in one groove, and no raat- fter What they try to depict, it seems to come out the same way. However, their modus operahdi is good and they rate hefty mittings. They're youthful terpers, work energetically and'can get over in any spot that can offer a satisfac- tory amount of working space. Jose. STEPHANIE AUGUSTINE Songs 25 Mins. La Maisonnette Carol, Montreal Stephanie Augustine, young sing- er from the original cast of “King and I,” preems her first nitery stint at Carol’s swank eatery here in Montreal and brunet looker is a cincheroo for this medium. Attractively groomed in a white gown that reveals her many charms. Miss Augustine is of average femme height and the possessor of a voice that is clean and confident. More than two years with “King and I” in New York and other mu- sicomedy stints have given her plen- ty of stage assurance and the abil- ity (lacking in most cafe chirpers) of projecting both her piping and personality to all corners of the room. Present songalog- is varied and offbeat with the emphasis on some of the better, but little known, rau- BABY WASHINGTON Contortion 5 Mins. Apollo, N. Y. A hefty Negress, Baby Washing ton’s contortion catalog isn’t any too different, but she works at such a rapid clip that there is no time to be critical of her twistis, tumbles and splits, which receive warm mitting. Performing largely on her back or with her head as a base, the gal manipulates in time to music. She’s okay, for one- nighters and vaude houses. Miss Washington should lose some weight. Flab detracts w from her specialties, and probably limits* her elasticity. Art _c- HOLLY WARREN * * v Songs * 30 Mins. Sans -SOitoi? Miami Beach Holly. -Warren is a .handsome blonde, whose high ranging sopra- no embraces the international chansons (an, integral part of her songalog) in fine style,. She’s ob- viously been: playing the smaller spots for smoothening and has just returned from a run in Caracas, Venezuela.~ Delivery and general deportment evidence the experi- ence gained. What is needed to strengthen overall impact is reas- sembling' of her routine to include one or two ’of the current fiit- paraders. As is, she holds the attendees in this swankery. throughout a 30- minute stint, with the better items versions of “Noche de Ronde,” ar- rangements from “Kismet;” art- fully phrased and shaded “Gran- ada,” and zingy “Bolero” and un- derplayed, but highly effective sell- ing of “Autumn Leaves.” Gowning is on the plus side to add to values. She looks ready, for acceptance along .the better cafe and hotel circuit. Lary. LENNY COLYER "Mr. Specs Hiaifotf* Just Concluded CASINO THEATRE, TORONTO Currently GLEN PARK CASINO BUFFALO Per. Met. AL BOROI 203 N. Wabash, Chicago FOUR GUYS Sone-Dance-Instrumental 16 Mins. Apollo, N. Y. The combo of two Negroes and two ofays, all with neatly blended vocal chords and each in turn with a specialty in terp or instrument, make the Four Guys good fare for vaude- and poshier bistro dates. This turn has items that raise it above run-of-the-mill quartets. Outfit’s first four numbers are pleasing vocals, following the gen- eral pattern of other quartets spe- cializing in rhythm & blues. Tuna- log consists of “Zing,” “Walking Behind You,” “Organ Grinder” and “I Believe.” But immediately [Xhe troupe, by dint of energetic and well - planned movements, catches hold. After the vocals, comes a potpourri under the un- necessary title of “School Days.” ! The ofays, the bros. Carroll, take ! up sax and piano for well-received | solos, then they blend behind the I Unusual acro-terping of their side- j kicks, the Austin Bros., for a stir- ring begoff. Art. TUN TUN (2) Comedy 10 Mins. Apollo, N. X- A white midget. Tun Tun has a novelty act suited, when a little more polished, to vauderies with a policy like the Apolld’s. He does fragmentized Latin songs and some mambo terpihg, interspersed with loose chatter in fractured English. „ The little man, with a Wild hairdo, bangs out a brief tunalog in a not-unpleasant tenor. He’s joined midway by a full-sized brunet who tosses him to and fro for heavy laughter. .Then he goes it alone again with some purpose- less but still funny patter about “beshol” to which he ties a clever mambo routine. In cavorting about the stage. Tun Tun does pretty much as he pleases, and in so do- ing is at points repetitious. What he needs is a little more design to ! tighten his cdmic gambit. Art COMEDY MATERIAL For All Branche$ of TheaUicalt FUN-MASTER THE ORIGINAL SHOW-BIZ GAG fill (Tho Service of the STARS) First of 15 flies $7.00—All 35 Issues $22 Singly: $1.05 Each IN SEQUENCE ONLY Beginning with No, 1—No Sklpplngl • 3 Bits. PARODIES, per book..$10 • • MINSTREL BUDGET ,..$25 • • 4 BLACKOUT BKS., oa. bk...$25 • • BLUE BOOK (Gags for Stags) $50 • HOW TO MASTER THE CEREMONIES T $*.00 GIANT CLASSIFIED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAGS, $300. Worth over a thousand No C.O.D.'s BILLY GLASON 200 W. 54th St., New York 10—Dept, V Circle 7-1130 i PATTERSON Sc LANGLEY i Song-Dance 9 Mins. ! Apollo, N. Y. ! Patterson & Langley are rotund | and coppery comics whose routine! smacks of old time vaude. fPat- t terson for many' years was teamed •with another outsked performer name of Jackson.) The two big ] men have a quick-paced routine. ! launching with some stylized I shouting meant to pass for a song intro. From there they move into tapping, done fast and well for big guys. There are subsequently terp solos and a growling baritone solo by Patterson called “I’m Just An- other Jon.” . The song and dance setup, as done by these fat men, is enough to elicit laughter but they add a few standard jokes for insurance. In all, Patterson & Langley, bank- ing on nostalgic treatments and moderate, talent, • are adequately suited as comedy .relief on most vaude bills. s Art. YAGA Sc BOND Dance 11 Mins. BeDevae Casisa, Montreal Dancers Yaga & Bond, despite the contrived monicker, are stand- ard production hoofers with addi- tional kudos going to femme half of duo who displays a lithe figure handily during acrobatic and con- tortion solos in present Bellevue Casino show. Team makes first appearance during a big Madame Komarova spectacle and impress is with its whirlwind spins. A followup in a single slot offers more of the same with various costume changes, by gal doing much to cover repetitive choreography. Tap sequences are okay but routining needs tighten- ing, to cut them out of the average groove. Both have appearance and style and are a cinch to spark any revue whether tv, theatre or cafe. Newt . LEW BLACK and PAT DUNDEE (Beauty and the least) A new note In Glamor Comtdy Staged by Mervyn Nation Mit. Cast Franklin Lau Walter! Ent 1576 Broadway NOW York JULIA CUMMINGS Impressions 9 Mins. Palace,. N.Y. Julia Cummings, newcomer to impressionist ranks, shows promise in that direction. She opens with a set of mimes of well-knowns that have a great deal of authenticity. However, in her'later numbers, the only resemblance of her subjects is the material, notably in the take- offs on Sophie Tucker and Judy Garland. The saving grace in these deals is her ability at straight singing. She makes a gobd impression on the audience on looks and her early success carries her throughout her turn. Jose. KRAMER DANCERS (5) Dance 13 Mins. Palace, N.Y. The Kramer Dancers, compris- ing four girls and a guy, are a - dis- ciplined and well drilled group ' with _terps that show the Jack J Cole influence. Their routines are, I commercial, costuming good, and Angle* thtt would boost general ef- fectiveiteai pi Act blit talent and a solid desire to please should soon overcome thesewiirdte*. Arrangements for the-most part are good although he has a tend- ency/fo go overboard on some In displaying technique. From the minor classics, to such items as VEbb Tide” and “Limenouse Blues” (the latter his recent waxing) Bianco’s nimble fingers work with speed, precision and rhythm to please the patrons. Smoother, more relaxed chatter would give per- formance ah additional hoist with- out detracting ; from his hep harp* ing. Gobd material for tv - guest shots and in the smaller cafes. Newt. OLGA VARONA Aerial Ballet 9'Mins. Empire, Glasgow Redhead with lengthy tresses swings gracefully on trapeze in tune with lilting music, and. being nicely garbed, emerges as soothing easy-on-thereye act. More action when she quickdns tempo df tra- peze swinging to zoom higher into top drapes. Shows agility by cling- ing with one leg and one. hand to vertical rope, then engaging in up- side-down suspension with only one foot attached to rope, ; Distaffer, aided by male partner on floor, shapes up as useful act for vaude situations and for high- domed niteries, Gord. THE REXANOS (2) Aero Comedy 9 Mins. Empire, Glasgow Male and femme twosome 7 offer solid acro-comedy act in Which comedy needs sharpening for U. S. market. Act has wham opening, the male diving over the table and coming to rest on handstand. Dis- taffer then somersaults on table. He follows by doing handstand on her back, while she balances oh chairs atop table. Both do hand- stand on two chairs atop table, and she follows by doing stand on part- ner’s head the while he rotates. Glamor angle is provided when femme enters in near-nude to pose and twist with s.a. effect. Act gar- ners solid mitting throughout, but requires stronger finish. Gord. Empire, Glasgow is a honey of a canine VERONICA BELL Songs 30 Mins. Folies-Bergere, Paris Veronica Bell is the winsome blonde who comes down from the ceiling of the Folies-Bergere in a gilded, bulb-splattered cage. Every American who has ogled the Folies remembers her, and the obvious talent, looks and exquisite voice of Miss Bell should make Jier a good bet for U. S. nitery or revue pos- sibilities. Her voice has a timbre and qual- ity that effortlessly fills this big room. It is ouanced and throbbing, and her thesping and appearance make her also eligible for musical and operetta spotting. Gorgeous costuming also helps in her present stint here, and audience acceptance is big. ■ Mosk. DARLY’S DOGS Canine 10 Mins. up This is a honey of group. Act takes the form of what an offstage commentator terms a one-act play, scene being a town street with hotel, saloon bar, police station, etc. Participants are a French poodle, tied up outside the police station, as the police dog; Charlie Casanova, a lover type; a housewife, Mrs. Smith, and a hop- ping type, Hopalong Cassidy. The life in the street is described by the commentator. Final scene has Charlie Casanova waiting for Mrs. Smith, and the eternal triangle plot worked out until police dogs’ arrive and arrest the “other man." Topclass booking /or any situa- tion. Gord. Chicago, June 29. In a move to dispel any “clip join#' stigma that might have pre- vailed, the Blue Note, Chi’s jazz bulwark, last week lopped off its ft • cover charge and designated a portion of the room as a kind of bleachers for the, under-21 crowd. Room, which seats 600, has ample leftover space accommodate the teenagers,- •..... c- . A. flat $1.65 is being charged for seats in the minor garden with, of course, no sale of hard drinks. Cokes and other soft drinks are served at 35c. each. Yfith only a $2.50 minimum in’ the regular seats, jazz will be a bargain in this town again. Since the Note reopened in a new loca- tion several months ago, it had only packed its oversized quarters full for the Benny Goodman two- weeker, It’s logical for the room to sell more seats at lower prices as -long i as the space is there. Abandoned cover charge may be tagged on again for special shows, like Goodman's, when the mob begin forming on the staircase. Vaude, Cafe Dates New York Robert Clary set for the Village Vanguard, N. Y., starting July 8 . . . Dorothy Sarnoff pacted for the Olympia Theatre, Miami. July 14 . . Gloria DeHaven starts at the Mocambo, Hollywood, Aug. 17 . . Marguerite Piazza down for the Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chi- cago, July 9*. . . Lisa Kirk to the Last Frontier, Las Vegas, July 12 . . Jay Palmer is the new presi- dent of the Magicians Guild of America . . Sylvia De Mello, former owner of the Crest Room, N. Y„ now operates the Sunny- croft Ranch, Wallkill, N. Y. Darvas Sc Julia signed for the Sacramento (Cal.) State Fair, Sept. 2 . . . Billy Daniels is down for the Mocambo, Hollywood, Aug.' 3 . . . Buddy Hacketi pacted for the Chez Paree, Chicago, July 12 . . . Will Mastin Trio , is'set for the Elmwood, Windsor, Ont., Aug. 23 . . . Anne Crowley has sighed with the William Morris Agency . . . Vagabonds have been tapped for the 500 Club, Atlantic City, July 26, following the run of Martin Sc . Lewis. r > GENE BIANCO Harp 15 Mins. El Morocco, Montreal In a relatively limited field for intimery . entertainment, harpist Gene Bianco rates near the top. Making his first Montreal appear- ance at the swank El Morocco, Bianco impresses and appeals with his personable manner and diversi- fied offerings. . Still a newcomer to cafe biz, Bianco lacks certain showmanship New Frontiers m Continued from pare 49 ss s , motions by the Gale Agency, the Arena Managers Assn, promotions, and others in that category, have generally been profitable, How- ever, in most situations, the spac- ing of promotions of this kind has been under control, so that the next show coming in wouldn’t suf- fer and the stationary amusement enterprises could stay in business. However, when money of the kind needed for the Arvey promo- tion is drained out of any town, a lot of amusement dollars is taken up. Film theatres, cafes, legit houses and others are expected to take a rap because the amusement budgets of many have been ex- hausted on one evening. In addition, the public is ex- pected to go for more in the way of other nicks, The concessionaires reap a terrific harvest in turnouts of magnitude, and souvenir pro- grams selling at $1 will add further .to the-gate. Gespite this, showmen see the trend toward bigger shows grow- ing. The smaller enterprise is not on the way out completely, but there aren’t as many as there used to be, Witness the elimination of many filmhouses, vaude theatres, cafes, etc. The cry is for bigger names and bigger shows. The question . of how big a show be is’’still to be answered. The Arvey promotions will point a direction. After that, the magnitude of any show will be anybody’s guess. M MiLBOURNE CHRISTOPHER and his magic GARRY MOORE SHOW CB5-TV Wednesday, June 30 jJ>AVl6 L. SHAPIRO 17/6 Broadway, Now York Circle 5-3368 HESS MAYER 420 mad i son ave. New York PL 5-4564 and DALE