Variety (July 1954)

WEEK OF JULY 7. 1954 Ntimvrairln wnnfctltfri tvttft *mi *#t*w indicate epentna fty if ititw ' whaffiar #pll*r split wMk Lsttsr In paranthasas Indicates circuit. (D Indapandant; <L> Loaw; (M) Mow (P) Paramount; <lt> RKO; (S) Atollr (T) Tivoli; <W> Warner Zlesteld FoUteo Frank Sinatra Georg* Tapp* Dancer* II Rancti* Vatai Ann Spthera Doodles it Skactor TbwmterMrd Dorothy CtflUns Jay Lawrsnee Dunhilla Patio Dinah Washington RENO MIW YORK CITY M.rv.llol m: «> • ““"cAcm Jack Beater Chleaaa (P Tony Starman Marilyn Murphy Eric Hutson Chris Cross Hockettaa Corps do Bpllet Sym Ore Palaca <R> t Helene Kane J us Van Comets CHICAGO < CMeat* (P) • L Blue it Kyzette Tommy Leanottt 3 Arnanes Betty Luster MIAMI . - Cinema ■ (P) 1 Gil Lamb Sibyl Bowan nto Guitar A1 Blanc Antone it Nina Fred Atkins H Harmonica Co Lizset it Eddie G it A Doonan J Jell A June SWANSEA . Empire <M> * ! Mills it MeUta Alma Gogan Baydlnl Peter Cavanagh Sally, it Charles Morris A Cowley Mapts George Gobel Sportsmen Mapes Skylpts Eddie Pitzpa trick '' ore ,, , Naw Oolden Kazan it Katz Louis Jordan WOLVERHAMPTON Danny Crystal Hippodrome (l) 1 Golden -GWa Eltham A-Sharp* Will Osborne oro Jeretr Bros Goldwyns Mala it Mma Jane Shore Cd Beams Girl Tp YORK Empire (l> 1 Gt Marlowe A G Freddy Stohbs Idris C6_ ; . Walthon A Dorrslne 1 Kay A Katrina AUSTRALIA BRISBANE City. Hall (T) S Frank Cleary David Sterle Vienna 1 ' Boys Choir I Judd Lane MELBOURNE Tlvell (T) S Buck Warren Co Warren L a tons Sparks Dagenham Girl Pipers Maxwells O'Hagan A Stead The Myrona Budl Grasl Johnny "Rubber- face" Craig Edith Crocker Co John Blythe Gloria Dawn Adorables SYDNEY Tlvell <T> 9 Boy Barbour Margaret Brown Tony Fontane Nina Cooke Julian Somera Kerry Vaughn Ivor Bromley David Edle John Bluthal Max Blake Choral Group .Dancing Boys Dancing Girls Cabaret BiD? NEW YORK CITY centennial summer shows .get underway. Seating capacity of spot* which hooks top names, has becn boosted from 400 - to 600 capacity .with stage and dance floor en- larged. This accomplished fey breaking through walls on two sides; work just being completed. Leonard always goes well in this spot, adopting Ids fast patter to his immediate audience and playing upon his avordupois.' Usually be works at the expense of someone way up front, but without offend- ing. His half-hour show kept the well filled house with him all the time and brought him back for bows and more repartee. Into'stint he works parodies on popular songs, with soft shoe bit which Montmartre T JEJic*no [scores. . Bonny Moor* crrn^ Barry Sisters, in second spot, o a Guodez Reno a c Detain# register as a nice pair of songsters Bite UonUner Mono Lope* who give with old and new in well Fern iSSina* jdJares written routine. Open with adapta- aivonido Ted Lewis Starlet* Cel-Neve Sophie'Tucker Jack Durant D Arden Dancer* M Malneck Orc Cal-Vada China DoU Bevua Ike Carpenter Ore. Stetetln* Duke Ellington Ntchola* Broa D Deo Dancer* HAVANA I . Trepleena S do Eipana Qrq f Celia Crnx . . Mlml Cal . Chino Won* Matamoroo Trio Nancy A Benny Sonia Caleepo Alonzo Ballet BRITAIN BIRMINGHAM L Sharpe A 1 Hippodrome (M> S t St evil Sla Courtneys Harry. Secombe B A B Adams Peter SeUers Frances Duncan Michael Ben tine Skylons Bruce Forsyth Bazin St : Oscar Peterson Gerry Mulligan Illinois Jacquet ElU* Ana** Jonathan Winter* Martha Davis Bart Howard Jimmy Lyons Trio Leo De Lyon Bon Sotr Jimmie Daniels Man Barnes Charlotte Rae Jimmy Komack Noren* Tate Three Flames Beuleverd Dee Drummond Frank Sonell Hotel Pk Sheraton MUt Herth Trio Joan Bishop Hotel Roosevelt Lenny Harman Ore Hotel sutler Ted Weems Ore Unit Bertie* it Boiindo tion of 44 Your the Cream in My Coffee" and follow with “Make S5L a g5STor, Love to Me “ "Send Me * Man” A Romeu Oro and “Side By Side." Off to good applause they come back to- do “Little Things Mean a Lot," and then the oldie “Dark Town Strut- ters Ball." Girls look good and work well in spot, keeping- payees on their side throughout. Paul Sydell brings into a club one of the best animal acts. Work- Horgon A Manning | .EAST HAM Terri Stevens Jack Benny Show Portland, Ore., July 2. one of the best animal acts. Work- He»ei sutler Jack Bennu Variety Revue,'with ing .with three dogs, he does stand- red Weenmorc a^ Tri!Trtamn(i Sammy out aero stunts with the animals. Vincent Lope* ore Davis Jr., Gisele MacKenzie, Stu- They balance on two legs ^n his Sgw.' Sy<,e11 ’* up - Kiev. 118 At b Audit!£uim. The Dorothy Kramer dancers Art Whim ore - Portland, Ore.. July 1-4; $4.80 top. four girls and boy* are, on for two * vifHNW*# vi • v 9 1 T mvtmKopo urKInU arib ntAalv nuiAiuefl Oranade (I) S 1 Peter* N Moagadors A A (Tommy Dale M Mitchell 3 Boy Belles BLACKPOOL Voltaire Co Regan A Royal _ Metropolitan Opera House (I) S Harry Rowson Jimmy Edward*— . Phinpe Rivers Tony Hancock Wilfred GartreU Joan Turner Dale Warren Bass! 3 Maureen-Comfort Lucienne Michael Packer Bab A Astor Las Joliea Co Ned Harvey Ore depacmMha Romo Vincent Mary Burton A1 Morgan Ramona Lang M Ourso Crc Frank Marti ore Drift Inn Bernard Broa Ssonya Jane Morgan 7 Ashtons Ralph Young Piroska - Art Waner Oro B Harlowa Oro Versailles ‘Nice To Sea You 1 Fay DeWltt Don Libert o Lou -Nelson Dorothy Keller Patti Ross Linda Lombard Marty Duncan Paula Stewart Cedrone A Mitchell carol Ohmart EUane A Rodolphe Montmartre Nudes , „„„ . Kathryn Moore FINSBURY PARK Monte Norman Empire CM) S I H*rom t on villa Corps de Ballet Joe Black SO Tiller Girls Gprry Miller Palace (I) 9 Pan Yue Jen Tp Reg Dixon Semprini Beryl Orde Baynes A Osborn< Hajos A Surany Les Dounos Ted Carson Beryl Reid Iris Long 3 Jon Pertwee Cassandras GLASGOW De Vere's Lovely Empire (Ml S Ruby Hill Bay Hartley No. 1 Finn Ava Bob Downey Empire CM) 5 Joe Black Garry Miller Pan Yue Jen Tp Semprini Hazel Webster Old RoumanUR Sadie Banks Joe LaPorte Or* Baynes A Osborne D-’Aquila Ore- Les Do unos Beryl Reid Jon Pertwee GLASGOW ■ . Empire (M) S Hotel Astor Sammy Kaye Ore Salvatore Gioe Ore Panchtfo Orr Village Barn Vickie Barry Joel Shaw Ore Dale A Mullen Joe. Furst Piute Pete Rachel Ellen . Waldorf-Astoria Freddy Martin Eileen O’Dare Mlacba Borx Ore Hotel New Yorker Manolo Mera Ed A Wilma Leary Village Vanguard Tower Circus (I) 9 A1 Martino C Cairoli « Paul Owen McGiveney Knies Animals Uackford A Doyle August Natsch Iris Sadler 3 Craddocks Pierre Bel Vivian A Tassl 3 Mazurs Knies R Horses J.-A J Bentley 3 Cherks . ' LEEDS Harold Gautier Co Empire (M) 9 Fattini Billy Daniels 4 Ramses_ Benny Payne Jo Barnum Ben DoVa i Steve Klsley Oro Enid Hosier Lee Goodman C Williams Trio CHICAGO Douglas Kossmayer | Dickie Henderson 3 Petroffs George Ruzsa 7 Eagles 2 Bassos IS Beer Barrel P Little Jimmy Jimmy Scott Black Orchid Gertrude Nlesen Paul Gray Dave Romhine R Kerpais Duo Bluo. Angel Elizabeth A Collins Walebone Willie Scott Sanders Lea Rayner A B Re Kanos Merle & Marie LINCOLN Sam Manning Lady Jamaica Princess Orella Lord Carlton Lady Trinidad W G Pavilion (I) 9 Jimmy French David Whitfield Coral Gaye Freddie Frinton Dan Nichells Stella Moray Lyndons 3 Najas • Frankie Parker Theatre Royal (I) 5 DXacy Quartet . Blue Note Louis Armstrong Velma Middleton Cycling Brockways [Syd England F Langford Co Sonnle Willis Herbert C Wilson BOSCOMBE Hippodrome (I) S Jack Haig Mary Harkness Eric Williams Patricia Soleil Leslie Dowsey Earl Darney Fisher Girls Musical Elliotts BRIGHTON 3 Brooklyn* Cocktafl Ciitles MANCHESTER _ Palace (M) 9 Lena Horne T Foster Ore Harry Worth SAP Kaye Olga Varona Berly Ellis Co NEWCASTLE Empire (M) 9 Ken Platt Uta Roza tOS ANGEIES Ambassador Hotel Los Chavales de Espana N Brandwynne Ore J Black Ore Mocsmba Hippodrome (M> 9 Canfield Smith Max Bygraves Nitwits Joyce Golding K Feather Nelson Bros Tux Co Virginia Vernon Shirley Hepburn BRISTOL Empire (!) 9 Harry Shlels HarTy Dawson 3 Astaires Leif son ft Gatley Roma Ferri 3 Toledos Maralyn Girls Wanda Curtis Jack Prince Larry Allen BifH* Layne Arnold Dover Larry Greew Trio Bar of Musi* Dwight Flake Odette Myrtil Dick HazarcT Ore Blltmere Hotel Dargir 5 Odette Myrtil Arthur Haynes ' Dick HazarcT Ore bu? m. it Blltmere Note B Lucille Norman Seaton A OT>eU Wally Boa* Three Hones L * ‘ Hal Derwin Ore Danny O'Day giro's Vtoce Albert A- Margo D H MIAMI- NORWICH Hippodrome (I) 9 Bar of Musli Ted Lane Bfll Jordan Valerie Joy Hal Fisher Ml AMI-MI AMI BEACH Hippodrome ($> 9 Tony Vaughan Co Dickie Valentine NOTTINGHAM Chas Warren & J Empire <M> 9 Duncans Collies . Rex A Bessie AJ^t^Sturm ; ' Shipway Tplns _ . ftamt amt -- / > . » Richman A Jackson (Jose Moreno Co Clayton A Ward BRIXTON Empress (I) 9 Cyril Dowler Rhoda Rogers Billy Hancox Flying Benoes lean Carr Max Mnrar PORTSMOUTH HoUy Warren nmv M?nnnY .* ov *' ^ 5 Scott A Jordan wwinJ B.n»i ? ?* ay ^ ,r * Tony Matas Flying Benoes Julie Dawn Clover Club Marshall A Farrell " ««DIFF*”‘ AUla"^ 5 SL rStUSST K&tJtSSt. ' bS!!! 0 ?;.* *»•»»» MMUyn Hl^toww Bar of Musfe Bin Jordan Hal Fisher Harvey Bell Beth Chains -- Gina. Valent* Ethel Davis Fred Thompson • Bombay Hotel Marion Murray - Buss Art o- Peter Mack Carol Collier - Brook Club HoUy Warren The Dorothy Kramer dancers, four girls and boy* are, on for two numbers which are nicely received and make for a well rounded show. Jack Benny invaded the Pacific Jack Curtiss, who emcees* projects Northwest for the first time in 10 into show more this year by sing- years and brought with him a ing three numbers, smash variety show. If opening D’Amato has booked local boy, nights are any indication, the George DeWUt, into spot Starting -comic will have the entire area Sunday (ID* with Dean Martin & rockin 4 and rollin’ for the next Jerry Lewis coming in July 16* three weeks. The top drawer lay-* followed by Betty Hutton the last out is broken down into four acts week in July. ‘Walk. for the opening sesh, with one act and Benny in the deuce part. — Benny has the stubholders right CliinlaL Cmar in the palm of his hand from the rilllll#n EAOw time he enters the stage* till he , . _ . . J leaves about 70 minutes later. His Continued from pag* 1 i friendly, slow-mooded, relaxed the amount of entertainment- tax humor scores over and over again to be leV ied on each film. He in the tightly taut Act. Stint is agrees that the board has to coii- broken up by entrance of other ld noUtical asneeig and m*v acts and a ball with the Beverly V™™* ******'> Hillbillies* six hicks with instru- IL* j ” 1 w 5* ch .. ls raents. Re winds up by fiddling directly hostile towards a foreign “Goodnight Sweetheart" While re- country or the head of a foreign corded Benny voice echos what he power. The line of demarcation* thinks about. Sock ending with however, is somewhat vague and plenty of ace production. while “Red Danube" and “Never The Will Mastin Trio, starring Let Me Go" came under the axe, Sammy Davis Jr., close the first the board has passed “Mr. Potts halt Youngster is loaded with tal- Goes to Moscow," “Man on a Tight- ent in a varied routine of song, rope," “High Treason" and -most dance and impressions. Gisele American films dealing with the MacKenzie* Capitol Records song- Korean war. Linnus believes that stress demonstrates her versatility, political censorship is more strin- Gal warbles some pop tunes and gent in France, also sells plenty of special mater- Lmnus.also takes issue with Miss ial in the best manner. She also Jensen on the figures of Finnish 5S,??I^S t ? rf M i B Utecom " Jy,m,i production., Output Is about 25 vi°Im. films a year, not 12 as stated. His Nita oc Peppi. a couple of sharp company alone 12 a year, looking youngsters, tee off the lay- Nor do local technicians get sent S55!Lv 0 i!?i a £5 to HoUywood for their training. He Channtog Pollock fills the deuce reckons their output must get into . The Stuart°Mor«an y Danrer* !££ the w“ld market before they can B Mtee , 'ritch°H B *R the second half with some sizzling ^Honvwn^^saya^^nnug hag adagio. Three guys tossed the pert . ** y * L n ? lu9 ' ■ cSSSS U A Jobnsoa femme aU over the place for iolid about 6°% of the Fhinkh market, Lodse Hoff returns. but latter recently cut its imports, cS^nsSi u The two-and-a-half hour layout ^ Tom Canyon has plenty of variety, pacing, keen c,use loo many pix are -available lighting and standout production, nowadays. D Arden Dancer* Benny’s musical director, Mahlon ■■ ■■■ m ——— ^ stattar Hofei Merrick, handles the ‘ batoning. ‘ ' Ro^* c p™ ,d Ar« rc This was presented by William IlFitfA.Iai Sabpah tny Duggan Attractions and ends the III IrU^IH U03SOH lMI BFAru stage show famine here started . . about a year ago. Feve. = ConHnued from par* l 5= Chat Para* Paul Wlnchell Monica Lewis B Hamilton Trio B Farnon Ore Rodrigues Rbumba ■dgawatar Beach Marguerite Piazza Di Gitanos D Hlld Dcr* D LaSalle Ore Palmar Hoosg Dorothy Shay Darvas. A Julia Charlie Fisk Ore ^ Charley Foy's de Dave Barry GogI Grant Jo* E, Lewis Austin Mack Paul Hebert Ore x Moulin Roiig* B Mlnevitch H R Da Castro Sts <3> Drive-In Season Dancing Debtantes Chris Sands Marshall A Brant Bill McGnffle CARDIFF ^ , Alain Dlagora si. a. /*« m Albert Burdon Frank Richards George Rex Alec Foster Noel Talbot Earl King Jack Easy Kathleen Stanley Cass A Keegan Elsie Turner CHISWICK Emplra (*) 9 Diana Dors Max Bacon Harry Dawson D Cardew Roblnsou Dav* King Spillana* 3 S B Russell Royal 3 - H A V Lennon EDINBURGH Emplra <M> 9 Parka A Garrett Eddie Arnold Pharos A Marin* BlUy Maxara Bobble Kimber Wright A Marlon SCUNTHORPE _ Savoy (I) 9 Leslie Wright Mark Ashfield Batty Hare .SHEFFIELD Empire (M) S CarroU Levte Co Violet Pretty Teenager* 3 Harvard* SOUTHAMPTON ... Grand (|) | Tony Dalton Jack. Glen Clif Owen Paul Betts Peter Kingsley RoyalityGIrU SUNDERLAND Empire (M) 9 Candy Sla A E Jimmy Young Tony Lopes Ore Selma Marlowe Line Woody Woodbury Flvo O'clock Bello Barth Dick Hall « Don Ostro Ore . Loon A Eddie's Lois Da Feo Lynn Star Rose Ann Rita Marlow Charlotte Water* . DI Lido Hotel 8*mmy Walsh Martin- -and 1 -'Maio Freddy Cain Ore MgtftHu* HMel Alan Dale Jaek'-Kerr Antone A 'lna Sid Stanley Ore Sans Souci Hotai Fecundo Rivero 9 Del Breece ore Ann Herman Den Anne Barnett „ . Roney Pisse Johnny Plheapplo Hawaian Eev Vagabonds about a year ago. Feve. == Contlnued ftom 1 ===== with the various gimmicks sueh as m ■ 1^ ■ free dish nights, etc. Still A “must" ; Wlgll ulHD H0VI6WS ln almost,all of the big drive-ins p.,, S3 Is the chUdren'. playground. - ; Number of drive-ins that have vAtifiPRly Ottawa switched to big screens and are L,Indsajr Sapphire Dancers high- now showing CihemaScope pix has hoopskirts “backed i eached dose to 500 » according to by chanter Gene Griffin and Bun- Q?a^^°mJvpr<f < !S d nJHAr y tA h S VC ny Dixon, lounge 88er brought to Xe ffc the stage piano for this bout. \ 0 handle the four-track prints Line’* closer is another standout from 20th. According to exhibs* with tunes from the early 1900s*. the nuge-screened ozoners are out- tagged “Memory Lane." drawing their campetition by a Harry Pozy band showbacks in good margin. Gorin . IAS VEGAS, NEVADA Th. rtl T^n^.i,? entley S2 17 top form and p l ays for While, at the start of the season, v5;.wf(V facing. Gorm. it would appear that many of the Marie N««iia * ~ drive-ins are in sharp competitioil fCAA CYah. A f with the indoor houses for first-run Atlantic t,,*!,, a product, distribs say_ this impres- Th* Duuhllls Vagabonds (4) Marla Ncglla Calypso Eddie Frank Llnal* Or* 500 Clab, A. C. Atlantic Cltyi Jjiily 4. Flamingo Terry Moor* Alan King Sllvar Slipper SaUy Band Hank Henry The Appleton* Eva Mar lay Sparky - Kay* B1U Willard Jlmmla Cavanaugh ' Dasart Inn Palladium Revut Sahara Martha Baye Kirby Stone 4 Amin Bros Last Prontfar E. Albart A Margo Marquis Famliy ■I Cortox Rose Murphy Oo ld an Nuggot Moran A O’Connor Jack iTZZ;* SLTLtor. Sion is misleading. It's true, the (2l* C Pfli5' report, that many ozoners have I*'* Paul Sydell, Dorothy Kramer moved up their run* and todav are Pe H ,n ‘here biddSgX". JrS J ° e Fmetto; $4 U ct. But in gome Instances this is minimum. but a come-on for the customers 1 to get the season started right. As Jack £. Leonard, no stranger summer continues, drive-ins here, is the stellar attraction in back on their bread-and-but- Paul D*Amato’s refurbished 500 ter product, i.e. action and color wpwaww v VUIMIUI I . 4 a . _ — wor I Ed Fora a whiter I club in mid-Atlantic City as the | pix. Ice Show Review White H*vk) Iimi on Ice _ Lofi^oh; June 18. Claude Langdon (British Sports Arenas Ltd.) prerentation of mu- sical play oh ice in two'acts <u scenes} by Hans Muller and Erik Charell, lyrics by Robert Gilbert, Basil Thomas* mime by Ralph Ben* atzky. Stars Belita* features Max Wall Uiith Noberti, Marquartsteiner Schuhplattler Dancers (12 i; Kosi St Harrison, Patricia & Neil' Del- tina, Bill Hinchy, Joan Connell, Joyce Whitney, Joe McQuirk, Philip Tappin, ShMey Burke, Douglas Chapman * Jack Harris, Ron Privett, Irens Hood, Alan Been, Ronald .Gower, Dennis Wynne Jones, Gordon .Mo nk, Peggy O’FarrelVs Skating Blades (17)* Helen Clore, Brenda-Marsh, Beverly Wright, Lionel Baker, Peter Bartlett, Mark Singleton. Additional numbers by Bruno Granichstdedten, Gilbert* Robert Stolz, Hans Frankowski, Thomas; ice adaptation, Pauline Grant & Thomas; English book-de lyrics, Harry Graham; associate producer, Pauline Grant ; Empress orch & choir under: direction of Leonard Morris ; choral supervision, George Kitchell; production supervision. Charell At Empress Hall, London, June 17. ’54; $2,15 top. Claude Langdon, 1 who operates the Empress Hall, Is the dean of iceshows Impresarios, having intro- duced them first at Brighton Stadi- um in the early 1930’s. Later he disposed of the holdings to Tom Arnold and started this vogue at the Empress Hall in 1949. Since then, he has staged two such shows annually, with the current offering his ninth venture. His last show there, “Sinbad the Sailor On Ice," with Norman Wisdom starred, played to over 1,000,000 cash patrons in 15V& weeks, House can hold 7,000 with intake per perform- ance over $7,000. Current show played at the Lon- don Coliseum in 1931 and was re- vived some five years later for a total of 919 performances. Lang- don has taken it off the shelf and put it on ice, staging it most lavish- ly at cost of more than $400,000. It looks every bit of it. Femnte star, Belita, is in her fourth show for Langdon, and quit* a favorite at this spot. Male star is Max Wall, a local name in radio, tv and vaude. Story shows' Josephina (Belita), owner of the "White Horse Inn,” encountering numerous difficulties in operating the hostelry due to the incompetence of Leopold, the head waiter, played by Max Wall. Tbe final love affair, where Leo- pold is taken into partnership by Josephina and marries her, is as per story. There are plenty of comedy situ- ations, with Noberti, Continental clown, tying himself in knots, so that he fits into a small tubular contraption, is the big laughgetter* Show is most colorful, and spec- tacular, with BClita’s pirouettes and top spins getting one of the big hands. Second part has a colorful open- ing amid vivid rain transformation and realistic cloudbursts, with most of the cast attired in phos- phorescent outfits to good effect. Continental team of adagioists, Koss Sc Harrison, scores in this. A big scene is devoted to the Charleston,' the popular dance of that era, receiving plenty of nos- talgic appreciation. Wall, making his debut on ice, gets the arena to himself in one scene, .where he puts over his comedy pianolog, ^which has been his. standby for years in tele and vaude. Size of stage gives him big- ger scope for his super clowning, resulting in showstopping recep- tion. The 12 Marquartsteiner Schuh- plattler Dancers, another Continen- tal Importation, found it tough following him. Boys have a boister- ous offering, finally getting over by sheer noise, and helped by effective Tyrolean attire. Others to score are Douglas Chapman, as the youthful Piccolo, and Shirley Burke, as Kathi, the postmistress. . Pauline Grant, who replaced Eve Bradfield' as the show’s pro- ducer, turns In’ an excellent job and looks likely to be in charge Of Langdon*S future productions. Erik Charell and Dr. Ralph Ben- atzky, composer of “White Horse Inn" musical score, came over for the opening, the latter wielding the baton for the occasion. Show is in for 17 weeks closing Oct. 20, It wilL be followed by Christmas show, “Cinderella, On Ice." Rcgc.