Variety (December 1954)

*3? TlY<lnr*daT, December 8, 1954 NIGHT CLTB REVIEWS 53 Savaaiah* 3. T • • ou Elliott, Happy Burrows, j Sreel. Venus La Doll. Betty B'-sbane. Margot & Mallte. Wan- . l. rs 14 ), Pinky Lee, Lucille Orch; $3.50 minimum. Savannah is probably the i .y remaining outpost of bigtime r-t-v operations in Greenwich \ lace and also the last vestige 0 . • e large Negro cafe life which v ^ one of the attractions m New v k during Prohibition ana for a t e afterwards. Like its counter- r . , in the 30s. the Savannah is 5 \. 3 ot that cannot be afforded by immediate locals. They must a *. ;; - ac t spenders from all parts of c ity and from out-of-tow ners. 1 -oenis to be doing so handily. Indeed, one of the attractions is t iir.e of beauts who cavort in a >p rtted manner. Undoubtedly. lure many into the spot. T y are excellently costumed and itedly routined by Clarence Lobinson who has been named i” oducer of a new Las \egas hotel, t . Moulin Rouge, and who has V,, n associated as producer of the : _*::ne Negro cafes of a former A ide from the line, the spirit c the joint is in itself an attrac- t;, n Blueprinted primarily for an evening out. it’s a spot where the p. • nonage is primarily male, and te femmes accompanying them a: t in the mood to take most any- th .ng within reason. So. there’s a t >uple of exotiques, a comic and a pair of singers included in the batch of talent. The featured spot goes to Lou F. lutt New Acts*, a singer who ! vocalized with several Negro name bands. Another singer on the program. Julie Steel gets by r. elv with a trio of tunes. One of the divesting divas, has an ntriguipgly named Venus La I),,11: other is Betty Brisbane. Both v . : k in similar styles, with some re-traint and a degree of taste. T e> wear minimal garb at the c nclusion of their turn. The bluest segment in the sjjow b\ a gal with a name similar to tn.at* of a telecomic who conducts a kid show. Pinky Lee. The ver- 1 used isn’t for kids and some- t.mes not even for certaiq catego- ry of adults, like Aunt Ophelia (. other maiden aunts. She brings on howls with her elemerftary and 'ometimes allimentary humor. She's a big girl dressed in horizon- tal 'tripes to accent her corpulence a:, i <et a comedy mood. She’s not for the genteel spots. <>r.e of the Four Wanderers, a vocal group, was felled by illness. ' three-quarters of the act per- f rmed. They impress as serious- * .r.ded citizens anxious to make - od solely through the process of - "d singing. A torrid terp team. Margot & M illie, and emcee Happy Burrows th New Acts* round out the ses- Lueille Dixon's sbowband k.ik well. Smiling Lou Taylor. ' e former performer, presides at the tape. Jose, James Cagney and .Arthur Ken- nedy from an old WB picture. ’’City for Conquest.” that’s dra- matic and effective. They shouldn’t do it indiscriminately, however: it would be more practical only for certain rooms and types of audi- ences. * Morry Allen’s band backs the show okay and they’re also easy to dance to. with Stan Conrad, a ver- satile organist, filling in from the big stage during the lulls. Cohen . FlaMlig*. laa Vega* Las Vegas. Dec 2. Kay Starr, Alan King. Jones Boys <4*. Ron Fletcher Dancers < 121. Teddy Phillips Orch tl5>; no cover or minimum. Sundown. Phoenix Phoenix, Nov. 29. Bill SuNiran, Bob & Irene Cop- fer, Saphire Trio; no cover or min- imum. The Sundow n Club, w hich closed three years ago after once flourish- ing as the town’s leading nitery under the aegis of Joe Gaddis, has been reopened by Ray Sherlock, former Erie. Pa., restaurateur, as a supper club with a spot enter- tainment policy. Club has been given a facelifting and some added physical embellishments to show- case its entertainment attributes, which proved a strong draw open- ing week and may land the spot in the winner’s circle. Bill Sullivan, from the Pitts- burgh nitery' circuit, impresses here with his baritone song styling He's equally at home in the ballad and jump genre and belts across a packet of numbers that run the scale from “If I Give My Heart to You” to ‘ Zing Vfent the Strings of My Heart.” He’s on 12 minutes and sells all the way. Bob & Irene Copfer. husband and wife vocal duet, are an effec- tive team. Utilizing arrangements that cover sundry- pops as well as musicomedy specialties, they do 14 numbers over a 24-minute stretch with strong aud response. Best of the vocal groupings are the excerpts from "Oklahoma” and a boff blackface specialty, but crowd reacts strongest to an audi- ence participation sesh that lets them sound off with "You Are My Sweetheart.” "I Had a Dream. Dear.” and others. Jona. Kay Starr is back for a month’s ' stay in her familiar haunt with her special brand of vocalistics that will find a king-sized coterie of willing listeners in the big supper J , room. ^ In 30 minutes of familiar song patterns. Miss Starr is in good voice, belting with gusto and top range trills. "Comes Along A- Love” is the perennial opener. Other faves are somberly resonant ’’Talk Of the Town.” "Mama Goes Where PaDa Goes,” Good Man To Have Around.” the poignant “Three Letters.” "One Hundred Years From Today.” and "Side By Side” and "Wheel Of Fortune.” Accolades are deservedly earned by thrush. Alan King, sans Tony Martin, is slimmed down and looks younger even as the comic socks his older stuff The delivery is fresh and his single turn is plenty okay ex- cept when the talented comedian essays the lengthy "Soliloquy” i "Carousel.” Pruning it down con- siderably should make it more pa- latable. and lessen the long show- time as well. His new-owners- jokes garner laughs even from the new owners. The Jones Boys are a singing quartet that opens the show and otherw ise back Miss Starr in some of her offerings. Their harmonies ' lean nicely to the basso singer and they deliver spirituals with fine sensitivity. The Ron Fletcher dancers rate the big hand for "Sabrina.” a mood production that finds the chorines bedecked in striking gowns and hats to convey an excellent illu- sion in terps. The Teddy Phil- lips orch cuts a good show and Harold Mooney is the able oiano accomper for Sliss Starr. Bob. Sahara. Las Yogas Las Vegas. Nov. 30. Vagabonds '4*. Maria Xeglia. DunhilLs <3>. .Martha Ann Bentley, Cee Davidson Orch ill*; no cover or minimum. Vogue Terrace. Pitt Pittsburgh. Dec. 2. Ho-Larks. Letris & Phillips, C / Monet. Stan Conrad, Morry A '<•> Orch i 8 >; SI cover. There may not be too much t one value in the current Vogue ” trace layout, but there's a load <: entertainment. The Mello-Larks. 1 : < e boys and a girl, is one of the I '-t vocal groups around these < <>'. loaded down with smart ar- - naements. crackerjack material anci.'howry production stuff. \'i T h the Mello-Larks. a song ‘1 merely a song, but a complete * ' 'Omething they’ve worked dili- }- ntly on. not only vocally but also i" presentation. What the foursome •’ ' come up with then is some- 1 ng smart, original and fresh. * : ci they tackle it with excellent ' 'tees and a great deal of enthu- ‘' m : The high spots are Steve A.lens "Gideon’s Bible.” a clever \ Hernando's Hideaway,” leading mto a corking medley and a sym- j Num of coffee songs neatly tied * -ether. The femme adds a lot of j and flash to the turn, and the ‘ are all young, personable and tvremely ingratiating. >how opens with some exciting, e: i beat dancing by a striking bru- Gaby Monet, who had the terp 1 -d in Shirley Booth’s recent Broadway musical, "By the Beauti- 1 -i Sea. ’ Miss Monet is a combo of t odern, interpretive, ballet ana > <nish terps. and it's all done v . ; ’h a lot of fire. Introduces a cou- 1 e of her numbers. "Hold ’Em » e and "Shake. Rattle and Roll” v ’h a bit of singing in a sultry ' 1 ce. and stops the show. :>on Phillips handies the m.c. job engagingly and then teams up '' db nis partner. Buddy Lew ls. for y ‘ ight easy-going session of light i Highs and major impressions. Both them are okay imitators, and ey work them in smartly. For a l msh, with an intro of "I Believe.” Lcv\is and Phillips do a sketch oi The Vagabonds show is plugging the two-week booking gap and, considering the offbeat season, should do well enough at the turn- stiles. They were here only three months ago and return with the same cast and material. The melodic clowns are enter- tainment vets. Dom and A1 on guitars. Pete on bass and Tillio. the silent deadpan accordion wizard, emerging in socko reprise. The daffy swing quartet bounces vocal harmonies off ears of re- ceptive diners. "Bill Bailey.” "Salt Song" and "How You Gonna Keep I ’em Down On the Farm After They’ve Seen TV” are fave stand- outs. Pete is hilarious in a takeoff on Hawaiian dancers. Violinist Maria Neglia. with impish eyes, plays the gamin and scores with artistic comedies. The speedy tap-dancing of the Dunhills makes the act a crowd-pleaser. with r the challenge dancing and softshoe turns proving an added fillip. Martha Ann Bentley is an ex- cellent pacesetter, opening show with lightning-fast ballet terps. featuring spins and whirls. The George Moro Saharem Dancers are good in a pair of production num- bers. Most vivid in the routines are the four tallest chorines, all dance vets, who foreground intri- cate dance patterns to a nice hand. Frank Linale is okay conducting the Cee Davidson orch for the Vagabonds and their hired hands. Bob. she softly strings away at "Avant de Meurir.” Show finishes with an exuber- ant husband and wife, yodelling, guitaring. and singing, called Duo Wohlmuth. Bavarian-style mate- rial is at its best with their render- ing of "O Pepita.” a melodious rhythm song which is a continuous repetition of the title words. _ Haze. ( hez Paref, till Chicago. Dec. 5. Cross A Dunn, Tommy Leonetti (with Dwk Marx). Ernie Richman A Mannequins >3*. Harrest .Moon Festival Winners « 8 >, Brian Far- r:on Orch » 8 '; $150 cover, $3.75 minimum. Rifs (arlton. .Montreal Montreal. Nov. 29. Mary Meade 'with Ted Grouya >, Johnny Gallant, Joe Settano Trio: $1.50-2 cover. Unfortunate illness marred first few days of Mary Meade’s Ritz date this time around but this handsome thrush made a quick re- covery and once again is clicking nicely in the fashionable boite. Teeing off with her usual breezy intro number that establishes an okay relationship between per- former and r.ngs.der. Miss Meade reprises some of the faves from other appearances and updates with several new items. Best of nine numbers on show reviewed was her impresh set ca.led "1 Just Want to be Me." Working some very good material around such chantootsies as Dorothy Shay. Dinah Shore. Hildegarde. et al. she never goes overboard with the obvious ahd. used in the windup spot, it gets her off to plaudits. About midway through stint, she introduces her husband-composer Ted Grouya and offers a few of his better know tunes highlighted with "Flamingo." Grouya. at the piano, is given a boost in current layout by house 88 'er Johnny Gal- lant as they team up on two pianos to back Miss Meade's piping. As usual ehanteuse is elegantly turned out from every angle and overall sophistication of act is ideal for this type of cafe. .Wirt. Beverly Hi IK. \euporl Newport Ky.. Dec. 4. Paul Gilbert. Blackburn Twins A Genie Stone. Earl Lindsay Dancers <10*. Dick Hyde. Gardner Benedict Orch 10 •; $3 minimum, S4 Saturdays. Bine \ole. ( hi Chicago, Nov. 25. Blue Xote All Stars '6*. Johnny Hodges Orch <7>; S3 minimum. Sixty minutes of class entertain- ment removes the pre-Yu!e blues from this lineup in Greater Cincy’s top nitery. Headliner Paul Gilbert and sup- porting Blackburn Twins & Genie Stone are clicko for their full routes. A new line of Lindsay stepping lookers and holdover Dick Hyde, dapper singing emcee. suDply wholesome extra topping. Back for his fourth time, Gilbert makes further visits welcome with his standard and exclusive brand of comedy. Has them rollicking for most of 25 minutes of expertly delivered nifty monolog and take- offs of a drunk, concluding with his medico clincher and a bit of high note trumpeting. The clever song and dance look- alike Blackburn twins have an able femme assistant in Genie Stone, blonde beaut who displays a lot of her physical charms. The person- able lads score as usual with their w.k. mirror specialty. Koll. Kxplanade. Frankfurt Frankfurt. Dec. 5. Heinz Gudelius. Rica Corell. Mario Greco. Violette & May, Duo Wohlmuth. Peer. Erwin Moretti Orch 'll*; 50c cover. Seven Sraw. Omaha Omaha. Dec. 2 i .41 Morgan; no cover or mini- mum. Although his name isn’t as well- known here as it is in Chicago. Al Morgan's gifted piano work is cer- tain to build biz at Don Hammond’s Seven Seas. As always. Morgan’s flying hands serve as his trademark and bring roars from the payees. And the 88 ers‘ vocals and gabbing are just as effective Another plus for Morgan Ls the expert manner in which he brushes off drunks. At show caught. Morgan spent more than half the time playing re- quests—and his library is so well- stocked no one was turned down. Then into Hoagy Carmichael im- preshes. a clowning “Clair de Lune,” and serious memories fmy first song on a job: "Heavenly Thing ’ and my first song on the air: "Once In Awhile”). A big windup with his w.k. "Jealous Heart” sends him off to an ovation. i i . i i Trump. The Esplanade, which before the war was the Cafe Esplanade in the old Hotel Imperial, has been re- built from the bombed-out ruins into a posh modern club, just opened to catch the Christmas holidayers. The $75,000 free- formed decor, with seating for 300. gives Frankfurt its only abstract- inspired club among the three- dozen-odd contenders for local biz. Though none of the acts is head- lined. best performance of the eve is turned oi^t in the 20 -minute dynamite-paced delivery of a new- comer. a tall, scrawny, whimsy- faced lad billed as Peer. With no instruments other than a well- packed set of vocal chords, he does impressions of a little German band playing “Tiger Rag.” of Harry James' instrumental solo- ings of "I’m in the Mood for Love,” and. as a real s^ndout. winds with a German sports an- nouncer at the Avus auto races, including all the roars and sounds from the track. Rica Cornell, a plump German songstress, chants translations of U. S. hits, and vocalist Mario Greco gets his greatest reaction from "Granada.” with okay back- ing from the quartet. A Danish duo has Violette play- ing straight-violin to the comic- piano antics of her partner May. He ends act with slow-paced hand- stands «n tht broken-up piano as Frank Holzfeind’s jazz emporium Ls spotlighting a lineup of top- drawer names in the progresssive idiom this fortnighter and. as ex- pected. they’re bringing in goodly crowds. Three mainstays of ' Jazz at the Philharmonic.” trumpeter Roy Eldridge. trombonist Bill Harris, and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, have plucked three solid Chicago sidemen and assembled a potent 'all star” group that has adopted the name for this show- case. The boys, each a champion of his instrument, whomp up some hot sets that infect the aficionados, who don’t spare the palm-pound- ing for individual solo rides. They jam on "Lullaby of Birdland.” take a low-rolling on ”1 Can't Get Started With You.” and wind up lustily with "Just You. Just Me.” Happily, it's all music, very good to listen to indeed, with none of the "JATP” theatrics or blasting hysterics. Pianist Lou Levy, one of the Windy City sidemen who comprise the rhythms, practically eats up the keyboard everytime he’s set loose and rates as proper company for Eldridge* Harris and Webster. Alternating sets, the Johnny Hodges outfit by contrast is unin- spired and does itself no credit on lacklustre and loosely-woven ar- rangements of "Take the A Train.” “Tenderly.” or C-Jam Blues.” Lcs. Longtime vaude team of Cross & Dunn returns to the boards after a iayoff of almost four years with streamlined versions of their ven- erab e routines. Opening night <51, ihe house was packed with older folks who remembered and a younger element which came to s r e what oldtime vaude was like. Nostalgia sold wholesale. Greeted back with an ovation, the dapper duo h.gh'ights its long show b:z career in a smart “This Is Our Lives” opener before iauncmng its light satirical artil- lery. The pop songs are modem, the spec.ally lyrics sprinkled with up-to-date allusions, and the only thing old about this act is the reputation of Cross & Dunn. An affable spoof on lawyers hits home warmly, and a takeoff on “Her- nando's Hideaway ’ is a capital bit of blue-shaded material. Between numbers there’s some low-pressure joshing, with Dunn foiling to Cross' rejoinders. Act shifts into high gear with reminiscences of yesterday's vaude- villians. and the pair alternate a string of carbons on John McCor- mack. Sir Harry Lauder. Jack Smith. Bert Williams, and Gallagh- er and Sheehan, among others. A surefire palm-getter and heart- wringer. this sends them off in a terrific salute. 1 By striking contrast. Tommy Leonetti is a performer of the new fashion. Youth has suavity and good looks, ingratiating reserve, and a voice that is loaded with romantic nuances. Capitol Records chanter essa\s a brace of ballads and a couple fine medleys, one of which gives him departure to use the futl scope of the stage. Songs all have good impact, but there’s a need for an uptune some- where in the course for change of pace. leonetti is backed on this show by pianist-arranger Dick Marx. Ernie Richman and the three shapely femmes who comprise his Mannequins contribute sock terp . productions that are handsomely staged. "Shoppin’ Around” is a cleverly conceived vehicle for extravagant costuming. Richman’s high k.cks. and interplay between the dancers. Soft shoe is brought into play on “Tea for Two.” and dance to "Love Is a Simple Thing” is properly a lighthearted caper. Getaway to a torrid mambo brings down a terrific mitt. Dance teams which won the re- cent Harvest Moon Festival here are brought on by Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet and are each given one number in which to demonstrate their stuff. They’ll appear in the opening slot of this two week show, with pairs dancing in waltz, jitterbug, mambo. and tree-style modes. Stanley Kay & Beverly Falk, the free-sty!e win- ners. shape as the best prospect. Brian Farnon orch backs the show smoothly and splits dance sets with Jack Rodriguez Rhumba Band. Lcs. r !•«**«•«■ ndo, II wily wood Hollywood. Nov. 30. Mel Torme, accompanied by Al Pellegrini; Bob Keene Orch «6*; cover, SI.50. Ballneau. Odawa Ottawa. Dec. 4. Pat Morgan, Wallace Bros. t2>. Dorothy Kramer Dancers < 4 1 with Jimmy Kirby, Harry Pozy Orch ( 8 *; $1 admission. Making his second appearance in the Gatineau Club’s Carnival Room this fall. Pat Morgan's chant ses- sion shows definite improvement both in pipe handling and staging savvy. Morgan uses a wiser tunc selection, gets more audience im- pact and makes socko use of his capable tenoring. On first as em- cee. he leads with a fast arrange- ment of "Hi. Neighbor” to big mitting. Solo stanza has Morgan in a standout seasonal medley of "Let It Snow.” "Winter Wonder- land.” "White Christmas’ and others. Morgan also garners mitt- ing with "Basin St. Blues.” a self- accompanicd guitar oater arrange- ment of "This Old House.” and ef- fective chanting of "Bluebird of Happiness.” Clicko session of cab. chant and tap is presented by Wallace Bros., colored pair who intersperse stand- out tap terping with gags that are strictly from the cornfield, but draw healthy chuckles from the tablesitterv Act ends with solid challenge bit. Boys work to beg- offs. ,, . i Gorm. No predictions on Los Angeles’ smog, but it looks like the Velvet Fog has disappeared. Probably for good. The onetime fog man. Mel Tonne, is debuting a new type of act with this stand at the Cre- scendo and the indications are that he is closer to Finding his proper niche than ever before. The ac- cent this time is more on enter- taining and less on song—and the vocal style has undergone some- what of a change. Torme has fashioned a new act for this stint, one in which he has blended some humor, an easy man- ner and a more exuberant style of singing. There are still traces of the torrr.er "fog” and he's by no means a belter, but he's more of a standup singer than before, par- ticularly with tunes like "Enter- tainment.” which serves as a good opener: "Pretty Eyed Baby.” "Any- thing Can Happen Mambo” and "Birth of the Blues.” In between is some easy and genuinely humor- ous patter. He’s got Al Pellegrini as conductor-arranger to provide backing and he sits down for a slinging session at the Slingerlands for a finale re-ereation of Benny Goodman's "Sing. Sing. Sing” disk. It’s a solid half hour of en- tertainment and the ringsiders i whistle him back for more. I .. . .. Kop.