Variety (December 1954)

VAUDEVILLE Martin Switch Cues Talent Battle As Miami Beach Niteries Prepare Miami Beach, Dec. 14. 4 With prospects of a good Florida | season, nitery and hotel operators , might get involved in a talent war, | although the battle is not expected i to be as fierce as in former years. The opening salvo in what may develop into an expensive hassle was fired by the Fontainebleau, one of “this year’s hotels,” which booked Tony Martin for a Feb- ruary date. The Beachcomber claims that Martin, through letters and telegrams, had been committed to it and stated that it would tajee the case to the American Guild of Variety Artists. Patti Paige, who had aiso been dickering with the ; Beachcomber, has also been signed by the Fontainebleau. There have also been reports that Joe E. Lewis, who will play the Latin Quarter here for two weeks in February and another fortnight in March, was being signed by one of the hotels for a term in between those two dates. However, this step was denied by the William Morris Agency, which books Lewis. A personal note is injected in j the Martin-Fontainebleau deal. Martin and Ben JafTe, one of the owners of the inn, are close friends. Music Corp. of America, (Continued on page 58) I ROBERTS | jsjsts. *' no " l 1 Eddie Cantor wants to know What 9 8 Wrong With Reminiscing? * * * a bright bylinn pioco in thn upcoming 49th Anniversary Number P'SrIETy OUT SOON Steinman’s ‘Hippodrome’ Hits Fine $60,000 In Seven Days at Kaycee Kansas City, Dec. 14. “Hippodrome of 1955,” the Harold Steinman roller show, laid off after close of ittf date in Muni- cipal Auditorium here Sunday (12). After the Christmas holi- day it resumes at the Coliseum, Houston, Dec. 29, and has a string of dates in Texas and the south- west before moving to Omaha to open the new city auditorium there. Five-day engagement here in- cluded two matinees, all playing at $2.50 top. Seven performances figured a $60,000 gross, largely with the help of the city firemen, who shared in receipts for the benefit of their pension fund. In nine years in which the fire- men have participated with this show, their fund has grown by over $200,000. Ciro Kimac sails today (Wed.) for a Dec. 26 opening at the Mou- lin Rouge, Paris. 7 IT'S BEEN A GREAT YEAR! Currently Headlining ciRcrs December 10, 1954 Mr. Sonny Howard Sunset Towers Hollywood, California Dear Sonny: You scored a big hit in your first engagement at Ciro't. Hollywood has taken you to its heart and is looking forward to your return. So are we. As ever, jfZJt Herman D. Hover HDH/ns Coming Engagements: MAPES HOTEL, Reno, Dec. 15-29 THUNDERBIRD HOTEL, Las Vegas, Dec. 30-Jan. 27 BEVERLY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, Cincinnati, Feb. 4-18 CHASE HOTEL, St Louis Not Available Till July, 1955 RCA-Victor Records Direction: MCA The Big Tip ‘ Detroit, Dec. 14. Windsor, Ont., and Detroit police are pressing a search for Harvey Harrington, head- waiter at Windsor’s Elmwood Casino, who is charged in a warrant with stealing $5,000 in cash and $12,197 in checks from this area’s largest nitery. Harrington was on his way to the bank to deposit the cash • and checks when he abscond- ed, Elmwood Casino officials said. The checks were recov- ered in Harrington’s auto, ab- andoned in a parking lot. ’55 Auto Shows Angle (or Names Auto shows will be an important talent buyer next month. Virtu- ally all car displays in the major cities will be angling for names to hypo boxoffice as well as bring in prospective buyers. In Washington, for example, during the nine day show there will be three changes of head- liners. First to play for the first three days hasn't been set as yet, but Sarah Vaughan goes in Jan. 11, and Don Corrtell goes in Jan. 14. George Werfel is booking this lay- out. In Indianapolis “Dancing Wa- ters” has been set for the auto show. Car displays in other cities are making inquiries for top names. GM MOTORAMA LAYOUT GETS FOREIGN ACCENT The General Motors Motorama will assume a foreign accent this year. Layout, which opens next month at the Hotel Waldorf-As- toria, N. Y., has signed ballerina Liane Dayde of the Paris Opera to head the cast. Another import will be the Seven Ashtons, an Aus- tralian act, current at the Latin Quarter. Singer Priscilla Gillette has also been signed. Dick & Edith Barstow will pro-i duce and direct the show with Vic- tor Young helming the music. Mpls. Op in Temporary Site; Govt. As Partner Minneapolis, Dec. 14. Vic Levine has found a new tem- porary location for his nitery, Vic’s, which was one of the town’s top bistros until destroyed recently by fire. The city council is permitting him to utilize his liquor license thusly with the provision that he can move back to the former build- ing after it’s rebuilt. However, Levine will have Uncle Sam as a "silent partner,” doubt- lessly for a considerable time. In- ternal Revenue Dept, has filed a $133,825.65 tax lien against Levine and it will be in effect regardless of his club’s location, officials say. The tax lien, against any Levine property or “right to property,” covers delinquent cabaret taxes from January, 1951, to Dec. 31, 1953, and penalties. Christopher’s Magico Week Again in Balto Baltimore, Dec. 14. Milbourne Christopher brings his “Nights of Magic” to the Hill- top Parkway Theatre here the week of Dec. 20. Holiday week of hocus-pocus is an annual date for the magico. A feature will be “The Arrest,” a quick-change act with Christo- pher playing five characters. The Great LaFollette topped vaude bills with this novelty in the 1920s. ARA Hikes Filing Fees Artists Representatives Assn, has hiked the filing fee of performer contracts from $2 to $5 per pact. Action was taken in an effort to meet the rising organization ex- penses. All agency members file a roster oi their talent with ARA. Fee is charged for each exclusive con- tract in effect. Filing also serves notice on the agents that no at- tempt can be made to induce the act to leave for another office while contract is in effect. Nilda & Michael Terrace pacted for the Statler, Buffalo, Dec. 20. WednTftday, December 15, 1954 Nitery Sites Scarcer Now in N. Y.; Fla. Ops in Market (or Eastside Spot Nitery sites are becoming in- creasingly more scarce in New York. Virtually every situation where there had been a cafe in re- cent years has been absorbed by the “over 28” dancehalls. Most of them are sufficiently prosperous to have tied up the location on a lease for a number of years. The former Midnight Sun (later the Hurricane, etc.) and the Diamond Horseshoe, in the Paramount Hotel, have been taken over for the a.k. dances. The former Havana-Madrid is now partly a ticket agency and the kitchen portion belongs to the restaurant next door. Lately, some money has been floating around for a new night Atlantic City Warned Of Florida Resorts Aiming To Lure Convensh Trade Atlantic City, Dec. 14. Resort hotelmen were warned here Friday (10) that Florida re- sorts are moving to lure Atlantic City’s convention trade which en- ables most of the resort’s great hotels to keep open and out of the red during the off-season months. E. D. Parrish, director of sales and advertising for Chalfonte-Had- don Hall, beachfront house which, under the management of Joseph I. McDonell, gets more than its share of conventions, gave the warning. Parrish recently returned from Florida, where he attended a meeting of the National Hotel Sales Management Assn. He told members of the local as- sociation that numerous Florida hotels are planning added conven- tion facilities, including huge rooms for meetings and convention banquets, and are working harder than ever to get more conventions to come to that state. Big factor favoring the local re- sort, he declared, is it's close prox- imity to the large population cen- tres, which helps reduce conven- tion travel costs. He added that the resort can help itself by adding new things to lure the convention trade, mentioning the new outdoor swimming pool built this year at the Traymore and its outdoor ice- skating rink to be opened this win- ter, the new convention hall which is to be erected as another part of the Hotel Shelburne, and similar projects contemplated or under way. Parrish declared that Florida spends much more for promotion, especially vacation promotion, than New Jersey. Against this state’s $1,120,000, Florida spends $3,700,- 000. Despite this, he added, figures show the rate of hotel occupancy i has been dwindling in Miami Beach and rising in Atlantic City in re- cent years. OTHER CAR OCCUPANTS COUNTER-SUE DAVIS Los Angeles, Dec. 14. Two suits were filed against Sammy Davis Jr., as a result of the auto accident which caused the | loss of his left eye. Davis had pre- viously filed action against Helen S. Boss, driver of the car that col- lided with the one driven by Davis, and her passenger, Bessie Roth. In the countersuits, Mrs. Boss asks $125,000 damages and Mrs. Roth $75,000. Chase Club, St. Louis, Closes for 2 Weeks St. Louis, Dec. 14. The swank Chase Club has joined the two local legit houses, American and Empress, in shut- tering for a fortnight and natives have only the smaller bistros for entertainment unless they motor across the Mississippi to the Club Prevue near Collinsville, 111., 10 miles distant. The Chase is cater- ing to private parties until Friday (31) when Diosa Costello and her review with Roberta & Alicia and Leo DeLyon move in for a 12- night stand. The Empress Theatre closed Sun- day (12) until Dec. 28 when “Room Service” will be presented for one week. The American doused the lights Nov. 27, reopens Dec. 20 for a two week sessLon of “The Tea- house of the August Moon.” club. A Florida outfit is reportedly trying to acquire the East 58th St Red Coach Inn for conversion to a cabaret. Monte Froser had to seek put a hotel in order to preeni La Vie, slated to open in mid- January. The Shelton Hotel is en- larging the site of a spot which formerly housed a cocktail lounge for La Vie. Cafe sites have become impor- tant pieces of propertly, primarily because of the N. Y. State Liquor Authority rule that a liquor license will be issued to restaurants which have been in operation a minimum of 90 days. Even after this require- ment has been filled, there is no guarantee that a license will be granted. Consequently, restaurants and hotel rooms which already have a drink permit have increased in intrinsic value. At the same time, some cafe sites which are available have proven to be too difficult to oper- ate. La Martinique, for example, is a tough proposition. Some spots which can be made available have a forbidding reputation and can- not attract the right kind of trade. Although N. Y. nitery biz is in the midst of its usual pre-Xmas slump, there are some lively searches on for new operations. Feeling is that in the midst of all this prosperity, New York may very well find that it has an under- seating problem. It’s already evi- dent on Broadway, and it may spread to other parts of town. closest thing to paradise we know 3rd ANNIVERSARY FOR LEONARD YOUNG Singing M.C. and Host Air Conditioned uAtfi • McEntyrt, Managing Director ON THE OCEAN AT 4Stk ST. MIAMI MACH. HOtlOA Miss NAOMI STEVENS "Chant* With a Chuckle" C«fr..Hy: Club Datos, Chicago Opening Dac. 21»» BLACK ORCHID. Chi Dir.: JIMMIE HUSSON AGENCY 119 W. 57th St., Naw York COMEDY MATERIAL. For All Branch*! of Theatrical! FUN-MASTER THE ORIGINAL SHOW-BIZ GAG FILE (Tha Sorvlco of tha STARS) First 13 Filoi $7 00-All 35 issuas $25 Singly; S1.05 par script. • 3 Bits. PARODIES, par book..$10 • • MINSTREL BUDGET *25 • • 4 BLACKOUT BKS., at. bk...*25 • • BLUE BOOK (Gags for Stags) *50 • HOW TO MASTER THE CEREMONIES *3.00 GIANT CLASSIFIED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAGS, $300. Worth ovor a thousand No C.O.D.'s BILLY GLASON 200 W. 54th St., Naw York It—Dapt. V Orel# 7-1130 WHEN IN BOSTON If* Me HOTEL AVERY The Home of Show Folk A vary A Washington Sts.