Variety (December 1954)

n „!n^l«T. IVfi-mlxT 22, 1954 VAVBBVIIXB New Year’s Eve Still Big Night In U. S.; Prices Same as Last Year vpu- York’s cafe operators an-< ♦itioa-e no difficulty in selling out In Yew Year s eve. CircumsUnce fw-t the Latin Quarter with ap- 1 rnvimatelv 600 seats, has been removed fronith* market because , a sellout several months ago. automatically insures SRO'to most of the Other mteries. it s felt Fact that very few reservations have come in. so far. is no cause for disturbance, according to the bonifaces Everybody is too busy w th Christmas shopping to w-orry Itxwt the big night, but telephone calls and inquiries will start in quantity during the Christmas week. ... . Prices, this season, will be on par with that of last year. Top spots will be charging as high as $25 per person, with others adher- ing to an open house, while others will operate on modest minimums. Some cafemen are still to set their prices because they’re toying with the idea of upping the tariffs a little. With the LQ out of the running because Bruno, RCA dis- tributor in New York, has taken over the entire house for a cele- bration for dealers, they feel that this may result in a shortage of space, and premium prices will prevail. However, those daring to raise tariffs won't do so by very much. For the past few years, the ma- jor competition to cafes on the Eve has been private house parties. Should prices reach the heights, there’s always the possibility that many will organize their own as a money-saving device. This thought is likely to keep the rates on the same level as last year, when all major cafes had the SRO shingles out. Pheasant Dinner Chicago. Dec. 21. New Year’s Eve in Chi will be to more expensive this year than it was last at the major night spots in town. In most situations the tabs are at a par, though the Blatk Orchid clipped its admish from (Continued on page 52) Kayser, Retired by MCA, To Open Own Chi Office Chicago. Dec. 21. Joe Kayser, veteran one-night booker for Chi Music Corp. of America, opens his own office af- ter Jan. 1 to represent attractions in this territory who aren’t signed to management contracts with the major agencies. Kayser is being retired by MCA at year’s end. aftei having served 12 years there and five previous with the old Frederick Bros, bu- reau. In tije ’20s he had been a wellknown bandleader. 1 GODFREY & FRIENDS BUY Mi. KENILWORTH HOTEL Arthur Godfrey, CBS-TV head- liner, is part of a syndicate which ; has purchased the Kenilworth i Hotel, Miami Beach. Associates in • the venture are Harrison C. Ash and Walter E. Scott. Hotel was | leased back to the Kirkebv chain, which will continue to operate. Several of Godfrey’s telecasts have emanated from that inn 1 where he spends a considerable part of the winter. Milwaukee Towne Folds; Major Talent Showcase Milwaukee, Dec. 14. Towne Room, one of the major talent showcases here, located in the Towne Hotel, shuttered last week after months of weakish biz. With it went the adjoining Hide- away, an intime cocktail lounge where Jacques Foti had been ap- pearing. Both rooms were oper- ated by Jerry Grossman. Towne had reduced its shows to fone act in recent years, usually m • the middle-price range. Templeton Taking To New Nitery Routine Alec Templeton, who starts a concert tour in January, will re- sume cafe dates sometime in Feb- ruary. Pianist bowed recently at the Basin St., N.Y., for his first nitery date in some years. i He expects to spend a good deal of time on the nitery circuits next year. Joe Glaser’s Associated Book- ing Corp. is lining up the dates. Sheraton Corp. Profit Up 134% Earnings of the Sheraton Corp. of America, which operates the i Sheraton inn circuit, reported prof- its of $7,024,031 for the past six ; months, an increase of 134% over the same period of last year. Trad- ing in hotels, which gave the chain a $4,654,960 profit in capital gains deals, is included in the earnings report. Earnings are equal to $2.07 on each of the 3.389.865 sha r es of com- mon stock outstanding. On the cor- responding period of last year, earnings were 90c per share. Op- erations income amounied to $2.- 369.071 as against $2,088,486 for the same semester last year. The chain has completed arrange- ments to sell the Sheraton Hotel in Worcester, Mass., and is about to consummate a contract for the sale of the Spingfield, Mass.. She- raton. Capital gains profits on 1 these deals will be refltcted in the earnings of the current quarter. Celeste Holm Signs For N. Y. Plaza in Spring Celeste Holm and Ann Crowley have been assigned spots on the roster of the Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel. N.Y. Miss Holm goes in April 14 while Miss Crowley starts Feb. 17. It’s Miss Crowley’s first N.Y. date. Singer, who's been lead in a couple of Broadway musicals, is the sister of film-tv actress Pat Crowley. Can. Exhibition In ’55 To Neutralize Televisions Stay-at-Home Magnet Kenny Back to Gale With Tiuree-Year Pad Bill Kenny, who some time ago discarded the Ink Spots formation to go out as a single, has left Music Corp. of America to rejoin the Gale Agency. Kenny had been with the office previously. Kenny this week signed a three- year deal with t^e office. He has been set to open at the Apollo Theatre, N.Y., Jan. 7 and also at the Brass Rail, London, Ont., March 14. SAMMY DAVIS JR. TRIO PACTED FOR N.Y. COPA The Will Mastin Trio with ; Sammv Davis Jr. will start at the Copacabana, N.Y., March 24. Wil- liam Morris Agency is now lining up a complete itinerary for the group that wilt take them into the summer. The junior Davis has recovered sufficiently from the effects of the recent accident in which he lost an eye. to resume a full schedule of activity. Montreal Getting Vaude In Seville Reopening Montreal, Dec. 21. With several niteries closing for ‘‘renovations’ ’and biz way off in most rooms, the only bright spot for the festive season is the re- opening of vaude at the Seville. New policy will take effect next Thursday <30>, and opening bill will star Norman Brooks and Bob- bie Sargent, with the Deep River Boys to .follow Jan. 6. Contracts .were signed last Wednesday (15) between Bill Lester of United ! Amusements, who operate the : house, and Roy Cooper, who will ' do all booking for the theatre. Ottawa, Dec. 21. Ottawa’s 65 - year - old Central Canada Exhibition is getting set to battle the opposition of television. With video but a harmless infant during the 1953 CCE dates, last summer’s CCE was the first to feel the draw of tv and the >955 lair, scheduled for Aug. 20 to 27, will use several weapons to fight tv in- fluence and attract the customers out of their living rooms and into Lansdowne Park. Among them will be reduced moppet prices on midway rides day and night throughout the fair, a definite upping in quality in both grandstand and midway presenta- tions. and some method of prizes for stubholders. Until city bylaws made it illegal two years ago. CCE boosted advance admission sales by offering valuable door prizes on ad- vance tickets. The 1955 fair will distribute prizes but the CCE has not decided how. CCE has again pacted George Hamid to provide the grandstand show. Frank Bergen’s World of Mirth midway will appear in its second year of a five-year contract with the exhibition. Bergen will repeat the highly-successful Danc- ing Waters tent which he intro- duced here last summer to stand- out business. Hamia’s Grandstand Follies for 1955 will use a 42-girl chorus line and a group of eight singers as well as specialty acts to include Beatrice Dante and her chimp; Simms, aerial act; Annell and Brask, European cyclists: Six Ash- ers, risley aero turn; Wiados and doves; Elkins Sisters, acro-contor- tion terps; Mr. Ralph, moppet mu- sician; Ghezzis, comedy panto. Lacy Troupe, five femmes and a male in acro-balancing. and others. Show will have a revue format. Manuel Capetillo has been signed for the Cocoanut Grove of the Am- bassador Hotel, Los Angeles. Dec. 29. THE BE A UT1FUL Current Engagement: CIRO’S HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA “The public Just loved her and the is a real beauty.” —HERMAN HOVER Cire’s ray gilbert management: albert allardale LOU IRWIN AGENCY HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA CRestview 1-7131 9165 Sunsut Blvd