Variety (December 1954)

u Pflnftxlay* December 29, 1954 VAUDEVILLE 43 Tour Setup Now Olf for N.Y. Cafes As Bonifaces Hike Rates on Parties Ne w York niteries, which used* to depend so much on the packaged tours, have been able to establish a degree of Independence from them. Lately, the cafes still cater- ing to the tours have been able to hike prices to the point where they can come out with some mar- gin of profit. Until a comparatively short time ago the tours were getting a bot- tom price that barely covered ex- penses. Many cafes were so eager to provide a semblance of activity that they sacrificed any sort of profit in order to create the illu- sion that they were doing business. However, as the number of big- league niteries dwindled, the cafes still catering to the travel agencies were able to boost rates gradually, until they hit the point where they could make a profit. A spot like the Latin Quarter, which virtually has a monopoly on Broadway busi- ness, formerly had to share the tour parties with the Diamond Horseshoe, Havana-Madrid and Leon & Eddie’s, among others. To- day, except for the LQ, the other clubs are defunct, and the tour packagers have had to shell out higher tariffs to the Lou Walters spot. Every other representative cafe catering to the parties has been able to get prices that en- ables them to profit. The situation had been similar to that which prevails in Miami Beach today. The agencies provid- ing all-inclusive tours have their choice of niteries, all of which have top name entertainment. What is more, the cafes are giving away their seating space at minimal rates. What the situation will be later in the season in that resort, remains to be seen. Most of the Florida openings last week weren’t sensational. Warm weather in New York and cold and rainy weather in Florida didn’t bring out the spend- ers in the Southern resort. Ice Show Review The Pheby Sisters W««k 'December 3let PALACE THEATRE ix'M ' 3 ‘'NMMtl New York City &WA - • M: Eddie Smith 1697 Broadway, New York City BUD AND CECE ROBINSON on TV CBS Gala New Year's Eve Show Mqt. MCA Miss NAOMI STEVENS "Clionfj With a Chuckle" Currently black orchid CHICAGO Dir : JIMMIE HUSSON AGENCY 119 W. 57* S».. New York WHEN IN BOSTON lf$ the HOTEL AVERY Home of Show Folk Avory A WaiMaqtoa Sts. Vienna Ire Hevue Vienna, Dec. 23. Vienna Eislauf Verein produc- tion, directed by Will Fetter. Stars Jirina Nekolova: features Helmuth Seibt, Emmy Puzinqer, Fernand Leemans, Lotte Schwenk, Susie Giebisch, Emi Z lam, Heinz Smely, Hans Leiter. Wolf Litto, Edwin Wiesinger, Fritz Penitz. Herbert Bobek, E. Poelzl, E. Obcrhuebner, L. Schimdt. Vienna Ice Ballet. Music by Robert Stolz, orchestra under direction of Walter Heid- rich. Costumes, Gerdago and Ellen Bei; sets, Moser and Zehetner. At Fair Hall, Vienna, Dec. 23, ’54. It gets more difficult every year to invent new ice entertainment, but the “Vienna Ice Revue’’ man- ages to find new ideas. Latest ver- sion is an ice semi-operetta with eye-tilling costuming, lighting gim- micks, glamorous girls and sweet music. Story told by Linda Fischer is the love affair of two comedians, Heinz Smely and Hans Leiter, after winning the grand prize in a foot- ball lottery. Many of the old favorites are back again in a succession of good numbers, starting at Montmartre and winding up in Vienna. Jirina Nekolova tops the show, and in her solo work exhibits savvy and showmanship. Aside from the principals, all have tasteful rou- tines. Good comedy bit is by Herbert Bobek in a bathing scene. Susi Giebisch is excellent in her “Seven Veil Dance.” Acrobatics by Ernf Zlam and Wolf Litto go over well. Among the production standouts are “Cuban Festival.” “Bullfight,” “Skiing on the Arlberg” and a “Boxing Match ” Choreography of the Vienna Ice Ballet is excellent. Will Petter di- rected. Costumes were contributed by Gerdago and Ellen Bei, decora- tions by Moser and Zehetner. Ever-young Robert Stolz con- tributed the entire score, consist- ing mostly of new compositions. It is full of soothing waltz-time, sharp marching tunes and rhythmic dance steps, made to fit the blades and follow every choreographic in- novation, of which there are many. The score contains a fine theme melody, “Good Luck,” and a march, “Greetings to Vienna.” Special credit also goes to Stolz for his ballet music to the climax scene, “Taboo.” Conductor Walter Heidrich han- dles the blade show orchestra skill- fully. Maas. Albany Night Chib Ops Shift to Bigger Spot Albany, Dec. 28# Joe Belardo and Tony Fusco closed the Casa Bianca, on Cen- tral Ave. in Albany, Sunday (26) and moved to the larger Hawaii Club on Albany-Schenectady Rd., Monday (27). They reportedly purchased the latter for $40,000. The Hawaii Club, successfully operated for ^sometime under an other management, lost its liquor license two years ago. It was re- lighted last summer, with a tem- porary license, and again did busi- ness—only to face a closing of the night spot operation just before Nov. 1 because the liquor permit expired. Belardo and Fusco are understood to have switched the Casa Bianca license to the Hawaii. First show comprises Dave Starr, comic-emcee; Else Dell, songstress; Wallace Bros., dancing team; Ann Perri, and Lee Henderson Dancers (7). Charlie Randell’s orchestra plays the show. Peter Bertasso or- gans at the bar. CARLTON JOINS GREENE ON COLOR BURLEY FILM Sam Carlton, of Jessel Enter- prises, has joined Ben Greene in a projected production of “Bur- lesque,” a feature film in color along the lines of a family hurley show. Carlton will do the script. Shooting is scheduled to begin in March. MCA Nabs Outdoor Plum With Indiana State Fair Chicago, Dec. 28. Music Corp. of America’s grab of the Indiana State fair plum pin- points the company’s strengthened pitch at the outdoor markets, coin- cident with the transfer of Dallas agent Elwood Stacey to the Chi bureau. Indiana date, which had been booked exclusively for the past 20 years since its inception by Barnes & Carruthcrs. was plucked this season for the first time by Stacey and Jimmy Richards. Music Corp. has name attractions to offer, which is its major selling point. Fontaine Sisters may head- line the Indiana show. Chi bureau is also bolstering its other departments with the recent addition of Clay Campbell to the one-night bands section and Dick Marcus to the acts department. New Orleans Eve New Orleans, Dec. 28. New Year’s Eve prices in hotel spots here are a bit higher than last year. Top price is $22 per head at the Roosevelt, with the Jung and Monteleone $16 per person, and the Pontchartrain, $12.50. Prices include dinner, plus a fifth of champagne. Miami Beach Cafes Start Blueprints For Summer; Sonja Henie Booked Tourist Trade In Mex (or ’54 Nears New High Mexico City, Dec. 21. Tourism more than likely will es- tablish a new high in number of visitors and spending in 1954, ac- cording to Gustavo Ortiz Hernan, chief of the government’s tourist department. He conservatively es- timated that the trippers will num- ber 450,000 and that their spend- ing will reach a total of $100,000,- 000. The volume of this year’s visi- tors will top that of 1953 by 70,000 and that of 1952 by 50,000. The 8c peso, which despite the 23%-50% price hikes, does allow more for the dollar, better treat- ment by migration-customs serv- ices, improved travel and hotel-res- taurant facilities (the people of Mexico are slowly becoming more tourist-minded) and intensified publicity drives abroad are cited as top factors in the tourist upbeat, and more money obtained from this source. However, Hernan revealed, there is a drop in tourist trade that was important to U. S. border spots, particularly Ciudad Juarez and Ti- juana. He attributed that largely to an economic adjustment, cuts in budgets for the armed service bases in San Diego, Calif., which effects thousands of prospective tourists and induces them to elimi- nate or curtail visits to Tijuana, nearest Mexican hot spot. This drop is hurting Ciudad Juarez, op- posite El Paso, and Tijuana eco- nomically, although not very bad- ly so far. The tourism chief is optimistic about 1955. He feels this new year has earmarks of being super bump- er in tourist trade. Mex. Does Well, Could Do Better Mexico is doing well in tourism, but she hasn’t yet come of age in that trade because she can only draw 18% of Americans who travel abroad for fun, said Enrique Bur- meister, a top local travel expert. Despite what Mexica offers in the matter of climate, scenery and his- toric interest, Canada draws 68.2% (of Yankee trippers, and the rest of Latin America 7.4%. He urges still more official and private atten- tion to tourism. There are still cases of indiffer- ence, even hostility, which pro- vokes Intelligent Americans to comment. Those cases include open resentment toward Americans and others, such, as Canadians, who look like Americans; slovenliness in service and appointments in even top hotels and restaurants. In a top provincial city, Jalapa, capital of Vera Cruz, one of Mex- ico’s most important states, a bank manager is reported as refusing to cash a $100 National City Bank of New York travelers’ check unless a customer of the bank endorsed it. Vaude, Cafe Dates New York Celeste Holm goes into the Bal- moral, Miami Beach, Jan. 22 . . . Lenny Kent tapped for the Five O’clock. Miami, March 20 . . . Barry Sisters booked into the Riverside, Reno. Jan. 6 . . . Lee Salomon, of the Morris Agency cafe department, off for a Florida vacation . . . Nick Noble, of the Mercury label, at the Club Holly- wood, Chicago, until Jan. 5 . . . Joyce Bryant into the Chez Paree, Chicago, Dec. 29 . . . Juanita Hall cocktail-partied at Basin Street, N. Y. Monday (27) by her radio sponsor, Phillip Morris cigs . . . Leonard Young marked his third year at the Monte Carlo Hotel, Miami Beach . . . Jackie Cain A Roy Krai, current at the Purple Onion, N. Y., switch to the sim- ilarly-named spot in San Francisco Jan. 14, to be on the same bill with Mori Sabi, now at the Blue Angel. Chicago Morty Gunty set for Chez Paree Feb. 9 on bill with Mae West . . . Cross & Dunn into the Ankara, Pittsburgh, Dec. 31 for two weeks, following with two frames at De Lido, Miami . . . Vicki Young inked for fortnighter at Fazio’s, Mil- waukee, starting Dec. 31 . . . Diosa Costello opening Chase Hotel, St. Louis, Dec. 31 for tw'o-framer, with Leo De Lyon on bill . . . Julius La Rosa goes to the Des Moines Auto Show Feb. 5-12. HUB PIANIST-THRUSH SET FOR SICILY SPOT Cindy Parker, cocktail-lounge pianist-thrush, is slated to sail from New York Jan. 6 to Taormina, Sicily, to fill an engagement at the LaGiara nitery, a spot oper- ated by ex-Hub maestro Chico Simone. Following her engagement there, she’ll appear In spots In Capri, Monte Carlo and Rome. Her husband, booker Danny White, will sail to Italy the latter part of January on a talent book- ing quest. Cafe Society Downtown Readying Jan. Preem Cafe Society Downtown, N. Y., which had heen originally slated to open in September, is expected to be ready for a Jan. 18 preem. Spot, to be fronted by Mike Rainey, is now attempting to line up shows. Difficulties with building con- tractor are said to have delayed the preem. Spot is rebuilding so that it will have a capacity of more than 400. Plans Include an up- stairs cocktail lounge and an in- crease In seating on the lower floor, which will be made possible by elimination of the bar. The op- erators had booked the Treniers to preem the spot, but that contract had been played out at La Mar- tinique, which Rainey also fronted until its recent closing. Although the Miami Beach win- ter season has just opened, there are longrange plans of maintain- ing the Florida bookings for the lush summer trade. The first name booking lor the warm-weather months has already been made. Sonja Henie has been signed to head a .show at Copa City starting June 17 for six weeks. Other niter- ies are likely to line up summer attractions shortly. It’s evident that Miami Beach is no longer restricted to the 10- week season as in former years. For the past few seasons the hotels have been pitching lower tariffs during what used to be the “off- season.” As a result, traffic in that area has been heavier than usual. Evidently, the crowds during the hot months are well-heeled. Prices during that time are only a mite lower in the cafes than they are during the winter. The hairline difference, is apparently sufficient to lure a lot of people who would not ordinarily go for the cafe tabs. The savings In hotel rentals, how- ever are considerable, and sum- mer vacationers apply the differ- ence to entertainment. Hitherto, the major amusement enterprises were the hotels, which found that name bookings were profitable. The niteries that went after the summer trade, did so In their smaller rooms, generally. However, with Miss Henie’s book- ing, it’s evident that the larger rooms will be operation. Skater will provide her own show and furnish her own tank. The Copa City stand is her first nitery booking since Las Vegas, and may provide a new field for this vet skater. Magico Milbourne Christopher, in his second week in his solo show at the Hilltop Parkway Theatre, Baltimore, came into New York last week to set up the magic tricks on Saturday’s (25) Jackie Gleason tv show. “Mr. Hot Piano Is Hotter Than Ever” Mapping Million-Dollar Pier for Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Tex., Dec. 28. Edward J. Swerk, of San An- tonio, has offered to build a $1,000,- 000 pleasure pier here, 500 feet long and 100 feet wide. It would contain a cafe, theatre, dancehall and various concessions. He is to meet with the city pary and recrea- tion board soon to discuss the mat- ter. Swerk would lease a parcel of land in Corpus Christi Bay for the project. JACKIE LEE C oral Recording Star Latest Release I Can't Give You Anything But Love b/w Blue Boogie Opening Jan . 6 Seville Theatre, Montreal Pert. Mgr. KEN GREENGRASS Booking Director Bernie Rothbard Suez-Rothbard Office Theatrical Agency 250 South Broad 5t. Phila., Pa. Kingsley 5-1665 Vaude-Hoop Combo Sock Omaha, Dec. 28. Best local show biz coup of the pre-holidays season was Harry Fowler’s booking of the Harlem Globetrotters’ basketball team and vaude show at Ak-Sar-Ben Coli- seum Saturday, Dec. 18. Negro outfit drew 7,687 paid— including 1.081 standees — for a gross of $19,000. CAB CALLOWAY Currently GOLDEN HOTEL RENO, NEVADA M,t. KILL MITTLEH, lilt N,w York