Variety (December 1954)

W«Klnfwl«Ti Dumber 29, 1954 MGHT CLUB REVIEWS Frank Sinatra, 3 DeMarco Sit- ters Joey Bishop Pete Conlow, ' ! • stevens, Bob Sweeney; Mi- c hael Durso and fr< } n,c Marti r nitis* staged by Douglas Coudy; Zt NoZm Gimbel; “ Cha-Cha■ Cha’ song by R™ A Morgan; orchestration, Eliot G. Eberhard, costumes, Billy Livingston; $5 j minimum. • - It s a far erv from Frank Sinatra nf the now tfefunct Riobamba, in the late ’30s, and Sinatra, the au- horitative song delineator as showcasing concurrently in another basement bistro, the Copacabana, which rates easily as one of the ton three flagship niteries in the land Sinatra is back here as an indubitable attraction, a savvy, show-wise performer, all of his edges nicely rounded and polished, and even when essaying an offbeat approach performing in the style of a fullfledged star. The transition from then until nost-mideentury sees the skinny songster catering to a moneyed, mature crowd—a soil of AK bobby- sox set—who give full evidence that they know the score, have been properly exposed to the Sinatra catalog of song and style on screen and platter, not forget- ting the romantic chatter that goes with a personality. From a lucky happenstance that first catapulted him. along with some other band singers, into the big time, Sinatra has worn his transitory laurels well and gives evidence of mature realization of these opportunities. He rises to the occasion and more than per- forms his share of the entertain- ment bargain. Result is that the Eyetralian- American kid from Hoboken is beaucoup Copa-setic at the Copa. Jules Podell, the bossman, is probably not exaggerating too much that Sinatra is a sellout for his three-week stint, a holdover commitment which is so fortuitous for many a spot w'hich, by insuring the renewal rights for seasons hence, capitalizes on the vintage years that come with maturing audience appreciation. Sinatra, of course, is a little spe- cial. in that technically this annum supposedly marks his "comeback” year, a euphonism because Sinatra has really never been away, save for his somewhat mixed-up per- sonal behaviorism with (1) a press, which could not be blamed for ‘‘misunderstanding” him, 12) Ava. But came Col’s "Eternity” and Sinatra’s one-tw'o click on Capitol with the Academy prizewinning title song and later "Young At Heart,” and he’s back in high. Higher yet. Sinatra erred opening dinner show, if err it is. on overgeneros- ity. He did 10 minutes shy of an hour of solid song singing. That’s too much of one dish, even if it was Marilyn or Gina or ZsaZsa up there singing—well, maybe that’s overstating it, but while FS is plenty OK for sound he should leave ’em a little more h-u-n-g-r-y. He carries quite an instrumental corps for personal accomp—Bill Miller at the ivories and Richard Jones as personal maestro along with a personal string section. He runs the gamut of "World On String,” “Kick Out of You,” "When 1 Stop Loving You” (new ballad winch somehow slows things up), Taking a Chance on Love,” "Vio- lets for Your Furs,” "Write Myself a Letter,” "One of Those Things,” One for the Road,” "Gal Who Got Away,” "Young at Heart” (after a tea-sipping bit), "Foggy Day,” Funny Valentine,” "Can’t Take That Away From Me.” "It’s the Wrong Time” (from "Can-Can,” or some call it ‘John-John,’ depends on your neighborhood.” he flips), P®" 1 ,Worry About Me” and "All of Me. In the yesteryear songplugging nicies they used to call his stylized songalog an ill. song recital—he does give the wordage living illus- trated song interpretation. Sinatra stomps his feet and waves his arms aiolt, in stylized manner, but no matter what or how he does it, the ' ergrown bobbysoxers evidence, >y their audible requests, that icy re disk disciples, completely cli!. ^ujrot with his catalog. He d»,\ CS t* le torchants in the style he accustomed them to. He v s his „ re P«rtoire as "Songs a ^ oung Lovers,” and no matter r ® aRe l 9 { , the outfronters at the ,;?!*?• which isn’t exactly a Horn & nii strives responsive juve- Hnd roma , nti c accord. He’ll also "‘UP P Ie nty of sweet music on tvT e *chequer this semester. tain nV h ?K W ’ t ? t0 » is * tron *. re “ frm/ 1 * ^ bas,c Dou 8 Coudy ndM^ ork cl it l tersp,lced with the 5 « ( ... £ rco Sisters and Joey Bishop • mar< * uee - But Pete Conlow s)!l!r\ an u effe ctive acro-ballet a ,s f ? st purging as find ' i* • and will suddenly I,, r , hi mself properly showcased iv th„ ipusical or an important &how * which he rates; video-wise he already evidenced solo oppor- tunities on the Sherman Billingsley "Stork Club” semester. Conlow works as if he likes it, and what’s more the backer-upper babes smile as if they like him. Incidentally, they’re an improved aggregation of femme lookers. Jean Stevens and Bob Sweeney are also holdovers as the ingenue and juve singing leads, handling "As Long As I Have You,” "Remember When” and "Cha-Cha-Cha,” the latter an up- surging mambo of distinction. The DeMarcos have matured nicely with their group singing, doing standards like "Hernando,” "I Believe,” "Mambo Italiano” and "Little Rock.” The kids need something standout; they’re still trying, with the obvious standout the middle sister as the come- dienne, but in the final analysis it’s the material. Joey Bishop is a returner here, a fast-talking alumnus of the borscht belt, who ad libs about his "sincere” humor and while, for a time, it appears.that he’s fighting too hard, that is his technique and he registers by and large. The breaking-down of the song lyrics is now a little on the familiar side, first done by Frank Fay in the hey- day of vauaeville. His East Indian nonsense and the Ted Lewis take- off (latter was out-front at this show, but not spotlighted by Bishop) take him off to a good laff result. Per usual the Mike Durso and Frank Marti bands are plenty OK for sound, both for dansapation and show backstopping. Abel. Hotel Plata, N. Y. Sally A Tony DeMarco, Jenny Collin*, Ted Straeter Orch, Mark Monte’s Continentals ; $2 $2.50 cover. Moeamba. I,. A. Los Angeles. Dec. 22. Mary McCarty, Paul Hebert’s Orch (4), Joe Castro Combo (3); $2 cover. Not as a stranger does Mary McCarty come into the Morrison tavern. Whatever the nitery trans- lation of "going to the well too often,” it would apply to this bun- dle of unloosed energy, who can belt with the best and activate like an atom. How well she does on this two-w'eek stand will depend on the out-country trade to whom she is new. The regulars are not likely to populate the pews, not because of her lack of talent but more to the point, they’ve had it. and Miss McCarty is not flexible enough to give them something entirely new, or make them think so. Riding in on a "Mary” theme, she bows with a flourish to pro- claim "It’s a Good Day” and 40 minutes later settles down to a sentimental Christmasy thing, the only serious note in her repertoire. They like her better the other way,, like when she parodies a has-been actress on Skid Row or the little blue number, "Got To Stay Sober Tonight.” Frankly, Miss McCarty is an entertainer and comedienne and not a singer of serious songs. She has some fresh material and her antics are variants rather than originals. Much of the McCarty rapid-fire monolog is edged in double mean- ings and only the habitues catch up with the gamey satire. For prop laughs she effects “such sundry getups as the beatup habilaments of a frowsy dame, wigs, tambou- rine and guitar, which serve as muted accomp to her caricature of folk singers. Not too funny but worth the try. It’s gay and divert- ing if not a w'hopping sortie into the brasher elements of comedy. Paul Hebert and Joe Castro front Local 47 on the bandstand. Helm. Blue Oil Chicago, Dec. 22. Woody Herman Orch (16), with Leah Mathews, Lou Levy; $3 mini- mum. The pre-Christmas slump ended, and the Christmas boom began, for the Persian Room on Thursday (23) when Tony DeMarco opened his 19th engagement there (six for Sally) and the party trade flocked in. For the next four w’eeks, after l which comes Lisa Kirk, this dance marriage, in the double meaning, will qualify as one of the culti- vated pleasures of the town. Let’s simplify the report: the ’ DeMarcos remain great dance en- 1 tertainers. Experience and show- manship shine in their style. They dress, they move, they pirouette, they radiate with the practiced authority of world-travelled sure clicks w ho got there, and still .get there, on solid merit. In baby blue (we think) Sally De Marco never looked lovelier. Her effortless grace continues to neatly match Tony’s high gloss. Their pace is a rapid one, and since they are on the floor some 25 minutes, there is the practical problem of catching their breath. That both of them manage dialog, and quite well, is itself a sufficient, tribute to physical discipline and breath control. At a guess more of this personality commentary is a good bet for future routining, to take the sheer labor off the pumps. Undoubtedly there is in- teresting patter to be developed. An audience might well enjoy more observations on dancing from this qualified expert. Opener on the current bill is Jenny Collins. An attractive Amer- ican with a background as college vocal coach. Godfrey warbler and “King and I” cast member, she’s been reviewed from Toronto and One Fifth Ave. What the previous Variety reviewers had to say re- mains true: she plays a cautious game at the mike and offers noth- ing in song choice w’hich is mem- orable. It qualifies as a compli- ment that, practically without a line of special material, this gal has rated the Persian Room and that she proves popular with the clientele. Miss Collins works in a stun- ning white and black evening gown. Her small sample of French lyrics is authentically Parisian, by the testimony of the Paris-born companion of this reviewer, and is a result, ’tis said, of coaching by her husband, a French painter. Her problem in terms of future growth as an entertainer is to find something more distinctively her own. Gershwin medleys are com- monplace. The Romany gypsy bit, for which she lets her hair down, contains a glimmer of possibility. Plainly her voice is more power- ful and trained than the demands put upon it. She gives the impres- sion of having more to give than her conservative approach, and ma- terial, now' allows her to give. Which is not to suggest she stands in any need of apology. She han- dles herself like a trouper, dis- plays firstclass poise and gets off very k nicely in 12 minutes. The Straeter and Monte musi- cal ensembles, the subject of much comment in these columns through- out the year, can take ditto marks this time. Land. El Raaeho, L mu Vegan Las Vegas. Dec. 22. Sophie Tucker with Ted Shapiro, Dick Kallman, Matty Malneck irith Eve Marley and Beverly Richards, El Rancho girls (12), Bob Ellis orch (12); no cover or minimum. his bouncing presence and exactly- timbred voice. Headlining in the act department are the Borrah Minevitch Rascals <6), in their first stint here since 1950. Boys are in fine fettle and bring hearty yocks their irrepres- ible clowning and harmonica hoity- toity. Johnny Puleo’s harassed I Sophie Tucker continues her little man tactics as one who is ; Golden Jubilee, headlining a show perennially the miscast but fights : that leads heavily towards vocals. Ins towering oppressors tooth and in this six-weeker. The Red Hot nail, again shows his mime and Mama makes a classic entrance in comic mastery and the well-worked striking frillery and proceeds to routining and playing bring gales?) entertain in her 40-minute stint in of palms. Sid Krofft. a U.S. act, { a manner that shows the old girl brings his uncanny marionettes on still has zing in her songs. Her rec- tor ample appeal as he has svelte datives of today gather as much Balinese dancers, an eerie dance applause and are as heartwarming macabre, a stripper and a low as they were in song by the Tucker down Frankie and Johnny-type; 0 f yesteryear. The star mdkes no j couple. Dressed in black. Krofft bones about the fact that she is ; animates his stringed sapiens with | aplomb and mastery. George Matson, another State starting all over again as she melodically declaims “Open Your Heart.” In "There Is a Fountain side entry, does some w k. disk of youth You Can Find,” Miss •names in a solid lip synch mime Tucker bubbles, and whether the l act that comes to a boiling, laugh lyrics be blue innuendos or down- crescendo as he does \ ma Sumac right sexy, when La Tucker belts acting out a witch-craft frenzy ; them they are strictly for laughs over a flaming ritual pot. This is anc j that is how they are taken, high-geared inventive platter in- 1 terp and adds another name in this small, select field. John & . . . Rene Arnaut come back after two T be t ”? s ^ a ^ lc de- years with their clever fiddle act V^ ark „°* tbe sta . r ', Some of 1 hese A garment centre rouser is When Am I Getting the Mink, Woody Herman orch is one of those rare units that rates in the higher strata in both the dance and jazz modes. In this head- quarters of midwestern jazz, where the walls are wide apart, group gets more than ample leave to cut loose its solid, if deafening, library of progressive music. It’s a sock of- fering for the holiday trade, and biz looks to be terrif. Herman's robust arrangements rock the cognoscenti with steady barrages of lush and vital sounds and with offbeat instrumental in- terplay, notably in the trumpet and sax duet on "Mulligan TawTiy.” Group is marked by an exceptional and sometimes over- whelming eight-piece brass section which spotlights Cy Touft as solo- ist on bass trumpet. Rhythms and four saxes comprise rest of the orch, with maestro entering from time to time to tootle the clarinet moments or for a lighthearted vo-, cal. Leah Mathers, band’s regular vo- calist, has a good gift of song but goes slightly overboard on the off- key stylings. Lou Levy works the keyboard between sets with ap- pealing low-swinging fingerings. » *- Les. and bird mating takeoff for high howls. Their bird travesty, in which they give a lesson in court- ship, is a bright bit. Dru A Dijon Days,” segues into cheers by the audience, and notwithstanding the title a number that amuses but doesn’t offend is her sly "Get Into are a striking looking pair who do *lj*'*y 8 Ted Shapiro is the ice aspects of the show, and i JP 18 ??. ai u C ? nd accom Pl lc e in perform some slashing whirls and J niucb °* tbe banter, ice skimming that shower aud with j In his first westward trek Dick cooling chips but keep the palms Kallman, a young man with inter- esting delivery, is a click. He belts "Gee. But I Would Like to Be a Star,” "Summertime.” "The Gal That Got Away” and some west- erns and is a winner. Bob. warm. Numbers all have the electric forward impetus of the Don Arden choreography which shows off the girls and costumes well, and studded in this elegant canvas are a sensational aero act. The Brux- ellos <2>, pegged under New’ Acts, and the frenzied hypoing of the Paul Steffens Dancers <4). a lithe, long-haired lass and three lads, who add the electric element to the dances. Mostc. SandN. Ijin VVtfii* Las Vegas. Dec. 22. Lena Horne, George Tapps Beverly HIIIn* Newport Newport, Ky., Dec. 25. Jack E. Leonard DeCastro Sis- ters (3), Musical Wades A Jackie Rurtell (5), Earl Lindsay Dancers (10), Dick Hyde, Gardner Bene- dict Orch (10); $3 minimum, $4 Saturdays. This well-selected holiday pack- age is crammed with entertain- Dancers (5), Chuck Nelson. Copa , ment. Should be a bellringer for Girls & Boys (14), Morelli Orch (15»; no cover, no minimum. Guaranteed to give Yule visitors a happy time is the current Jack Entratter three-week layout top- lining Lena Horne. Although the j Wades & Jackie Burtell. New Year’s Eve when tariff is $12.50. Jack E. Leonard, rolypoly comic, and the DeCastro Sisters, mirthful melodears. co-headliners, carry on the fast pace set by the knockout novelty turn, Musical For. fes- IJflo 9 Paris Paris. Dec. 24. Pierre Louis Guerin & Rene Fra- day presentation of revue in two parts, “Desirs.’’ Staged by Guer- in, Fraday. Costumes and settings, Fost and Folco; choreography, Don Arden; music, L atidreau,'Brienne, Moran. With Borrah Minevitch’s Harmonica Rascals (6), Bruxellos '2), Sid Krofft, George Matson, Dru A Dijon, Glenn Burris, John A Rene Arnaut, Bluebell Girls (16), Lido Models (8), Paul Stef- fens Dancers (4), Pierre Delvin- court Orch (22); $7 minimum. New Lido show marks the 25th anni of this fancy boite, and Messrs. Pierre-Louis Guerin and Rene Fraday have a new spec which will run until next Decem- ber. Actually, show adds nothing new to the genre except for keeping up with the film Joneses and introduc- ing height, space and width to the show via the Lidorama (in which the stage has been widened to Cinemascope proportions plus still using the runway). Girls are swing- ing above the aud in a vacation idyll, and a plane is roaring down the runway to disgorge its cargo of plush and perfect costumes. There are nifty nudes and the rest of the show includes the usual well- selected acts worked into the fast- poced revue for fine results, the I well-disciplined Bluebell Girls G6) and their spicy, bare breasted ; partners the Lido Models (8). Glenn Burris, U S. singer, does fine in setting the mood for each act in j show* leans a bit heavily towards dancing (in fact, the George Tapps Dancers split their act to appear on both sides of the star, which may be somewhat disconcerting to the presentation's • continuity), nevertheless, the package is swift- ly-paced to a finish involving Miss Horne and the production dancers that is nothing less than smash. Between them, Sid Kuller (who staged the show) and Jimmy Van Huesen have contrived a number called "It’s a Magic Town.” This song saga depicts the typing of Miss Horne as strictly a belter of “Stormy Weather,” and she sings "I Get the UI, Cinerama? Wide- Screen Blues.” Her portrayal of a tongue-in-cheek Camille, as a juvenile delinquent Juliet and as Mata Hari, in which she proves the femme fatale to the four dancing boys, brings down the house. In her solo chore which lasts but a short 30 minutes, Miss Herne proves conclusively that she has never before been shown to such advantage as this trip. In a tight- fitting pale pink satin gown with inch-long fringes the star, in full and whimsical tones, purveys sex in impish fashion. "Let Me Make You Mine” has punchy lyrics. "I Learned How” is cute and spicy. Miss Horne, who can convey more expression in her eyes than most sirens can in their full field- pack, scores with her oldies "Papa Don’t Preach to Me,” “Love Me or Leave Me” and her most-in-de- mand fave, the electric "I Love to Love.” Her melodic performance of "Everything I’ve Got Belongs to You” is socko. Lenny llayton dou- bles from the piano to wield the baton over the Antonio Morelli orch to lend his wife solid support. The Tapps dancers present the intricate routines that showed here during the "Ziegfeld Follies” turn. Leading his quartet of terp artists, Tapps is a winner in fast-moving choreos to garner an ovation. Still the strongest offering of the group is the spine-tingling taps version of "Bolero.” An ingenious, offering that gets across is the opening production number choreo’d by Hal Belfer. as- sisted by Bob Gilbert and Rene Stuars. Titled "Where’s Ace.” the 10 girls and four dancing boys car- ry innumerable props to depict scenes from Chicago to the African jungle as a search is made for the private eye. At times the move- ment is somewhat incoherent, but for the most part the dance illu- sion conveys the story adequately. Bob. tive trimmings the line of Lindsay Lovelies, dapper emcee Dick Hyde, and the Gardner Benedict orch contribute to a sock 90-minute show. Rapidfire chatter by Leonard is keyed to needling.of the pre- mises and patrons, and gives way to a bit of surprisingly light hoof- ing by the 320-pounder. He’s one of this class spot's established faves. Riding high on the current popu- larity of their "Teach Me To- night” recording, the DeCastro threesome of Cuban beauts make their initial visit here a rousing one. Stunning of figure as well, which they display in form-fitting white tinseled gowms with a long left-leg slit, their clowning is as clever as their harmonizing. Her- bie Dell is their piano accompanist. Musical Wades and Jackie Bur- tell top off playing of piano-organ, marimbas, accbrdion and clarinet with dancing, acrobatics and w'his- tling. Plumpish Jackie Burtell is featured in a baton-twirling spe- cialty while contortioning through a silver hoop. Koll. Thunderhlrd* Kam Vegas Las Vegas. Dec. 23. Winged Victory Chorus (17), Mickey Shaughnessy. Harbers A Dale, Thunderbird Dancers (8), Al Johns Orch (11); no cover, no minimum. This one-weeker carrying no marquee names is a lightweight of- fering that must depend on a heavy Yule crowd of tourists if it is to do well at the boxoffice. Head- lining is the Winged Victory Chorus, comprised of 17 male singers in paratroop uniforms. Their blended harmonies are okay and the physical maneuvers prove nice window dressing. Repertoire includes military pops, and west- ern tunes with a sprinkling of spir- ituals. "Some Enchanting Eve- ning,” "Nothing Like a Dame” and “Still of the Night” are the best offerings. ■ Mickey Shaughnessy is back to sing his Irish songs and render brogue jokes. His topper U still a portrayal of a boy at a film matinee which is always good for yocks. Adagio experts Harbers & Dale are held over and please in their Dixie cakewalk routine. The pair embody grace in their roman- tic numbers. The Tunderbird Dancers show up well in a pair of holdover pro- duction numbers backed by the able orch of AI Jahns. Bob.