Variety (January 12, 1955)

Wednesday* January 12, 1955 TURK MURPHY CLOSES HIS CLUB IN FRISCO San Francisco, Jan. 11. Trombonist Turk Murphy, who has operated his own night club. The Venetian Room of the Italian Village, for the past couple of vears, has closed the club and gone to work at the Tin Angel. Murphy, who recently returned from a successful tour of the east, has been unable to make a finan- cial success out of the spot. He’ll be at the Tin Angel for only two weeks and then opens at the Vene- tian Room of the Fairmont Hotel on the same bill with Helen For- rest, Feb. 1. The Venetian Room of the Fair- mont is on the top of Nob Hill. The Venetian Room of the Italian Village is at the bottom. More Chez Woes Chicago, Jan. 11. Current show at the Chez Paree, plagued by recurrent booking trou- bles from the outset, when Joe E. Lewis and Peggy Lee had to can- cel out because of illness, now has a new woe. George Jessel, head- liner booked to replace Lewis, can- not stay beyond Jan. 15 due to other commitments, yet Lena Horne’s opener is set for Jan. 19. Management is again scratching Its liead and w ondering who will replace Jessel in the four-day gap. Miss NAOMI STEVENS "C Hants With a Chuckle " HELD OVER 4th WEEK BLACK ORCHID CHICAGO (Thanks Al Greenfield) Dir.: JIMMIE HUSSON AGENCY 119 W. 57th St., New York Thornton Heads Texas State Fair for 11th Time Dallas, Jan. 11. State Fair of Texas directors’ board recently reelected R. L. Thornton, city’s mayor and local bank board chairman, to his 11th consecutive one-year term as expo prez. Also reelected were James H. Stewart, exec veepee-general manager; Charles R. Meeker Jr., veepee-assistant general manager; Fred F. Florence, treasurer; S. Bowen Cox, secretary, and Arthur K. Hale, assistant secretary. Board also voted to up the 1955 expo’s official opening to Friday, Oct. 7, instead of the traditional Saturday opening. Change, first since 1922 when the fair’s run was cut to 10 days, extends the usual 16-day run to count heads at the Cotton Bowl’s Oct. 7 Southern Methodist U.-Missouri U. night football game in official attend- ance figures for the Oct. 7-23 run. Both the Ice Arena show and State Fair Auditorium attraction will open on Friday night, also, to boost expo’s gate. ______________ GREENHUT QUITS MCA FOR PERSONAL MGT. Johnny Greenhut resigned last week from Music Corp. of America. Parting was amicable. He was with that organization for 12 years, having started in the nitery depart- ment and then going into the video sector, where he was a talent co- ordinator. Greenhut is going into the personal management field. Clients thus far include Carol Haney, now in “Pajama Game”; Mike Stokey, of the “Pantomime Quiz” tele show sponsored by Rev- Tbn; comedian Morey Amsterdam; producer Joe Cates of “Stop the Music,” and Burt Shevelove, a writer and director. Greenhut, while with MCA. orig- inally sold Jackie Gleason to the DuMont network, which started him off. He also paved the way for talent sales in Florida for the agency. Prior to that, Florida had been a virtual monopoly by two other agencies. H’wood Moulin Rouge Pulls 85G In Seven-Nite Span Hollywood, Jan. 11. Frank Sennes’ Moulin Rouge has a new mark to aim at, since the week* ending New Year’s Night. Nitery lured a total of 11,800 per- sons for a gross of $85,000, ex- cluding tax, during the seven-night span, a record since the Christmas Day, 1953, opener. Previous high was $65,600—and 9.100 patrons—for week of Oct. 10- 17, 1954, when the current “Ca C’est Paris” opened. UtX\ Blackstone 9|G, Tor. Toronto, Jan. 11. At a $2 top, including tax, with kids in at half-price, Blackstone the Magician did a very nice $9,500 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre < 1,525-seater) here, this a full 150- minute prez as contrasted with his previous 60 minutes vaude house stints. Toronto date saw the magician back for the first time in a legit house here in three seasons, as apart from those necessarily cur- tailed vaude appearances. THEATRE PARTY SETUP FOR EDITH PIAF TOUR The Gale Agency, which is spon- soring the tour of Edith Piaf in a vaude show in a series of legit houses, has embarked on a ticket- selling gimmick, hoped to elimi- nate chances of empty seals. Tim Gale, agency’s prexy, has signed Sylvia Siegler to organize theatre parties in all 10 cities in which the show will be touring. She is the former head of Show of the Month Club. Miss Siegler will work in ad- vance of the show, which opens in March at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco. Miss Piaf previously played that town for one week last year, and drew near-capacity biz. Rest of the show is still to be set by Gale. ________________ ‘Waters’ Extends Run In Costa Rica After Fair “Dancing Waters,” the fountain display, will continue its Costa Rican run for two extra weeks, fol- lowing the windup of the Costa Rican National Fair, at San Jose. Display had been set up on a fenced lot near the fair, and had done business big enough to war- rant an extra stay. Fair wound up a week ago Sunday (2) but "Waters” promoters asked for a continua- tion. Admission charge is 35c. “Waters” started its Costa Rican run with a four-day stand at the Teatro Nacional Dec. 18, and then went into the fair on Christmas Day. Sam Shayon, in charge of routing the fountain, had gone [ down to supervise the opening, and I returned to the U.S. last week. VAUDEVILLE Vaude, Cafe Dates New York Bevhills 80G Facelift Hollywood, Jan. 11. Beverly Hills Hotel is spending $80,000 on a facelift for its Palm Terrace Room, with Don Loper set to do renovating. Room, which closed last Sunday 19), reopens Feb. 1 with a Persian motif. Dorothy Shay pacted for the Persian Room, Plaza Hotel. N. Y., May 12. and follows with the Palmer House. Chicago, June 23 . . . Tony & Eddie signed for the Sands Hotel, March 16 on a three- year deal . . . Kaye Ballard follows her current Beachcomber, Miami Beach, stand with the Baker, Dal- las, Jan. 24, and the Last Frontier, Las Vegas, Feb. 7 . . . Myron Cohen goes to El Rancho, Las Vegas, March 2 . . . Dick Shawn and Katharine Dunham Dancers to the Sahara, Las Vegas, in Febru- ary . . . Singer Bill Farrell has signed with Joe Glaser’s Associ- ated Booking Corp. . . Tony Drake is an added starter at Pal- umbo’s, Philadelphia . . . Enter- tainers Club of New York to host a dance and show at the Capt. Charles B. Dillingham Post of the American Legion. Honnie Gray left her job as a secretary in the legal department of the William Morris Agency to go into the Copacabana, N.Y., line . . . George Jessel pacted for the Town Casino, Buffalo, Feb. 27 . . . Will Mastin Trio goes into the Latin Casino, Philadephia, Feb. 21 . . Ray Bolger tapped for the Sahara, Las Vegas, April 5 . . . Charlivels return * to the Latin Quarter, N.Y.. Jan. 16 . . . Fay De Witt set for El Rancho, Las Vegas, Feb. 2. Chicago Bob Clray into the Congress Hotel. St. Louis, Feb. 4 for 3 weeks . . . Larry Storch opens at the Chi- cago Theatre Jan. 21 for a two- j framer, while his brother. Jay Lawrence, opens at the Chez Paree, Chicago, Jan. 16 . . . Ving Merlin and his Violin Lovelies current at the Congress Hotel, St. Louis, for four weeks . . . Lena Horne into the Chez Paree Jan. 19 in a four-framer . . . Celeste Holm skedded for the Empire Room, Chi, for four weeks March 17 . . . Crewcuts and Dick Kerr open at the Chase Hotel, St. Louis, Feb. 3 for two weeks. Hollywood Cab Calloway trails Billy Ward and His Dominoes- at Mocambo Jan. 18 . . . Rosemary Clooney inked for three weeks in May at Sands, Las Vegas . . . Mel Torme opens this week at The Bimbo Club, Frisco, for three frames . . . Tommy Tedesco Group held over for added four weeks at Peacock Lane. Martin & Lewis open today (Wed.) at the Sands, Las Vegas . . . LeRoy Prinz brings “George White Show,” formerly at the Ver- sailles, N. Y., into the El Rancho Vegas, Las Vegas, around Feb. 1 . . . Fran Gregory to preem Jan. 25 at Cloud Room, Park Surf Hotel, Hawaii . . . Four King Sisters ap- pear with Abbott & Costello at San Francisco Auto Show Feb. 12, after N. Y. Copa stint . . . Lillian Roth heads show opening tomor- row (Thurs.) at Chi Chi. Palm Springs . . . A*ice Tyrrell held over for two extra weeks at Bar of Music . . . George Gobel opens three-week stand in Terrace Room of the Hotel Statler Jan. 24. Concello Buys Up Chief Share of Beatty Circus Palmetto, Fla., Jan. 11. Arthur M. Concello, former gen- eral manager of the Ringling Bros.- Barnum & Bailey Circus, has bought a controlling interest in the Clyde Beatty Circus. Roland But- ler, for many years chief advance man of the Ringlings, will be asso- ciated with Concello in the new outfit. Beatty will continue with the circus as its major performer. Show will open on the Coast some time in March and work its way east. Concello. formerly with The Fly- ing Concellos, which used to be billed importantly by the Ring- lings. became head of all the aerial acts with the circus. Later he was promoted to general manager. Beatty was also with the Ringlings at one time. - Currently MUEHLEBACH HOTEL Kansas City DOLORES HAWKINS • EPIC RECORDS • Direction: GENERAL ARTISTS CORP. VISKRIPTS* ‘Material by Vide COMEDY ROUTINES and BURLESQUE.. $3 BEST COMEDY BITS IS A. GUY VISK Writing Enterprise* 1U Hill Street Troy, N. Y. “Creatori at Special Camedy Material" RAVES at the STATLER, Washington, D. C. "A thoroly Entertaining pocket-sized musical revue" DON HEARN, Washington Daily News "Himber's situation comedy has a George Gobel-like "Himber has a sense of humor and makes the most of it." quality." PAUL HERRON, Washington Post H. M., Evening Star, Washington THE SHOW FOR DANCING RICHARD HIMBER (THE LAD WHO HATES MAGIC) FEATURING GABY MONET RITA CONSTANCE (Dancing Star of ’ly Hi# Beautiful Saa”) (America's Loveliest Songstress) Added Attraction — ALAN CARRIER (Supper Club's Newust Comedian) "New York's Smartest Dance Musi c" RICHARD HIMBER and his ORCHESTRA with BOB NORMAN (1955's New Recording Star) In Production "FUM FLAM” for BROADWAY—A Musical Comedy by RICHARD HIMBER e Booked by MCA