Variety (March 1955)

VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, March' 23, 1955 Claims Slander, Loss of Livelihood Dick Jones, former eastern ■< regional director of tlie American Guild of Variety Artists, has filed a $300,000 libel and ‘ damage suit against AGVA, officers and several members of the national board. Jones was dismissed by the union last September on charges of in- subordination following a wire to the Associated Actors & Artists of America^ asking them, to take over the union, while the then na- tional administrator Jack Irving and president Jackie Bright were investigated. ^ Jones is seeking $20ty000 in libel claims and $100,000 in Toss of live- lihood in being unable to find em- ployment either as an actor or as a labor leader.. He claims that prior to Sept. 1, 1954, when he was dis- missed, he occupied a position of trust and confidence. At that time, he alleges he was improperly dis- charged from his post and put on the union's unfair list. Named as defendants are Bright, Irving, Paul Dullzell, president of the 4As; Jimmy Lyons, editor of the union's house organ, AGVA News; Maggie Coate, head of the AGVA relief fund; and several members of the board, comprising Dewey Barto, Georgie Price, Billy Taft, Murray White, Peter Chan, Russell Swann, Mannie Tyler, Alan Walker, Jack Gilford, Archie Rob- bins, Sally Winthrop and Tom Melody. Counsel Quirk Just who will defenq the suit for AGVA hasn’t been decided as yet. Union at present has no na- tional counsel, since Silverstone & Rosenthal resigned several months ago, and since Henry Katz was ousted as resident counsel. Harold -Berg has a temporary appointment as AGVA counsel, but as yet isn’t (Continued on page 55) Just to Let My Show Biz and All My Other Friends Know Thqt I'm Now Making Like A Wall Street Tycoon JESSE BLOCK Registered Representative IRA HAUPT & CO. 501 7th Ave„ New York 18, N .Y. LOngacro 5-6252 Lucy Monroe Doing Tapei, Okinawa Dates Lucy Monroe arrived at Tapei, Formosa, Sunday (20) for four days of entertainment for the troops stationed there. She’s then slated 3 for Okinawa for five days starting tomorrow (Thurs.), and will then return to Tokyo. It’s not known yet When Miss Monroe will.return to the U. S. from this tour, which is now in its fourth month. However, she’s ex- pected to keep a date at the Yankee Stadium, N. Y., where she’ll sing the “Star Spangled Banner” to open the season at the ballpark. Exotic Dancer Sues For 725G on Cosmetic Firm Use of Her Photograph Philadelphia, March 22. Julie Gibson, exotic dancer cur- rent at the Wedge, has filed suit in U.S. District Court here asking $725,000 damages from the own- ers of the Gaby Co., cosmetic firm, for allegedly Using o>ne of her publicity pictures, to promote the sale of their own products. The figure of $725,000 was set as the amount of the compensa- tory and punitive damages. Miss Gibson thought was due her for “the humiliation, pain, suffering and loss of professional prestige” she claims to have suffered through the picture’s distribution. Her complaint avers the publicity, photo was reproduced, on an ad- vertising folder without her con- sent and an accompanying caption was worded so ambiguously as to carry an offensive connotation. The circulars were distributed about March 1, tlie complaint states, and asks that the company be restrained from further distri- bution and ordered to collect and turn over to, her all that have al- ready been handed out. Named as defendants were Charles, Gaby, Max, Edward, Hilda and Rose Waxman, individually and trading as Gaby v Co., and the Yardis Advertising Agency. 150G Facelift at Mont’I Paree; Bowing Mid-May * Montreal, March 22. ' Chez Paree, grandpappy of Mont- real niteries. and currently in the midst of a $150,000 refurbishing, is slated to open in mid-May. Former two-story room'will be cut in half, with the main events tak- ing place on first floor and upper floor for private functions, et al. Principal owners in the club will be Solly Silvers and Leon Tietelbaum, who also operate the Downbeat. \ . As Chi Chez, AFM Settle Hassle Chicago, March 22. The Mayfair Room, long-shut- tered topdrawer showcase of Chi- cago’s venerable Blackstone Hotel, is., slated for a four-day trial run opening in April which may pres- age the room’s return to a star en- tertainment policy. Move is mulled by the hotel’s new owners, the Sheraton hotel chain, who. alsn changed the hostelry’s name to the Sheraton-Blackstone. The ro.om has been used for pri- vate parses the last few years and lias been the scene of many top- flight society events. It had been hoped to open the room for at least five, days running with a top at- traction, but the first such avail- able period is ,in July, with the room pre-empted for^May and June Wedding receptions. Opening of the Mayfair room will, if an entertainment policy is decided upon hypo the local hotel nitery scene, which is currently suffering from afiemia. Of tbe larg<e ihns, only the Qpnrad Hil- loii’s'Boulevard Room and the Em- pire Room of the Palmer House are showcasing entertainment. The Edgewater Beach Hotel’s Marine Room closed this winter after al- most 20 years with a talent policy. Local observers question wheth- ~er a four-day trial would be suffi- ciently indicative for a decision. The Sheraton booker .would be com- peting with the' Chez Paree, first ^echelon local nitery and the Palm- er House for topflight atractions. Both the r >e spots offer a minimum two-week engagement, the possibil- ity of future bookings and habitue patronage. All the Blackstone has to offer at this time is a cold four- day stand. Savvy local Vaudesters wonder if such an arrangement can attract top talent. BRUCE SIDLINGER Present Playing Xavier Cugat was finally due to [ open at Chicago’s Chez Paree last night (Tues.) after much behind- the-scenes wrangling between the American Federation of Musicians and the Chez’s management over the conditions of the engagement. For a while the booking was a nip- and-tack affair, with Cugat’s ap- pearance doubtful unless the AFM gave him the n°d. Resolution of the wrangle further underlines the power wielded by the musicians union. The now-resolved hasslfe got started when, the Chez manage- ment sought the A^M’s okay for : — : ——'— ; —v Vermont Joins Jersey In Asking Upped Quaffing Age in N.Y. Vermont has become the second state neighboring on New York’s borders to request the N. Y. solons to increase the minimum legal drinking age from 18 to 21 years. In January, New Jersey asked that this step be taken in an effort to decrease auto accidents in its state. Newest request to N. Y. was made in the form of a resolution passed by the Vermont Legislature, copies of which were sent to the N. Y Legislature and Gov. Averell Har- timan. The Vermont resolution was made at the instigation . of' the mayor of Rutland,. Vt., who de- clared that his state couldn’t cope with the problem of teenage drink- ing as long as nearby New York permitted drinks to be purchased by 18-year olds. Presently, Gotham’s 52d Street niteries get a lot of the N. J. juve trade in the various spots. High- school prom kids motor over to N. Y. because Jersey spots won’t cater to them. So ; far, N. Y. has taken no action. SIEGEL QUITS FLAMINGO ENTERTAINMENT SPOT Las Vegas, March 22, Dave Siegel, who organized the entertainment department at the Flamingo when the new ownership recently took' over, has submitted his resignation as entertainment director March 30. In his lettei* to Flamingo prexy Al Parvin, Siegel pointed'out that the hotel is solidly booked With shows to 1956 and that he has accomplished what he set out to do. Intimates of Siegel maintain he’s stepping out because Jie • does not see eye to eye with Parvin as to •how the entertainment department should be run. Siegel, a 4% owner j in the hotel, will retain his stock. i Heidt’s 48G Take In 8 Concerts Down South Chicago, March 22, Horace Heidt’s concert tour, in conjunction with his NBC-TV “Swift Show Wagon,” grossed $48,436 from eight concerts in a seven 1 -day tour of Tennessee, Ala- bama and Georgia. The show grossed $5,287.62 for two. shows in Sheffield, Ala., March 10. Other takes were: Nash- ville, March 11, $6,581.80; Chat- tanooga, March - 12, $11,114.55; Gadsen, Ala., March 13, $4,279.30; Knoxville, March 14, $9,148.20; Atlanta, March 15, $6,505.60; Ma- con, Ga., March 16, $5,522.40. Local sponsors and tha Treasury Dept. Book a lion’s share of the gates, however. , the Latino aggregation to play a half-hour set of dance music in addition to playing a seven-day week. Chicago’s bands are held to a five-day week by the union, but precedent here enables a band to play seven days if it appears as a musical act. An orchestra can be construed a musical act if- it in- corporates certain variety elements into its performance and refrains from playing dance music. Fur- ther, the AFM must dgree that the band in question is in fact a mu- sical act, The Chez operators were plan- ning on laying off one of the* t Wo house bands, the Brian Farnon orchestra, in the event the AFM agreed to Cugat’s doing some dahsapation. The management had given Farnon four-weeks’ notice, which was legal under the Chez’s contract with the union. The AFM wouldn’t stand still for this and nixed any alternative proposals. The union deqisiom was that Cugat either played as a straight band, five days a week, which would have forced the Chez to whip up another show for the two remain-: ing days, or he played as a musical act without dance music chores. In the latter event, which the Chez had to accept, the Brian Farnon orchestra would be re- tained. And it was under these conditions that the booking has materialized. Youngman’s New Act CorAic Henny Youngman, equip- ped with an all-new ^ routine, goes into the Sands Hotel, Las Vegas for two weeks starting March 30. He’s due back east for 4 May 7 appearance on the Jackie Gleason telecast. CURRENTLY JOLLY ROGER HOTEL For, Lauderdale, Fla. NORM DYGON „ and MR. CHIPS Direction; MILO STELT MUTUAL ENTERTAINMENT AGENCY, INC. 203 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, III. Hollywood • Cleveland LOIS WHITE Singing of tho Piano and Celeste with TEDDY SMALL At tha Hammond Organ Currently.: , REDWOOD ROOM HOTEL ELKHART v • Elkhart, Ind. COMICS PREFER A. GUY VISK Writing Enterprises 'Creators of Special Comtdy Material' 194 Hill Street Tray, N. Y. Radio City Music Hall NEW YORK Eastern Representative: MARK J. LEDDY LEON NEWMAN "The show biz triple threat—scares solidly .. P^RIEff JACK MARLIN COMEDY SATIRE SONG CURRENTLY LATIN QUARTER, Boston Direction: BOB SHEPPARD. 1697 Broadway PLom 7-2227