Variety (November 1955)

Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PfiRiEfr house REVIEWS 67 Chicago, CHI * Chicago, Oct. 29. Jim Lounsbury, * Eddie Hub- hard, Hilltoppers (4), (with Jimmy Sacc’a), Art Van Damme Quintet, ,Mck Noble, Lenny Colyer, Lassies, lou Basil Orch; "Sincerely Yours" (WB). _^ • This show is emceed by t^o well- known local deejays, Jim Louns- b U ry and Eddie Hubbard, who try steal the show from each other. This d.)e c n’t help the unity of the display at all. They take turns at introducing the acts and both do their own small bits. Hubbard sings a deejay parody ifvo’ving around loPal personali¬ ties and pop hits, garnering a few chuckles. Lounsbury does a clar¬ inet solo while getting into the Lassies’ act, for good returns. The Hilltoppers, featuring Jimmy Sacca, head the bill and turn in a more than acceptable version of the male pop quartet. Sacca leads and dominates the group with a strong voice; the rest provide on- beat rhythmic backing and tuneful harmony. Rep includes their past Dot click, “Till Then,” as well as their interp of “Only You.” Quar¬ tet gets good reaction and goes off to lusty palms. The Art Van Damme Quintet (drums, vibes, electric guitar, ac¬ cordion and bass does cool jazz in- terps of pop faves for okay re¬ sponse. Drum solo on “Rock Around The Clock” goes over big, as does their “Wake the Town.” Group is kind of topheavy with the rhythm instruments, but the sound is modern, and appreciated by the customers. Lenny Colyer is the comic on the bill and gets a goodly number of yocks with carbons of Gary Cooper, Johnnie Ray, Gabby Hayes, Robert Mitchum, et al. His creaky Walter Brennan and snarling Ed¬ ward G. Robinson bits get hefty yocks. Tied in with a gag here and there, Colyer’s routine is bought by the house. The Lassies and Nick Noble are under New Acts. Opening day (28), Liberace and brother George appeared in per¬ son on all six shows, plugging their pic. ~*Liberace played, to the delight of his fans, such widely diverse numbers as “Twelfth Street Ray” and Chopin’s “Polo¬ naise,” with brother George doing a few licks on the fiddle for good measure. House was filled with devotees, natch, and every word of goodnatured banter was devoured by the fans. Lou Basil does the usual fine job of backing. Gabe. Bobino, Paris Paris, Nov. 1. Gilbert Becaud, Ciro Rimac Co. (4), Miss Malta (3), Daniele Du¬ pre, Sim, Marthys (3), Igolen & Rita, Trio Katheryn Orly, Jean Valton; $1.70 top. balancing that underline the gags. This is a tour-de-force number and solid item for ,U. S. vaude and video. Sim is a simian-faced impres¬ sionist whose imitations of trains, auto accidents, etc., bring him on well, and then he proceeds to get heavy yocks with his takeoffs on various types of sopranos in an enticing series of falsettos. He is funny and clever and audience shows its appreciation. Jean Val¬ ton mimics well-known actors and has enough, good material and voiee facsimile to make this a pleasant item of this type. Igolen & Rita supply the magico in a deft series of gimmick and sleight-of- hand work that makes for a snap¬ py entry. Trio Katheryn Orly. is an acro-dance tidbit with a blonde being tossed about by two muscle men. Timing is good and throws daring, for an okay act in this or¬ bit. Putting on the dog is Miss Malta (3), in which wife, hubby and son put some uncanny canines through a series of bright human escapades. Dogs seem to lead men’s lives, and it is a titillating canine act. Mosk, Palace, N. Y. Billy & Ann Stan Harper, Fay De Witt, Milt Douglas & Priscilla, Terrace & Gray, Jaye Bros. (2), Gaudsmith Bros., Wilfred Mae Trio; "Illegal ” (WB) reviewed in Variety Aug. 31, ’55. Bobino booker deserves a pat on the back for the best-balanced show to hit the boards this season. The return of Gilbert Becaud from the U.S. as headliner, plus a bevy of boffo backers, makes for a savvy all-around vauder that should be SRO during its three- week run. It seems almost axiomatic that Gallic chanters, after a sojourn in the U.S., return with some new attitudes and comportment, and Becaud is no exception. Though as dynamic as ever, he has cur¬ tailed his free-wheeling activities into a more savvy pattern and he displays a surety of effect and pacing 'that was not quite at its Peak during the last time he Played a music hall here. He gives a 50-minute stint that is a bright package of solid songs, un¬ forced boyishness, patter and bom- Dast, that leaves 1,he audience stamping for more. Becaud is now a regular bigtime song name here, a nd some new ballads, such as “Les "a’.adiPs,” help maintain his niche Un the other hand, another sing- bb^-ry, Daniele Dupre, does her at the top of her voice. It is a good, strong, belting affair, but she iiov ms ^ s Pli nt er the chande- Tl f, ’ and this house doesn’t even i,, , e , one ! More interpreting of the ♦•> a ir!« ’ A bodice of some more toned-down entries, and . n °i e , care * n Physical presence inni . anc .e. would make this ripe- ooking girl a good singing act. As w,. / ring y- lon e hairdo and a u d sweater combo do not be- her more voluptuous femme , Revamping and style are as bef ° re , this Sirl can rale i S sta P le entry here and as chances possibility for Stateside sidc h ?f ? imac C°- *4) adds a broad- and SL trene S? can0ca rhythming and c d n nCe - Rimac is in fi ne form intPH? 3 ! 15 ^ terp routines and song Mnlt ude s make this a pleasfer comipft S 2 w a * re pair of deadpan tomico acrobats whose fun is ifne, u e to excellent coordination and] Mixture, of new and old faces makes for pleasant entertainment in the Palace bill. There’s nothing, outstanding in the layout but the eight-act sesh has its satisfying mo¬ ments. On hand again for the umpteenth time are the Gaud- smith Bros., whose comedy antics with their uncooperative dogs are still effective. Newcomers include comedienne Fay De Witt and dance team of Terrace & Gray (both reviewed under New Acts), as well as the Jaye Bros., singing-comedy duo. The Jayes, who are promising fugi¬ tives from Philadelphia musical bars, work briskly in mimicking such people as Martin & Lewis and score handily With nostalgic and contemporary song. Show gets underway with the Negro terp team of Billy & Ann. Their stepping is. conventional, but a snappy windup gets them off to okay returns. Stan Harper, in the deuce, is a harmonica virtuoso who embellishes such varied tunes as “Yellow Rose of Texas” and the allegro from Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with /trick effects. He wins a neat reception. Milt Douglas and Priscilla, ver¬ satile comedy turn, click in fast repartee as husband and wife who exchange banter over a breakfast table. Winding up the bill is the Wilfred Mae Trio. Wilfred Greg¬ ory. assisted by two femmes, again registers in his hoop juggling which by now can be regarded as a classic exhibition of the art. Gilb. Apollo, N. Y. Marie Knight, Otis Williams 1 Charms, Nipsey Russell, Willie John, Georgie Smith, Jack' Dupree, Lou Elliott, Crip Heard, Earl King, Hat, Cane & Tray, Hal Singer Band (12); “Ring of Fear" (WB). The Apollo appeal this week is based on the “get it for you whole¬ sale” chant for, instead of the usual six or eight turns, there are 11 playing the boards. Show doesn’t run any longer than reg¬ ularly, hence each act merely has less to do. Value of the few good acts available is aborted by time and weakened by wholesale talent delivery. , Show Is set as sort of a revue, with comedian Nipsey Russell in¬ tegrating the whole. Most of the performances are in the rock ’n’ roll idiom, and therefore it looks as if the theatre is trying, for as lit¬ tle cash as possible, to duplicate the b.o. success of similar many-act re¬ vues packaged by Dr. Jive, Harlem deejay, who, incidentally, moves in one of his shows at the end of this week. Six of the acts are new, and that includes show star Marie Knight, who gained most of her rep here¬ abouts as the partner of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Miss Knight gives a highly capable performance. New actors Hat, Cane & Tray; Earl King, and Otis Williams’ Charms appear before vet one-legged dancer Crip Heard revitalizes mat¬ ters without wooden-leg or crutch, he does nimble tap, almost making pewsters forget his handicap. He’s followed by Lou Elliott, fe¬ male ex-vocalist for Duke Elling¬ ton and Erskine Hawkins. Femme has a unique style; it’s a real stri¬ dent rumble, and crowd mitts her | heavily for it. Jack Dupree and George Smith, also New Acts, fol¬ low, and then Willie John, teenage r&b belter. John has sprouted a little since last time seen, and with this growth he appears to have lost ingenuousness that was behind his popularity. Throughout, of course, is joke- ster Russell, who does a parody of the Eisenower administration by means of a paraphrased “Lord’s Prayer” that is among the funniest routines at the Apollo in weeks. Every now and again his material is found to need cleaning up for vaude standards, but Russell is one of the few people who give any form to the jumble of values at the Apollo now. Hal Singer band of¬ fers erratic support to the various musical acts. . Art. at the Fair” is a Gay ’90s period choreo with humorous touches, and the finale on a Scotch theme puts the Ames into some Highland flinging. Will. Black Orchid, Chi * Chicago, Oct. 11. Mello-Larks (4), Terry Haven, Celal Inge, Joe Parnello, Al De Marco; $4 minimum. Empire, Glasgow Glasgow, Oct. 27. Ray Bums, Bill McGuffie, Syd & Max Harrison, Albert & Les Ward, Al Richards & Yolanda , Hans Bela & Mary, Krandon & Kama, Renee Dymott, Bobby Dowds Orch. Ray Burns and Bill McGuffie, singer and pianist from the BBC “Show Band” series, top this aver¬ age-quality layout. Support bill is unfair to the polished headliners. Bums, pleasing singer, uses a wise, wide choice of tunes-that ap¬ peal to all tastes. He opens with “Spread a Little Happiness,” then into “Blue Star,” and scores strong¬ ly with “Go On By,” “Give a Fool a Chance” and “Mobile.” Towards close of his act, Bill Mc¬ Guffie (who has Wound the first half of layout) slips into the pian¬ ist’s chair and plays for his col¬ league’s singing of “Tea for Two” and “Name Was Mary.” McGuffie, Glasgow-born, also scores strongly in his piano spot, which includes “This Is My Be¬ loved,” “Learnin’ the Blues” and the oldie, “Blue Danube.” Also clicks with impressions of pianists Charlie Kunz, George Shearing and Winifred’Atwell, and has the customers joining in the local tune, "I Belong to Glasgow.” Albert & Les Ward, comedy-in¬ strumental twosome, are best of the support, and win palming with a cartoon calypso, travesty of film cartoon characters. Syd & Max Harrison -work hard in familiar comedy crosstalk. Richards & Yo¬ landa almost lull the customers to sleep with slow-time knockabout to background of soporific music. A luminous juggling act by Hans Bela & Mary, balancing by the mixed* duo of Krandon & Kama, and mixture of dancing and contor¬ tion by Renee Dymott complete the bill. Showbacking is by the ^f’^by Dowds orch. Gord. Night Club Reviews g—^ Continued from page 65 Riviera, kits Vegas each year found them further along, not only as a quartet dish¬ ing up the latest tunes, but as a highly entertaining unit able to swing a headline slot. The break¬ through into toplining status was concomitant with their disk suc¬ cesses. The act of this Riviera Novem¬ ber is not based upon the singing of record reprises alone, but also spot solos by Ed; Gene and Vic in an old-timey song and dance; Joe’s booming “Toreador Song,” and turns of impreshes. Around these are placed harmony highlights, and the extended conclusion with the sock “Four Brothers” songsaga. Ed is the affable pilot and Vic garners chuckles via some mugging for breakups. Al Simola gives expert keyboard accomping and Harry Geller batons the very solid Ray Sinatra orch with knowing hand. Larry Best gravely tosses his funnyman hat into the formidable Vegas ring, where the going can be plenty rough if material is too familiar or not up to par. First off, he tries with a batch of Vegas gags which fail to arouse much interest, then takes a tune tack into a spe¬ cial “Night Clubs For Me” based Manhattan Tower” theme, in which the only .live joke stems from a Myron Cohen impresh. His scat a . la Danny Kaye comes through very well for approbation, but followup westerner giving di¬ rections to Vegas-bound traveler is pointless. More vocal sound effect gags go into limbo because of in¬ adequate finishes until he does a narrative “City After Midnight” to win best mitting for a closing soaper-lype vignet in Italian dia¬ lect. Birk Twins show tyro character¬ istics in the aero field, via a suc¬ cession of gymnasium exercises rather than a canny development of tricks, to grab utmost effect for applause. They do, however, reveal a fresh, youthful vigor in flash pushups, lifts, aero flings and the two-high and fall is a gasper to merit a good getoff hand. Hal Belfer,. in certain-raising ‘What a Good Life,” sets a glitter¬ ing quasi-Viennese operetta round with Byron Wood and Barbara Ford in the vocal duets. “Sunday, A smash closing act and two not-so smash supporting turns characterize the current bill at this Rush St. intimery. But the total, effect of the card should be to keep biz happily perking' during this three-weeker’s run. The Mello-Larks, three males and a femme, are an on-the-way-up vocal group whose large impact is directly proportional to their savvy showmanship, uncomplicated but effective arrangements and their excellent programming. This turn keeps everybody awake with peppy business to complement the singing. They handle them¬ selves smoothly and confidently on what is a very limited stage; their precise, polished act tells a story of painstaking rehearsal and slickly dovetailed teamwork. The guys surround the doll as admiring swains should, the better to set off her eye-popping looks. Femme is delightfully costumed in an un¬ usual combination of off-the-shoul- der bodice, toreador pants, and billowing skirt. Terry Haven does a comedy stint that never quite gets off the ground here. Miss Haven does carbons of Pearl Bailey, Martha Raye, Sophie Tucker and only the Rave impres¬ sion really scores. Her English-by- foreigners bits in a “Miss Universe” number never really hit the mark and a spate of closing cornball gags don’t either. Celal Inge is billed as a Turkish import who came to the United States seven months ago. This singer has achieved a remarkable degree of fluency in English for one so lately arrived, so much so that at-times one detects an almost colloquial American tone in his songs. Somehow the turn achieves a sameness throughout which de¬ stroys the interest a more varied delivery would command. There is variety enough in programming, with French, Turkish and Ameri¬ can songs included, but the deliv¬ ery has little drama. Competent backing is provided by Joe Parnello at the piano and Al De Marco on the bass. Gabe. Scots Guards (MADISON SQ. GARDEN) Gray’s Band Box, L. A. Los Angeles, Oct. 20. Maxie Rosenbloom, Sid Fields, Sammy Wolfe, Sid Gary, Smith Twins, Bea Sweet, Gerry Dolin yTrio; minimum $3. Familiar material saves the day this new layout which Billy Gray has tagged “Shower of Scars” in honor of star Maxie Rosenbloom. The show generates its best laughs when Rosenbloom is doing his own stuff, as he did in partnership with Max Baer, and when he deviates, intentionally or otherwise, from the sketch mate¬ rial. Remainder of the show is a melange of burlesque humor trouped by Sid Fields and Sammy Wolfe (who have found a new home now that Charley Foy’s has closed) and some so-so music from the Smith Twins and veteran' Sid Gary. Boniface Billy Gray climbed on stage after the initial 100 -minute show and announced he was going to “cut.” What he should do, is get into the show. Fields brings Rosenbloom on for “This Is Your Life” takeoff to start the proceedings, but the sketch has all too few laugh, lines. Maxie, a born clown, rises above it and wins a hand on a "Mr. Brando” song satire pegged around their diction similarities. He’s at his best, though, in the standup stuff with Fields and Wolfe heckling, hurling the lines Baer once had. Bea Sweet, a stripper, is also around for some peeling during a Rosenbloom number, a la Professor Lamberti. Fields provides okay straight work and Wolfe has some more of his vocal impersonations, the best of them being a Liberace item. Song chores are divided between the Smith Twins and Gary, and neither act shows any great dis¬ position to sing the tunes in the keys in which they were written. Gals particularly are off and the overdone staging doesn’t help. Gary tricks it out with a show biz medley, including a takeoff on George Jessel singing “My Moth¬ er’s Eyes” offkey. Latter got up to nail the canard and pounded it over as writ. And Milton Berle, for whom Gary has performed on tv, was also around to steal some laughs. These, however, were strictly opening-night bits and won’t help the show in the weeks ahead. Kap. A lot of celebration has been caused by the Sol Hurok importa¬ tion of the Regimental Band and Massed Pipers of the Scots Guard, one of Queen Elizabeth’s home troops, which is a highlight of the Edinburgh Festival. The boxoffice of this British import has been just short of phenomenal. True, it’s a famous organization in the mother country, and has been in¬ troduced to U.S. audiences via Cinerama. However, it’s b.o. strength has been in areas that have never been touched by the tri-camera process. Consequently, it must be as¬ sumed that there is a considerably deeper reason for its tremendous popularity. The one-night appear¬ ance of this more than 100 -strong contingent at Madison Square Gar¬ den, N.Y., last week (Thurs.) was huzzahed by a packed house loaded even up to the nose-bleed sections. House was sold out four weeks in advance, and at intermission it was announced that repeats would be given Dec. 5 and 11, seats going on sale at intermission and after the show. Advance sales of $3,500 was recorded that nljjht and the gross of Thursday’s performance came to $40,000. The reception of the colorfully- garbed redcoat band and the bag¬ pipers was due to more than thea¬ trical performance. It was an un¬ usual Garden audience. Many of the gents came in with dinner jack¬ ets of ancient vintage and the burr of Scotland was mixed with an Oxonian accent. To a crowd such as this, the formations and band mu¬ sic must have been a living form of greetings from the Empire. To many, it must have recalled the Changing of the Guard at the palace, and the colorful ceremoni¬ als of one of the few royal house¬ holds in Europe. They v'ere ac¬ knowledging more than a per¬ formance, but seemed to be return¬ ing the greetings from abroad, the recollections of a younger day and cheering for the continuation of the traditions and pageantry sur¬ rounding the monarchy. The au¬ dience at the Garden that night would have voted for the return of the colonies to the mother coun¬ try, had anyone brought up the subject. The band and pipers put on a robust display. Everybody had a jolly good time. The band de¬ voted the first half to regimental marches, with Col. Lt. Col S. Rhodes, senior director of Music of Her Majesty's Household Bri¬ gade, wielding the baton. The rhythms, were precise and the mu¬ sic well-disciplined. The band de- parted from the traditional marches to contribute “Swan Lake,” “Marche Slav” and “Sicilian Vespers,” and cornet soloist Sgt. F. Muscroft triple-tongued “II Bacio.” He was joined by musician F. Hargreaves in a display of lip dexterity with "Ida & Dot.” However, the Scots pipers caused the major loss of restraint. It is infrequent that a sweet musical quality and folk-feeling can be detected in the pipes, but this group did it with their traditional marches and formations. How¬ ever, the crowd’s cup of joy just overflowed when an octet of Scot dancers took to the floor with the traditional terps. When yells by the dancers were in order, the en¬ tire house joined them. The dan¬ cers exhibited ballet-like litheness. It was indeed a show that ex¬ hibited a regard for tradition, in¬ strumentation and ancestry and what’s more, the foray of the Scots Guards again demonstrates the practical b.o. values of ties across the sea. This theory was upset, about a year ago when one showman im¬ ported the Irish Guards of the Glyndebourne Festival. This im¬ presario figured that in such Irish strongholds as Boston there would be a veritable bonanza. He forgot to note that the Irish Guards are members of the British Army, and therefore regarded as traitors to the cause of Irish independence. The venture was picketed by Irish groups and there weren’t enough Orangemen left to support it. The Scots Guard has the right appeal, not only to Britons and emigres from that Empire, but for a lot of other national elements. According to the reception ac¬ corded them, the second appear¬ ance at this hall will also probably sell out. Hurok’s kilt-complex is big money. Jose.