Variety (February 1956)

54 NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS Variety Wednesday, February 8, 1956 Copacabana, N, Y. Vic Damone, Buddy Hackett, The Cheers (3), Chic Layne, Barbara Hammond, Mickey Calin & Grace Genteel, Michael Durso & Frank JHarti-. Orchs; $5 minimum. . • The Copacabana’s new shoptop- pers bring to the Jules Podell hospice the feel.of a monied show. The two major ingredients, Vic Damone artd Buddy Hackett, are likely to draw a wide variety of customers. . Other item this ses¬ sion is The Cheers (3), further de¬ scribed under New Acts. . Damone, making his first appear¬ ance at the Copa in some years, re¬ turns with greater assurance, with the ease of a performer who knows how to go about the job cut out for him. His tune selection has a wide variety, including songs from the “Kismet” pic. * His own percus¬ sion section helps hypo 'the beat and gives additional excitement to some numbers. Unfortunately, during parts of his turn, Damone acts like .the singing version*of Liberace. His constant references opening-night to his mother, who was in the audi¬ ence, and his over-cuteness in some of his badinage, could be cut out with little harm to hiihself. • Although, Damone fills his head¬ line status admirably, it’s probable that if Hackett closed the .,§how, he could walk.out a star. As is, the rotund funnyman impresses as be- , ing just one notch away from the very few comics in the business who get top accolades. Hackett impresses as being a naturally funny guy. He has a pixieish, cherubic expression, a sly manner and a clever batch of material. He still has a set of some indigoisms which can be supplanted, but eyen with the blue notes he leaves the impression that he isn’t a dirty comic. ■ Besides, his expression of innocence mitigates the effect of the cerulean lines. Hackett’s Chinese waiter bit *s virtually a nitery classic. But his other pieces similarly get guffaws. He satirizes, drive-ins, Mickey Spil- lane writing, .the plush Miami Beach hotels and even at his re¬ cent wedding. His elevation to headline .status is a natural from here on in. The rest of the Qopa show is running quite smoothly. Chic Layne and Barbara Hammond do justice to the production tunes, and Mickey Calin & Grace Genteel give considerable lift to the pro¬ ceedings with their dancing. Mike Durso, per usual, cuts the show with precision, and Frank Marti’s band provides the Latin dance in¬ centive. Jose allowing for play on their predilec¬ tions for biting satire and broad lampoons where called for by the! subject on hand. The method has form, intelligence and a refreshing approach, with Dorothy Jarnac and the Toppers lending fine as¬ sists to jell the comedy compon¬ ents into a highly satisfying whole. All of it is on a high laugh plane tailored to an intimate, under¬ played approach* allowing for free¬ wheeling bits of biz to impart the impression that it’s mostly spon¬ taneous antics. The Toppers rate bows for their comedy backing on the dialog as well as the special lyric ideas handed them-, notably the guy with the goggles who works with Hayes in the tv segment. Miss Jarnac re¬ prises her fine panto-dance bit with Hayes from “Heaven Can Wait” of several Broadway seasons ago, the interp of a steno taking dictation; she also earns salvos with a rubber-ribbon patterning that is Original and different. The overall .package has obvi¬ ously been tailored for the better night clubs and hotel-cafes. As is, it could easily fill a solid hour or longer for a ^video shot. Aud re¬ turns in the La Ronde are on the begoff plateau. Lary. Flamingo, I.as Vegas Las Vegas, Jan. 30. Mills Bros. (4), Alan King, Goofers (5), Ron Fletcher Danc¬ ers (6), Louis Basil Orch (10); $2 minimum. Beverly Bills, Newport Newport, Ky., Feb. 4. , Paul Gilbert,. Joe Maize & Cords- men, Dorothy Dorben Dancers (9), Dick Hyde, Gardner Benedict Orch (10), Jimmy Wilber Trio, Larry Vincent; $3 minimum, $4 Satur¬ day?. i . Current two-framer has only two acts, but they deal out wideawake entertainment over a full 70 min¬ utes for ringsiders at Greater Cin¬ cinnati's top nitery. In for his six\h visit, Paul Gil¬ bert rules the roost with showman¬ ship all his own. New this trip are added variations of versatility—a bit of juggling with oranges and a barefoot hillbilly dance turn. Handsome comic’s well - known stocks in trade of back falls, tv surgeon imitation and rapidfire and word-select monolog, plus neat baritone vocals and terps, assure his solidity. This is an initial engagement for ,Joe Maize & His Cordsmen. It’s a lincher for more. Tuxed, knock- r ibout foursome of instrumentalists is in command for 25 minutes, Maize makes a production of an electric guitar and actually has it talking. Wacky confederates hang on to accordion, bass fiddle and • guitar. ’ Class mounting is supplied by the line of Dorben Dancers in three numbers with Dick Hyde as singing emcee, and band back¬ ground of Gardner Benedict’s bri¬ gade. Koll. Fontainebleau, Miami Miami Beach, Febu 4. Peter Lind Hayes & Mary Healy , Toppers, Dorothy Jarnac, Sacasas Orch; $3.50-$6 bev. minimum. Everything's on an upbeat the next four frames with the ebul¬ lience of the Mills Bros., Alan King and the Goofers, all of which bids for extra traffic during their stopover. A well-rounded song tour can always be expected from the Mills Bros. They include many a fave from, their log stretching back 25 years, and biggest salvos greet “Opus 1,” “Glow Worm,” “Up a Lazy River,” “Paper Doll,” “BasiD St. Blues” and “You Always Hurt the One You Love.” Alan King celebrates his 11th swing into this nitery room to grab big yock payoffs with open¬ ing round of gambling gags & | Vegas life, followed *by a very] funny string of yarns about him¬ self and family as exurbanites. Caps with his usual rip into mod¬ ern moppet mores. Goofers flash into the warmup spot to heat up the room with dixieland tootling and aero break¬ ups led by Jimmy Dell. Jimmy Vincent’s drum bit with Neander¬ thal rubber mask is a howler, cul¬ minating • in the trapeze finish where the bassist and Dell blow wild notes upside down and swing¬ ing back and forth. It’s a topper and never fails to reap an ap¬ plause^ harvest, ^ Ron Fletcher’s sextet of terpers in “Harliquinad” primer continues to win attention for classy choreo. Louis Basil orch gives thorough musical support. Will. Hotel Pierre, N. Y. Denise Darcel (with Calvin Holt), Dornan Bros., Stanley Mel¬ ba Orch & Alan Logan Orchs; $2, $2.50 cover. This is Denise Darcel’s seventh appearance in the Pierre’s Cotil¬ lion Room and for the occasion she has some new Pierre Balmain gowns, new material by Michael Ross and Irviri' Graham, and an assistant in Calvin Holt. Miss Darcel has a warm,.bub¬ bling personality that more than makes up for her vocal limitations. She appears at her best in her stylized handling of popular French tunes, such as “J’atten- drai,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Made¬ moiselle de Paris” and “La Seine.” Her introes and comments in a pleasant French accent are also appealing. Apparently Miss Darcel doesn t feel that these qualities are suffi¬ ciently saleable and she has gim- micked up her act with special material that, at its best, is only moderately successful. Holt, impersonating an officious assistant hotel manager, walks out on the floor, halts the French singer’s act, and says that Miss Darcel just can’t stand up and sing. You can’t be just a singer, he says. You have to be a musical comedy. You need special arrange¬ ments. You can’t wear the same gown throughout the act. "You must change it on the floor. - After some back-and,-forth ban¬ ter, a screen is brought out on the floor for Miss Darcel to change her gown. Holt gives her 30 sec¬ onds. He flips open the screen and Miss Darcel is caught— at least by the audience facing that direc¬ tion—in a slip. For the rest of the audience, the gag fails to click. After three or four repetitions, by which time the effect has been completed dissipated, Miss Darcel emerges in an unflattering skin¬ tight creation. It’s a busy routine, good for an occasional smile or chuckle, but not socko. . The Dornan Bros. (Charles and Leo), who precede Miss Darcel, have a versatile act, including songs, patter and audience partici¬ pation. Charles, who carries the brunt of the act, looks like a mild- mannered bank teller and sounds somewhat like Edward Everett Horton. His friendly manner and way of putting people at ease succeeds in taking away the self-consciousness of the staid*looking gentlemen he lures to the floor for various stunts. He divides the audience for a community song fest. The cooperation he receives and the spirit with which the audience en¬ ters the proceedings is a tribute to Charles’ ability. Stanley Melba’s orchestra, un¬ der direction bf Joseph Sudy, pro¬ vides excellent show backing and alternates with the Alan Logan orch for customer dancing. HoU. But there she is, Lisa Kirk, warm¬ ing them over a 40-minute fire like it was meant to be. S.he. reprises some show tunes and otherwise sings the language of New York. Gowned for the Waldorf too, in voluminous black which disintegrates becomingly in the north, she looks 6 ultra smart for the occasion. But as soon as she knocks out a few Dorothy Parkerish lines, the party quickly relaxes'into fun. She gets serious with “Hi-Lili Hi-Lo,” but for the most part, the program is tres gay. Accompanist Buddy Pepper sits close by with a‘smooth piano and directs the fine arrangements. And they sit together to duet his com¬ position, “Vaya Con Dios,” for a little contrast. Gary Morton has picked up greatly since his last showing around here. He does an easy* re¬ laxed but quite funny stanza, kid¬ ding more than handing out jokes. Two young acro-dancers, the Birk Twins, do a kind of reflected image of each other in amazing unison. Trick is, in most cases,, a looking-glass opposite . for their steps and action. Youngsters are clever and well-liked. They can move up in billing when the word gets around. Starlets are valentines, for their colorful opening. They're beauti¬ ful, too, in the number between Morton and Miss Kirk, floating through a waltz set. . - Bill Clifford’s crew works Miss Kirk’s arrangements to perfection. Fortnighter has. only to worry about the kind of weather to be booked into Reno. 1 Mark. Blue Arigd, Chi Chicago, Jan. 30. “Royal Calypso Revue,” with Mighty Panther, Phyllis Branch, Calypso Trio (Gene Compson, Esther Bailey, Roger , McCall), King Rudolph, Al Lopez Orch; $3.50 minimum. Ritz Carlton, Montreal Montreal, Jan. 27. Connie Towers, Johnny Gallant, Joe Settano Trio; $1.50-$2 cover. Playing her third time at the Ritz Cafe, songstress Connie Towers continues to impress with her operetta-type piping and engaging manner. A lithesome tuonde with a trim chassis, Miss Towers seems firmly established in the musicom- edy routines. The occasional devi¬ ation into something of a special material nature with comedic over¬ tones is neatly presented but seems a trifle out of place both with her appearance and general songalog. Voice is ideally suited to such items as her arrangement of a group from “Carousel,” which does much to boost impact of first half of offering. Patter between num¬ bers is kept to minimum, and there is just enough use of the hand mike for trips abound the floor to keep all ringsiders inter¬ ested without getting them into the act. House 88'er Johnny Gallant and the Joe Settano trio combine to back Miss Towers handily, with the Settano group doing dance mu¬ sic later for patrons. Newt. Booking of Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy into the La Ronde of this plush hostel has proven smart one. Tne best business the season is being attracted by - the duo and their new package. Added • boxoffice zing is coming from the upper reaches of the gold coast; the Palm Beach-Ft. Lauder¬ dale upper-crusters are more in evidence ^an usual in Miami Beach cafes. The new venture by Hayes- Healy is in the intimate revue skein, fluid staging eliminating waits be' tween scen64. and ' sofe -Routines, Another showing of Caribbean primitive has been hung in Gene Fardulli’s Rush St. calypso gallery; those who like the genre should flock to catch it. The now success¬ ful. format remains the same, with new faces. The package is- toplined by the Mighty Panther, who intros, emcees and closes. He does all in better than acceptable style. The Panther retails some not too ,w.k. calypsos, which is refreshing for those too familiar with the “Hold ’Em Joes.” He carries the lead in the opening and closing numbers with the rest of the cast, singing “Manana” with gusto. Phyllis Branch shares top billing here, with a book replete with Latin- American standards and a single ca¬ lypso number. Femme has a basical¬ ly strong voice, but extreme stylistic effects and a certain thinness in projection rob it of full impact. She does “Brazil” and “Babalu," among others, for good response from the house. King Rudolph plays the steel drum, creating a small stir with his novelty instrument. Doing “Papa Loves Mambo” and “Mr. Sand¬ man,” he impresses the house with what can be done musically with an oil drum bottom by a people who love to make music.' The Calypso Trio appears twice in this show to add a terp fillip to the revue; first in a happy, boy- and-girl type dance, and later in the usual heavy, voodoo thing with frightening undertones. Drummer Roger McCall backs while Gene Compson and Esther Bailey do the hobfing. Act- goes off ,to ,'a good mitt., ‘ Gabe . I o r > Frolics, Revere,' Mass. Revere, Mass., Feb. 2. Bob'Manning, Billy Kelly, Bori & Bor, Buddy Thomas Line, Cliff Natale Orch .(5): $2.50 minimum. Big biz going for boniface Jimmy Celia in this handsome 400-seater across the harbor from Boston on Revere Beach Blvd. with name pol¬ icy, Bob Manning, lanky six-foot three crooner, works to big re¬ turns with a set of standards. Lad opens with “Something’s Gotta Give,” works in a solid “That Old Feelin’ ” and gets biggest response with his w.k. “Nearness of You.” Billy Kelly, standup comic, stops the show with a round of gusty gags, sight bits and miming. His rapidfire delivery and funny drunk jokes have the customers howling. On for 35 minutes, Kelly scores heavily with a Sgt. Friday bit and in a Ted Lewis carbon. He has a slick aud participation bit in which bowler hats are used to good re¬ turns in a “Me and My Shadow” sequence. Bori & Bor is a novelty dance act in which two dummies, man and femme, appear on stage danc¬ ing. whirling and cavorting through intricate steps, all per¬ formed by male-inside costume us¬ ing women’s shoes on his hands. Very clever effect and well re¬ ceived. Buddy Thomas line de-' serves plenty of praise. It’s well- costumed, pulchritudinous and can dance. 'Looks like boniface Celia has found the right format for plenty of biz and the luring of copious numbers of Bostonians from their Beacon Hill haunts. Guy. Empress, Miami Beach Miami Beach, Feb. 5. Connee Boswell, Jerry Lester, Mandy Campo Orch; $3.50-$6 mini¬ mum. Riverside, Reno • Reno, Feb. 2. Lisa Kirk, Gary Morton, Birk Twins, Starlets, Bill Clifford Orch; $2 minimum. Reno has never flipped over any real, cafe sophisticate, and espe- cialy r ff- lf!n. f im oi 3, i M Despite the paucity of patronage in many of the cafes around town of late, the- Empress Hotel man¬ agement* has entered the new Re¬ gency Room on the oceanfront cafe circuit. Layout is an intimate one, seating 250 in a balconied arrange¬ ment. To launch the room, Connee Boswell has been brought in for. her first appearance on the Beach tn some years—her last time out was at the old Brook Club when gambling was in flower. Jerry Lester, who’s been sunning in theses parts for some weeks, makes his second entry this season—he played the Sans Souci’s Blue Sails. Room earlier in the winter. The tandem pulled heavily opening night and looks to spark a healthy run for the new amusement an¬ chorage. Miss Boswell is, per usual, a pbised song stylist whose artful handling of rhythm and biues wins plaudits quickly. Tabler attention is sustained with interweaves of ballads and torchants for ear-ar¬ resting balance. Plus values are added via a couple of keyboard tinkling breaks to spell the vocal- istics. Working in Unaffected man¬ ner, she animates her wordage with amiable ease and obvious en¬ joyment to spread an infectious touch to moods that range through Broadway-Harlem folk-music from the sultry to rollicking “When The Saints Go Marchin’’ In.” Lester cavorts around the small stage for a seemingly ad lib ses¬ sion running over 40 minutes. His trick of turning from the bit at hand to a piece of business with a handy prop sparks laughs in un¬ expected spots. Much of his work is run off in a “don’t give a darn” attitude that spreads into heckling sessions with the ringsiders. The result is a continuous giggle-raise that builds steadily to solid aud acceptance in a house-party atmos- I.,-? bn8 bm"t‘ Fatin Quarter, NY Y. Lou Walters presents f, Mardi GraS 'de Parte ”- with Jack Durant, Arthur Lee Simpkins, Chiquita & Johnson, George Tapps Dancers (5) Harold & Lola, Wazzan Troupe (8), Princess Yasmvna,. Rita Noble, Metropolitan Sextette, Judy. Ma¬ son, Dancers & Showgirls, Jo Lom¬ bardi & Buddy Harlowe Orchs; conceived and directed by Walters; choreography and staging, Natalie Komorova (assisted by Corky Bay- singer ); songs and. lyrics, Walters , and Art Waner; music and orches¬ tral arrangements', George Komer- off; $6 minimum. From the Arabian nights .to a New Orleans cakewalk, with a stopover in Paris tossed, in, may seem like a lot of territory to cover. But the Latin Quarter’s new revue does this, aided by an understandable amount' of dra¬ matic license. With Jack Durant and Arthur Lee Simpkins topping the cast, boniface Lou..Walters’ Mardi Gras de Paree” adds up to a satisfying entertainment dish. Durant, who’s been a comedian and emcee for probably longer than he cares to remember, is be¬ coming a bit portly but for the most part his material stands the test of time. His gags, some of which are . fresh, evoke ample mitts. He” used to. do a fair im¬ pression of Clark Gable. However, his added poundage now detracts from his own physical resemblance to the film star and, this imperson¬ ation as well as a so-so one 'of Harry Richman may well be .elim¬ inated. Simpkins, a frequent JLQ re¬ peater, displays a fine terior on a baker’s "dozen of. tunes ranging from a rock 'n' roll version of “St. Louis Blues” to Stephen Foster and several operatic arias. Partic¬ ularly effective is the Negro sing¬ er’s torching of “Many Splendored Thing.” He works effortlessly and reaps fancy returns. Chiquita. & Johnson, adagio act familiar to LQ patrons, score heav¬ ily per usual via their eyefilling . routines. Supple femme sails through the air executing count¬ less splits and kihdred feats, aided by the faultless timing of her male partner. He, incidentally,’ sports a beard the better to blend with the rqyue's Arabian Nights motif. Holdovers from the preceding show are George Tapps and his dancers (two femmes, two males); Doreen Lord, who does an aquatic strip in a tank resembling a cham¬ pagne glass; The Wazzan Troupe (seven men and a girl) who. tum¬ ble engagingly; Metropolitan Sex? tet, an operatic troupe, and Har¬ old & Lola, who do a “Dance of . the Cobra.” Also holdovers arq singer Rita Noble as well as the house dancers . and showgirls whose assets are interestingly re¬ vealed in costumes designed by Freddie Wittop. In keeping with LQ tradition, Judy Mason and Princess Yasmina make with the belly dances. For¬ mer contribs a nice try but her gyrations never reach exciting pro¬ portions. Miss Yasmina,. on the other hand, shows an exceptional ability to control movements of the lower abdominal area in a way designed to stimulate and hold optical interest, Productionwise, the show’s chor¬ eography and staging by Natalie Komorova is well done; Walters' lavish physical backgrounds for the 11 acts and 10 scenes bespeak a generous budget, and the fine show backing of Jo Lombardi’s band also rates applause. Inter¬ lude music, incidentally, is by Buddy Harlowe. Gilb. Black Orchid, Chi Chicago, Jan. 30. Dr. Arthur Ellen (with Benny Dunn), Gloria Van, Three Riffs, Joe Pamello, Al De Marco, Kenny Sweet; $4 minimum. This show, as is, should run at least four weeks, with headliner Dr. Arthur Ellen in for another four and the other acts on a two- weeks with option -basis. - ■ Booking of Ellen could not have been more timely, with the Chi¬ cago Daily News running what amounts to a trailer for the Orchid with, its “Bridey Murphy” hypno¬ tism series. Ellen drew big during his stint here last year and shapes to do likewise this round. Opening night crowd was SRO. Ellen sets the scene for the Svengali routine with a black- boarded memory feat intro. De¬ signed to inspire awe and establish confidence in thq audience, the opener has Ellen as the human calculating machine and memory giant. With a showmanly assist from house emcee Benny Dunn, Ellen gets house approval at the outset. Only weak spot is the pseudo¬ scientific, pseudo-scholarly patter used to tie in; it smacks just a bit of the medicine show and the gfOw-hair-oyernighAj.K Pttch.v. But id ' i(p.#ih^4,on { ftagf > 5^ ) i I „