Variety (April 1956)

76 VAUDEVILLE PIKriety Wednesday, April 18, 1956 Names In Havana In Short Payoff Now; Cafe Ops Say ‘Wait Till Next Year’ Havana, April 17. - Despite the terrific outlay for name talent and installation of new gambling casinos, Havana niteries didn’t, pay off in relation to the upped expenses. Most of the spot operators feel that they would have done just as well had they main¬ tained the level of expenses of for¬ mer years. Yet, bulk of the bonifaces feel that the try justified the increased coin, and payoffs will come in fu¬ ture seasons. It’s pointed out that Havana had a lot to overcome this year, one of the more important facets being the unwarranted repu¬ tation that the bulk of Cuba’s casinos weren’t on the level. How¬ ever, most of the operators have cleaned up that angle. They feel that tourists need have no fear that of that since the government is do¬ ing its utmost to encourage tour¬ ism and will not tolerate a fix. Another facet that contributed to the overall deficit in the name niteries lies in the fact that there aren't enough class hotels. How¬ ever, this year or next, there will be considerably more inns with the Hilton chain slated to complete a unit in Havana with other hotels to be available later. In the Caribbean area, the Cuban experiment is regarded as being eminently successful despite the lack of a payoff this year. The pub¬ licity has given the island an added peg upon which to pitch its bid for tourism and the fresh casino money that has come into the island is re¬ garded as having opened the way for vast new revenues. It’s reported that Nassau is care¬ fully mulling the advisability of casino operation. There is one spot that reportedly has a casino for members only, and it’s held that there are groups willing to con¬ struct nfew class hotels if they can get a greenlight on greenfelts. In the Dominican Republic’s Ciudad de Trujillo, the gambling hasn’t paid off because the Domini¬ can Fair hasn’t drawn enough visi¬ tors, but the inns there didn’t in¬ vest heavily in name talent. The acts that they used entailed nor¬ mal expenditures. Omaha City Promotion Of Borge Show Sparks Row With Local Bookers Omaha, April 17. Major booking hassle here wound up last week with the City Auditorium Commission going into promotion for ’ the first time via the Victor Borge one-man show at the Auditorium Arena May 19. Deal was set up when J. J. Isaac¬ son, manager of Ak-Sar-Ben, was offered Borge first and had to re¬ fuse because of a conflict with free shows he gives Ak members. So Isaacson referred Borge’s agents to Joseph Barker Jr., chairman of the Auditorium Commission, and then suggested to latter that, the Commission promote the date. Local promoters — who have taken some fairly good financial lickings on dates in the past—let their unhappiness be known.. Dick Walter, promoter of legit shows and concert-type attractions, said he thought it was an “unwise move” for the city. Bill Baker, pro¬ moter of rock ’n’ roll and barn dance-type shows, said he was “op¬ posed to government of any type competing wdth private enterprise.” It was later discovered Barker had not consulted with five of the seven members of the Commission before signing the Borge contract. However, at a commission meet¬ ing last week, the members okayed bringing in Borge and decided to wait after that event before voting against making show promotion a permanent policy. Barker explained the aud needs “at least $100,000 worth of equip¬ ment,” such as spotlights, risers and portable seats. He pointed out the city grants the aud only $25,- 000 . a year, and said promoting shows “from time to time” would help provide the equipment. He said he “does not see how the com¬ mission could lose on the Borge deal.” He's coming in on a 75-25 basis. Kaiser Waikiki Resort Goes to Western Hotels Honolulu, April 10. Henry J. Kaiser’s Waikiki “tour¬ ist base,” with the exception of a 22-story hotel building which ex¬ ists on paper only, switches May 1 to Western Hotels, west coast chain that has been anxious to move into Hawaii for at least two years. Western Hotels will operate Kaiser’s entire Hawaiian Village, with Gwynne Austin as general manager. Austin is a former Hon¬ olulu hotel manager who more re¬ cently has been in Seattle. Formal announcement by spokes¬ man for Kaiser failed to clarify status of the widely-publicized deal with Conrad Hilton for Hilton’s in¬ ternational chain to operate Kai¬ ser’s $14,000,000 resort Kaiser- Hilton pact, announced in January, referred to the skyscraper project as the “Hilton-Hawaii Kai.” El Chico, N.Y., Marks 31st Anni as Latin Nitery El Chico, oldest Latin nitery in New York, marks its 31st anni tonight (Wed.). Operator Benito Colla.da started the cafe in 1925 after serving an apprenticeship as a cruise director for Thomas Cook & Sons. El Chico has long been a show* case of flamenco entertainment. Longtime emcee of the spot is Col- lada’s wife, Rosita. Brazil A Big Talent Market For U. S., France Vets Not Used Enuf To Train Tyro Talent, Opines Giro’s Hover It's possible to do business on a big scale in Brazil even without gambling casinos, according to Ed¬ die Elkort, who returned last week from a jaunt in that country. Head of the U. S. operations of Lew & Leslie Grade Agency went down a couple of weeks ago for the opening of Edith Piaf at the Copacabana Palace Golden Room. According to Elkor^, the Brazil¬ ians are eager to play American and French names but asking prices must be downed consider¬ ably if the market in that country is to be opened to American talent in a big way. The Brazilians, Elk¬ ort noted, cannot afford Las Vegas nicks, but they can pay a reason¬ ably good salary and in some in¬ stance, some big money can be made on percentage deals. Elkort pointed out that, at thi9 point, operators in Rio de Janeiro prefer French performers, while Sao Paulo^re partial to American acts. However, once a performer of stature is in that territory, it’s no problem getting playdates bulk of the top spots. Development of Brazil as a book¬ ing center will aid in the overall development of the Caribbean area which has now been in process for the past two years. With more tropical spot, becoming accustomed to U. S. talent, it’s expected that an entire new ' equatorial circuit will become available to American performers. Mex See Threat In U.S. Circus Trip Mexico City, April 10. Stand being readied here of the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus has stirred a formidable ob¬ stacle. Francisco Benitez, general secretary of the Theatrical Federa¬ tion, is imploring the city fathers to nix the bigtop’s moves for a per¬ forming license in this Mexico hub, with population of 4,005,175, on the ground that the show would be such a draw that it would kill the struggling theatre. Even the vaude- revue houses, which Behitez said, have just begun to really run: in the black, would be all but ruined by RBBB here. Benitez indicated that the Fed* eration will oppose the playing here of all big foreign shows, I as a protectionist measure for Mex- 1 ican entertainments and entertain¬ ers. Few if any Mexican enter¬ tainers are ever hired to play in Mexico by big imported units, Ben¬ itez said. Benitez’s protest is being backed by organizations of amusements im¬ presarios, theatre employees, orch leaders, musicians, stagehands and even promoters. These outfits aver that RBBB would vacuum so many customers and so much coin here that their sources of liveli¬ hood would be dealt a very , severe setback. This is th first such protest in re¬ cent years launched against any American or other foreign outfit playing Mexico on the grounds of “ruinous competition” to the na¬ tives. Latin America’s oldest and biggest bigtop, the Atayde Bros, circus, plays here regularly for two solid months yearly, always does well and never provokes any protest. Satchmo-Crosby Combo On Down Under Tour • Sydney, April 10. Louis Armstrong and Gary Cros¬ by are winding up the summer- autumn period for Leo Gordon on quick run-around covering Aussie key cities. Gordon struck it plenty good with Nat King Cole and John¬ nie Ray. Gordon will start off again before next spring, and now is dickering for several U. S. top names. Gordon is reported making an¬ other approach to Danny Kaye for a Down Under trip; likewise Bing Crosby. Billy Daniels Set For . London Palladium London, April 17. Billy Daniels is to head a two- w£ek stand at the London Palla¬ dium commencing April 30. He will be accompanied by his pianist Benny Payne. Other pop music re¬ cording names on the bill are Eve Boswell, Dennis Lotis, Lita Roza and the singing team Teddy John¬ son and Pearl Carr. Billy Daniels arrives at London Airport Friday (20) and televises from the Palladium two days later, prior to opening with a week at Glasgow Empire. He then goes on to Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Finsbury Park and Brighton. ^ Picket Circus Round The Clock; Boxoffice Hurt Picketing on a round-the-clock basis continues at Madison Square Garden, N. Y., where the Ringling Bros, and Barnum & Bailey Circus has set up shop. Picketing is being conducted by the American Guild of Variety Artists and the Inter¬ national Brotherhood of Team¬ sters, both of which are seeking union contracts with the big top. Currently, there is a stalemate any efforts to bargain. There has been a hearing at the State Labor Relations Board, but the cir- attorneys refused to concede that the Board has jurisdiction over this squabble. Court hearings re¬ sumed yesterday (Tues.) in the N. Y. Supreme Court where the circus sought to permanently en¬ join both unions from picketing. Recently, Justice Aaron Steuer of the N. Y. Supreme Court denied a plea for a temporary injunction. Meanwhile, business at the cir? cus is considerably off from former years. There’s little doubt that the picketing has had some effect. But I sion. other factors contributing to, the downbeat include the considerably lesser amount of posters, and the $6.50 top, an increase of 50c over last year. Lots of Lettuce For Live Acts On Mushrooming Supermarket Circuit Boston, April 17. Supermarkets here have embark¬ ed on a flesh kick in an allout battle for the grocery dollar after running through a promotion bag of tricks which included giveaways of everything from new cars to free trips to Europe. The fight for acts appealing to the moppet trade, who drag their mothers who spend the moola, is on in earnest with the chains di¬ verting big chunks of dough from the giveaway trough to the live talent kick. Star Market, rapidly expanding indie chain with six big supers going, kicked off what looks to be a zooming cycle with three acts to open their newest super in Stoneha.m. Stop & Shop, one of the largest Massachusetts chains, also booked three acts for opening of its newest super in Salem April 24. Publix and Elm Farm chains had contacted bookers this week seeking acts for their supers. The supers want magicians, or¬ ganists, clowns, tv and nitery per¬ sonalities and animal acts. For the Hollywood, April 17. Show biz should learn a lesson from baseball to solve the growing problem of development of new talent, according to Herman D. Hover, Ciro's boniface. If it doesn’t, it will eventually reach a situation in which there may be no level of truly professional per¬ formance. “It’s like the old Mark Twain story ,- v Hover declared last week. ‘Everybody talks about it, but no¬ body does anything about it.” Solution, Hover ’feels, lies in utilizing the services of veteran entertainers to help train and de¬ velop promising young talent. Sys¬ tem he envisions is patterned after that in the major league baseball where pitchers and others no long¬ er able to produce according to professional league standards are retained as coaches to help instruct youngsters in the finer points of baseball technique. ’There’s a tendency in show busi¬ ness,” Hover contends, “to regard some of the oldtimers as has- beens. Nothing could be further from the truth. They know the business. They know material, tim¬ ing, pacing and showmanship. They learned it the hard way, in a school that is no longer available to the young talent today. But they can impart their wisdom and experi¬ ence.” Hover feels the training tech¬ nique would be particularly help¬ ful in tv, which is faced with the recurring problem of talent being devoured by the nature of the me¬ dium. Such stalwarts as George Jessel, Eddie Cantor of George White, he believes, could serve as guides who could help develop the newcomers and assist them in reaching a high degree of profes¬ sionalism. Hover, who was with Earl Carroll for many years, and was a radio producer as well,.feels his own background could be ap¬ plicable for guidance in some fields of showbiz. “In the cafe field for instance,” he points out, “we frequently find performers who come in with some material that’s good and some that's bad. We have singers and dancers who try to inject tof> much comedy patter and spoil their acts.' These people need help in the proper routining of an act. The same situation obtains in televi- summer season they seek to nab big animal'acts, elephants, bears, dogs, high-wire and pole acts. Star Market reported itself as “highly -pleased” with its kickoff of three acts, Manny Williams, comedy magic; Billy Parker, Ba loono the Clown; and Don Wally and his chimp. “The kids came by the thousands,” a spokesman for the chain said. “And when the kids come, the mothers come too—and they stay to do their shopping.” Organist Kay Barry, Anden’s dogs and Parker are booked into the Stop & Shop for its opening. So far, format is to haye the acts for opening and for five or six weeks thereafter to hypo the crowds. . Daniel White Agency, which booked both the Star and Stop & Shop acts, indicated a “supermar¬ ket circuit” was developing. Danny White, head of the agency, said acts work both inside the supers and outside, depending on the weather. “Super's parking lots will lend, themselves naturally for pres- (Continued on page 79) VetCan.VauderMaps3d One-Man Show World Tour Ottawa, April 17. At 73, Dickson Ken win is plan¬ ning his third world tour in a one-man show of character sketches, and writing his memoirs, “From Irving to Television.” Mean¬ while he acts fairly often on tv. He started in the theatre 60 years ago London, went on to appear with Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Gerald duMau- rier, Irene Vanbrugh and Beer- bohm Tree. For decades now he has lived in Toronto, where he founded the Canadian Academy of Dramatic Art. Latter petered out some years ago but he plans to revive it. Kenwin admits he’s just a fledge¬ ling, though, compared to Eden Philpotts, British novelist - play¬ wright—who at 94 is writing tele¬ vision scripts for the BBC, and has a new novel just out. K. Dunham Sued For 20G On Withhold Tax ,Claim San Francisco, April 17. A Federal tax lien for $20,503 was filed here against dancer Katherine Dunham. Government claims Miss Dunham owes with¬ holding taxes on employee pay¬ rolls from 1946 through 1954. The dancer’s lawyer, J. Edward Fleishell, said the lien was “a ter¬ rible mistake” and that he in¬ tended to try to settle the action through negotiations with Frisco tax officials. Fleishell added that Miss Dun¬ ham, who fs currently in Mexico, has no property at all in the U. S. All branches of showbiz, Hover adds, are overlooking good mate¬ rial in some of the stuff done years ago by such acts as Will Rogers, Moran & Mack or Williams & Wolf us. . “They’d have to be updated to some extent,” he concedes. “But the basic material is good and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t have universal audience appeal to¬ day. just as it did a generation ago.” Revenooers Draw Fine line on When 20 % Tax Accomps Bar Vocalizing Washington, April 17. A hair-splitting decision on when community singing by patrons of restaurants, taverns, etc. con¬ stitutes a “public performance for profit” lias just been handed down by the Internal Revenue Service. Issue is whether all the customers must be clipped for a 20% entertainment tax. Internal Revenue’s ruling fol¬ lows complaints by spokesmen for taverns and restaurants that they were made responsible for the tax where a customer strolled over to a piano and entertained himseit. “It is held,” said internal revenue, “That spontaneous community singing by itself does not constitute a “public performance for profit- “Some establishments,” the Gov¬ ernment said, “contain what are known as ‘piano bars' and spon¬ taneous community singing oj patrons would not, of itself bring such an establishment within t purview of the cabaret tax . • • Where the management does. 111 ® 1 ® than merely furnish physical su roundings conducive to commun y singing, the establishment will come subject to the tax. Bu e says that emcees who conduct singing, distribution of song sheets, or flashing the words of songs the wall make it a performance subject to the entertainment tax.