Variety (November 1956)

Wednesday, November 28, 1956 t^RIETY NIGHT CLUB 55 Boulevard, Queens, N.V* Harry Richman with Kaye Erwin; Herkie Styles, Sharon & Fleming, Johnny Mdrris Orch; $5 minimum. Harry Richman, a holdover from one of the more glamorous eras of show business, is on the come¬ back route. He's come out of retirement, seemingly preferring the more profitable aspects of beJ- ing an entertainer to worrying about feeding his 400 head of cattle during the Nevada drought. As a ranchero near Reno, the spotlights are missing; apparently the show biz magnet seems chronic and Richman’s b.ack in business again. Richman retains vast amounts of the talent that catapulted him lo the top during the Prohibition era. He’s still a super salesman and the songs that he used to purvey dur¬ ing his height seem to have re^ tained their evergreen qualities. Richman’s value is not merely as a relic of the era that produced the Durarites, Tuckers ana Valentinos, but that his ability as an enter¬ tainer has held up. Of course, there are occasional vocal lapses, but not enough to detract from the spirit he puts into a number. He's personable, cheer¬ ful and talented enough to stand up along with most of the current crop of entertainers. Of course, there- must be some modifications of his modus operandi from, the old days. In his current reincarnation, he’s assisted by a personable singer, Kaye Erwin, who, at the opening ,show, seemed to serve merely as a reason to permit Richman to rest his pipes and stay at the pianQ. The girl suffers from having to follow so experienced and knowing an en¬ tertainer as Richman, but she gets along. As for Richman, the Boulevard rocked to such perennials as “Put¬ tin’ On The Ritz,” “Sunny Side of the Street,’’ '“Vagabond Song,” “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home,” “Birth of the Blues” and many others that appeal to each succeed¬ ing generation of cafegoers. The applause was long, loud and de¬ served. The topper, walking stick and strut, may yet become as trademarked an item as it was dur¬ ing the Club Richman era. According to Richman’s recep¬ tion at this Abe Goldstein-Arthur Cano .spot, he could conceivably take on a stint at a midtownery and in short order occupy a posi¬ tion comparable to his former emi¬ nence. Rest of the bill made par for the course. Comedian Herkie Styles was not doing too well until a lady seemingly in her cups gave him a terrific assist by coming onstage. She should be kept in the act. Sharon & Fleming opened the proceedings with some good terping and the Johnny Morris orch pro¬ vided sharp showbacking. Jose. Drake Hotel, Chi Chicago, Nov. 23. Monique Van Vooren, Jimmy Blade Orch (6); $1.50 cover week¬ days, $2 Sat. Belgian import Monique Van Vooren has the equipment to make rather a large splash during her four-week stay at the Drake’s Cam¬ ellia House. Her sizzling alto bi¬ linguals are delivered with verve, taste and poise. And her blonde and bosomy sex appeal blend nice¬ ly with the lush settings. A histrionic flair is enhanced for the class crowd here by the chan- teuse’s musical ear and her voice, which is not a perfect musical in¬ strument but a facile one interpre- tively that makes the audience hear the sound she wants them to. Be¬ cause of this quality the English- language material gets a better re¬ ception than the French. After warming the audience with Relaxez Vous,” the Belgian lands a broadside with “I Can Only Tell You in English What I Think About Him in French.” Best of the lot is her wide open “I Like More.” Biting tidbits like “Aprez Moi” and “My Man Is Good Now That’s He’s Dead” go over better than the ballad “If You Love Me.” Jimmy Blade’s house band pro¬ vides ample backing and danceable stuff before and after the show. All in all, a top presentatioh for the Drake. After Miss Van Vooren exits Dec. 19, the Camellia house closes briefly, reopening with Marguerita Sierra Dec. 27. Leva . Chase Club, St* Louis St. Louis, Nov. 20. Helen Traubel Richiardi Jr. t Paul Neighbors Orcfo C14); $1-$1.50 cover. Helen Traubel, an escapee from the New York Met and one of the few artists to cop a standing ova¬ tion in this west end spot, is re¬ peating in this second visit to her native heath. She is responsible for the gobs of gelt being poured into the coffers of Harold Koplar, maestro of this room. A swell bar¬ gain for the customers, she gives ’em plenty for their dough with a repertory that will satisfy any mu¬ sic devotee.. Miss Traubel^ ranges from grand opera arias, one of them Toreador Song, to pop ditties. Heftiest of the flow of okays from the check- grabbers comes with her interp of “The St. Louis Blues,” which she quipped as “A Folk Song Of My Native Village” and without which her repertory would not have been complete in this burg. She tees off with “I Could Have Danced All Night” and winds up with Brahms “Lullaby” sung in a sotto voce with the room blacked out except for a baby spot that il¬ luminated only her face. Her mim¬ ing of Jimmy Durante doing his “Real Piano Player,” wih a swell assist from her accompanist, is an¬ other socko contribution to the lay¬ out. Sandwiched in are “Autumn Leaves” and “All At Once.” The management also provides additional entertainment via the American cafe debut of the South American Richiardi Jr., an illu¬ sionist of topflight skill and who has made several appearances on Ed Sullivan’s show. After a few quick faster-than-the-eye stunts, Richiardi does his smash broom tv illusion in which he hangs a young femme on a couple of household sweepers. All of his trickery is done within a few feet of the ring- siders and scores solidly. The Paul Neighbors footers contrib nice sup¬ port for the entire program. Two week stand of Miss Traubel wound up Tuesday (20) and is followed by fortnight span of Shecky Green and M’Kay arid Charles, with Richiardi Jr. being retained for another pair of frames. Sahu. Beverly Hills, Newport Newport, Ky., Nov. 23. Johnny Puleo & Harmonica Gang (6), Patsy Shaw, Little Buck, Donn Arden Dancers (10), Don Chastain, Gardner Benedict Orch (10), Jim¬ my Wilber Trio, Larry Vincent; $3 minimum, $4 Sat. A lively 70-minute floorshow is on tap this fortnight in Greater Cincy r s ace bistro. Johnny Puleo, a local fave of long standing, and his Harmonica Gang do justice to headline honors and receive sup¬ port from two newcomers, Patsy Shaw, singing comedienne, and Little Buck, socko hoofer. Diminutive Puleo carries on in the tradition of Borrah Minevitch, with whose Harmonica Rascals he starred for years. His clowning, which also magnetizes sympathy during frequent rough handling and snubbing by five manly asso¬ ciates, is surefire with viewers of all ages. Nightclubbers in these parts bring along the smallfry to see Puleo. The gang’s mouth-harp music is equally enjoyable. A kiss signoff by Puleo calrtis heavy mit- ting after 25 minutes/ ** Miss Shaw, statuesque blonde is energetic and loud through a 25-minute cycle of gags, patter, songs and hotsy rhumba takeoff. A hard worker, Miss Shaw receives spotty applause, which might be increased with less effort, slower timing and salty deletions. Little Buck, a dusky dapper dan, wins immediate favor with a style of dansology all his own. Ap¬ parently named for John W. Buck of the famous Negro team of Buck & Bubbles, this youngster keeps the boards warm with tap, softshoe and aero routines and a clincher of imitations of the Step Bros. Solid for 13 minutes. Koll. Hotel Radisson, Mpls* Minneapolis, Nov. 24. Connie Towers, Don McGrane Orch (6); $2.50-$3.50 minimum. Playing her second tony Flame Room engagement, blonde song¬ stress Connie Towers again par¬ ticularly impresses as a good Broadway musical bet. She sings with much dramatic intensity, feel¬ ing and fire, makes her numbers crackle with acting touches and she gives out charm, class and warmth. Moreover, she’s good to look at as well as pleasant to hear. ShoWtunes receive the big play from Miss Towers this time. As a result of her ear-beguiling arrange¬ ments and their execution, the ap¬ peal undoubtedly misses few tastes. Especially compelling is chirper’s finale, a combination of “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing” and operatic “One Fine Day. It’s not only showy but gives the performer’s fine pipes a good Workout.- b Don McGrane orch backs her up very Well and also turn * in the usual boff job for customer limb¬ shaking, After Miss Towers fin¬ ishes her* stint here Dec. 5, the Four Coins arrive for their initial Flame Room appearance. Rees. Latin Quarter, N* Y* "Folies des Femme,” presented by Lou Walters; choreography and staging, Natalie Komerova; music and orchestrations, Georges Kam- eroff; costumes, Freddie Wittop; with Betty & Jane Kean, Lynn Christie, Nanci Crompton, Barbour Bros. (2) & Jean, Syncopated Waters, Jo Lombardi Orch; $5.50 minimum. Lou Walters’ one-flight-upper continues with the familiar format: flashy production, well constructed femmes al fresco, a few short acts and the name lure. Currently it’s an okay layout, just okay. Betty & Jane Kean, who’ve worked as singles and together on and off, take top billing in the room but there’s need for some changes in their turn. That timid aud reac¬ tion Thursday (22) night should be the tipoff. Betty, the mugger, and Jane, the looker, have hit paydirt with their frantic shenanigans, but too much strain is now showing. They’re not tired, perhaps, but their material is. Skits about Chinese and baseball and another on the overworked Sergeant Friday and his “Dragnet” are hardly any fun at all. Just no imagination. The gals do get off the ground with a few routines but they’re crowding too much into their stint. Jane Kean scores fine with her Eartha Kitt and Lena Horne vocal¬ izing impressions but her Marilyn Monroe is so-so. Then she’s back to register again with “I Could Have Danced All Night” in Julie Andrews’ Blimey style. Betty Kean is the comic all the way through and here, again, the material has the performer- laboring for the laughs. The Keans could complement each other to achieve stronger impact as a Martin & Lewis distaff combo. And if a rewrite job on their script is due, a concentration on fewer but more carefully built routines migh be considered. Up ahead on the LQ card is Lynn Christie, very attractive chirper who belts out a tune alternately with gusto and soft sincerity and makes much, particularly, of “I Love Paris”; Nanci Crompton, who does a fast danseuse turn; the Bar¬ bour Bros. & Jean, stilt-dancers who stack up plenty of novelty value for any media with the proper elevation; and the Syn¬ copated Waters, sprays of multi- rued aqua and playing leapfrog with each other. Jo Lombardi’s orch provides ex¬ pert timing and general backing for the acts and has / the floor crowded with customers between shows. Gene. Athletic Club, Detroit Detroit, Nov. 20. . Margarita Sierra, Florian ZabaBi, Seymour Hoffman conducting Jer¬ ome Twichell Orch (7); private club, no minimum or cover . By pairing Margarita Sierra and Florian Zabach, Martin C. Calla¬ han presents entertainment con¬ trasts which are thoroughly appre¬ ciated by a capacity audience of sophisticated socialites at the ex¬ clusive, member - and - guests - only Detroit Athletic Club. A young and fiery Castilian beauty, Senorita Sierra projects an intense Latin rhythm which re¬ acts on this normally sedate audi¬ ence like a* tamale on the bland taste buds of a proper Bostonian. The .applause is crisper than usu¬ ally is heard here and there are even a few well-modulated shouts and squeals of approbation. Singing half in Spanish and half in heavily accented English, the full-ranged contralto opens with a sizzling handclapping version of “Jealousy.” In “Clavelitos” (Car¬ nations) she plays to a man at ring¬ side, then gives a bouquet of red carnations to his lSdy. Fingers ^napping, she reveals good phras¬ ing and timing in “Malagueria” and then switches to castanets in “Doce Casa Belles,” an amusing story about a horse in which she uses plenty of body (English) Spanish to good advantage. The audience’s enjoyment of Florian Zabach’s violin mastery was such that he had to beg off after three encores following num¬ bers which included such diverse selections as “Tenderly,” “Fiddler’s Boogie” and “Dark Eyes.” His first encore was “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Then Came “Hot Canary” and “Berceuse” by God¬ ard. Tew. Lake Club, Spgfld*, 911* Springfield, Ill., Nov. 25. Meg Myles, Miriam, Sdge Dancers .(6), Jack Perkins Orch (10); $1.20 'admission. Meg Myles, a singer with acres and acres of sex appeal, has lots of vocal charm too. In the current Lake Club frame her pleasing song style is drawing more patron com¬ ment than her demure costumes. The redhead* ringer for Susan Hayward can’t help looking sexy, but her thrush uniforms are more conservative than average. On show caught she wore a two-piece salmon pink ensemble of delicate lace until it flared into a full ac¬ cordion-pleated ankle-length skirt. Her warbling, hpwever, is more in keeping with her “Phenix City Story” film reputation. She sings a sultry “Lover” and oozes vocal heat on “Thirteen Men and One Gal,” her newest recording effort. The calypso beat of the latter is good for a change of pace, but she sells her husky tones with more effect on such standards as “St. Louis Blues,” “You Made Me Love You” and “Melancholy Baby.” Expressive rhythm gestures (with both hands and left ankle) are beneficial when Miss Myles hits her lyric climaxes, but she tends to overdo them earlier. Mim¬ ing Hayward carboning Lillian Roth is visually okay, but it can be assumed Meg Myles wants a ca¬ reer of her own. The torchanteuse has sharp segues with a minimum of talk. These should be sharper as the week’s engagement goes along. Jack Perkins’ orch does a nice job on most of her numbers, but somebody was asleep at re¬ hearsal on the segue score. The blues belter creates only one musical “shock.” This is when she encores with a soft, sweet and straight “Molly Malone.” It is swiftly followed by a final bowoff tune, “After You’ve Gone.” Open¬ ing the show, thte Miriam Sage Dancers go through a . seasonal bit of college rah-rah with abbrevi¬ ated drum majoret-costumes and beahies. The routine gets suffici¬ ent cheers. Wayn. New Frontier* Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nov. 20. Jack Carter, Connie Moore, Blackburn Twins, Henny Young- man, The Lancers (4), Hubert Cas¬ tle, .Venus Room Starlets (16), Garwood Van Orch (13); $2 mini¬ mum. In an effort to execute a half- dozen play-or-pay contracts which expire at year’s end, producer Sammy Lewis is confronted with an overlong, topheavy show loaded with supporting acts ’who have no star to support during the next four frames at the New Frontier. Lewis more or less baited his own trap by sealing Jack Carter, Connie Moore, the Blackburn Twins, Henny Youngman, the Lancers and Hubert Castle for slotting through the season. But, Lewis was forced to readjust his. schedule when, earlier this year, the aforementioned were usurped by 10-week holdover of “Black¬ outs,” then again later bumped by the surprise advent onto the Vegas scene of Judy Garland. Hence Lewis is trying to utilize his left¬ overs, with the result being a bill bogged dtywn with too much “en¬ tertainment.” Each act in the layout is sock when slotted in its proper ele¬ ment. But the anticlimactic aspect to the show is expected to see most “big name” conscious Vegas show shoppers gravitating to the cur¬ rent opposition. The show is rolled out a la two-a-day vaudeville, re¬ plete with name placards. Each act scores anticipated response with its individual turn—Carter’s lusty comedies, Miss Moore’s svelte singing; Blackburns’ sophisticated cafe terpings; Youngman's surefire one-liners; Lancers’ upbeat har¬ monizing; $nd Hubert Castle^s off¬ beat eccentric tightwire' nimble¬ ness which shows plenty of Vegas potential. Venus Starlets led by Joy Rob¬ erts, Frank Reynolds and Roy Palmer, launch affair with a snazzy bit of Tiller-capped choreo whipped up by Dorothy Dorbin. Garwood Van’s orch handles the entire score superbly. Show is entrenched in the VenuS Room until Dec. 16. Alan. Ottawa House, Ottawa Ottawa, Nov. 22. Dorothy Ashby Trio. Yvonne Trio; no admission or cover . The Circus Lounge of Ottawa House gathers prestige as it books. Currently, jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby, with drummer and bass, is sending beautiful music through the small room and collecting big returns in mitting and business. The novelty of a jazz trio featur¬ ing a femme harpist who also ex¬ hibits socko pipes and 88ing gets the word around, and Miss Ashby’s quality jazz makes the customers buy every item she offers. With her are John William on drums and Ray McKinney on bass, both suited in style and method to their leader’s playing. Between the Ashby Trio’s ap¬ pearances, Circus Lounge tablesit- ters get the okay music of Yvonne Trio, a permanent fixture. Show stays to Dec. 1. Gorm . Cocoanut Grove, L* A* Los Angeles, Nov. 27. Billy Eckstine, Los Romeros & Rosita (3), Orrin Tucker Orch (12); $2-$2.50 cover. With his easy style, sure phras¬ ing and on-key delivery, Billy. Eck¬ stine will have no trouble pleasing those who yen good singing^during his two-week stint in this large hotel room. After 12 songs at his opening, the medium turnout of cover-payers were still asking for more, indicative of tfie quality of his nitery turn, Eckstine showmanly mixes bal¬ lads 0 and faster tempoed tunes, even injecting a couple of dramatic numbers, and sells everyone for plenty of palm-pounding. There is something for everyone and his begoff piece, a special material number calling for imitations of other * pop musical figures, are especially solid. Vaughn Monroe, Perry Como, Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Armstrong, latter both vo¬ cally and on trumpet, are aptly aped. Particularly sock among his songs are “Moonlight Love,” “Poor People of Paris,” “Laugh, Clown, J«augh” and “I Apologize.” Eck* ». stine even fakes souie fancy foot¬ work to “Soft Shoe” for added variety to his act. Los Romeros & Rosita, Latin terp trio, prove satisfactory as the opening act. Two males and girl work up a lather with their toe and heel work but are around a little too long. Orrin Tucker and his 12 sidemen cut the beat for dancing. Brog. Hotel Roosevelt, N« Y* Guy Lombardo Orch (14) with Kenny Gardner, Bill Flannigan, Cliff Grass, Twin Pianos (Fred Kreitzer & Buddy Brennan); Al Conte Quartet; $l-$2 cover. In a world in flux, Guy Lom¬ bardo’s baton is a symbol of solid¬ ity and stability. Everything else changes, but Lombardo, his orch and his music keep right on going as they have been for the past 30 years or so without changing the beat or confusing the clientele. That undoubtedly accounts for the Lombardo b.o. magic in the Hotel Roosevelt’s Grill Room. The customers know what they want and Lombardo unfailingly gives to them. The only variation in the script this fall is that Lombardo came back to his Roosevelt roost much later than usual after giving various points between Las Vegas and Boston a taste of his “sweetest music this si'de of heaven.” Except for that, the Lombardo status is absolutely quo. Brothers Victor, Carmen and Lebert are still blowing in the band; the tuba is back; Kenny Gardner and Bill Flannigan handle most of the vo¬ cals with an assist from Cliff Grass; Fred Kreitzer and Buddy Brennan are duoing at their respective piano; and, above all, the music is still neat and sweet. Lombardo personally fits into the Roosevelt Grill like he owned it—his permanent lease here amounts to the same thing. Be¬ sides wielding the baton with that easy motion, Lombardo is the af¬ fable host to everyone in the room and manages to keep up a steady flow of chatter with each of the hoofers as they swing past the bandstand. Lombardo, of course, is the best’ - friend the Grill Room waiters ever had. From band-time starting at 7 p.m., the tables are loaded straight through the night. Lom- . bardo buffs, moreover, are slight¬ ly better heeled than the rock ’n* roll fans. For this stand, the Al Conte in¬ strumental combo is the relief crew for Lombardo. Herm. Gay Nineties, S* F* San Francisco, Nov. 21. Bee & Ray Goman, Ray K. Go- man, Allie Lorraine, Joy Healy Dancers (6), Elliston Ames, Wally Rose Orch (6); $1 cover. The Gomans, oldtime vaudevil- lians, have moved out of the honky-tonk International Settle¬ ment block into a full-fledged night club operation, but they’re still serving up the same ol<j~ schmaltz. Ray Goman is a personable emcee and plays his banjo with a flourish, and Bee Goman does her quota of naughty-nice songs like a minor league Sophie Tucker. But the performer rating the biggest*' hand and the loudest yocks is son Ray K., who has developed into a good standup comic, sings accept¬ ably and projects his pleasant per¬ sonality very well. Far less satisfactory is blonde singer Allie Lorraine, with such oldies as “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” and “Lone- somest Gal in Town.” Elliston Ames is unobstructive on the piano and the Joy Healy l‘ie is lair enough. Stef.