Variety (February 1957)

u HtkIJSB REVIEWS pmmtf Wc^esd^, Febrvair 13» . lt957 Jeny Lewis’ Dual Rde at Palace^ Tory’s 6.0. & Prenew.of Tomorrow By ABEL GRBLN Show biz today has made many performers common property. Everybody has his own business and show business, and the ma^es are as hip ' as the pro In the first booth at Lindy’s. The Palace firstnighters— and subsequent-nighters —know all about Danny Kaye’s segue from Buckingham Palace to the KKO Palace, Judy Garland’s personal travail and ‘’comebatk,” Betty Hutton’s ditto; and now Jer¬ ry Lewis’ “By 'Myself”— his thejner song to punch up his solo endeav¬ ors, as if he needs that — are • as much public property and back-of. the-mind knowledge, in relation to their professional endeavors, as the nonsense he peddles so effec¬ tively for an hour and 25 minutes as the current semester’s headliner. That Lewis had first-night jitters is incidental because, despite the somewhat uphill struggle, the sum total can’t be denied that he has nothing but talent and is as potent a comic as there is to be found in front of a mike — electronic, saloon or podium. That Lewis is boxoffice is per¬ haps best attested by the knowl¬ edge that, of all his predecessors in the $6 top admission ($9.90 pre¬ miere), his $200,000 advance sale is the peak. Considering the $50,000$55,000 capacity usually clocked, he’s virtually a sellout for the fourweek stint. RKO prexy Sol Schwartz , wants him for at least a fifth week (and more), but^it’s not a question of holdover as it is Lewis’ avail^ibility, since he has a film commitment almost immedi¬ ately after the four-week stanza unless Hal Wallis (Par) can re¬ shuffle it. From the kickoff the young com¬ ic is a poised and polished per¬ former, opening with the observa¬ tion, “I used to do a double but I cut it down to eight,” referring to the Aristocrats, a personable and highly versatile song-and-dance septet, featuring terp specialist Dick Humphreys whose profession¬ al horizons are .exceedingly san¬ guine. Mugging at Minimum Lewis is less the mountebank and more the comedian. His mug¬ ging is at minimum, his crosseyes and quondam grotesque manner¬ isms almost wholly edited.' He has carefully screened out the panze stuff — that bit with the “friendship ring” with two or three of his male aides is but a soupcon of that idiom of saloonacy deportment. His ac¬ cent is more on solid characteriza¬ tion. If betimes the tempo is ir¬ regular, that’s a matter of editing and certain to be productive of a more even scorecard of guffaws. Uneven or not, there is no gainsay¬ ing Lewis’ boffola sum total. The “Tab Yamaguchi” (Jap pop singing fave), the dancing class (with a competent femme aide as a new added starter to the 7 Aris¬ tocrats), the Presley nonsense, the Jolson takeoff, the tap-dance “chal¬ lenge” routine (wherein Hum¬ phreys distinguishes himself with good humor and slick legmania), the “Mickey Mouse” choral non¬ sense, and the audience-participa¬ tion gang singing (“Shine On Har¬ vest Moon") make for a full fun evening. True, some of it is spotty. The sensitive may question the Presley routine (his “it’s not fair to make fun of a problem” crack is not as bad as that “lousy” business), and “Mickey” is also lacking. “Type¬ writer Concerto” was a missout, al¬ though Lewis has done it better before. Comparisons Trade-wise, Lewis must suffer comparison with other so-called Palace singles of the Kaye-Garland genre and, even more broadly, the standup single comedians on the contemporary scene. This engage¬ ment is a show biz “first” for the talented young man, and youth' is no small factor in the scheme of things. Barely 30, he may still be a year ahead of himself as a Palace or Palladium single entertainer. This is a special type of prowess. It’s one thing for a Jimmy Dur¬ ante, surrounded by zany cohorts; it’s one thing for a Sinatra or other pash balladeers of the moment; but it’s another thing in the single comedian sweepstakes to assert his grip on an audience. . . Lewis faced a tremendous chfallenge and .he might well have re¬ vived Danny Kaye’s ad lib when the latter premiered and stopped the proceeding to gently chide the audience, “Now why don’t you stop worrying about me?” That was the Icebreaker. Up to that point the hyper-savvy firstnighters were fighting Kaye’s battle from the other side of the footlights, instead of reclining and being content to be entertained^ Lewis experienced the selfsame thing. The second night undoubt¬ edly *was two other fellers. He may have wished he had the waiters and the drunks and the tables and the uncertain acoustics back, but he never ad libbed on that score. He knew this was a new enirironment and played it that way. Only towards the “Harvest Moon” com¬ munity sing finale did ’he do a harkback to the cafe antecedents by observing that audiences are the same— saloon or theatre— and set out to prove it by getting the duked-up front-rowers and boxholders to thrush ad lib. No ques¬ tion that the ensuing few months as a aolo will achieve that depth necessary to the polished endresult. For Lewis’ semester, incidental¬ ly, the scale is $6 top all week, with no $7.50 for the Friday-SaturdaySunday shows which proved a lit¬ tle too fancy. Also, Lewis is adding a Wednesday matinee (Mondays dark). In total, like Sammy Davis Jr.’s electrifying “discovery” by theatre customers' who didn’t realize* that very funny man’s cafe versatility, so too is Lewis a revelation in per¬ son. Unlike Davis (re-“Mr. Won¬ derful”), the star’s great exposure in the Martin & Lewis films and Jerry Levns Co., with The Aristocrats (Eddie Weston, David 0*Hern, Stanley Catron, Gordon Thorin, Jack Fisher, Hal Bell, QeoTQe Darcy, and featuring Dicfc Humphreys); staged by Nick Cas¬ tle; Louis Brown, music; arrange¬ ments, Buddy Bregman; vocal ar¬ rangements, Norman Luboff; light¬ ing, David Bines; 7 Ashtons, (CharU)tte) Arren & (Johnny) Brod¬ erick, Chiquita & Johnson, Eydie Gorrne & Co. (2), Wiere Bros. (3), uMh Mildred Seymour; Myron Roman conducting Paldce Orch; opened Feb. 7, ’57, $6 top ($9.90 premiere scale), nine shows weekly. videocasts makes him by no means an “undiscovered” quantity. Some 90 minutes of Lewis as a one-man t^ent of great versatility does make this Palace excursion very worthwhile. Eydie Gorme’s Click First-half saw two resounding clicks in Eydie Gorifie and the Wiere Bros. (3), latter assisted by Mildred Seymour. The ABC disker, long identified with the Steve Allen telecast ' series, pitches to a boffo crescendo. The vaude vets, at first, recall the great yesteryear song belters (Nora Bayes, Belle Baker, Sophie Tucker, Rae Sam¬ uels, Ruth Roye, et al.) when the billing “song stylist” or “delineator of song” (this was the usual sub¬ identification) meant more than most of the come-lately, pallid bal¬ ladeers who become an overnight household word through the magic of one or two standout records. But as Miss Gorme progresses the ap¬ peal heightens. The start is polite but the pitch builds to a jackpot payoff. She’s no longer a conventional projector of pops dressed in modern furbe¬ lows as she pyramids to an author¬ itative stylist in the best modern tradition. Miss Gorme is one of the many answers ,to the constant albeit cliche wail, “where’s the new talent coming from?” None knows better than the chroniclers of the passing show business scene in this journal of trade info that talent will out, and that there are no stops on those who have the stuff. Miss Gorme proves that a happenstance exposure, via that greatest magic of all modern show business media, television, and a fortunate break on the wax works, should not nec¬ essarily be the ceiling on profes¬ sional endeavor. She has tutored arduously antf well in the art of song interpretation and the payqff is resounding. “It’s so difficult to be humble when I feel so proud” (referring to the halcyon tradition of the Pal¬ ace), but she proves her pride is not ephemeral. Miss Gorme estab¬ lished herself as a standout chanteuse of top order at the Lewis preem. Among her major assists are special conductor Joe Guercio and percussionist Teddy Sommers, who seemingly made Myron Ro¬ man’s Palace pit Petrilloites play above their heads in a modern backstopping for an ultramodern song stylist. Incidentally, maestro Roman and bis trench unionists did standout work throughout the bill. The other Palace “revelation” was the zany Wiere Bros., a versa¬ tile, madcap trio of the Continental school who have been around but probably never had the slick ex¬ posure given them last Thursday. “Hoibie” (Herbert),* the suave straight; Sylvester, the comic, and frere Harry, the second comedian, have a melange of slick nonsense that is a polished libretto of fid¬ dling fol-de-rol, pantomime, acrostepping, burlesque business, vocalisthenics and madcap antics in the best musichall tradition. The Wleres have played around the world and are surefire on anybody’s stage, cafe floor or via the elect¬ ronic medium. The 7 Ashtons from Australia open with a whirlwind five minutes of socko risley, Arren & Broderick are old-school vaude. Charlotte Arren’s hokum ranges from neo-Fan¬ ny Brice An Indian”) to op¬ eratic buffoonery. Johnny Brod¬ erick even does an “Indian Love Call” piano solo that cries out for the traditional lampshade and Spanish shawl which were stand¬ ard equipment with any vaudeville Steinway. Chiquita &. Johnson’s acro-balletomania spotlights the beautedus brunet whose rigid pos¬ turings are as amazing as Johnson’s holds. Liberace follows Lewis on April 20. RKO prez Sol A. Schwartz, Bill Howard, Dan Friendly, et al., have also talked with Noel Coward, who is interested but is working on a new play, and Jack Benny, who is ditto, although stating he “copid never get away for more than two or three weeks” from his tv chores. Prince of Wales, London London, Feb. 5. Yana (with Ernest Ponticelli), Walt Whyton & His Vipers (5), Bob Corf & His Skiffle (5), Dickie Henderson, '’ Jimmy Wheeler, Gary Miller XWith Don Phillips), Tom¬ my Fields, Bob Hammond & His Feathered Friends, Malta & Fer¬ nando’s Dogs, Des O’Conner, Les Marthys (2), Brian Andro, Harold Collins Orch. Sharing top billing with two skiffle groups on her West End variety debut, songstress Yana lets a big opportunity slip by her by doing an act more suited to cab¬ aret than vaudeville. On the other hand, two virtually unknown skiffle groups, with little talent, carry the modern trend of vaude presentation too far. Beautifully attired in a high necked, tight-fitting white gown, Yana is a stunner as she makes her entrance with. “I’m In Love for the Very First Time.” Using a handmike for her entire 20-minute act, she wanders about the stage coo¬ ing at the audience and indulging in some banter with the musical director. All, however, to little ef¬ fect. The act sags and lacks punch and seems to go on too long. She sings “How Deep Is the Ocean,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “If You Don’t Love Me,” and “Anyone for Love.” All of them -ooze sex, but her longing stares ,at the audi¬ ence, and sighs into the mike, fail to register. The response is just tepid. She registers a little better with “Climb Up the Wall,” a num¬ ber she’s weU. known for, as her final item. Bob Cort & His Skiffle, compris¬ ing three guitars, washboard and bass, and Walt Whyton & His Vip¬ ers, with the same lineup, are out of place in this West End theatre. Neither of the groups has person¬ ality, and their brand of music lacks the vitality usually associated with it. Bob Cort’s group, wearing sweat¬ ers and slacks, open with “Takes a Worried Man to Sing a Wor¬ ried Song,” followed by an orig¬ inal. “Ain’t It a Shame to Sing Skiffle on Sunday.” Cort, who leads the singing, fails to impress. The Vipers fare little better. Making their entry on a revolving platform, they open with “Ain’t You Glad,” a rock-a-beating num¬ ber, that fails to rock the audience. Their next rendering, “Don’t You Rock Me Daddy-0,” one of their own compositions, has the same effect. Dickie Henderson, the show’s emcee, is the brightest note of the performance. His versatility and smooth patter have the audience rooting for him from the start, and he shows a great sense of comedy in a very funny impression of a crooner, and a mimicing sketch as an artist modeling Venus in clay. He does a smooth comic dance rou¬ tine as his begoff number. Jimmy Wheeler, a comedian of the old school, gives out with some sarcastic comments on life in his own particularly boisterous fash¬ ion. He almost buUies the audi¬ ence into laughter, but registers well in doing so. Gary Miller, a goodlooking young crooner, makes a big hit with his velvety voice and serious manner. He warrants the big reaction he gets for “Friendly Persua^on,” ‘‘Garden of Eden” and a strawhat medley including “April Showers.” Jlis act is socko -allr the way. Tommy Fields, a veteran comed¬ ian, has little to offer. His mate¬ rial lacks imagination and his im¬ pressions of a cockney are coarse. Bob Hammond, with his trained cockatoos, fills his spqjt ably. He has his birds working out sums by ringing a bell, waltzing and enact¬ ing the storming of a castle/ Malta & Fernando, with a host of performing dogs, all dressed up and walking oh their hind legs, is good entertainment, and the pooches please. Des O’Conner, a young comedian from the Mid¬ lands, has to work hard for laughs. He admits that his voice is not trained, but comes over nicely in “Your Eyes Are the Eyes of a Woman in Love,” as his act closer, Les Marthys come up with a , slick tumbling routine' sprinkled bwith a fair share of comedy. Brian Andro is a skillful tight-rope art¬ ist who mixes comedy with his skill. Barf. Apollo, V. Pearls (6)* Ann Cole, Belltones (4), Hdrptones (5>; The Veloufs (4), Robert & Johnny, The Soli¬ taires (5), Paul Williams Band (12); ’“Man from Bitter Ridge” ru-iL • _ The Apollo’s accent this sesh is on the young set, with many of the rock ’n’ roll groups composed of teenagers. For seasoning, there’s rhythm & blues vocalist Ann Cole and the pro Solitaires (5) and Velours (4). The spices help to lift the proceediilgs, but the seven acts don’t add up to' a good , overall vaude layout. Lending a nice assist is the Paul Williams band> Opening with a hot number and providing an interlude of solid r&r in the middle of the bill. With the exception of the Belltones (4), reviewed under New Acts, all other performers have appeared at the Harlem house be¬ fore. Working against any one team or vocalist clicking is the solid r&r program which tends to blur individuality. Ann Cole, in the No. 2 spot, appears to register strongest. She’s a pro performer, a crowd pleaser, and although she seemed to have some mike trouble at show caught, she knows how to deliver p. number with telling effect. The Pearls quintet, coming out first, need more polish and savvy. The same holds true for the Harptones (5), slotted fifth. The Velours (4), in fifth position, are satisfactory, but like other r&r teams they lack individuality. Rob¬ ert & Johnny are a weak team for next-to-closing. The Solitaires (5) go through their four numbers in good pro style. Horo. Gaiety, Ayr Ayr, Scotland, Feb. 8. Don Arrol, Edorics (3), Lynnette Rae, Metronotes (3), Derry & Johnstone, Norman Meadows, Bob¬ by Dixon, Larry Gordon Starlets (7), Harry Broad Orch. This layout, staged’ in intimate atmosphere of small indie-con¬ trolled vaudery, is refreshingly bright i;i its youthful appeal and slickness. Majority of acts are young and offer new material. Don Arrol registers in comedy via sympathetic non aggressive approach, and shows fairly slick modern style' plus pace. He’s capably aided by stooge Norman Meadows. On this showing, Arrol reveals he’s got the potential, and merits tv attention. Three Edorics, two males and a femme, are well-rehearsed dancing act with smart garbing and nifty footwork. Distaffer’s a looker With shapely gams, and her two male partners work with know-how, Act scores in a “Down at Ferryboat Inn” item. The Metronotes, male three¬ some, are singing group with lotsa attack. Give out with “Green Door,” “Rock a-Beat Boogie” and tther r ’n’ r numbers, and are definitely an act meriting attention. Derry & Johnstone are pleasing vocalists, he in kilt and playing accordion and xylophone, she at piano and as chirper. Register with outfrohters in “I Hear Music” and a Scot medley. Lynnette Rae, easy-on-eye gal, scores in song and in coniedy scenes. Bobby Dixon is another comedy aide. The seven Larry Gordon Starlets are bright dance line. House orch is under experi¬ enced baton of Harry Broad. Ayr vaudery, battling brightly against current audiehce shortage due to British gas rationing and consequent lack of customers, is playing valiant part in fight to retain traditional vaude here¬ abouts. Fodder offered is worth¬ while.' ‘ Gord. Roxy, N* .y. / • . liobert C. Rdthafel ice produc¬ tion of ” Spotlight 1957,” with Mae Edwards, Manuel Del Toro, Leslie Sang, Nicky Powets, Jay ^^neth, Cissy Trenholm, George Banyas, Paula Newland, Candice Taylor, Master Ralph, Ice Roxyettes (24 Royy Skating Squires (12), Daniel Finton, Roxy Orch under Robert Boucher; choreography and stag¬ ing, Anolyn Arden; designer, Bruno Maine; costumes, Winniford Mor¬ ton; arrangements. Perry Bur gett; ”The Girl Can’t Help' It’^ (20th), reviewed in Vamety Dec. 19, ’56. j The Roxy’s current frolic on the ice is okay in the visual values, but I lacks punch and style and is over[ long at 55 minutes or so. “Spots . light 1957” encompasses a longish Hungarian finale. In deference to Hungarian Relief and in salute to that nation’s valor. It’s a tribute well merited , even if doing so the -Roxy is weighted down some¬ what in the stageshow aspect— a condition not hmped' by a mini¬ mum of imagination sho^vh in the production overall. It’s, more of an offish mixture ..than an integrated nuedley. pegged on the. 1957 themer. An extended opening vignette is in the form of an overture in which the ’57 year is flashed on the front curtain in multi-colored array while a narrator makes with what pretends to be dramatic con¬ tinuity. The text is unprofessional and the span that, is enveloped— the three decades from 1927 — underdeveloped and somewhat an¬ achronistic at times; at least that is so in the song eras aimed at for depiction by voice, vocal and cov¬ ering music from Robert Boucher’s men in the pit. In the segues to the big trapped stage, ^1 the line numbers and all the principal turns seem fan^iar in the routining, and not very noteworthyiiy so as a whole, although a couple of the bladesters give a fine account of themselves via waltzes, acrobatics, ballroomology on the freeze and some other or*, thodox ingredients. The general air is one of-’schmaltz of a not too exhilarating sort, combined with corn that doesn’t pop. It seems ob¬ vious that busty Jayne Mansfield will have to bear the burden as to ithe boxoffice lure in her comedic rock ’n’ roller starrer with Tom Ewell and Edmond O’Brien, plus a long liiie of prime exponents of the raging beat performing as “them¬ selves.” A Valentine sequence is pashy but lacks spark in an unfolding backgrounded by the tunes “Whis¬ pering Love” and “Tonight We Love.’^ “The Magyar end-piece is colorful, but aside from some flash ice terps of native design and a “Golden Eayrings” production that is nice but would be nicer if tight¬ ened, it’s rather hollow against the fine potential. Ditto the enderupper “Wedding Festival” which might have misty-eyed appeal for Hungarians privy to such cere¬ monials. Of the non-ice spotted features, Jay Nemeth is a ventriloquial en¬ try with a fingered pooch. The ma¬ terial on both sides^ — man and dog — is lowercase and precious ana the whole routine lacks the com¬ edy elements intended. About half¬ way comes Master Ralph, a Swiss kid making with the xylophone stuff. He’s a modest little fellow presented with a minimum of showmanship. John Ringling North of the .RB-B&B circus offered young Mister Mistin a few seasons ago upon ah elevation, to pomp & circumstance and with razzle-daz¬ zle trappings • and lighting. The prodigy was good for a season or two; but the point here is that 'a theatre can’t merely send a moppet Out to. the wolves without the buildup and without working out a competent routine of tunes and presentation. In the finale, before an audience that included Hungarians — officials and plain citizens — ^the orch played that country’s national anthem . as well as “The Star Spangled Ban¬ ner.” Cued by the Magyars in the mezzanine, everyone in that sec¬ tion rose to his feet when the Hun¬ garian anthem was played. Wheh our own anthem fpllowed, those in the orchestra section, squatting previously, stood up. There seemed some inconsistency about this and perhaps an unintended slur in view of the Hungarian complexion of part of the audience. However, there were no advices from the stage other than a cue that the anthems would be played; and it’s questionable whether such cere¬ monies should come at the end. Ordinarily, anthems are played be¬ fore the start of an event or a .show, which should have obtained in this instance. This would have set the mood for the stageshow and at the same time conform to the usual practice. Trau,