Variety (October 1957)

"Wednesday* October 2, 1957 PfifSIRTT NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS 69 Town Sc C*)ut^ 9 Bklyn, Ritz Bros . (3), Gogi Grant^Half Bros. (2), Bustef Burnell Dancers (10), Ned Harvey & Soccaras Orchs; $6.50 minimum. Ben Sc Doris Maksik, following some of the biggest business in night club history with the en¬ gagement of Jerry Lewis, have come up with another topliner in the Ritz Bros., on their third ap¬ pearance in this Jrihgsized spot It was the Ritz Bros, who for the past two years practically pioneered in proving that headliners can pull in the remote sections of Brooklyn. *•' With this date, it’s practically a new deal for the Ritz freres. After many years, there’s new material in the act. They have new lines, but „ no matter what they do, it comes out the same. It seems that it’s the Ritz trademark .and antics rather than lines or situations created for them that’s the major cog of their turn. Harry, per usual, front-and centers the turn to maximum re¬ turns. The trio, despite the new frame¬ work for their nohsehse, still rely on the bits of business they’ve been pulling all these years. It’s the something old, hew*and blue oper¬ ation lacking the refinements. of haut-monde culture that hits the risibilities of the customers; Harry sparks the proceedings working with beaverlike energy in his cos¬ tume changes, eye-rolling, and the air of unrefined mayhem that keeps the crowd entertained. Of course, Jimmy and A1 provide valued as¬ sistance. - The Ritz lads-have come in with such new tunes as “Low Noon at Coffee Comers,’* a rib of westerns, a Salvation Army lampoon, some satire on a variety of subjects, but it’s still the same kind of Ritz Bros, act—not for grandma or for adolescents, hut for the greater part of the nitery populace, potent entertainment. The other* acts on the bill are Gogi Grant (New Acts) and the Half Bros., to make a well-balanced layout The Half Bros, are ah excel¬ lent pair of jugglers. Imported from Brazil, they handle hats and clubs dextrously and forming some exciting patterns of manipulation. At ope point, they throw their clubs past an audience volunteer for an added touch to a skillful act. The Buster Burnell Dancers, seven .boys and three girls, provide some well-costumed and pictur¬ esque fillers between the acts. Ned Harvey’s orch executes this intri¬ cate’show without a hitch, and pro¬ vides floor-filling dansapdtion as well. Soccaras does the Latin lulls. Jose. ' immensely since his initial Mont¬ real dehut several years ago.'Al¬ though most of impact comes from his antics with the duck, Lamouret also picks up yocks With his musi¬ cal dogs including the one with weak kidneys. Latter sequences with the pooches are over-gim- micked and rather cumbersome, lacking the finesse of his original dummy. . For added . visual interest, Lamouret does a Professor Lam- berti with Fifi as the scantily clad femme who strips while Lamouret, offers a brace of corhball musical items. * An oyer enthusiasm to; please and tod many gimmicks that don’t quite come off upset general pacing of act; sharper routining would boost overall presentation. ; The Three Mandarins/ who have played this saloon before, score again with their precision tumbling and balancing. Their plate spin¬ ning in an upside-down position, a dive through a blazing hoop ringed with knives and double headstands gamer solid mitting. . Roger Cole¬ man does a bigger than usual song session for plaudits and also han¬ dles emcee chores effectively, •The final Craig Daye produc¬ tions for the Casino are colorful and given an added lift’by dancer Dorothy Kramer and three male hoofers. As per usual, the Bix Belair band does show music with the Clayton combo pn for customer dancing. Present offering holds until Oct. 9 when co-owners Harry Holmok and Jack Suz will preem an entirely new show formula for this cafe. Newt. , Cocoannt Grove y A. Los Angeles, Sept. 26. Johnnie Ray, Mattison Trio, Freddy Martin Orch (12) $2-$2.50 cover . Fontilmeblem, M. B’eh Miami'Beach, Sept. 26. Phil Foster, Dolores Perry, Ru- dev.k6,' Bros., Murray Schlamm, Sacasas Orch; $3.50 minimum. Phil Foster is back for one of his foUr-time-a-year dates in the La.Ronde and, on this trip,, comes up with a. batch of fresh, material anent his Brooklyn playrrtates and other characters peculiar to that realm. - Buttressed by his standard stuff and brash albeit winning ap- ~ proach to the auditors, he radar up ' a steady score on the laughmeter, j Foster's penchant for becoming in¬ volved with the rlngsiders adds more howl potential to the rapport engendered, to wind him into bow- off salvos. * New face here is Dolores Perry. She’s an attractive thrush, well en¬ dowed physically as welFas vocally to make for a highly satisfying ad¬ dition to the roster of femme per¬ formers playing ..this area. ,,Miss Perry is a refreshing change from the' norm" in* that, she utilizes a soaring soprano to project an off¬ beat cluster of semi-classic, oper¬ atic and pop standards, all. blended intelligently for proper change .of pace and mood:" End result is cheerful reception all the way. Rudenko Bros, click with their adroit juggling display/ They work smoothly, at a brisk pace and with¬ out any Of the lummy furbelows some ac|« of the type add, to get matters off at brisk tempo. Murray Schlamm, house emcee, is his usual glib self while Sacasas and bis mtisierew, per always^ add values to the musical backings. Due mid¬ week are Allen Drake and Enzo; Stuarti. s Lary. Bellevpe Caslio, Moit’l Montreal, Sept 28. Robert■ Lamouret (with Fifi), , Three Mandarins, Roger Coleman Dorothy Kramer k Dancers (3), Casino Lovelies (6), Bix Belair Orch (11), Buddy' Clayton Trio; $1 admission. Town Casino, Buffalo * Buffalo, Sept 25. Dorothy Collins , Frankie Scott , Three Redheads, Escorts, Phyllis Pons, Moe Balsam Orch; entertain¬ ment charge' 60c weeknights; $1.50- $3 minimum weekends. If her performance here is any criterion, the “new” Dorothy Col¬ lins is going places. Unveiling a. diversified repertoire of : vocal se¬ lections, she appeal's to. be project¬ ing her talents into new areas, simultaneously with the word -that she is set shortly for serious roles such as U. S, Steel’s upcoming tv “Importance of Being Earnest” and in an Allied Artists film, “Mr. Bos¬ ton.” Running the gamut from •moppet ditties to serious balladry, she delivers a dozen numbers with a simplicity of style that is unique for night spots. Her grooming is meticulous, with a decided lift in gowhings which enables her to change onstage from wholesome schoolgirl to" red hot chantoosey for a maximum of effectiveness. Throughout, she] maintains an aura of sincere homi- ness and good taste which regis¬ ters witq even the most hardened' ringsiders. As of now, she is a happy combination of a Mary Mar¬ tin (when her heart still belonged to daddy) and a June Allyson (with a mike). The fine* hand of spouse Raymond Scott is apparent in selection, orchestration pnd pacing for a/total combination which spot¬ lights, the act as one geared for the plushiest clubs. Impresario Harry Altman ; has surrounded his headliner With an expensive and entertaining show.] The Redheads are spotted for some eye - catching dance interludes which they contribute, With sharp dressing and precise delivery. The youthful Escorts.. -prove* a - smart quartet, well costumed but of aver¬ age vocal accomplishments. The (ballet numbefg of Phyllis Pons, working solo, are in the classic line, except- for bar tee-terping mambo encore. , Comedy honors go strictly to] Frankie Scott who finds erixa favor With, the .diners. Scott is a seasoned trouper- and with his energetic delivery he succeeded in warming hi* the < earty dinner crowd for loud pabn, approval. He climaxes his xecej^toa with some tricky trumpeter myteribriations at the close. Moe Btelsom’ir&oy* con¬ tinue to play no small part in the overall effectiveiTess of < the pro¬ ceedings. Burton. Johnnie Ray finally made it-— to the Grove. Seven years ago he said he strolled down Wilshire and Saw Tony Martin’s name in- the lights. “Some day,” he vowed to himself, “I’ll make it”- And - that he did Wednesday. (25) night and not as a paying customer: The crowd was sparse but the applause was large. He should have it made with this clientele despite the fact that he’s one of the “pioneers” of the belting brigade and younger performers have caught the popu¬ lar fancy’with the steaming beat and the rocking roll. His appeal is not altogether in his physical prowess with a song, many of them in the gold record class, but his boyish manner and absence of actorish attitude in beg¬ ging bows. He was brought back several times after his closing spiritual, yet his demeanor was disarming and ingratiating. Almost every one of his 14 songs is attacked with gusto, which, after all, is his trademark. On' “Such a Night” he writhes, contorts and almost prostrates himself, with imagined romantic fervor for one pf his most applauded numbers. Handicap^’ augment his beat of “To¬ night Josephine” and the sitters paw-pound with him. For the end he saves the songs that brought him early success—“Little Wnite Cloud” and “Cry,” Striking a friehdly stance, he unhooks the mike and roams ringside, shaking hands with the men and kissing the women. He works himself into a streaming sweat and comes off his turn with the whole room with him. He should attract both the young¬ sters and mlddle-agers and make his engagement a profitable one for Gus Lampe’s enterprise. Tapping out “Bolero” and in¬ dulging their lithe physiques in other fast routines, the Mattison Trio scorch the boards after Freddy Martin an<J his crew give the horns a workout with David Rose’s “Holiday For ’trombones.” Martin’s blowers and percussionist had to keep up. a steady pressure to match the bleating of Ray. Next into the Groye is Dorothy Collins. Helm. Eden Roe, Miami Beach Miami Beach, Sept. 24. Romo Vincent, -Enid Mosier Trin¬ idad Steel Trio, Step Bros., Mat Malkin Qrch; $3.50-$4.50 minimum. Christian 5 * Bat, Honohdn Honolulu, Sept 20. Kimo McVay; no. cover or mini¬ mum. Pianist and radio personality Kimo McVay is luring biz into the cocktail lounge of this new mid¬ town restaurant, ndf far from Wai¬ kiki. His relaxed stylings listen well and, although his tunes are pretty much on the nostalgic side, he knows how to vary the. pace.. McWy, who’s doubling with a daily records and gab stanza on KGMB, is the scion, ofr a' socially prominent Hawaiian family. While he doesn’t - capitalize on this, it certainlydoesn’t hurt, either. He's been back only a few weeks after Several years.stateside and it looks as if the youthful pianist will* be Highlight of current Bellevue Casino layout is Roger Lamouret,: the glib Parisian ventriloquist and] his saucy duck. Lamouret &mak-i ing his first appearance In this]__ „...... . 0 ...... .. of Dick Campbell and:addt- Two standard and one offbeat ■acts were brought in for Teamster Union’s convention v^eek here with the vets adding up as the better ingredients* of the package, Enid Mosier and her steel-drum¬ ming aides would be more suitable to the rostrum of an intimery or one of the avant garde spots, hut in this big layout they’ve lost. Best part of the stint is the music ex¬ tracted by the steel drumsters, stirring the only evidence of heavy .aud enthusiasm during the act. Miss Mosier is * fair singer, but works ton much a la Pearl Bailey (and not her style) to realize on any potentials she may "possess. Romo Vincent, a wily performer who knows his way around a cafe group, mixes his .c&racter delinea¬ tions, special songs and easy-does- it yarn spinning, to. keep , them in¬ trigued throughout He's played this room before and smartly slants his material to the wants of his auditors. The Step Bros, have played other top-spots on the Beach, With this their first outing in the cafe Pom¬ peii. They’re still ace hoofers, challenge and group, but are in¬ jecting too many attempts at com¬ edy which do hot come off; this only serves to slow up what could be fast reaction build. Withal, they grab callbacks, thanks to the sock terping. Lonnie Satin comes in to join holdover Step Bros. Lary. Modena Jazz Room, CM Chicago, Oct. 1. Ken Nordine, Dick Campbell , Bob Gibson. Modem Jazz Boom heire has in¬ itiated a new policy. The largest of the series of new jazz spots that sprung up here a couple years ago, it has jumped whole hog onto the current trend toward offbeat en¬ tertainment with a booking that hdads off the deep end. Appropriately titled “In Upper Limbo,” this novelty show is less an act than a continuous diversion for the audience. Ken" Nordine, the only speaking performer, reads and recites loosely associated biog¬ raphic and poetic bits" under the label “word jazz.” Behind him are ; the imaginative* pianistic experi- tional effects supplied by an ela¬ borate stereo sound setup. An eye-startling effect is added by a unique light-throwing mechanism called the'•“Color Sym- phonium” by its inventor C. E. Sin¬ gletary. The moving color masses projected on a screen run continu¬ ously through the evening; with background music it is supposed to supply atmosphere and later it is presumed to provide a setting for the- performers. However, more often than not it provides a distraction, not a background, for the "personalities onstage. Only when Nordine places himself di¬ rectly in front of the screen do the fluid colors and distorted shadows add to the effect of the. perfor¬ mance. The whole act shapes as a par¬ lor room performance in a back¬ room . atmosphere. Despite the line sbund equipment, the dead¬ ened accoustics of the room penal¬ ize the current performers as they, did with the many jazz groups that preceded them here. The required Khe BA. intimacy for this act is lost in an Blue Angel, X. V. Martha Davis Sc Spouse (3), George Matson, Carol Burnett, Anne Leonardo, Bart Hoivard, Jim¬ my Lyon Trio; $5-$6 minimum . On the strength of Martha Davis & Spouse, this intimery is again jacking its rates. With the mini¬ mum brought up to $5 per head the last time the chubby songstress and her team played the room on one of their many visits,, the min¬ imum goes to $6 on weekends. And there is no reason why the Blue Angel won’t get it When Miss Davis, her bass play¬ ing-singer husband and their ex¬ cellent * drummer returned after a tour of a few months, they jammed the 55th St. boite to capacity and over. She has options to stay on for six months, before she takes another touring busman's holiday, and in the almost positive event she stays the whole route (if audi¬ ence reaction has anything to do with it), she’l have spent 24 out of 30 months as the featured act at Her jazz pianisties are sound and arena-like sound. due to the re-, her voice and manner serve excel- quired amplification. Also on the program is folk- singer Bob Gibsqn. The accousti- cal problems bave the same weak¬ ening effect on his act, which has been enthusistically received in an¬ other local spot.for months on end. As with Nordine, the colored lights only distract from the act except when, on occasion, the performer immerses himself in them. This show promises to draw a series of novelty seekers but needs further working out and better physical surroundings" to develop its full potentialities as a nitery attraction. Act is booked for an indefinite lently in satisfying the guzzlers, ]mild and heavy. Her timing and ; her verbal interpolations satiate the sophisticate’s demands for hu¬ mor. The club has a rep for mount¬ ing an excellent all-round show, and this outing, even in the intro¬ duction, of a new talent, singer Anne Leonardo (see New Acts) maintains same to the fullest. It’s a completely engaging hour and 45 minutes, with enough breaks. In the entertainment, and of sufficient duration, to leave time for a hefty refueling. Mime George Matson Is uncanny. He may thank his stars that he has Beatrice Lillie disks to borrow as tryout stay at the Modern Jazzj the sound to accompamr his syn- Room. , Dave. Hotel Maehlcbaeh, K. €, Kansas City, Sept. 27. Henny. Youngman, Dick Barlow Orch (7); $1^1.50 cover. Fall season is underway *at the Muehlebacji’s Terrace Grill with better names the rule. First call is to Henny Youngman, back after a staiid here late last winter, this time holding the bill alone. Later the room probably will favor a two- act policy. Drawing power in the Youngman name was evident from a goodly house, and opening night show turned out to he chuckle^illed for 40 minutes. The Brooklynite was in fine form, taking off in relaxed style with a flow of topicals and following through with his re¬ nowned one-line catchers; No doubt about his being the master of the quip with the quick flip which keeps the laughs spurting about the room. Subjects such as foreign ears, women drivers, Elvis, hotel rooms come in for jousts with his barbed wit, all much to the customers’ liking as they indicated -with a rousing hand at closing. As part of the new. fail policy the Dick Barlow orch has replaced Joe Reichman and crew on the staiid. Barlow is due to stay sev¬ eral weeks. Following Youngman, King Christian and the Princess Lamont Calypso Revue come in for a fortnight. Quin. Village Vamgoard, 3Y* Y. Bob Brookmeyer Quintet, Anita O’Day, Slim Gaillard; $3 minimum. There's a lot of cool stuff blow¬ ing down at Max Gordon’s Village Vanguard this stanza. It’s a jazz style that’s blown In from the Coast and should satisfy the stud¬ ents of that idiom. For the (initiated, however, it's jazz dose that’s not easy to take. There’s a monotony in the riffs j laid down by the Brookmeyer out¬ fit that’s completely lulling. He I gets an effective" sound out of his trombone but when he leads the boys away from the melodic line, it’s hard to follow. In his reper¬ toire are "I Got Rhythm,” “Santa Claus Blues” and “I Can’t Get Started.” Lee' Konitz’s sax comes in for a couple of good rounds. Thrush"Anita O’Day also keeps everything on same vocal leveL She’s got a lot of phrasing tricks up her sleeve hut some of ’em don’t help the song at all. She tackles such as “Have You Met Sir Jones,” a reverse-Jorgenson of Rodgers Sc Hart’s “Have You Met Miss Jones,” “’Swonderful,” “Love Me Or Leave Me,” “Stella By Star¬ light,” “Love For Sale” and “My Funny Valentine." Incidentally, something ought to be done about that oversize angular mike which virtually hid her face throughout. •To put things in a livelier groove, Gordon has retained Slim Gaillard. cronized gymnastics, but he shows great originality in how he uses his own visual material to her voice and the voices of others. Comedienne Carol Burnett is no freak because of the publicity break she got by doing “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles” when she first opened here several weeks ago. She’s lucky to have whoever it is who prepares her top" material, but she adds to it a superb seflse of timing, a win¬ ning personality and a voice that undoubtedly could take a straight tune in hand without sacrificing an iota of punch. Art. Crescendo, Houston > Houston, Sept 28. Patsy Shaw, Jose Ohiz Orch (5) with Charlene Morris; $3 minimum Sat. only. PStsy Shaw must have what Crescendo customers want. After absence of only six months, she is drawing good houses with same batch of songs and gags that pleased privatery patrons on her first visit. Act has informality of evening at home In Flatbush, fea¬ turing long, long encores—she was on for staggering 70 minutes night caught (27)—and salted with oc¬ casional flights into Yiddish which reached only half the tab lifters, ICing of the mambo; “Rodriquez Levine,” was back as central char¬ acter in “Man That I Married” pa¬ rody, a number suited to Miss Shaw’s matronly style and one that gets good returns. Another yak- getter is her interpretation of what Cuban mambo words really mean. Generally, gags about middle- aged men who ain’t as virile as they once were bring smiles to faces of middlfe-aged Crescendo customers, but applause for Miss Shaw’s efforts Is louder than laugh¬ ter. Jose Ortiz group is strong on support and Charlene Morris is a pleaser. Blackburn Twins & Jerry Collins come in Oct. 9. 'VnQ Bern* Snlongen, St’lth’m Stockholm, Sept, 17. Nicholas Bros, (2), Bethe Doug¬ las, Wandy Tworek, Jerry Hoeg- stedt Orch (8); $1 admission. Berns Salongen, Stockholm’s Lido, is a spot which dedicates it¬ self largely to U. S. acts. Its Sep¬ tember program lines up with the Nicholas Bros.’ dancing, singing and capering, American songstress Bethe Douglas and Wandy Tworek, a*Danish violinist. Lion’s share of the applause goes to the Nicholas Bros., who have traveled in Europe for the past two and a half years and whose current local stint is their third one in Sweden. Special¬ ty of this duo (together since 1931) has always been its magnificent tap dancing and it looks as though Europeans have discovered these duo’s full potentials. They ____-_are _ „ His t o n g u e-in-cheek, J now also comedians and singers. clowning approach ter jazz is re-’The Swedish Metronome has them fr e s h i n g.,-L-. - on jeage.’tO) . -.