Variety (December 1957)

Wednesday, December 4, 195? PfikktTFr VAUDEVILLE 65 Atlantic City, Dec. 3. f A proposal that the. city put a 3% tax on all restaurant bills over $2, to raise a $256,000 subsidy fund to bring entertainment'events here during the off-season period, is being studied by the resort’s business interests; Fund was proposed by Kenneth B. Walton, owner of a chain of restaurants in the city, at a meet¬ ing of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce directors last week. “The seriousness of our present economic situation in the winter months now cries for definite action,” Walton told the directors. .. Walton’s proposal, which later became" a resolution, will be studied by the chamber’s directors and acted upon at the December meeting of the body. The cham¬ ber is.seeking'a means Of bringing more people and of course more-1 business into the city during the slack season. A winter attractions fund would be utilized to meet the difference ‘ cost of the attractions and the revenue derived from attendance to the affairs.— If the chamber di¬ rectors adopt Walton’s resolution they then will , urge city commis¬ sioners to establish the tax. The funds would be administered en¬ tirely by a non-partisan, commis¬ sion appointed by the city com¬ mission and under its direction and control. Walton added that experience has shown that the community privately cannot support enough ^entertainment and attractions to bring visitors to t£e city in suffi¬ cient, numbers and that “if private means have failed, resort must be made to public measures.’* The commission to be appointed would determine type of entertain¬ ment. it would proceed on. a trial and error basis for the first year or so until it found what enter¬ tainment would best pullvisitors into the city. Sari* Souci’* Threefer Las Vegas, Dec. 3. George • Mitzel, Sans Souci Hotel prexy, unveiled southern Nevada’s first “Sho-Bar” over the weekend. Glass _ behind bar enables, bar and casino patrons to view show, and sound is piped to - casino so that noise from latter won’t disturb stage performers. Herkie Styles hi eadlines Sans-Souci show, which fea¬ tures canary Barbara Hill, Calypso Joe. and Coco Te; Johnnie Ray birthday partied Sunday (2) at the Friars’ new club¬ house in New York. ? ? "AT LIBERTY” 7 7 SHOWGIRLS and DANCERS (Aget 18-35) Basil salary. $50 a wirit (Earn-up tl .) as danea initruetara and partners! Will net Interfere.With daytime auditions. .Work even¬ ings ft PM to 2 AM. Full time • nights. Part time Fri, Sat, and Suit. Apply 6 te 8. PM far personal interview. . -Ml68 GONNEULI 838 Bread St., 3nd fleer. Newark. N. J. .35 Minutes tram. Pert Authority Terminal. Shows Pre-Xmas Ottawa, Dec. 3. Ottawa area’s niteries declined by two last week when shows shut¬ tered in the Gatineau and the Chaudiere. Other than smaller spots with uncertain plans, dis¬ trict’s only show-spots will be, for the . next four months, Circus Lounge of the . Ottawa House with shows, and. the Fairmount Club, with shows and dancing. Gatineau Club shuttered for the cold months, to reopen in mid- March. Chaudiere Club’s Rose Room remains open but cancels show policy to use bands for. danc¬ ing only. Room will close Dec. 22 for the holiday season and reopen Jan. 14 to continue straight orch scheme. Niteries on the Quebec side shutter for holidays because of province^ blue laws, requiring, among other things, 9 p.m. closing on Christmas and New Year’s eves. Rose Room will probably resume show policy in early spring:. For dance policy. Rose Room will book various bands. House band, Harry Pozy’s moves to Stan- dishall Hotel for the Winter to play for dancing in that inn’s Rain¬ bow Room; Champ Champagne, whose band held the stand at the Gatineau for showbacking and dancing,, takes over 88 chores with the Canadian Jazz Quartet in the Circus Lounge. With him goes his bassist, Pete Fleming. They replace . Richard Wyands, keyboarder, and Wyatt Reuther, bassist, who left last week. RETURN ENGAGEMENT 2 Weeks — December 3rd-T5th JACK WALLACE AND HIS PANTO-ANTICS OLDEN SUPPER, Glen Cove, LI. Thanks to CHARLIE GREEN HAROLD SNYDER MERCURY ARTISTS Personal Management:: BILL WALSH Hi 58th Street, New York PL 7-3400., Mqt.: Jerry Levy - Fred Aoiiel CURRENTLY v SAVOY HOTEL y London Dir.* WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY June Christy on Top Of Honolulu’s Clouds Honolulu, Dec. 3. June Christy is luring “good old times" business back into the up¬ stairs Clouds nitery. She opened last week in the wake of a preview reception hosted by the owners of the intime nitery. Gal’s reputation,- enhanced by her “earlier visit here a couple of years back, is drawing crowds. Room is functioning with a nomi¬ nal cover charge, being assessed; at the door. Her visit comes at a time when virtually all Honolulu niteries are in the midst of seasonal doldrums. B.O. Lure Is One Thing, But Names Gotta Have an Act Too: LQs Risman The time is fast approaching when bonifaces Will have to con¬ sider what a name can bring to the nitery, in the way of enter¬ tainment. This is the size-up of Eddie Risman, general manager of the Latin Quarters in New York and Miami Beach. Risman says that the number of names who can actually, contribute to the gate is rapidly diminishing. A lot of topliners have become worn out through television, many through the large number of cafe appearances in any given situa¬ tion, and others who haven’t been around the niteries because of tax situation have lost their lure. At the same time, says Risman, there haven’t been as many performers developing to replace those that aren't drawing their five-figure sal¬ aries. For that reason, acts, will have, to be booked so that they will jell J Continued on page 66) ESTELITA AN 11 rn GRANTED THE 1957 AWARD FROM CMQ-TV AS CUBA’S MOST OUTSTANDING STAR! Just Concluded — THE TOP RECORD BREAKIHG ENGAGEMEHT Since JIMMY DURflRTE at the NACIONAL HOTEL Havana, Cuba • RECENT HEADLINE ENGAGEMENTS WALDORF-ASTORIA, New York y COPACABANA, New York FLAMINGO HOTEL, Las Vegas EDEN ROC: Miami CIRO’S, Hollywood COCOANUT GROVE, Los Angeles STATLER HOTEL, Los Angeles EL RANCHO HOTEL, Las Vegas CHEZ PAREE, Chicago CHASE HOTEL, St, Louis Televisi ED SULLIVAN SHOW CBS-TV Personal Management: SID O. FIELDS 2210 Wibhire Blvd. Santa Monica! Calif.