Variety (July 1958)

116 S16BT aitll Ambassador Hotel, L. A. Los Angeles, July 24. Judy Garland, Freddy Martin Orch ( 29); $3 cover, $5 minimum. If Judy Garland had paused to clear her throat at her Cocoanut Grove opening (23). (an all-time record for a Grove preem) the sell¬ out crowd would probably have demanded an encore. It was Miss Garland’s .first appearance since her truncated date at the Town & Country in Brooklyn four months, ago, and there was the heightened excitement always present when an entertainer, specially one with Miss Garland's, fanatic, following, appears on her home ground after . a period of some adversity. There was no doubt from the beginning that the crowd was with her. It remained for Miss Garland to get ahead of the crowd and lead it, which she did; all the way. -The hour-long act, which has been staged by Metro director Charles Walters, with special ma¬ terial by Roger. Edens, is dramatic; in form and. casual in content. It rests heavily on the numbers iden¬ tified with the star, “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love/' “Zing s Went The Strings of My Heart/’ f ‘You Made Me Love You," “The Boy Next Door," “The Trolley Song.” “Liza,” “Me and My Shad- J ow," etc. Her voice has never been i better. The. shimmering tremolo was well under control and for “Swanee" and “Rock-a-bye.” Miss Garland sang with open-throated power, the voice a pulsing ‘emo¬ tional as well as musical instru¬ ment. On some notes she opened at pianissimo and swelled to full fortissimo, a dramatic performance that few singers Can match. Even on the .finales, with the band filling the big room, her voice was on top of the music, loud and clear... Miss Garland, Who moved around a great deal, followed one number hard on another, but she was not¬ ably in good breath contfol; pair¬ ing a crooning mplody with some- thing noisy and handling each with skill and ease. . The singer made her . entrance from the floor, with a travelling mike, singing “When You’re Smil¬ ing/’ Walking through the tables to the stage. She did a larkish Version of “Purple People Eaters,” and brought her daughter. Liza to the stage "to reprise “Swanee” with her, for a tender moment She exited through the audience, sing¬ ing her final number before encor¬ ing, “Over The Rainbow 1 /’ from -a spot near the captain’s stand. It was hot only a highly effective setting but the location was a great break for the Tanner Tours. “I’m a minstrel girl/’ Miss Gar¬ land chants during one of her num¬ bers, and that is the theme. It is a solo stint with no introductory act, only a brief overture of Garland- identified tunes by Freddy Martin and his augmented band. The arrangements, by Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins and Buddy Breg- man. got handsome treatment by Martin, who was also a . quiet com¬ fort to MisS Garland’S occasional nervousness. , There is a raised cover of $3 per . head and $5 minimum for Miss Garland’s two-week stand. The star does one show nightly weeknights and two weekends. Powe. I*. A. Los Angeles, July 22. Martha Davis & Spouse {Calvin Po nder }; Earl Grant ; $1.50 cover. Gene Norman’s latest offering at i the 'Interlude is all-sepia and strictly for the swingers and those addicts of the rock ’n’ roll type of beat. Co-billed are Martha Davis .& Spouse (Calvin Ponder, who backs her <m bass) and Earf: Grant. Miss Davis is a rotund pianist- singer Who bangs away at the 88, warbles a mixture of ballads, blues and.j azz, and on top of this sings several double-entendre songs in comical fashion. The ABC-Par disker scores best ori “That’s Why the Lady Is' a. Tramp/’ “They’ll Never Believe Me” and “He’s Funny That Way." Her two-way takeoffs on “Witch Doctor” and “Hold ’Em Joe” also go over with this crowd. Grant is an organist-singer who records for Decca. He is versatile as a singer, and also on the keys. Grant’s vocalizing is quite similar to that of Nat King Cole, and he proves himself as capable on the piano. • j As General Grant took Rich- : mond, Earl Grant took. this room, i The spot was jumping and howling j to the uptempo rhythmic beat that I filled the spot He’s a polished per- i former who knows how to handle j his audience. 1 After a few ballads arid arrange- • ments such as “American in Paris,”. “We’ll Be Together Again’’ and “Lookin’ Back,” he leaves the organ, and with mike in hand wan- - ders about vocalizing in a real easy manner. Then he flips over to up¬ beat tunes such as “Yes I Do” and REVIEWS “Angel Eyes” arid works the afi¬ cionados irito a frenzy. Grant’s. I rendition of his fast : climbing Decca disk, “Old Man River,” i brought further squeals of enthu¬ siasm. . Some expert backih was supplied [ Grant by Ed Hunton on drums, and • particularly Fred Clark on sax,. ; who did a 15-niinute straight- solo,' •! all of Which added its share to a show that should pack ’em in. ■ Kafa. "... Purple Onion, S. F. San Francisco, July 22. Phyllis Diller. Trains ( EcLmond- i son) Sl Bud ( Dashiell ), Betty Wil¬ son, Dub Johnson, Buzz Wheeler; |$I-$1.50 admission. This is the best-balanced and sharpest show the Frisco basement bistro Iras bad in many months, with the two femme members carrying the burden of the work¬ load;" . Phyllis Diller, ; blonde, rubber¬ faced comedienne, gets ;. heavy laughs in a frantic, satirical rou¬ tine that deals with airline “thrift flights” (“everything was old . . . the stewardess' was one of the. Wright Sisters”), sack. dresses, femme anatomy (“I have to be padded to be flat”), Hollywood and children. Her 20-minute stint . con¬ sists of generally fresh material arid she’s much smoother arid quicker than when she broke in at this basemerit several years ago. Her exaggerated dress;. gestures and overall gawkiness add. fo comic effect. By contrast, brown - haired i Betty Wilson, petite and utterly i feminine in a simple white dress, fates a great hand for socking over a fine choice of songs. Her 17 min¬ utes include “Here’s to All Your Dreams/’ “Lilac Wine” arid a trio of novelties, “Sports Car,” . “Hush, Little Sibling” and “Too Many Men.” Her sweet, straight voice has just a touch of winning huski¬ ness and she acts out her numbers fetchingly, using her immense . brown eyes to best advantage—this may be the year’s surprise pack¬ age. Travis. & Bud are a pair Of guitar-playing folksirigers who do nicely on “Maria,” “La Bomba.” Travis’s own “Your Heart Is Free” and a non-vocal flamenco. : Pianist Dub Johnson and bassist .Buzz Wheeler accompany hour - long show impeccably; Show’s set through Aug. 2. Stef. Gat<' of Horn, f hi Chicago, July 22. Gateway Singers , Paco AmayO; $2.50 minimum Fri„ $3.50 Sat. , : Frisco-based Gateway Singers—j four guys and a galT-makirig their first eastward trek, are here for an eight-week stand that looks a cinch to light lip the till. The folksong i (domestic and foreign) is their idiom, but any other resemblance to indigenous balladeers vends right there. The arrows of outraged pur¬ ists haven’t left, a mark on the Gateways, who aren’t having any of the cultist aura that cloaks most guitar-plucking apostles and their disciples . ^ The Coast foursome, inevitably Invites comnatisori with the dis¬ banded W > ers, which is linfor- : tunate and unnecessary; Gateway Singers are technically inferior, . but otherwise can stand alone for the style'and wit that; hallmark the act. Comedies, in fact, almost steal the show; and rest mostly with banjoist Jerry Walter (one of the original “Dead End” kids>, whose, flair for literate staridup comedy is the fillip that makes the Gateways much more than just another,; how¬ ever competent, folk tune attrac¬ tion., . Though Walter’s the mainstay for jokes and intros, the others are also heard from in that veiri, al-. . though Elmer Lee Thomas, the sepia distaffer, is least inclined to the quip. She’s an arresting thrush, with husky rough-hewn pipes that spring from the toes and. give the act a lot of its vigor and excite¬ ment: :■ Group’s catalog ranges over the familiar and not so, and the night caught included “Roving Gam¬ bler,” three Israeli songs, the .spir¬ itual “Motherless . Child/’ “Rock Island Line,”; “Sylvie,” and the rousing, too seldom heard “Mid¬ night Special.” Besides Walter's banjo/ Marc Richards and Ernie Sheldon wield guitars. Miss Thom¬ as just totes her voice—^anij that’s plerity. The Gateways, with their abandon and ' ebullience, loom a bright bet for most any visual sit¬ uation. Paco Amaya strummed . his .fla¬ menco guitar here a few 1 months ago, but in company with a heel- stomping femme terper. This time he’s a solo. Guy is very capable and even draws some Interest from aficionados, but the net of his ef¬ forts is to kill time w ; hile the Gate¬ ways are offstage.. Pit. Pahiety Wednesday, July 30, 1958 lgue<*n iGlizabetli, Mont’l : r > . Montreal, July 23. Hildegarde (with Martin Freed), from a flamenco pickup, and they close with a, capsule musicomedy of Rodgers Sc Hammerstein hits. A fine-looking threesome, they Deiiny Vaughan _Orch (12), Louis ^ 0 fk to" exhaustion and the hprise Pdnnet Trio; $2.50-$3 cover. Hildegarde returns to Montreal for her. first cafe date in many mooris and is currently being show¬ cased in the Salle Bonaventure of. Conrad Hilton’s first Canadian hritel operation, the . Queen Eliza¬ beth. Arid this fashionable chirper Couldn't have a more; elegant back¬ ground fof her varied charms arid talents. Backed by the.fine pianoisms of her accompaniest Martin Freed and the .Denny Vaughan orch, Hilde¬ garde (aggravated by a throat condition on the night caught) teed off with “Boh Soir” in her mixed- up Gallic-English arid then con¬ firmed her apparent happiness at being back in Montreal with “Glad to Be Here.” In constant motion throughout 60-minute session, she moves from the mike to the piano, back to a handmike and manages to cover all ririgsiders in room. Material is extensive and range unlimited; from a torchant such as “Don’t Let Him Get Away,” she moves to a garbled-French item written for her by Abe Burrows and then to participation bit which like most of . these pe rfotmer-cus- tomer sequences is only fair. Although songstress keeps up a Continual line of chatter - between songs,' inherent, showmanship never lets the gabbing get in the way of her performance. Even the seem¬ ingly: casual mariner and offhand approach to a number belies a shrewd sense of timing and presen-: tatiori; Windup at the piano with a reprise of several songs she has introduced over the. years proved a solid clincher and got her off to plaudits. With Hildegarde, who will be at called them back fof an encore applause after they were in the dressing room. . Danny Ferguson as m.c. kee£s the pace in linking the* two acts and! Miss Miller is quick to hold it h’gh. Tallish, attractive, she has an immediate degree of charm and sings away on a flock of songs, some standards, Some special, in¬ cluding several in her Audio Fidel¬ ity album. There is a naughty trerid in “Tragedy in Trinidad,” a story in calypso fashion, and in “My Confession,” but with wholesome Miss Miller they don’t strike deep¬ ly on the blue note. She makes a rouser of “St. Louis Blues” and has a “revival” period based • on “When the Sairits Go Marching In” that has the house readily joining in. She likewise was demanded^ back and roundly .and deservedly applauded. Quip. Silver Slipper* Ijis Vegas Las Vegas, July 22.. Hank Henry, Sally Rand, Bap baty Coast Boys, $parky • Kaye, Red Marshall, Daiiny Jacobs, Annie Maloney. Slipperettes (4), George Redman Orch (4); pro¬ duced by Eddie Fox ; choreography by Barry Ashton; no cover or mini¬ mum. ’ '* The shows presented in the tiny honkytonk auditorium at the Silver Slipper are reputed to be ‘‘the fun¬ niest in Las Vegas,” and the newest one substantiates this slogan: Amid the frontier decor, the stock play¬ ers, Hank Henry,' Sparky Kaye, plus newcomers Red Marshall arid Danny Jacobs, offer burlesque-type entertainment that is topheavy Hotel Roosevelt, N. O. New Orleans, July .25, Vaughn Monroe with Harvey Boys (3), Frederick & Tanya, Bob¬ by Blanque, Leon Kelner Orch (11); $2.50 cover. the Bonaventure until Aug. 2, the j with yocks. They combine familiar management of the QE starts a one-sho w-a-night policy for the summer months. Following chan- teiise. Les Quat’ Jeildis (the Four Thursdays), an all-male group from Paris; make their North American debut arid are slated for a three- week sitint. Newt. Avalon. Wildwrioif. X. •!. Wildwood, N;j;, July 22. Rummy Bishop,. Ricci Brunt, Nat Raye, Joe Talbot, The "Red¬ heads ( 3), Hoicie Reynolds Orch (10); $2 minimum, no cover or admission. Ex-dancer and vet Philadelphia booking agent Eddie Suez has come up with a show that has many high spots for .bis own Club Avalon.. Only .flaw is the frenzied offering of comic. Rurnmy Bishop. Apparently a refugee from bur¬ lesque, his routines are not tail¬ ored to the night club scene. Al¬ though his efforts are determined and his delivery good, he suffers from stale material. Surprise hit is . a wavy-haired, dancing-eyed Italian import, sing¬ er Ricci Bruni. His. only drawback is that all the songs are Continen¬ tal. With addition of couple of numbers from this country’s song charts, this handsome lad will have no audience trouble at alL - ■ Pantomime artist Joe Talbot scores '•solidly. The puckish-faced Talbot dons a bowl cover on his head ..and uses an oversize tooth¬ brush for a fast paced shower-sing¬ ing bit to the strains of “Figaro/’ The audience can’t get enough of this lad. Comedienne Nat Raye bumps and grinds her way;through a hill¬ billy dance and song routine. Al¬ though her act is familiar, It is still well received. The Redheads; a striking black- garbed threesome of chorus love¬ lies, open the show and offer their Version of ..the Charleston. Howie Reynolds orch (10) supports the acts in firiie style. Show is ending off two frames. . .Math. Hotel MnehleSiaeh. K. C. . . Kansas City, July 22. Jo Ann Miller , Mattison Trio. Danny Ferguson Orch ‘ { 8) icith Ann Baldwin; $lr$1.50 cover. The Muehlebach has lined up a pair of newcomers for the next two weeks in songstress Jo Ann Miller and the dancing Mattison Trio. They put together a genuinely en¬ tertaining show that; is excellently paced throughout and all wrapped up in 38 minutes; Both, turns are now in the Terrace Grill arid both should be welcome back. For sheer artistry in modern tap and ballet it would be difficult to outdo the Mattisons — Guy Tanno, Dorothy Matthews and Dean Dig- gins. Their 15-minutes show thorough mastery of music, and rhythiris, and their work comes out as presentations rather than dance numbers. . Opener is “Paris at Dawn,” a precision tap built on “An American in Paris”; they fol¬ low with a bolero that gets a lift It’s easy to see why Vaughn Monroe is such a favorite with pa¬ trons of this old town’s swankiest noctural rendezvous. He has a. sharply-programmed aet that ex¬ ploits fully his big, rich bass-bari¬ tone pipes and, as a result, regis¬ ters heavily with a well-paced 40- minute Offering. Tall, handsome and well-tailored, Monroe nonchalantly sings in a poised Style. He’s. backed this trip by the Harvey Boys, a topflight trio that blends voices nicely with Mon¬ roe’s and in a solo spot of their own. Monroe’s delivery eschews any gimmicks, adhering to the. stand- up style Of his bandleading days. He shows plenty of range, solid phrasing and ability to : interpret a ballad Without going off the deep end. Warbler stiil gets he’avy response from tunes long identified with him including “Dance, Ballerina,. Dance/’ “Racing With . The Moon.” his longtime theme song; “Ghost Riders In The Sky” arid “Tanger¬ ine/’ Tableholders also go for his piping- of faves like “You Were Meant For Me," “The Very Thought Of You,” “You’re My Everything” and medley from “An¬ nie Get Your Gun/’ Harvey Boys turn in a solid per- . formance in their own contribution to show, socking over. “Lazy River,” “Red Red Robin” and others for happy returns from out front . Frederick & Tanya contribute a skits in a skillful tongue-in-cheek! variety of ballroom terps that find manner which is classic. (much favor with customers.. Henry, the lovable down who is a Vegas landmark, is a comedian’s comedian. At each late show,, the audience includes top stars who come to admire his craft. Henry’S; recent tv and film roles have made his name familiar throughout the nation, which boosts the show’s tourist trade. Sparky Kaye is an ideal partner for Henry, being a competent comic on his own; Red Marshall and Danny Gould fit neat¬ ly into the festivities, both being versatile showmen. ' Sally Rand, a perennial lave at the Slipper, is a tremendous .draw for the room, and should help keep, the SRO sign up all summer. Miss Rand’s face and figure look the same as they did when she first started her famdus fan dance, which she is doing here to hand¬ some effect The Barbary . Coast Boys, Milt Feiber and Bob Fisher, are smooth¬ ly integrated into the proceedings with their nostalgic comedy song- ology. Feiber’s wonderful face with the perpetual frowri is a fine bal¬ ance to the effervescent Fisher. Feiber haridles the 88, and both lads sing the oldies. Annie Maloney, a cute canary who doubles irito the show 1 from the lounge, is a strong assist with her chirping. Barry Ashton’s choreog¬ raphy is clever, and the George Redman orch (4) backs the show with the verve of a much bigger outfit. The Eddie Fox package is in for an indefinite, rim. Duke. Statler-Hilfon* Dallas \ Dallas, July 25. Betty O’Neil, Paul - Neighbors Orch. (9); $2-$2.50 cover. _ __— t Veteran of musicomedy stages, singer Betty O'Neil, in a nitery go, clicks heavily as the best canary act this year, in the Empire Room. Tall brunet gets off fast, belting “Love Is Where You Find It,” then, changes pace with a crooning “From This Moment On” in a pin¬ pointed blue. spot. Sock 30-rainute act, penned by Ken Welch, includes a slick “49 Per Cent.” with suggestive lyrics accented by lotsa body English— an asset that’s profitably utilized in other bits for hefty mittihg. After a medley of tunes, inter¬ spersed with clever patter, of w.k. liTics (including “Zip” from “Pal Joey”), looker gets. heavy returns from “Sailor Johnny” and fresh words to “Bewitched.” Way ahead. Miss O’Neil cinches 'her bid with a novelty, “Keep Up With the Ken- nedys,” an Irish ribbing that sees her cruising ringside to toss sham¬ rock buttons to tablers. Rapport continues, with special lyrics to “Paper Moon,” with singer seated on a high stool, again in a blue pin spot. Parodied “Just One of Those Things,” concerning a much-mar¬ ried film actress, is a hilarious beg- off—and she leaves 'em wanting. Paul Neighbors orch expertly- cuts the Welch arrangements for the intricate show—plus .pulling leather pushers: for loaded terp i turqs. Bark. They’re equally, at home doing the forma|I graceful routines and the flashy lifts and dizzy overhead whirls. Their grace, chairm and youth are assets. Team is skillful and pro, and bbwed off to big hand, Bobby Blanque is a growing, youngster, artistically, that is. Young singer is developing to a point where commercial possibili¬ ties .are growing sharper. His tunes have high melodic contest.. Music of Leon Kelner and crew is designed; primarily for dancing and tableholders race to the floor during the knee-action sessions! , Liuz. Eddys%R.C. Kansas City, July 25. Gene Austin, Tommy Dean, Tony DiPardo Orch (8); $1-$1.50.cover. Gene Austin, the pioneer croon¬ er and woo-ooh singer, is Still going strong, as witness the current en¬ gagement at Eddys*, his second in the spot within a year and his third in town Within a couple of years. As before; the essence of the turn finds him at the piano, running over a flock of the songs with which he climbed to fame, some of which still are all-time highs in record sales. The Austin knack has a particular penetration which con¬ tinues especially effective, rounds out a highly, entertaining show, in 45 minutes. As always, a Gerie Austin show is a. vast roundup of songs, so many and so fast it’s almost difficult to keep -track of them- Most are steeped in nostalgia, a very helpful ingredient of the show, but he dips into the hit. parade and the estab¬ lished, standard portfolio for a song or. two to vary the pace. “Melan¬ choly Baby,” “My Blue Heaven” and the like prove surefire, but other songs come across aliriost as strongly and by and large it is Gene Austin and his singing and piano. playing that do the trick. As usual, he has a couple of songs he has “just written,” and this time they are “When I Woke Up This Morning” and “You’re the Kind of a Woman Needs a Mari Like Me.” Both have possibilities, as 'does his new “Sweetheart of DeMolay,” and all are likely to be heai-d from further; Possibly the billing should be Gerie Austin With Tommy Dean, for he has his young cousin along to warble a. trio of tunes in folk¬ song fashion; Goodlooking boy with fine voice. Dean has the makings, and with Uncle Gene behind him should get right along in the sing¬ ing business. Austin comes back to warble arid play a la Fats Waller which proves a choice bit, and shows again a lot of entertainment know-how wrapped up in one man. Austin and Dean are in for two weeks, to be followed by the Top Notchers (3), opening Aug. 8 for turi weeks. Quin.