Variety (October 1958)

70 Wednesday, October 8, 1958 t'SSlETf VARIETY BILLS WEEK OF OCTOBER 8 MUSIC HALL f 2 Martina Corps do Ballet NEW YORK CITY Rockettes It. Paige Ore. AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE Tivoli Merry Macs Susanne & Escorts Max & Cherie Arnley & Gloria Terry Scanlon M & S Davis Simone Monin. Margo Glancy Kuban Dancers John Broadway Sally Richardson June Burke Norman Yemm Deidre Green SYDNEY Tivoli Roily Rolls Douglas 6c Priscilla Dargle 5 Billy Baxter Najas Alcettys Dorothy Costello Dalrays Bill French Rae Morgan ADELAIDE Royal Larry Griswold Johnny Lockwood Anny Berryer Medlock 6t Marlowe WlnnetoU 6c Squaw Rayes & Faye Williams 6c Shand Barton 6c Stnchh’r'y Edit Jdhasz Frank Ward BRITAIN ASTON • Hlppodrom# Tony Lester Joan Rohan Michael EiQ Martin Lee Peplta Deliore Johnnie Vernon 0 Girls Cox a Miles S BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome Max Bygraves Orchid Dancers Devine 6c Barbara Three Brittons The Falcons Mary Klnson Frankie Baker Garland Girls FINSBURY PARK Empire Diana Dors Dickie Dawson 3 Quarters Dennis Spicer Grp. One Rose 6c Marion Van Veen 2 **■ Skating Meteors GLASGOW Empire Deep River Boys Manhattan! Gilbert Ansons Garth Meade Sid Plummer O’Duffy Bros. Don Arrol HANLEY Royal Shirley Bassey Lane 2 Jones 6c Arnold BAM Konyot Hi-Fi’s Roxy 6c Glenda Billy O'Sullivan Carlo Sis LEEDS Empire Toni Dalli De Vere 3 Billy Anthony Duo Russmar Dulay 6c Co. Gordon 6c Colville J 6c S Lamonte LIVERPOOL Empire Lonnie Donegan Flack 6c Lamar Harriott 6c Evans Billy Stutt Ash 6c Partner Bela 6c Mary Revel 6c Fields LONDON Palladium Harry Secombe Terry-Thomas Adele' Leigh Eric Sykes Harry Worth Hattie Jacques 3 Monarchs Latona _ , , Graham & Chadel. Dior Dancers Morris Sc Co. Lynnette Rae G H Elliott Hetty King Dick Henderson MANCHESTER Palace Dickie Henderson Freddie Mills Anthea Askey Tanner Sis Skylons 2 Gees Marie De Veres NEWCASTLE Empire Ronnie Ronalde Anton 6c Janetta Smoothey 6c Layton Les BrarlUanos Kaye Sisters Allen Bros 6c June Richman 6c Jackson Barbour A Billie SHEFFIELD Empire Mudlarks Clarkson A Leslie Lorrae A Desmond Jackie German Leslie Randall Allen A Albee Sis Johnny Laycock NEW YORK CITY Bon Solr Larry Storch Mae Barnes Bobo Lewis Jimmie Daniels Three Flames Murray Grand Blue Angel M. Davis A Spouse Dorothy Loudon Jo March Nichols A May jimmy Lyon 3 Bart Howard Casanova Carolina A Belen Cardini Strings Chataau Madrid Tun Tun NeRa Ates Ralph Font Or* Panchlto Ore Candl Cortez Copa cabana Joe E. Lewis Toni Arden Lois Ray Boh Warren Downstairs Room Demi Dozen Joan Arnold -Jane Connell S il Cabot ek Fletcher George Hall Gerry Mathews Stan Keen Ne. 1 Fifth Ave. Glgi Durst on FhU Leeds Bob Downey Harold FonvOla Joan Bishop Hotel Roosevelt Lenny Herman Bill Snyder Hotel Plaza Lisa Kirk Ted Straeter Ore Mark Monte Oro Hotel Taft Vincent Lopez Ore Hotel St. Regis Constance Moore Ray Bari Ore. Milt Shaw Ore Hotel St. Moritz Marshall Grant 3 In Boboll Isobel Robbins Latin Quarter Dick Shawn Gena Genarde Martha Errolle Queti Clavejo Jo Lombardi Ore B Harlowe Ore Le Cupldon. Corinne Calvet Howard Beder Ish Ugardi Ore Catun Ore International Alan Gale Kay Brown Arnold Dover Mac Pollack Ore D’Aqulla Ore R S V P Mabelle Mercer Savoy Hilton Emile Petti Ore Two Guitars Olga Valdl Ivan Nepa Xenia Brxnte K. Poliansky Ore Usdanoff Viennese Lantern Luc A J. Poret Ernest Schoen Village Barn Belle Carroll Tex Fletcher Flash Mason Karen Thorsell Mickey O’Malley Lou Harold. Ore Village Vanguard Carmen McRae Irwin Corey Norman Simmons 3 Evans Bradshaw 3 Waldorf-Astoria Marguerite Piazza Emil Coleman Ore Bela Bahai Oro CHICAGO Black Orchid Phil Foster Dr. Arthur Ellen Jot Parnello (3) Blue Angel Phyllis Branch Spiros Skouras Alexandra Langada Red Head A Lady Ed Small Lord Christo Blue Note Earl Bostic (7) Sig Millonzi (3) Chez Paree Nat Cole Henny Youngman Geo. Cook Ore. Chez Adorables (91 Cloister Inn Dick Haviland Meg Myles Ramsey Lewis Trio Conrad Hilton Harrison A Kossl Noberti Helga Neff Hans Leiter Heinz Kroel Charlie Fisk Ork 10 Drake Betty O’Neil Jimmy Blade Oro Gate of Horn Will Holt Marilyn Child London House Jonah Jones (3) Mister Kelly's Mort Sahl Dodo Greene , Palmer House Marty Rubinstein 3] Jose Greco Marx A Frigo | Ben Arden Ore LOS ANGELES Band Box. BUly Gray Patti Moore Ben Lessy Leo Diamond Bert Gordon Bob Bailey’s tor* Ben Blue's Ben Blue Ray Goman Smith Twins Sally Blythe Charles Vespia S ammy Wolf Dick Bernle Richard Cannon Ivan Lane Ore Cocoanut Grove Guy Lombardo Jackie Kannon Crescendo Mary Kaye Trio •81 Club Matt Dennis Interlude Earl Grant Leo De Lyon Morty Jacobs Trio Slate Bros. Gene Baylos Duke Hazlett Tommy Gumina Statler Hotel Dorothy Shay Sldnnay Enma Ore. Yo Little Club Joan Blackman Joe Felix Roger Nichols LAKE TAHOE Cal-Nove Gordon McRae Sheila Stephens W. Osborne Ore. Harrah's Club Teresa Brewer Lenny Gale Denis A Rogers Conley Trio Del Courtney Ore Nevada Lodge Page Cavanaugh 3 Eddie Lawrence 4 Chuck-a-Lucks Wagon Whool Rossi A Boyer Champ Butler Pep Boys Satellites LAS VEGAS Desert Inn Betty Grable Bob Williams Art Johnson Donn Arden Dncrs Carlton Hayes Ore Dunes "Minsky’s Follies of 1959" Novelites Tommy (Moe) Raft Chiquita A Johnson Fredonias Chill Pepper Vera Vera Jack Hilliard Sharon Randall Barbara Esko Murray Brisco * Vickie Denas Cee Davidson Ore El Cortez Dubonnet Trio Don Baker 4 Three Al's El Rancho Vegas Vic Dam one Lin St. Cyr Hal Loman Dick Rice Orch Ftamrngo Tony Martin Wiere Bros. Don Kirk Flamlngoettes Jack Cathcart Ore Harry James Fremont Hotel Nitecaps Mark Wayne 4 Make Believes Golden Nugget Turk Murphy Ish Rahibblft Flo Dreyer Carmen Le Fave 3 RIvIora "L'il Abner” Peter Palmer Stubby Kaye Wynne Miller Shecky Greene Billy William! Ray Sinatra Ore Sahara Martha Raye Lou Wills. Jr. Royal Guards Saharem Dancers Louis Basil Ore Louis Prima— Keeley Smith Beachcombers with Natalie Sends Judy Garland Kings IV Texas Copa Girls Antonio Morelli Ore Showooat Shirley Scott Garr Nelson Showboat Girls Vic Artese Ore Silver Slipper Hank Henry Sally Rand Sparky Kaye Red Mawhall Danny Jacobs Annie Maloney Geo. Redman Ore Stardust Lido De Paris "Ces*t Magnifique" Billy Daniels Happy Jesters Wingy Hanone Tropica ne Red Buttons George Tapps D Williams Singers Nat Brandwynne Ore MIAMI - MIAMI BEACH Americana Al. Bernie Cathy Johnson Lucio A Rosila Stan Ross Trio- Lee Martin Ore Nina Ramon Balmoral Charlie Farrell Billy Mitchell Mickey Gentile Jose Curbelo Ore Clover Club Moorman A Pica* diUy Pipers Bonnie Davis Bob Novack Ore Eden Roc Ximinez-Vargas Ballet Espanol Buffy Dee Trio Jackie Heller Mai Malkin Ore Sonny Kendis Ore Luis Varona Ore Fentelnebleaw Murray Schlamia Sacasas Ore Pup! Campo Ore Gallagher's Tune Toppers Fred MacKenzie Herbie Fields 6 Harbour Lounge Sammy Walsh Gilbert A Tracy Rash* Rod ell Tony Matas Lucerne Havana Marti Gras Diosa Costello Milee Velarde Don Casino Tonia Flores Tony 6c FranceDa Juan Romero Dayid Tyler Ore The Grate Joe Mooney Quartet Johnny Smith Herbie Brock Ore Phil Ruedy 3 HAVANA Capri Grade Barrie Maxibel Llorens Dick Lee Carmelite Lopez Miguel Herrero Soma villa Ore Calvet Ore Hilton Los Romeros Paul Lombard Estelita J. Moreno Ore -Fajardo Ore Naclenaf Celeste Mendoza Gina Romand Manolo Torrents Ana y Julio Monica Cast ell Manteca Dancing Waters W. Reyes Ore Riviera Vanja Orico SAN FRANCISCO Ramon Veloz Gina Martin Raul de Mesa Nila Rodriguez Ojeda Trio Felix Guerrero Ore. | Bans Seuel Tommy Trent Miriam Barreras Victor Alveres La Seri* Oro Ortega Ore Troptcane Leonella Gonzalez Xiomara Alfaro Marta-Castillo Berta Depuy Guaracheros Rolo. Martinez Henry Boyer Tropicana Ballet S Suarez Orq Romeu Orq 448 Club Larry Winters Geneva Vallier Leonard Dixon Blackhawk Billie Holiday Leroy Vinnegar 4 Easy Street Red Norvo 3 Ralph Sutton Fade's Don Cornell Mel Young Tommy Conine Rett Russell Fairmont Hotat Julie Wilson E. Heckscher Ore Gay 90's Bee A Ray Jack Farrell Joy Healy Dncrs 6 Wally Rose Ore Earl Fatha Hines Ore Muggsy Spanier Joe Sullivan Hungry I Irwin Corey Kingston 3 Joy Bryan. Jezz Workshop Sonny Rollins 4 On the Levee Kid Ory Ore Purple Onion Travelers . Ronnie Schell Buddy Drake 385 Club Lili St. Cyr Paul Desmond Moro-Landls Dcrs BUI Weir Ore RENO Harolds Club Twin Tunes Taylors Harrah's Club Rlny Pina Reno Rene 3 Deed? A BUI Don Baker Johnny Ukulele Lisa Alonso Holiday Andrini Bros. Maaka Nua Revue Harry Ranch Revue Mapes Nancy Lee Bache¬ lors Meri Ellen Cohorts Dubonnet 3 Riverside Starlets 1 Del Rubio 3 Steve Gibson Freddy Martin Ore, Alex Shey Trio Frisco’s Retort === Continued from page 2 ^ little provincial city will take opera only if it ,has a star.” Adler, general director of the Frisco Opera, rose to the bait with a series of rhetroical questions: “Is opera in the U.S. ‘worth speaking of outside New York City* if an organization such as ours performs for about 11% of our city’s population in compari¬ son with the Metropolitan’s 7^%? Attendance at our 1958 season to date has averaged 97% of capa¬ city.” (What Adler was saying was that the Met performs for about 600,000 persons in New York, while the Frisco Opera performs for about 87,500 persons in Frisco. If Frisco and its environs were consolidated into a borough system such as New York has, Adler would have to project his percentage against a population of 3,500,000 instead of 800,000—as he very well knows, since he sells tickets all over the area.) “Is it important to opera in the U.S. for us to have presented in¬ ternational artists like Tebaldi, Del Monaca, Baccaloni, Simonato, Valletti, Gobbi, Schwarzkopf, Rys- anek (as well as important con¬ ductors and stage directors) in American debuts? > | “Are premiere, performances of Walton’s ‘Troilus and Cressida,’ Poulenc’s *Carmelites,’ Honegger’s ‘Joan of Arc at the Stake,’ Cheru¬ bini’s ‘Medea’ and an evening of modern Carl Orff operas mean¬ ingless for the standards of opera in America? “Is the fact that the city and citizens of San Francisco have given an opera house as home to opera and symphony an indication of support and interest? • “Is the annual financial help given by the city ... a proof of public support? “We do not consider ourselves beggars when we appeal for con¬ tributions to the annual funds drive , . . which, with the guaran¬ tee system of subscribers, easily wipes out deficits unavoidable in any opera organization.” Adler said “big opera companies should help the smaller ones” and added the Met is “the mother of us all.” He concluded: “We are proud of the import¬ ance of the . San Francisco Opera Company, which seems to he more highly rated in European (operatic headquarters and wide musical circles in the U.S. than it may be on 39th Street” Naturally, this all made lovely copy for the Frisco dailies, which dutifully printed chunks of it. Pope’s Anxiety aaa Continued from page 1 viction that he can overcome ob¬ stacles and avoid' erroneous solu¬ tions, and rise after every fall and return to the right path, progres¬ sing from good to better via the use of his freedom and his facul¬ ties. “It is not to be denied that even a somewhat superficial entertain¬ ment can rise to high artistic levels and be classed even as ideal, since man has shallows as well as depths,” he stated. The Holy Father has always stressed his concern for youth. In last year’s Encylical, he reminded the young that it was their “grave obligation to check and control that natural and unrestrained eagerness to see and hear anything. And they j must keep their mind free from immodest and earthly pleasures J and direct it to higher things.” Many times the Pontiff stressed the need for guidance of Catholics in matters of film entertainment. However, his remarks usually seemed directed to Catholic na¬ tions, such as Italy and France. For instance, he wrote last year: “Unquestionably . . . one must .re¬ pudiate the manner of acting of those who from excessive indul¬ gence admit films which, for ail their technical brilliance, never¬ theless offend right morals; or, though they appear on the surface to conform to the moral laws, yet \ contain something which is con-* I trary to the Catholic faith.” j In his “Miranda Prorsus’” Encyclical last year, Pius XII urged the establishment of national film centers, thus moving the Catholic position from defense to positive action. Declaring himself i “inspired” by the Pope’s views, Msgr. Albino Galletto, executive secretary of the Pontifical Com¬ mission for Motion Pictures, Radio and Television, said last July: “The days of the scissors are for the most part over. The time is past when our work consisted only in eliminating the worst parts of films. It is now the objective of Catholics to promote and propa¬ gate films which are both morally and artistically good.” Chided Television In his comments on television, the Pope took a harsh view last year. “The practice of this art, hitherto not controlled by the reins of prudent counsel, has already in¬ flicted serious harm on individuals and on human society,” he de- ^ clared. He urged Catholics to give ] the art their “active cooperation” and, again, he expressed his con¬ cern for the-minds of the young. Roman Catholic concern with films, and now with television, has grown with the realization that both media tackle subjects well beyond the confines of pure enter¬ tainment. The Church readily ac¬ knowledges the power of the screen in education and interna¬ tional communication, but it con¬ stantly clashes with the commercial motivations of producers of both films and tv shows. What the Pope has been saying for many years is that entertainment must be up* lifting. Unfortunately, the economic demands are such that it rarely pays to turn out the kind of “ideal¬ istic” shows urged by the Pontiff; nor does the public respond to films on “moralistic” grounds. Hu¬ man nature being what it is, it is the very opposite of the “ideal” that draws people into the theatres, and the situation is not improved by the often forced “positive” endings. Nevertheless, the reign of Pope Pius XII has been marked by a notable change in attitude on the part of the Roman Catholic hier¬ archy, putting emphasis on posi¬ tive action and shifting away from the purely negative approach, con¬ cerned more with fighting “evil” than with encouraging the good. Bernstein ‘AI Home’ Continued from page 2 —^ Victor Borge. While he waggles his baton to conduct Berlioz’s “Ro¬ man Carnival,” his jazzy shoulder movements and his jiggly capers on his toes astonishingly Tesemble the late Paul Ash when the “stage- band policy” was rampant at Bala- ban & Katz’s Oriental ’Theatre in Chicago.- That traditionalists may not fancy the Philharmonic’s new Thursday previews is for sure. But it was not planned for them, but to give the orchestra an extra “event” to sell the public. (Sym¬ phony musicians are paid by the week to render “services”—either as rehearsals or performances). Some will complain that this is too much a showcase,for the talents of one man. Will other, or guest, con¬ ductors emulate Bernstein? That remains to-be seen.. Could they? His is a flow of verbiage rare even among professional articula¬ tors. Possessed of an admirable diction, a rounded baritone and a poise which must be envied, though some may charge “conceit,” this versatile figure is, whatever else is said, removing longhair’s old hat. His chatter is not brief and those who don’t delight in talk, or a lec¬ ture at the concert, will not de¬ light in the long-winded “spoken program notes” which Bernstein first introduced via the tv pro¬ gram, “Omnibus.” At Carnegie, he uses a chest microphone and ges¬ tures freely, indeed it would be impossible to imagine a more “out¬ going,” chummy, easy, raconteur- like conductor. Bernstein will be much in .sofa and table talk this autumn. “Evo¬ lution” is the esoteric point for a venerable' gazette of the amuse¬ ment, trades like Variety^ For civilians, it comes close enough to “revolution.” The leader will hear 76 trombones of praise and perhaps a like number of blows on [the conservative nose-bladders. And where were the dancing girls? Legion ‘B’s Continued from, page 2 j dropped 40% compared with 1956-57. . A Variety survey of the Legion’s ratings for the year ended Oct, 1, 1958 (which is the Legion’s year), shows that the Catholic rating body reviewed a total of 396 feature films of which 350 were American and the remaining 46 foreign. In the prior year the Legion reviewed 418 pictures. An accurate comparison with 1956-57 is impossible since, startr ing with the Dec. 12, 1957 bi-week¬ ly issue of its rating sheet, the Legion introduced the new A-IH rating. In that period, between Dec. 12 and Oct. 1, the Legion covered a total of 325 films, in¬ cluding 283 from Hollywood and 42 from abroad. Within that total alone, the unit handed out 108 A-I Tatings (Un¬ objectionable for General Patron¬ age), of which 99 went to American films and 10 to foreign; 88 A-II rat¬ ings (Unobjectionable for Adults and Adolescents) with 81 going to the Americans and seven to im¬ ports; 76 A-III ratings (Unobjec¬ tionable for Adults) divided into 67 for Hollywood and nine for foreign films; 47 “B”s of which. Hollywood got 36 and Imports 11, and five “C” or condemned tags, all of them going to foreign films. On the American films alone, the- percentages were A-Is 35% of the total Hollywood volume reviewed; A-IIs 28%, A-IHs 23% and Bs 12%. Taking in foreign and domestic, the percentages were A-I 33%, A-II 27%, A-III 23%, B 14% and C 1%. By way of comparison, the Legion’s own report for 1956-57 showed the following percentages' for the total product reviewed: A-I 33%, A-II 31%, B 33% and C close to 3%. Were one to lump the A-III and the B ratings for 1957-58 together in the “B” category, where most of the A-IIIs likely would have gone, it would turn out that there would have been 123 B-rated films, or about 37% of the total. Allow¬ ing for some of these pictures in A-II, the overall percentage prob¬ ably would have come about ap-. proxlmately the same way as last year, i.e. 33% which, with the ex¬ ception of 1955, was the highest in Legion history. The breakdown of foreign vs. domestic in the Variety survey of the Legion statistics will not nec¬ essarily correspond to the final figures when they are issued by the Legion since there’s a question of definition of what constitutes a foreign film. The Legion office re¬ fuses to give out the figures, main¬ taining that It must first report them te Bishop William A. Scully in Albany. Scully is head of the Episcopal Committee on Motion Pictures. Head of the Legion is Msgr. Thomas F. Little. Working with him is the Rev. Patrick M. Sullivan, S.J., who is assistant ex¬ ecutive secretary. Pictures, condemned by the Legion during the full year ended Oct. 1, 1958, included two from Britain, two from France and one from Sweden. In the “B” category, the French took the cake with five, followed by two each for the British and the French, one for the Italians and another one for the Swedes. Condemned ratings On subtitled imports have virtually no meaning. When these pictures are dubbed, however, as was the case with “God Created Woman," it’s a different story and the “C” rating does loom as an obstacle in getting circuit dates. The Legion statistics bear out observers* impression during the year, i.e. that the Catholic rating body has eased up a great deal and today is willing to accept as “adult” what, a comparatively short time ago, it would have attacked as “immoral.” The A-III rating has served a 'convenient channel for pictures which, in the-past, would have had to he given a “B” tag for want of better identification. Among the American films rated A-III during the past year have been “Hot Spell,” “The Long, Hot Summer,” “The, Young Lions,” “Bonjour Tristesse,” “Cat On ‘a Hot Tin Roof” (generally conceded one of the sexiest films of recent years). “The Key,” “The Defiant Ones,” “A Certain Smile,” etc. Among the B-rated releases were “King Creole,” “A Farewell to Arms,” “Pal Joey,” “Wind Across the Everglades,” otc.