Variety (March 1959)

70 VACBEVILU PSkiEty Wednesday, March 11, 1959 "Budget’ Festivals at Resorts To Beat Rap on Rivals’ Names Solution for the smaller resort hotels in bucking name entertain¬ ment by their more well-heeled competitors lies in ■“festivals" ac¬ cording to writer-lecturer-publicist Irving Settel. Miami Beach, with its “multiple star” plan and top names, is^seen as the best possible example of what some inns with modest budgets are up against. Settel, who specializes in hotel public relations, claims that the festival idea is particularly appro¬ priate at this time for a number of reasons. It’s inexpensive to run, he asserts, and provides “new in¬ tellectual excitement for guests who may be weary of the usual ‘re¬ sort entertainment’.” As a third point he contends a festival “makes for excellent publicity and creates new advertising appeals.” While Settel concedes that the festival idea isn’t new, he feels that it has been a “badly negelcted CANADAS SPECTACULAR NEW THEATRE THE -HEART OF CANADIAN “SHOW BUSINESS ' area” in hotel resort entertain¬ ment The writer-publicist, who’s also a syndicated columnist, caters to small, non-competitive hotels. Settel cites an International Fes¬ tival at the Sorrento Hotel in Mi¬ ami Beach, which he’s been con¬ ducting, as an example of a show that’s been successful in attracting guests. Format utilizes foreign films, exhibits of foreign curios, na¬ tive dances and entertainment, etc. Reinstate License Of Yonngtown Burlesque; Cific Group Complains YoungstowD, March 10. • The Strand Theatre, a burlesque house, was closed by Police Chief Paul H. Cress, but the house’s city license was returned four days later after the official said he was satisfied about the identity of the operators,. The Strand reopened Feb. 20 with a nine-unit film show featuring burlesque-type reels. Chief Cress said he was satisfied that. Robert Morris, Chicago, is the new owner of the theatre, and Leonard Adams the manager. A city license for the Strand was issued Feb. 2 to Morris, who appeared there in a stageshow the weekend of Feb. 6-8. However, trouble began brewing when the musicians unions. AFM Local 86. began picketing the house, claim¬ ing a stageshpw opened using re¬ corded music. Cress said police were asked to investigate when posters were installed to announce the theatre was being operated by the Purple Heart Veterans. The Youngstown chapter of Purple Heart Veterans denied any associa¬ tion with the theatre. Cress decided to lift the license until the identity of the operators was clarified. Upon returning the license. Chief Cress said, “I -don’t plan lo take further action against the theatre, even though Mayor Frank X. Kryzan doesn’t like a burlesque house in Central Square. No one seems to want to oppose it.” Ap¬ parently the police chief was not aware of the Citizens Committee for Decency, whose president, Paul DeCarlis, said, “We certainly are opposed to it, and also to the Park (a burley house on South Cham¬ pion St. nearby), and we want the mayor to know that this committee is being reactivated to give him the kind of support he is looking for. Our only purpose is to protect our youth from the filth that can be purchased at the corner newsstand or viewed at a theatre.” Sammy Kaye, Kingston And Porpoises, Too, At Steel Pier This Season Atlantic City, March 10. Sammy Kaye and the Kingston Trio will be the Easter attractions at Steel Pier. Kaye comes into the big Marine Ballroom and the Kingston trio plays the 4,000-seat Music Hall. Grady & Hurst, whose record hops were a pier feature last summer, will come in for an¬ other session Easter. Pier opens on the Easter holiday early this year (28-29). George Hamid Jr., Who with hi-, father owns and operates Steel pier, said that bookings for the summer are being rapidly com¬ pleted. New this year is a tank be¬ ing ^constructed on the end of the long structure in which trained por¬ poises will do their stunts. Ricky Nelson, who last summer broke the standing one-day record of 41,000 when he drew 44,221 into the pier the Sunday before Labor Day, is being sought, as is George Gobel, who would make his first appearance here. Booked for Marine ballroom in¬ clude Tommy Sands, July 4 week; Stan Kenton, July 17; Tony Pastor, July 24; Neal Hefti, July 26. Chord- ettes have been booked into Music Hall July 7 week, with Frankie Avalon coming in Aug. 2. Saranac-Lake By Happy Benway Saranac Lake, March 10. Joe Bishop, musician formerly with Woody Herman’s band, was emergencied into the Will Rogers with a serious virus. This is his fourth time here, his first was about 20 years ago. Joe LaPlante (Willie West & Mc- Ginty), who recently registered in here, rates a special mention with his progress. Charlie Franks, clown magician, also hit the above-par mark. Leo Wottermoser, known profes¬ sionally as Lee Roberts, vaude musician of yesteryear, in from Milwaukee. Mac Whitney, legit comic for¬ merly with Farragut Players, elated with his clinic report. Irene Delaney, staffer with the Schine theatres in Malone, N.Y., for over 20 years, registered for a general o.o. and rest routine and has gpne back to work with an all-clear. Ben Bagley, producer, who re¬ cently registered in here, rated a good clinic report and has been upped for pictures. Write to those who are ill. Motels Make Like Big Brothers On "Package Lures Atlantic City, March 10. Hotels and motels here, more than at any other time in their history, are offering package deals in an effort to get a bigger share of the off-season dollar. For instance, for the long Wash¬ ington's Birthday weekend of three days and two nights or four days and three nights, the resort’s Holi¬ day Motels, 10 of the newest, set a three-day $35 or four-day $45 two-in-a-room deal never tried here before. . * Package included dinner each evening at one of six top resort restaurants, Bishops, Luigi’s, Rip¬ tide room. Shumsky’s Rumanian, Lew Tendler’s or Hackney’s sea food. An especially arranged even¬ ing included dinner at Paul (Skin¬ ny) D’Amato's 500 Club where j-Hale & Hayden, McHarris & Do¬ lores, and other acts were fea¬ tured. .Offer included use of a swimming pool, tickets for a first-run pic at one of five Hamid theatres, a box of salt water taffy, and a free boardwalk rolling chair ride. In¬ cluded were free parking, hi-fi music and tv. Motels in the act are Algiers, Coronet, Crown, Diplomat, Dunes, Eastborne, Monterey, Sea- comber, St. Moritz, ‘and Tropicana. The Ambassador, operated by the Tisch family, had a four-day, three-night $42 deal including breakfast and deluxe dinner and fiee pool, outdoor ice rink, and choice of d : nner one night at Hackney’s. Booked for holiday weekend were Alan King and Joel Grey'who were showcased in Ren¬ aissance Theatre. The pair also doubled at the Traymore (also a Tisch house) in the Submarine Room. Senator Hotel offered night at 500 Club, free pix, horseback rid¬ ing, bicycling, cocktail party, tv, and even free bingo plus new trop¬ ical swimpool four days, three nights for $35. With New York now only three hours away because of the Garden State Parkway, mo-hotelmen here are seeking more business from the metropolitan area and are ad¬ vertising more extensively In N.Y-. newspapers, plus the promotion material sent to all former visitors. The DEEP RIVER BOYS Sfarring HARRY DOUGLASS _ I M erantionnl Tw ' Opening Friday RANCHO DON CARLOS | WINNIPEG, CANADA, Direction: WllIIAM MORRIS AGENCY f»ru & XUNCElY pun n »m in ii m j) hi ii m in mu ii in ii mu in iihr New Nitery in Ottawa Ottawa, March 10. With a view to building it into.an act-booking lounge, the Beacon Arms Hotel has preemed a small; intimate, nicely decorated and equipped basement room and called it The Supper Club. Manager Albert Elovick is cur¬ rently booking singer-pianist Yvon Lanauze, known locally on video and in lounges, and may add an in¬ strumental group if business perks. Room serves meals and drinks. - Tall Statistics Make Las Vegas Show Biz Capital of World Las Vegas, March 10. ' Las Vegas is sometimes' referred to as “The Show. Business Capital of the World” because of the per¬ petual appearance - simultaneously of some of the top stars. It’s hot unusual for such as Joe E. Lewis, Marlene Dietrich. Red Skelton, Johnny Desmond, Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny. Frankie Laine and Eddie Fisher to be appearing at the same time at various hotels along the Las Vegas Strip. And the resort continues to increase in impor¬ tance as ,an entertainment centre, according to statistics released here last week. Mike Werner, business agent Mpls. Builders Show With-Paintings, Decor, lookers and Lombardo Minneapolis, March 10. A novel feature of the -Minne¬ apolis Builders’ silver anniversary show at the Auditorium here March 14-22 will be display of. | $20,000 of local artists’ paintings, comprising 100 . oils, watercolors and prints. " ■ It’ll be the first time that any i major trade show will have an art exhibition as one of its leading attractions, according to show manager H. H. Cory. The art collection is being loaned by the local private Walker | Art Gallery and all of the pointing : exhibited will b.e for sale or rent. Another departure will be an ex¬ hibition of four settings of tradi¬ tional and modern furniture gath- i ered by experts. Called “Decora¬ tor’s Showcase,” it’ll present four styles of bedroom, living room and dining room' furniture in coordi¬ nated settings, - sponsored by Homemakers Guild. “Miss Minnesota” from 12 final¬ ists will be chosen from the stage March 14 to represent the state at the Atlantic City pageant. Guy Lombardo orch will furnish the j stage entertainment. A record amount of exhibition' space has been sold. m VARIETY ALBUM BRITISH VAODOGRAPHY London, March 3. Longplay disk, representing vir¬ tually a history of British Vaude¬ ville from the beginning of the century, has been launched here' as part of Variety Club Of Great Britain's drive to provide its guaranteed $56,000 contribution toward a new home for blind, deaf and dumb children near Shrews¬ bury. Album w r as devised and produced by Morris Levy, manag¬ ing director of Oriole Records, and George Elrick, both of whom spent about two years clearing royalty and copyright details. * About 50 vaude artists are rep¬ resented on the disk which Is titled “Hail Variety” and which will he released worldwide. Sleeve carries Variety Club’s insignia. Hartford Vaudeville Hartford, March 10. First vaude this semester takes place at the State Theater latter part of the month. House has been dark since. last fall. Sked, still incomplete, calls for recording artists Tommy Edwards and Cathy Carr plus an amateur contest for the March 14-15 stance. House has been subsisting the last few years on rock’n’roll and 1958-59 season has been the quiet¬ est for the vaudfilmer in many years. State is slated to be tern down to piake way for an eastside development project in the hear future. for the Musicians Protective Un¬ ion Local 369, reports that there are 269 musicians who work here permanently in the house orches¬ tras. In addition, Werner says that 172 traveling tooters brings the current total to 441. The’ travelers include those musicians working in temporary lounge . engagements and in specialty acts for main showrooms. Wyatt Hall, business representa¬ tive for IATSE Local 720, said that an average of 90 members are per¬ manently employed here. This fig¬ ure includes the stagehands, light men and sound men. The Los Angeles office of the American Guild of Variety Artists estimates that an average of 350 members work here the year around, with the current figure be¬ ing 446. . LOU WALTERS' FRENCH DRESSING Exciting jiqmiMKf fttvue EIGHTH SMASH WEEK CARILLON HOTEL Miami Beach, Fla. Booked by - HERBERT MARKS AGENCY NEW YORK MIAMI BEACH 113 W. 57 51. • 500 Lincoln JU. 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