Variety (March 1959)

vAtmrnxE More Beefs Hit A€VA Hospitalization Fund After Twndown of EM fiaf More beefs are coming from performer ranks on the exclusion policies of the Hospitali 2 ation Fund of the American Guild -of Variety Artists. This time, a major complaint has been registered by Edith Piaf, a dues-paying member of the union since 1947, who* last week was refused the aid normal¬ ly due ailing performers who have been hospitalized. Explanation given by the union is that Miss Piaf obtained a hon¬ orable withdrawal from the union during her sojourn in Europe and therefore lost seniority rights and failed to live up to the re¬ quirement that a member must be in good standing for at least five years in order to receive benefits. Miss Piaf, who expects to leave Harkness Pavillion this week fol¬ lowing an ulcer operation, was forced to cancel her recent en¬ gagement at the Hotel Waldorf- Astoria, N.Y. Under normal procedure in most unions, honorable withdraw¬ al is intended to safeguard a mem- ber’s riehts when he is working out of the jurisdiction of the un¬ ion, either in other fields or in areas where the union can offer no protection. In most cases, once he obtains employment within the union jurisdiction, his rights re¬ sume without interruption. The Piaf ruling points out anew the prevailing belief that the ma¬ jority of the AGVA members are not eligible for help under present Fund regulations. Previously ex¬ clusion estimates had run to 50% of the membership. However, be¬ cause of the influx of new out¬ door members with the pacting of the various circuses, declining em¬ ployment conditions in the variety field, some estimates now run to 80%. This is borne out by the fact that even members who have been working regularly have gotten the bulk of their income from other fields, such as television, films, legit, etc. There has been a ten¬ dency on the part of these mem- j bers to overlook ‘ payments to one union or another, and sometimes payments come in just over the deadline, which makes them in¬ eligible for hospitalization for five years. __ o^ois fun-master] PROFESSIONAL COMEDY MATERIAL .for oil Theatricals "Wt -Sarvlea tha Stars" Kg Te mp or a ry Special ©a All 35 Gag Files for $15. Plus $1.00 Posf»«e Foreig n: $1.50 aa., 35 f or $4* e 3 Parody Books, Per Bk. .. - »U a • 4 Blackout Books, Par Bk. -. $25 e e Minstrel Budget .... $25 e Hew to Master the Ceremonies $$ per Copy No C-O-Vs "Always Open" BILLY GLASON * 304 W. 54th St., N,Y.C„ It Clrcl* 7-1130 (WE TEACH EMCEEING end COMEDY) (Let e Beal Prefesslonal Train Yes) SPECIAL LATE LATE SHOW AT 2:15 No Mia. - No Cover Appearing NIfely Bobby Short 'One of America's Groat Singlag Stars' Pius The RAIPH STRAIN Trio Continuous Entortainmont Nitoly from 9:30 PJiL to 3:30 AJiL Excellent Cuisin e - Luncheon - Dinner TheWEYLIN R * S LOUNGE T | 40 E.54 Stv NYC PL 3-4907 DmersOwh Exotics With Gloves Dallas, March 17. Abe Weinstein has added an interesting twist to the enter¬ tainment-menu at his Colony Club. On Wednesdays he’s staging a “Battle of the Burley Queens.” “We’ll attempt to determine the top exotic in the city,” he said. “The winner will be open to a challenge each week. We’re installing an applause meter to test audience .reac¬ tion to each act. The winner will be selected by the crowd’s applause.” Each of the strippers will come out Wearing — boxing gloves, merely for window dressing. Touring Roger Williams; Planes Charged Bull-Fid Full Fare as Ulr. Bass’ Atlanta, March 17. Pianist Roger Williams drew half a house into 5.250-seat Munic¬ ipal Auditorium for his concert Thursday (12) under flag of Fa¬ mous Artists Inc., Ralph P. Bridges, manager. Top was $4. Keyboard thumper, hottest thing among the 88-set nowadays, stayed on better than two hours and proved a crowd pleaser, along with his sidemen, rhythm guitarist Rob¬ ert Burns, bass fiddler Jack Fay and concert guitarist Augie . La- mont. who are billed as “The Si¬ lent Men.” They’re short on talk, ’tis true, but long on talent when it comes to providing the back¬ ground music an artist like Wil¬ liams needs. Williams mixes hokum with his piano _ playing, although he in¬ dulges' in no slapstick a la Victor Borge. He does use a gimmick in the shape of a miniature piano, which he perches upon his piano, and calls Sebastian. It is an elec¬ tronic gizmo, which glows with light as it gives out with piano tunes. How it works is a puzzler to audience, which enjoys it right on. Pianist does pop stuff as well as long hair. It is quite evident that his training has been for concert stage, but he has worked up a rou¬ tine, mixed with patter, that offers something for all, including rock ’n’ roll, which he professes to dis¬ like, jazz, pops, classical, separate tunes with each hand simultane¬ ously, then adding whistling a third one and, finally, beating two pianos at once. His show will smooth out as he acquires more stage know how. Williams and his musical help¬ ers travel via chartered bus. Along for the ride are his personal man¬ ager, Stan Greeson, and MCA rep Roger Vorce. While in Atlanta Williams made a personal appear¬ ance at Rich’s record department, where he autographed copies of his Kapp albums, which sell han¬ dily in Atlanta. One of the reasons Williams and troupe travel by bus on this 11- week, 55-concert cross-country tour is because airlines insisted on charging full fare for Jack Fay’s bull fiddle: “They’d make out the ticket to Mr. Bass or Mr. B. Fiddle and he’d occupy a seat just like the musi¬ cian who owned him,” Williams said. “Once in a while, Mr. Bass wouid . be listed as a child and we’d only have to pay half fare.” TIm Amazlnf Wan of "WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND" Lucille and Eddie ROBERTS CarranHy aad Uotil April 1 THE TROPICANA HOTEL. Los Vegas, Nev. April U to 20 HORIZON ROOM, Pittsburgh Mgt. M.C.A. PSxlEFr Pozy Cozy Again Ottawa, March 17. ; Wftfc JStandishall Hotel in Hull, Que., 7 'shuttered by police and its liquor license cancelled by provin¬ cial authorities, Harry Pozy’s house band is back early on its warmer- J weather location, the stand'iat the, Chaudiere club. While the Chaud-i iere has opened more than-a month ahead of its usual late March preem, it is booking no shows and offers dancing only. Shows are ex¬ pected to come in on March 28, as originally planned. Chaudiere Club and Standishall Hotel are owned and operated by the same company, headed by J. P. Maloney. Hull's eatery, Chez Henri, is a third member of the group. j Judy, King to Play Metopera on Tour Judy Garland and Alan King are set to do a series of shows in long¬ hair centres under auspices ot Harry Seltzer, Chi promoter. Plan calls for a week at the Metropoli¬ tan Opera House, N.Y., starting May 11. The tour will open at the Hippodrome, Baltimore, April 27, and after the Met goes to the Civic Opera House, Chicago, May 23. Plans call for King to top the first half of the bill and Miss Gar¬ land to close. It’s the same modus operand! that obtained at , her stand at the Palace Theatre, N. Y., and elsewhere. It has proven to be a successful combo. Other acts are still to be set It’s understood that Seltzer plans to have some charitable organiza¬ tion share in the proceeds in all the cities. King, preceding the tour with Miss Garland, will.do a show at the Palace Theatre, London, starting April 6 for two weeks. Accent Video Names In Vande Lineups For Blackpool, Eng., Season Blackpool, Eng., March 17. Shape of the new tv age in the U.K. is clearly shown in decision of the Blackpool Tower Company to feature leading tv acts in a stage comho of two leading video shows. George & Alfred Black will pre¬ sent “Television’s Two Top Shows. New” Look and The Jubilee Show,” at the Palace Theatre here, open¬ ing June 13. Names set include Roy Castle, Marion Ryan, Peter Haigh, Five Dallas Boys, Baker & Douglas, and Gillian Mbran. It is a youthful line-up, with emphasis on tv-draw appeal. Major production will, as per usual, be at the Opera House, where Jewel & Warriss, longtime comedy duo, and chirper Jill Day open in “The Big Show of 1959” June 27. This is a George & Al¬ fred Black show, as also is that at the cheek-by-jowl Winter Gardens Pavilion, where Charlie Chester, English comedian; will be featured in a giveaway show. Dickie Henderson and Ronnifc Hilton star for local impresario James Brennan at the Queen’s The¬ atre. Charlie Drake and Edmund Hockridge are. among the billtop- pers at North Pier Pavilion. Only play skedded is a Lancashire com¬ edy “Happy Days,” by Walter Greenwood, presented by George & Alfred Black & Greenlea Pro¬ ductions Ltd., at the Grand Thea¬ tre from June 13. Thora Hird and Peter Sinclair are featured. Jolly Joyce Injured Philadelphia March 17. Jolly Joyce was injured*in an unusual accident at Philly’s 30th St. station. The booker was re¬ turning to Philly after having set his act, Zeke Maimers and Elton Britt, for the Peter Lind Hayes show. The train stopped with a jolt and Joyce, who was leaning against the door of a washroom was thrown into it. when the door suddenly gave way. Wednesday, March 18, 1959 j Canids And Other Surviving Species j | fOr American Circuses Up to Date) L"::::rr^:; H zs:Zi=:s:=:s By tony conway (1) A HISTORY OF THE CIRCUS IN AMERICA” by George L. Chrndahl (Caxton ; $5). HeEe’s a subject that could become a whole set of books (and per¬ haps someone will do the job someday) but the author has been abl© to trace the entire history of the circus in America from the first pub¬ lic exhibition of a single bear or leopard to the tented giants of re¬ cent times in one volume. .George L. Chindahl was a retired lawyer (he died in Oct; 1947) and his posthumous work shows the precise mind of the attorney. Most people agree that all phases of show business are interrelated. Here it is proven. As early as colonial days circuses were linked to an adjoining theatre. Often a “permanent circus” would tour by appear¬ ing in the theatres of the cities on its outdoor route. The Minstrel Show developed as a portion of the circus performance, complete to interlocutor and end men. Showboats on the Ohio and the Mississippi carved “river circuses” performing at river-edge on a boat or a barge. The tented repertory show? it, too, is here. Often it changed over and became a “family circus.” This volume is not just a series of items or incidents “borrowed” from other previously published works. The author was a circus his¬ torian and, at the time of his death, the Official Historian of the Cir¬ cus Fans Assn. That he developed his own material, corresponded with other equally serious circus historians, questioned the authenticity of everything on circus he ever read is quite evident in this book. His biographies of circus showmen of the 19th century are outstand¬ ing. But similar material on rail and truck showmen of the present century is, unfortunately, missing. There is, however,_ mention of the role played by the Dog and Pony Show and space is given to the Wild West Show. Included are amusing sidelights such as the ungrammatical lan¬ guage of that celebrated talking clown, Dan Rice. But not too many specific acts or individual stars are mentioned. Some 44 photographs are not “stock.” Every one is from an historical collection, either public.or private. A unique feature of the volume is a listing of 1,100 circus titles with the years that each trouped. The bibliography is invaluable to researchers and the historically minded. Anyone interested in how the circus has evolved over the years, will want to read this volume. Even in a collection of volumes on th eatrirfll and allied subjects, this one is a must. (2) “WILD TIGERS & TAME FLEAS” by Bill Ballentine. (Rinehart ; $5). What do you know about animal acts? They have had circuses, vaudeville and other bookings shot out from under them, though teles vision has provided some breaks. Bill Ballentine knew more than a little about these performers since he clowned with Ringling-Bamum, then went on to become press agent and—note— scenic designer for both the midway and the menag¬ erie. Thereafter he became a successful magazine writer and left the circus. Well, O.K., so you can never really quit the circus. Hence his book for Rinehart. Ballentine guides his readers to Madison Square Garden for a visit with Roland Tiebor Jr., third generation seal (sea lion) trainer appear¬ ing with the circus. Thence to 42d Street and Hubert’s Museum for a visit to the Flea Circus. Again into the deep South to visit r trainer of the big cats under the big top. “Wild Tigers & Tame Fleas” gives ample space to trained pigs, dogs, mules, but puts the emphasis on the big cats while paying due notica to trained camels and that largest performer of all, the elephant. While it is the animal which gets the public eye, it is the human (Continued on page 84) _ Blinstrubs Gets Rash Of Cancellations, Checks Teresa Brewer’s Illness Boston, March 17. Teresa Brewer cancelled Blin- strub’s 1,700-seater because of ill¬ ness, and Stanley Blinstrub, op of the big nitery, sent a medico to check. She was to have opened Monday (16) for a week stand closing Sunday (22). It was a sort of repeat for Blinstrub, who got a cancellation from Eartha Kitt a couple of weeks back (Feb. 28) after re¬ ported arguments over the short length of singer’s second stints. After the Kitt exit, Blinstrub pulled in the Mariners to fill two performances cancelled. Following the Brewer cancella¬ tion, which came by letter Friday (13), Blinstrub again pulled in t the Mariners to fill. Spot had ad¬ vertised and exploited the Brewer appearance right up to the week¬ end. The 1,700-seat So. Boston nitery, which has been playing.a big name policy-for years, has very seldom had a cancellation. Miss Kitt’s was the first exit in years. Miss Brewer’s cancellation gave Blinstrub two of ’em in less than three weeks. “LA PARISIENNE JEWEL REVUE” Currently: THE MIST, Chicago Starring the World'* Greatest Female Impersonators Prodacad bf AL DVORIN AGENCY 54 W. Raadolph St., Chicago 1. IHIm b FtnmkUa 2-49M NEW! Giant ararmlaMl V *1 Ilia. Ow 1000 liilaritBS elaariM a* lib*! Raaular $3.00 tahM. ONLY $1.40! List fras aa raauatt. EDMUND ORRIN Daat C. 1119 Galdaa Gata Ava. Baa FraMlm 15. CaHfarata YVONNE MORAY NORMANDY CLUI Misfcowaiika, ladlana ASSOCIATED ROOKING CORP. 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