Variety (March 1959)

Wednesday, March 18, 1959 UfilUEfff VAUDEVILLE 83 Clifford Jones in Showdown With Nev. Solons on 'Alien Casino Ties Las Vegas, March 17. The Nevada State Gaming Com¬ mission has notified Clifford Jones, operator of the Thunder- bird Hotel, Las Vegas, to show cause why his hotel and casino operator’s license should not be revoked because of his casino control outside of Nevada. Hear¬ ing is set for April 8. Commission recently promulgated a rule that no Nevada operator could have a casino in another state or area. This was aimed at casino opera¬ tors in Havana. Jones is the only Las Vegas op that didn’t relinquish his Havana holdings because of that edict. Wilbur Clark cf the Desert Inn sold out his interest in the casino at the Nacional Hotel, while Jones continued to hold onto his slice of the casino at the Havana Hilton Hotel. In addition, Jones is operating the International Casino, Port au Prince, Haiti, and will operate the casino at Aruba starting in June. In addi¬ tion, Jones says he will be in charge of gaming at the casino in Banranquitas, Puerto Rico. Jake Kozloff, former operator of the New Frontier, is currently asso¬ ciated with Jones in these opera¬ tions. Jones has long held that the ukase of the Nevada board is illegal, and therefore refused to unload In Havana. Since then, he ha$ taken over the gambling in Haiti, has made commitments elsewhere, and told a press con¬ ference that two other countries in the Caribbean area, have in¬ vited . him to establish gaming centres to help the ailing tourist trade. His international operators are organzied into a Liberian corporation. Jones Is a two-time lieutenant governor of Nevada, had been a Federal Judge and had been high¬ ly regarded in the State’s legal circles. He claims that Nevada commission has ho jurisdiction outside of Nevada, and so long as he maintains legal status else¬ where,. his out-of-state gambling activities cannot be curtailed by the Nevada body. Hatch Plot to Hare UN Give Witches of Salem (Big B.O.) a New Shuffle Boston, March 17. The sponsor of legislation to ex¬ onerate those convinced of witch¬ ery in 1692 In Salem, where prac¬ tically every house is a b.o. in the summertime, wants to make the United Nations the witch doctor in the case. John Beresford Hatch of Salem, authority on the Salem witchcraft trials of colonial days, has asked the state legislature to approve his resolve to clear the names of those convicted for witchcraft for all time.- He said a resolve passed in 1957 that was designed to absolve the victims of any guilt imputed to them at the 1692 trials was a “co¬ lossal blunder” and that the legis¬ lature was wholly without any right to take any legal action on the witches. He asked for repeal of the 1957 resolve, and the adoption of his new resolutions. The new resolutions would go to the British ambassador in Washington, to the British and American delegations and the UN secretary general and Congress. The new resolutions ask that the U.S. Government take all action necessary “legal or diplomatic to liberate the Massachusetts 'witches’ from the illegal limbo of unjust damnation.” , Hatch, in asking for repeal of the 1957 resolve, said: “Only a kissing cousin, the queen of Eng¬ land. can exonerate them.” He explained before the legislative committee on constitutional law that witches weren’t tried before a formal court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He said witches were brought be¬ fore a tribunal of the Established Church, which convincted-. them.; The head of the Established Church, then as now,, he said, is^ the person who sits on the throne of England. I Ken Murray’s ‘Blackouts’ To Fold After Coast Run Los Angeles, March 17. “Ken Murray’s Blackouts ot 1959” will wind up a 14-week en¬ gagement at the Ritz Theatre March 29. Revue will be disbanded. “Tommy Turnabout’s Circus’* goes into Wilshire. Blvd. house March 21 for 14 performances, but engagement won’t interfere with “Blackouts,” closing eight days later, due to fact shows will all be matinees. Barnett Aiming To Double Cafe Pkges. In Legit Because of the lack of cafes, an effort to create new playing time for cafe packages in legit will be made. Jackie Barnett, who recently produced “Newcomers of 1928,” will design his next show so that everything from sets to skits, can be retooled for use in legit houses. Barnett ^is currently plan¬ ning a new show to bow in Oc¬ tober at the Desert Inn, Las Veg¬ as, after which he will try for Miami Beach and New York. Be¬ yond that, according to Barnett, there aren’t any towns that can support an expensive nitery unit. Therefore for the added plussess, he has to convert to legit. Barnett’s next unit will be la¬ beled “Sexpots” and he’ll try for a cast which will include names of the calibre of Zsa Zsa Gabor, Dag- mar, Denise Darcel, Corinne Cal- vet, Mamie Van Doren, Lili Chris¬ tine and a few others. The girlie package has always paid off in Vegas. Barnett’s plan Is to open in the Desert Inn, work Florida and then hit a New York nitery, and take it into legit. The October start is necessary, Barnett says, so that he can hit the seasonal peaks in all three cities, and still get a pay¬ off in theatres. LILLIAN BRIGGS World Famous Nightclub- Recording Star concluded: Punto Pel Este Uruguay March 20-AprIl 20, Club Flamboyan, San Juan, Puerto Rico Personal Manager JACK PETRILL 162 W. 56th Street, New York - CO 5-5769 Records: Coral Recording Star Direction: General Artists Corp. Carol Ckanning Repeats Mop-up at Fairmont, S.F. San Francisco, March 17. Carol Channing, just winding up four- week stand at Fairmont Hotel’s Venetian Room, is close to breaking own record in the room but apparently isn’t going to quite make it. Miss Channing smashed all marks a year ago by pulling $32,018 in $2 covers into the room. This year, with covers at $2.50, her act is a cinch to do better than $30,000. But final week has to be $1,000 better than her huge final week a year ago to break record and, though it’s going very well, it seems unlikely to exceed 1958 fourth frame. Comparative break¬ down: Miss Channing heads for two- week engagement at the Chase, St Louis, after Fairmont, and may do some video until her Tropicana, Las Vegas, stand this summer. In October, she gjyes into rehearsal for new Broadway show, written by Charles Gaynor and being produced by Oliver Smith. Rule A6VA Home For Aged Illegal The AGVA Foundation Inc. can¬ not legally operate a home for the aged and indigent under the char¬ ter it now holds, according to Felix Infausto, counsel and board secretary of the N.Y. State Dept, of Social Welfare. Disclosure was made in a letter to Penny Singleton, president of the American Guild of Variety Artists. Infausto’s letter said, “This is in reply to your letter of March 2, 1959. Under the form of a charter as it now stands, it is not legally proper for the AGVA Foundation Inc. to estab¬ lish and run a home for the aged and indigent actors. Very truly yours.” This letter is expected to be the subject of a heated debate a 1 next week’s session of the union’s ex¬ ecutive board which is slated to convene in New York. Miss Single- ton is set to come in from Cali¬ fornia to present this letter, and to demand a wholesale house¬ cleaning in the AGVA Foundation setup which she charged at the recent meeting of the national board held in New York was rid¬ den with fraud and deceit. Among her charges was that the Founda¬ tion’s charter doesn’t legally per¬ mit them to run a home and the foundation illegally solicited funds to the extent cf $19,000 through various benefits. . Jackie Bright, AGVA national ! administrative secretary and jAGVA counsel Harold Berg, two weeks ago made application for a certificate of compliance frofti the Dept, of Social Welfare. This letter was sent by Infausto after the application was made. Miss Singleton, backed by first veepee Rajah Raboid. is expected to . demand a complete hou?e- cleaning in the Foundation. A resolution how stands to have Bright, Berg and Miss Singleton present' the matter to the N.Y. State Attorney General for clarifi¬ cation. Chi AGVAites Roast Bright For 'Country Club’ Buy; Toast Singleton No Sleepy Magune Worcester, Mass., March 17. Bob & Nadyne Magune, Worcester illusion act who work under the billing of Nar- dini & Nadyne, last year achieved their greatest ambi¬ tion. They played South Dako¬ ta, their 48th state. Then Alaska was admitted to the Union. So .they just hustled up there, filled a half dozen en¬ gagements, and still can claim they’ve appeared in every state. (P. S.: Hawaii to go.) Cafe Tax Si ce Chicago, March 17. . Chicago membership of 'Amer¬ ican Guild of Variety Artists has again whacked Jackie Bright, na¬ tional administrative secretary both for his role in the still- simmering l’affaire Dick Jones (the union’s former eastern region boss) and in the purchase of the AGVA Country Club & Recreation Centre at Fallsburgh, N.Y. The local turned the meeting- last Wednesday (11) into a love- fest for incumbent prez Penny Singleton, emphasized by the un¬ usual action of endorsing her for a second term. What started as a session to cull delegates to the national con¬ vention in June soon verged on claims for Bright’s scalp, and at one point in the pillorying a cry of “impeachment” was raised. With it came a proposal that Miss Singleton call a national board meeting to strip Bright of his powers “until the air is cleared” regarding the controversies swirl¬ ing around him. * Among those chiming in with denouncements from the floor were j Dave Byron, the hypnotist, who u last year attacked Bright with de- Wreh -i^on. March 1<- | mands for investigations of his Sen. Russell Long (D-La.) dis-; official conduct, and comedian closed he has worked out a device ; Skip Haines, recently switched he believes might give some tax re- ! ^ ro,T1 the Coast rolls. At Byron’s lipf tn nitpripc j behest, the local again resolved net io nneries I for a full probe of both Bright and Long told Variety he plans to union counsel Harold Berg. This introduce an amendment to a tax j action was linked with the appeal bill later this session which would tor j\Tiss Singleton for a duiy-ap- wipe out the 20 .o tax on food pointed committee to shelve Bright served m cabarets, but would leave ; f or the duration of such a study, the tax on liquor. As added evidence of its hostil- While Long is in favor of elim- j ity to Bright, the meeting declined inating the cabaret tax, he doubts , to have some correspondence from Congress would take the complete j him read on the floe*', step. But working only on the food Country C'ub angle, he believes, would reduce Concerning the recently ac- (if not eliminate) any -opposition quired country club, the session from the drys who make them- j passed a resolution calling for an selves heard and felt on Capitol ■ imnartial investigation of the Hill. | AGVA Foundation, which boucht In fact. In Long’s opinion, not th . e s * te - Specifically, it wants Miss much of a case can be made by • Singleton to summon " a special anyone to support continuing the ’committee to name a presidential taxation of food in cabarets. j panel-which, with advice from out¬ side attorneys, wou’d frame the re¬ organization of the Foundation and provide for its “proper” adminis¬ tration. Miss Singleton has vigorously charged the Foundation with ir¬ regularities in the deal, one of her „. , _ . , ,, . complaints being that Bright and Kickoff chanty ball April 11 m j> er <y had failed to take out a eer- the formal dedication of the new tifiente of compliance w’th the N.Y. midtown Southland Center and its State Dept, of Social We-fare, principal tenant, the Sheraton-. without which no cWifo-in insti- Dallas Hotel, will star Abbe Lane f (Continued on page 84) and Xaxier Cugat in a 4Q-nvihute musical revue. Perez Prado's band *■ and the Ralph Flanagrn orch will j I also play the benefit in the grand ballroom of the new Shera!on-Ual¬ ias Hotel. Proceeds from the S100 invitational tickets, sprnsored by the Junior League of Dallas, wiil be divided be-ween the Southwest- whether Billy Daniels can open ern Medical Foundation here and at lhe Copacabana, N. Y., April 16, the Junior League's Community j is stm t0 be determined by the Service Trust Fund. j jj y. Police Dept. Last week The new 800-rcom Sheraton- Deputy Commissioner James Mc- Dallas, actually open this week, iEl -oy had announced that Daniels’ has no public supper club with-police permit, which would enable Southland Ctr., Dallas, In Benefit Kickoff Dallas, March 17. Billy Daniels’ Vegas Rap Trips Up Permit ' Far Cop, N:Y., Opening shows and dancing. Abdulnta!ib El Ouas'im Ben Ahmed, who heads a troupe of Moroccan tumors. a”-‘.vcs from Europe todry (Wed.) rn the Vul- cania for an e ^h.-we'h s 'nt with the Rlnuling Errs. Cireir. Unit later w : ll lour f- under the Barnes & Carruthm-s brrocr. ATLANTA DINERY'S MUSIC Atlanta, March 17, Sorrento Restaurant is latest Atlanta eatery to add music to menu, with Hal Buise Quartet, fea¬ turing trombonist Jimmy Guinn, opening a stand. Leader Buise is an Atlanta pi¬ anist, composer and arranger. Bas¬ sist Box Rix is a veteran of Hal McIntyre and Buddy Morrow, bands. Drummer Spider Ridgeway has made records and led his own band here. Guinn has played trombone with Johnny Scott Davis, Eddie Miller, McIntyre and Woody Herman bands. ‘Crazy Horse Soho in Sept.; Lights, li 9 p.T • msrewrans Paris, March 17. Alain Bernardin, owner of the Crazy Horse Saloon, which made the strip a staple here, has bought a Champs-Elysees nitery, L’Am- iral, which he will transform into a new, enlarged spot called the Soho. Unlike his other club, this will be an attempt at an offbeat, highbrow operation. Bernardin hopes to open the Soho next September in the form of a plush' Victorian theatre seat¬ ing 250. There will be special stage machinery and the shOiv will be all mime and silent, except for music srd m^in r-1 s— Bern-TcEn v : n »’-e ;■') f* lights, from r.-' t-i in N lac* *. with r»S of 'r~-r' .1. and i~ basin." t'"? r v -i n the eye. Though the p-'-'l p”! 1 fad¬ ing in t s e Cr~;'v inv't^'ors here, his parlor ■?. ill p’-vs SRO due to the snvw prnr’uct'pn given the slriptr-'-e, ph^ flnu sight se f s. At the Soho. Bernoroin srys he plans to produce a shew which will be a ballet of ferrv* in move¬ ment. There will be mime num¬ bers, dancers, pupp-t items and, as more ihan mr-e fiT'*\ 12 nude dancer*, mo will do a special ballet number. him to* work in New York niferies, would be returned to him follow¬ ing a three-year suspension. How¬ ever, the following day, the an¬ nouncement was made that the matter would require further in¬ vestigation, because of Daniels’ failure to report that he had been arrested last October on a drunk charge in Las Vegas. In January, the Police Dept, had given Daniels a temporary and probationary license pending ap¬ proval by the State Liquor Author¬ ity, which had given its okay Feb. 3. and card was waiting to be picked ud by Daniels. However, before the card can now be Is¬ sued, the department will have to investigate the circumstances and disposition of the LV case, and why it was unreporfed in the applica¬ tion for reinstatement. If Daniels doesn’t atteimjt to pick up the per¬ mit, there Ydfll be no investigation, Daniels’ jpermit was revoked three years] ago when he pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a gun, was fined $200 arid given a suspended four month sentence. Ther e is presently a court case to test the Ieg~ ,; fv of police li¬ censing of entc '^ers and musi¬ cians. However, the American Guild of Variety Artists has re¬ fused to go along as amicus curiae in this legal test.