Variety (April 1959)

68 NIGHT GLUM REVIEWS Wednesday, April 8, 1959 St. Regis* N. Y. Tonia Bern, Milt Shaw and Ray Bari Orchs; §2-$3 cover. The Maisonette of the St. Regis Hotel brought in a new face to the inn circuit with the American debut of Tonia Bern, a likeable newcomer with an Anglo-Belgian background. Until a comparative¬ ly recent stage. Miss Bern was the production s-nger at La Nouvelle Eve, Paris, but since then has branched eft into the solo field. She seems to have the support of the carriage Lade with her mar¬ riage to speedboat racer Donald Campbell. Normally, the Maisonette is a room for the “arrived’' and not the comers. The well groomed :and elegantly gowned Miss Bern makes a good impression. She has 4jnrve, projection, beaueoup entbusaadBi as well as more than the affinal complement of personality. -These plus factors are generally suffi¬ cient to guarantee a rosy reception in nearly any room. 1 Miss Bern does an abbreviated act, lasting not more than 20 min¬ utes, which isn’t sufficient for the requirements of this room. Her song selection is good, encompass¬ ing familiar French tunes and ditto ballads. There is a lot of translation in her tunes, so that the non-Berlitz set can appreciate her efforts. However, the major defect at this point seems to be her uni¬ formity of delivery. Each song is given similar intensity and sung virtually in the same key, so that one tune inevitably sounds like another. Part of this, of course, is due to the initial nervousness and doubts resulting from a bow T in a strange land. But in a larger sense, this requires a further re¬ vamping of the repertory so- that more color can be infused. None¬ theless, there were plenty con¬ verts to Miss Bern on her preem, and it’s not inconveivable that with further experience she’ll be a reg- lar on the circuit. Per usual, the-'Milt Shaw-band provides grade-A backing and dansapation. and further dance sets are supplied by the Ray Bari orch. Jose. Desert Inn, l^as Vegas Las Vegas, March 25. Gordon & Sheila MacRae, Jack¬ ie Miles, Myma March, Art John¬ son, Donn Arden Dancers (14), Carlton Hayes Orch (14); chore¬ ography by Donn Arden; $3 min¬ imum. The delightful turn presented by Gordon & Sheila MacRae in the Painted Desert Room lives up to the advance raves. The husband- wife team have a friendly songf est, happily blended with comedy and impressions. The act is done with¬ out elborate sets, and would be ideal as a tv spec. MacRae opens with “If I Loved You,” and goes into the “Okla¬ homa!” songs, being joined by the Mrs. in “Surrey With Fringe On Top.” He proudly introduces her as “the former British subject who just became a U.S. citizen last week.” She does remarkably at>: curate impreshes of Dinah Shore, Lena Horne, Katharine Hepburn,- and Zsa Zsa Gabor, and he does a devastatingly funny job with Jimmy Cagney, Arthur Godfrey, Perry Como, and Edward R. Mur- row. Among the songs in the reper¬ toire are “Palace of Love,” “One Alone,” a medley from “Flower Drum Song,” and “I Remember It Well.” Act is smoothly staged by Miriam Nelson, and tastefully blended by the batoning of Van Alexander, with the Carlton Hayes orch <14). Jackie Miles precedes the Mac- Raes, and again clicks solidly with his low-pressure comedy patter. Miles kids Vegas, himself, his gambling, and his wife Lee in an ingratiating manner which keeps the laughs coming consistently. (He says he caught a cold here, but because it’s the desert, he calls it a “warm.”) Myrna March, a red-haired look¬ er, is the featured canary in Donn Arden’s opening production num¬ ber, and she delivers with authori¬ ty . Show is skedded for four frames. • Duke. Palm€»r House, Chi Chicago, April 2. Maurice Chevalier (with Fred Stamer/, Ben Arden. Orch (10); $3 cover, $5.75 minimum. Four weeks of. this show world legend is a cinch for turnaway biz (at one show a night), and the jammed opener probably was a new mark for the Empire Room. Last time Maurice Chevalier played Chi was in 1947 at the Erlanger legltery. The interval made the towi. very ripe for him. The natives were restless. If the upped tariff mortified any, it was well concealed—and doubt¬ less forgotten by the homage- payers who cheered lustily and on foot after a solid, hour of the Frenchman's inimitable patter- and-songology. So it’s an abused word, but charm is the catalyst— i and Chevalier has it to spare— j and his ‘ 70-vear-oId tonsils could have cracked all night. Even at that mark, happy trouper that he is, the Parisian doesn’t spare the energy, hoofing, strutting and strolling the floor. Naturally, he’s up with some “Gigi” items, but the thick accent is on nostalgic—and a “oui!” we go. Chevalier is not one to brook audience awe for jollity, and it’s a delightful relaxer when he has ’em join for second chorus hums via “Louise” and “Mimi.” Bilin¬ gual or straight-tongued, the song is Chevalier—and more identified than that you can’t get. There’s good, unobtrusive, accomp from, his 88er. Fred Stamer, and a pair of sidemen from the Ben Arden ranks, which en toto (10) furnishes per usual slick dance sets. Carol Channing returns April 30. Pit. Queen Elizabeth. Mont’l Montreal, April 3. Robert Clary, Chiquita & John¬ son, Denny Vaughan Orch (12), Louis Bannet Trio; $2.50-$3 cover. Once again a compact and diver¬ sified show package graces the Queen Elizabeth's Salle Bonaven- ture. New policy of one-a-night week days and two on Saturday and holiday eves is garnering okay returns. Robert Clary* playing his second Montreal engagement, overcame the boisterous yakking of a table of celebrants with plenty of aplomb and did a rousing 35 min¬ utes to everyone’s satisfaction. He is a much-improved performer since his first time around locally and has developed a hip rhythm style that enhances overall pres¬ entation and gives act more in¬ dividuality. Mixing his tunes neatly. Clary clicks with such contrasting items as “You Make Me Feel So Young” and “Autumn Leaves,” together with a reprise of his patented “Miss Logan.” Encoring with a group of tunes identified with Chevalier, Clary begs off with a fine song and dance interp of “76 Trombones," to plaudits. Show openers are Chiquita & Johnson in their first Canadian appearance here and scoring with sock acrobatics. Garbed in a brief net affair that allows maximum movement and displays a trim figure, femme amazes with her effortless splits, spins and hand-to- hand balancing. By no means a minor part of duo, Johnson makes everything look easy with his sense of timing and aero savvy. Both acts get fine support from Denny Vaughan and his orch with the Bannet trio spelling between shows. Los .Churumbeles de Es- pana are slated for an April 20 opening, with “An Evening with Sigmund Romberg” set for May 11. Newt. House of Vienna, N. Y. Gypsy Markoff, Loli Di Puglio, Carlo Hatvary, Felix Romaine, Rudi Suranyi, Toni Koves, Jan Schaaf Orch; no cover or minimum. The Yorkville sector of New York has become the melting pot of New York entertainment. The area, which abounds in the oldline Teutonic spots, seems to be a gath¬ ering place for talent-of every na¬ tion. George Eberhard’s House of Vienna, with this show, gets as international a flavor as is possible. The topper Gypsy Markoff, a heroine of the Lisbon Clipper crash of World War II, one of the top soldiers in greasepaint. Miss Markoff, jvho has gone through a lot of surgery, is still enacting the role of heroine in the peacetime entertainment industry. Still de¬ prived of the full use of her hands, she’s able to get the maximum music out of an accordion, is able to play a miniature concertina, and gives a fullblown vocal turn on the floor. Miss Markoff did an ex¬ tremely long cut. which should have been abbreviated, and some of her special material seemed to be of another era. but generally, she got good mittings. Another ohanteuse on the bill, Loli Di Puglio. also carries out the international flavor of the show. She’s adept at Italian, Spanish French and chansons en Anglais. It’s a tuneful session that reaps a good reward. Other singer on the bill is Carlo Hatvary, the vet, bari¬ tone .and emcee, who pipes out the strong romantic tunes, of Romany’ which find favor with the crowd. The music is by Felix Romaine and Rudy Suranyi at the fiddles with a schmaltzy obbligato; for -Toni Koves Dres’des at the cym- balon and the Jan Schaaf orch showbacks. Jose. P'SkiETy Waldorf-Astoria, X. Y.. Phil Ford & Mimi Hines, Flor¬ ence & Frederic Ballet (10), Char¬ lie Fish & Bela Babai Orchs; $3-$4- cover. It’s been a long time since the staid Empire Room had a comedy act. Prior to the present card of Phil Ford & Mimi Hines arid the Florence & Frederick Ballet, there have been only a few times when name comics occupied the rostrum at this room. The results of the Ford & Hines excursion seem to indicate that George Gobel, com¬ ing in on the next Waldorf show, need have no qualms about return¬ ing after a long gap. Ford & Hines only a few weeks ago made their bow at the Copa- cabana. Even in this short space, they have picked up sufficient savvy to increase their impact for New Yorkers. However, the Wal¬ dorf-Astoria Empire Room con¬ stitutes a different, kind of ex- [. perience. The prestige of this room is still great in the profes- sibn. While it doesn’t have to be r approached with awe, there is a necessary amount of respect that must be poured into this engage¬ ment. The Waldorf is still an in¬ stitution in which a date repre¬ sents a lofty peak in the career of a performer. For thisTeason, the team showed poor judgment in some of the bits they essayed. What would be a small laugh* perhaps, in some other room, comes as a shocker here. In some instances, it’s a question of language and in others a question of gesture and expression. The pity of it is that once i the team got rolling they didn’t need these, things. Miss Hines is an expert come¬ dienne who has a sweet, legit voice, while Ford, no slouch as a funster, represses this facet in : favor of straighting for his part¬ ner. She has a facile and pliable puss, readily able to" register a variety of expressions. In her Oriental bit is included a touching rendition of “Un bel di” as well as the mugging that goes with depictions of the Easterners. Most of their bits were previ¬ ously done at the Copa, and they generally hit with stronger impact, except in the indigo instances. Miss Hines worked under a handi¬ cap, still suffering from injuries sustained a couple of days ago. The Florence & Frederic Ballet, as used here in the early num¬ bers, has the main function of a line. The two numbers opening the display show a lithe group of dancers composed of three hoys and seven femmes. But the rou¬ tines are no more than lively openers. It is during their finale, following Ford & Hines, in which they do a voodoo number that their virtuosity emerges, and they loom as dancers with ability to interpret major themes. There is one bit in which a. trancelike dancer is suspended on a stick a la the circus act Unus. The cos¬ tuming and choreography in this number are excellent. A new orchestra, Charlie Fisk, for many years at Chi’s Palmer House, bows at this room. Fisk, a personable citizen, is a facile man with a stick, competently puts the crew through a rather more ; complex score than usual, and pro¬ vides a strong dance beat. Per usual, Bela Babai provides pic¬ turesque relief. Jose. Chi Chi, Palm Springs Palm Springs, March 31. Ray Bolger Co., featuring Elaine Dunn and Muriel Landis, Bill Al¬ exander Orch (9); $2.50 cover. Ray Bolger and the spring winds hit Palm Springs together arid the result was a clean, refreshing floor- show at the Chi Chi. It is all song and dance because Bolger is sup¬ ported by Elaine Dunn, a buxom young brunet who also sings and dances, and Muriel Landis, a fat frolicker who presumably was a customer at a ringside table. Bolger’s theme is Show Business. He is the only one of the top danc¬ ers, and this includes Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, who has a native pixie humor which permeates his performances from head to toe. His gab isn’t much but he can dance for hours and what he leaves on the floor is in the best tradition of making feet talk. He opened cold. (The house had the refrigeration on.) Explaining he had just come from Las Vegas (“That’s Spanish for ‘I’ll Cry To¬ morrow’ he dances into “Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries” and then introduces Miss Dunn wearing a beautiful full skirt while she belts out “Hallelujah!” Then she rips off the skirt and gets down to the tightest white satin Capri pants in town. Thusly she sings and dances till Bolger relieves her for the rest of the evening. He slaugh¬ ters Tenth Avenue anew, does an anthology of popular dances from the Charleston to the Mamba Cha Cha. His burlesques of these dance styles win him plenty of laughs. Encoring with the inevitable “Tea for Two” he flew offstage in the ample lap of Miss Landis and his show picked up humor and tempo again as soon as he lured her back. It’s an education to see. him dtmonstate how Pat Rooney, Bo- jangles Robinson and even jBolger got their softshoe and tap effects. His feet make him a very funny man and he’s generous with what he has. Bill Alexander’s band is led by Bolger’s Russ Black at the piaho. All in all, act is tops in nitery en¬ tertainment. Scul. Sands, Las Vegas Las Vegas, April 1. Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Melvin, Tyler Gilman, Copa Girls (12), An¬ tonio Morelli Orch (24); produced by Jack Entratter; choreography, by Bob Gilbert & Rennie Stuart; $3 minimum. Sammy Davis Jr. again un¬ leashes his multiple talents on the Copa Room stage, stirring up a distinctive style of excitement which keeps him high on Jack Entratter’s list of powerhouse at¬ tractions. Conductor Morty Stev¬ ens, fronting the Antonio Morelli orch (24), is back this time as the star’s teammate, lacing the fes¬ tivities with an ideal combination of sensitivity and Davis-type drive. “Lonesome Road,” “Hey, There,” “Begin the Beguine,” “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” and a sock bowoff with special lyrics to “Fever” are included in the Davis songalog. He does a very funny bullfighter bit, and revives his celeb impreshes which were re¬ warded by first-nighters with con¬ sistent yocks. Bob Melvin, a newcomer to Vegas, balances the bill. Melvin easily proves here that he is one of the best performers in the standup comedy department to come along in years. Most of his material is fresh on the Strip, and he clicks quickly in his rapid- fire turn. Audience is generous with its laughter and mitt action. Lavish production numbers by Bob Gilbert and Renne Stuart, featuring the big voice of Tyler Gilman and the terps of the Copa Girls (12), wrap up the show, skedded through April 14. Duke. International, N. Y. Myron Cohen, Barry Sisters (2), Boots McKenna Girls (8) & Boys (3). Jack Irwin, Mike Durso and Charles Palmieri Orchs; $6 min¬ imum. Jack Silverman’s new three- week layout ought to abound in dividends—it’s that good a show. There’s plenty of flash, what with this nicely balanced package of Myron Cohen, the two Barry girls, Boots McKenna’s terp troupe, m.c.- vocalist Jack Irwin and the Mike Durso and Charles Palmieri bands¬ men combines. | Cohen rates tops with the crowd pronto. Dominating, the tables were lamisters from Manhattan’s Sev- | enth Ave. garment district who are duck soup for Cohen. Come¬ dian makes with the Yiddishisiris I in the dialect stuff and it all comes out clean and funny, with material that’s neither offensive nor limited to any one type of audience. Cohen is a '‘Jewish comedian” who is not limited to the borscht circuit. His has a winning style in telling a story, with delivery and nuance .values being just as im¬ portant as the punchlines. So what matter if a television performer just pirated one of his yock yarns, as he mildly complained about? Said pirate, identity not revealed, would have a tough time copying the richly rewarding Cohen man¬ nerisms. As for audience acceptance, there’s fun for all, and it doesn’t matter whether the audience was raised on stuffed derma or corned beef & cabbage. Strong in contention for the mitting noise are the Barry Sis¬ ters. They’re a nifty combo,„ with a songalog that scores quickly and has just the right amount of pat¬ ter and* posturing. The range is a wide one for the girls, from swing to a tender “Fascination” to an Oriental approach and then to a wild, cleverly introduced, “Bill Bailey.” The act is plenty plus and they have genuine trou¬ ble in getting off. Boots McKenna group of eight girls, and three boys have a few fresh and spirited routines ac¬ companied by a Jack Irwin larynx , workout. Irwin has an agreeable voice but militating against it on show caught was an over deci- belled mike setup. He’s a likable personality. Gene. Latin Quarter, N. Y. Betty Grable (with Dean Camp¬ bell, Gene Hardy, Jim Hodge, John Drexel), Dominique, Schaller Bros. (2), Pony Sherrell, Joyce Roberts, Dick Curry, Boubouka, Ted Mon- son, Mitsouko Morigai, Jo Lombar¬ di & Buddy Harlowe Orchs; $6.50 minimum .. . With only those insured legs-to. stand on and a wham figure as- her facade, Betty Grable is strictly •banknite for bonifaces Loew & Risman. In her bow at a New York saloon, the film capital’s escapee slips niftily into the spot’s continu¬ ing “All About Dames” out of Donn Arden’s more dazzling pro¬ duction file. Miss Gams (legally Mrs. James) is presented shrewdly, in a setting and with surrounding components that lend an aura of bigtimeyness. Self-effacing, agreeably simple and charming, she doesn’t have to do much more than caper where dance is indicated or spout some lyrics that pass for thrushing. It looks big and bouncy because she’s supported by four bright-looking lads (“Grable Grabbers”) who are In and out in song, dance and talk; ditto a foursome of LQ coryphees from the chorus plus star’s scintil¬ lating duet with the cafe’s attrac¬ tive and talented Joyce Roberts, songstress - dancer doubling from the line. In medley, reprise - from - pix, Bumpsy-Daisy and Cuddle-Up rou¬ tines, Grable & Co. have themr selves a bell and they are surefire in conveying this as an extra¬ special at a layout already loaded with elaborate production numbers and acts. Two other turns have been added in Dominique and the Schaller Bros., the latter stepping in for the Six Flying De Pauls, who were billed (see separate story). Dominique is the Gallic pickpocket and magico who re¬ turns frequently to the LQ and is a solid crowd-holder. The Schallers are, of course, top. trampoline art¬ ists long a fixture over the hardtop and open-sky circuits. “All About Dames,” from Back¬ yard to Bagdad, frdm Saga of Sadie (Thompson) and from Betty to Grable, is in the LQ’s noblest tradition of quantity and razzle- dazzle to square that $6.50 mini¬ mum. The Jo Lombardi orch lays down the showbacking notes as per customerv skill and shares with the Buddy Harlowe unit in -entic¬ ing the maximum of embracers to the floor with a mixture of tunes. Trau. Sahara, Las Vegas Las Vegas, March 24. Mae West, Harvey Stone, Louise Beaver, Michael Edwards, Tom Gleason , Peter Linder, The Mus¬ clemen, Jody Simmons, Dale Bab¬ cock, Dick Summers, Saharem Dancers (10), Louis Basil Orch (13); produced by Stan Irwin; pro¬ ductions by Sonia Shaw and Bill Hitchcock; sets by Fred Pbns; no cover or minimum. Mae West eschews nudity in her Congo Room act—although her “Musclemen” might be loosely classified as nude—but the show needs a “For Adults Only” sign even more than the so-called Vegas nude shows. Miss West hits a main showroom with the bawdiest dialog to come along in several years, in fact, since she herself last played here. Since the star is known as an exponent of sex, the patrons prob¬ ably know what to expect, and shouldn’t be too shocked at the lines—just so they leave to kid¬ dies at home and don’t have to ex¬ plain them. Miss West surrounds herself with some good talent, es¬ pecially Louise “Beulah” Beaver, Michael Edwards, Tom Gleason and Peter Linder handily back the eyebrow-lifting party, and The Musclemen, billed as “something for the ladies,” look as if they just stepped out of a Charles Atlas ad —obviously being ideal targets for the star’s sexy purring. Harvey Stone, a Vegas fave, bal¬ ances the bill, and proves here that he is topnotch standup com¬ edian! Stone seems to improve with each Vegas visit—this time he’s added much new material, and revives some of his classic stuff wh'ich his fans are always happy to hear again. The neatly in¬ tegrated songology gears the turn to sock proportions, and first-night¬ ers were generous with the yocks and mitts. “Spring Has Sprung” is the Shaw-Hitchccek production opener, a refreshing romp featuring terp soloists Jody Simmons and Dale Babcock, singer Dick Summers, and the Saharem' Dancers (10); Expert batori work by Loute Basil fronting the house orch (13) is notable. The Stan Irwin- package is set for four weeks. Duke.