Variety (January 1961)

240 VAUDEVILLE Fifty-fifth f/$RlETY Anniversary January 4, 1961 CHICAGO'S WAIL: Second V. S. City. Sot Not Secondary By IRV KUPCINET Lake Tahoe Area Emerging As Key Year-Round Resort By ART LONG JR. Lake Tahoe. I ing shape. With six keys shooting Lake Tahoe, which officially ' out into the lake, the development opens on Memorial Day and closes; will accommodate 296 home sites! ■on Labor Day, is rapidly Evolving • with lake frontage. Developers j as one of the nation’s major enter! are Henry Kaiser’s Hawaiian Dred i taimnent centers — and there’s a ging Co., the Lincoln Development ‘ suggestion it will be on a year-! Co. and the Pomeroy Land Co. around basis in the not distant j Nearer the north end of the lake. Chicago. Chicago in recent months has been the subject of a number of “think” a pieces on its role in the entertainment whirl. Seme paint a very bleak picture and leave us for stone coV da id. Others portray us as future. Major business and residentnl developments on the east side of the Crystal Bay Development Co. i has begun alterations of the lake j shore for development of $25,000,000 project in a 9.000-acre area, | Mexico City Nitery Boom Hurdles Cover Charge Ban Mexico City, [the better spots and cafe society Mayor Ernesto P. Uruchurtu, ’apparently has plenty of coin to uurirdv us as who has not endeared himself to : Ring around judging by nightly ca a verit a b 1 e I the film industry by stubbornly jpacity business. Customers are let CTold mine _ a holding fast to a 32c boxoff ice : off the hook easy if tab is under sucker townl^‘eeze for admissions, now has 15-100 and it soars up from here to that goes for;ruled that cover charges in night j astronomic figures, a n v t h 1 n e clubs are taboo. While business has been spotty Broadway! The cover charge ban and the i ^ and ,.t^ere. hands down. 1 a.m. curfew' have hit secondary 1 a ™ f Neither extreme is accurate. Will night spots hard, especially bor * ^e.j,cafinS shocked at having the real Chicago please stand up? decline clubs where guides steered !v\. 1 t t L0Ser I gringo suckers for commissions up i to 50r'r. with lavish nraisp of tho in Proportion, clubs allege that go is typical of . "picturesque” or ‘ underworld” at;this is not their fault’ Tw0 years ^r^-eCrtyThi -raosphcre of dives. Chieflv the • a"p tlle Treasury -inflicted a 100% iici, nates a losei. The ; . . . sordid than nic customs duty on all imported Is 60UaooTV The "Bears I “>«sque an(1 ‘he 1 a m. curfew ta ‘ . to save dollar exchange 1.600 000. The Bears , ,. mpasur_ that nrotprts and to protect Irv Knpcinet Hates a Loser The real Chlcag the m.le-high lake, with most of j to include a complete all-new comj any red-blooded American Vity. It f Plcturesque” or‘-undenvorld,,atit within the Nevada borders, are! munity with a swank hotel-casino. i0Ves a winner, hates a loser. The i1.1105?1010 of dives. Chieflj the a eU-ar oa remoter of wrhat can be : °Peia^°“* . ! Sox . , l And wit n toe improved highways . record of i.uuu.uuu. ±uc _ _ _ _ * , ., a expected. ! leading into the area from all ; play to capacity houses in W’rigley ! a P°1^ •. liquor, interests. Only thing the A:: i t!:e high-priced names j directions, the lake is less than , Field every Sunday. The Black ; '! *ck<?1 s t D °t° b °/ ,Snnr<T hcavy customs boost did achieve bn.-ked tlii summr and on into * an hour’s driving time from Reno, i Hawks, making a comeback, are j J; \ ‘ was 'to set up a tremendous busi the v. inter i* proof positive the ! and only a few hours from the ; luring hockey fans by the rum mezeal e c served indlffer’ : ncss in contraband and adultera 1 y ! San Francisco Bav area. The lake ; sands back to the Stadium. It’s:lum’ mezcal etc” sencd mdlffel~ ,-tinn local wine and ; ouil riiUiuoLU a ilu. n’.fiv • '■uuuo wa\. /v hist utuumin. xi o . . . .. , , 1 UUll UI tri | h also serviced by d»ily flights tho same on Rush Street, Chit^o-s . customers show hi/ -ea.-son even now is not limbed to one season. i fro.n the Bay Area to a new air: gay white way. Only h: If a dozen years back, port only seven minutes from the Shelley Berman, Mor. _ _ T >••,* -ves a n*me that prompted! gaming areas at the south end. ! E. Leonard and Phyllis (Killer; I N’ow these second rate spots V,.;.v.-1 ar-mrr saloon enter-1 ' Despite l!ie lialtl severe winters ! »»>« P«<* Mister Kelly's; ditto 'have had to curtail their floor ‘ ‘ . I? ” " in to the Tahoe area, the major hltth! Vie. Damon*. Buddy Hackett and . »»<* h< tourist tide has been tamer.-., but a recap of the 60 , uays arc cloHed for onl> short ’ Frances Faye at the Tra.dewinds, ; skillfully channeled to the luxury scumu; shows at least 30 ^ ‘ ‘ book.*d in the area during any | And the rapid population growth gh.-n week between Memorial Day ' and traffic increase will call for ar.d Labor Day. Granted, many of t.de ails worked lounge-, but ht* it lounge or big room, it’s still I „ emolovment. And to indicate the : new investment in theigrea. Tahoe sl-stus of performers working the is assuming new stature— and the lake tee’v ^ such as Jack Bennv. [ en'ertamment business is keeping tion of expensive brands. So that nightclubs were excessive i>er even money chance that they were not drink¬ ing produce described by bottle label. . ^.... . . t. . . : One of the most striking spafs acla I periods because of the elements.!. Chicago is a discriminating town. I “ aijs \' aE.e far heavier on toe ; js fjuv Muralto. atop the Latin ’ . . Shows that click on Broadway ! p0,l:k(\tbr00^ } Somc tof 1 10Se ^-'American building, towering 42 don’t necessarily get the same first class spots such as the stories above street level. The Bol reception here. Acts that wow ’em ' ,stona ..apr.1 La F“ente, eic., ; vedcre Bar atop the Continental in New' York cafes often find ;; iave .variety turns tlmt arc third ( Hilton is another favorite haunf, Chicago audiences more difficult I rate..ln 5lia it*v systematically slightly reminiscent of the Top of even clo.-er maintenance patrol of the lake road--. V AVit !i the millions of) dollars in >rt Sahl. Jack | customary tariff of 16 to 24c. ,; drlBk r‘Ml> and „,c e, Frmk Sinatra, Dean Martin, Red Skelton. Benny Goodman, Sammy Duvin. Jr.. Victor Borge. ad infini’uiu. On the north shore of Lake Tahoe, the Cal-Neva Lodge for many year* wj Cue only nitery hooking top at?-. Now it competes ti e Nevada Lodge, the Bal pace. GESTURE TO COLLEGIANS l0 j adulterated drunks. Chicago demands, but it doesn’t ! the inner circle of Mexico s always get. topnotch performers. I J?p lu?h} spots and bars, despite That’s one reason the Chez Paree, !thc cover ban. which is the Mark in San Francisco. Taburim ami the Nortirsiiore Club censi,\ f»'m wil1 Present a SI. 000 Ho Big hypo for i Cal-Neva in the once the queen of the nation’s I cafes, no longer is in existence. ! Top acts became too difficult to • book, and Chica.goan< would sup Prize For Boy Composer , port nothing less. The “bread-ahdAnd Lyricist \ butter” cafe performers like — I Frank Sinatra. Red Skelton, Danny Broadcast Music Inc., music li Thomas, Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Lena Horne, Jimmy Durante, Joe E. Lewis, Louis Prima and Keely Smith, Sophie Tucker, et. al.. either had no time because of other commit¬ ments (mostly television >, or their appearances were too infrequent prize to the composer and lyricist of the “best” college musical com¬ edy or revue presented in the U.S. pa-: -eaMm was Frank Sinatra's and Canada during the 1960-61 app. i:\nion fo; bis pei cvnt ot acaciemic. r. An additional ti'.e club, 1 > ^ award of S500 will be made to Samrola. D_-an uMal^n ' f"d the drama or musi c department, or ; to guarantee a flow of big name for % ^k-nTus' > drafnatic club/ . . s/miw DavfsV Jrf and thc Production, ti;.. Nevada Lodge, remodeling Tlie entries will be judged by a enlarged, booked such as i Panel consisting of Morton Da : entertainers. I Substitutions The demise of the Chez Paree ■ hardly was startling. The bookim making it tough for managements to contract stellar names, both Mexican and international, are doing a jammed business. The floating tourist population, the diplomatic corps, international Remember? — JOE LU RIE JR, Do you remember these ‘‘ad libs” of the vaude comics? Pa>te ’em in conventions, congresses and meet vour gag hook. Tlicv may come in ings of one sort or another, fill up =' handv w'hen vaudeville comes back, the super eleffant and semi-ole. ,;utcl. geUing a laugh,; -you aant spots, and the small number didn., tMnk j wa an . good whett of fringe scrondrale joints that t £irst . out:still manage to stay in business. ... , j “Don t get up, make him climb Big Biz : over.” Mexico is enjoying its biggest (To latecomerc “Where have you nightclub boom of the past five heen.?” years, despite all the official pro¬ hibitive restrictions imposed by bluenose mayor. Such spots as the Senorial, Terraza Cassino, El Patio, the Afro, Ut: ciu.fiuvu. UUUl\.fU SUlll da t 1 . . . . . , . , , , , " •; . i at.ci J-ii ir anu. im. Row an Sc Martin. Ruth Wallis, and j C’osta, Robert E. Griffith, Harold ; Problem had begun to exert itself ; which bills itself more than Pai Harrington in the main theatre-re>taurant and employed three group nightly in the casino lounge, as did the North Shore Club, the Bal Tabarin and the Cal-Neva. On South End On tho ."outli end. the big name ' Oct. 31, ir. gaming and entertainment is ' . . Bill Iiarrah. His one-year-old i pin.":: 750-sea! or h the show place j of 'he northve.-d and compares] with the best Vegas has to offer. And for the full year he books only the top names, including Jack Benin. Benny Goodman, Liberace ar.:i Johnny Mathis, among others. 1:: hi" ta"ino lounge, separated from the gaming area by a semiciriul/r .90-stool bar, Harrah books such as the Mary Kaye Trio. Nick Luc is. Al Morgan. Ray Anthony, etc. Second to Harrah in booking er: ohainmen! at the South Shore is Harvey Gross, who about six year" ago started a small club opeiation. The Wagon Wheel, on a location purchased from a church group. lie recently announced plan." to enlarge. Gro."»’ entertainment is from a bekind-the-bar "tage for the preSf"'. imi new plans call for “somet! :*:g in the way of lounge cy . t Gro."S uses seven 1 t * group-1 on a 24-hour basis t:..; around Also at the south end ot ?h.-‘ iake is the Tahoe Plaza, a dor club ;;."ing three groups diir-mg the summer season. Idrnanen? imputation in the lake area r.o.v surpasses the 9.000 iii.ok. and in the near future will iui.e I Iran double. At the south end. than 15 minutes’ drive fr .r. h e c'i"ir.os on the Nevada si'te. ti.e nmitimiiiion dollar Tahoe K :• s d ‘velopment is rapidly tak <To man or woman who laughs out loud*: "Leave the room.” (To a good laugher*: “If you're not doing anything tomorrow night come again.” (Joke spreading-: “Take your time folks, let it circulate.” To latecomer*: “You came too S. Prince. Robert Fryer, Lawrence ; a years ago, which was the : night club “a state of mind,” Ver Carr. Lehman Engel, Dore Schary. 1 beginning of the end. The Palmer .Sallcs. the Villa Fontana bar-res Steven Sondheim, Sheldon Harnick House, wdth its huge Empire Room. ' taurant featuring the Magic Vio and Jerry Bock. The competition ^ias stepped into the void and has lines, and others offer diversified late: you misled everything, ends next May 15 and the an : signed some of the names that once entertainment, exotic food and in iMan with arm on rail of box): .nouncement of. winners will he i 've£e in bright lights at the Chez : ternational floor shows. “Take your arm off the rail you : made no later than the following! Shophie Tucker, Joe E. Lewis: Actunilv it was the Senorial that make me thirstv ” *’• (Continued on page 242) I began importing big names on a ,To singte man coming in alone-j; major scale and before toe cwr.w, ,'|le mallcl. mWer> m yoi 'charge ban dampened their ardor have a fight with her?" management had put out feelers or ; ... , had contract negotiations in vari : 'After a applause): Good ousous stages of completion al ; ^lini5 >'ou called me hack, legedly with Marlene Dietrich. ; “Don’t tell her, mister, make her Frank Sinatra and others Other listen.” impresarios angled for services of “You’re not paying attention, Josephine Baker Caterina Valcn Mrs. Cohen.” te. Louis Armstrong, etc. ; “Listen, customers." Now the trend to international MABEL MERCER SEASON'S GREETINGS Second Year: The Intimate K :>• ;• Art-inn Room of the ROUNDTABLE in ,s :-.v V.*rk names is marking time wdnl.e club (Smells Smoke i: “Somebody is managements hope for a change of shoeing a horse in this theatie. heart by city fathers or figure out (Showing ring on finger): “One a way of circumventing the no . more payment and this is mine.” cover odict. Cash customers, as a ; “I can hear you whispering to matter of fact, have shown no each other, that boy is clever.” marked resistance to paying up to “That’s a lady back there thinks a $40 dollar cover to see and hear j’m a horse, she has field glasses entertainment celebrities in the on me •» S' a ‘There’s a fellow kissing a girl Cole. Hanj James, etc., with stiff ove|. Uu,r^ WjR,n hc geU through I’ll start.” “While they are setting the stage they have to have something out here.” ‘Noise off stage': “That’s my salary coming in.’’ 'To orchestra as they come into pit): “Who won?” fees stipulated by these and foreign entertainers. virtu ally forced clubs to seek protection in astronomic cover charges. Actually city fathers, stopped in to “pro¬ tect” clients from abuses, but . talks with these well-heeb'd nMitclub habitues shows a disinclina¬ tion to be protected. Still Minor League I it0 bass player': “I tried to play Mexico’s night life is gay ar.d one of those things but couldn’t lively, with an Aztec or cosmopoli get it under my chin.” tan atmosphere. But it can’t be (To drummer dropping cowbelU: said by any means that the city’s “Milk the damn things.” dusk-to-dawn life can compare in ‘To leader after asking for a color to that of Paris, or Berlin, chord : “I asked for a chord and Rome. Madrid, the Ginza strip, you gave me a rope.” ■ Broad". av, etc. Mavltr than are the tfiin'js that Gay wl).» )j>ee cosis a fortune in chased vaudeville.