Variety (Dec 1926)

*2 Wednesday, December 1, 1926 NIGHT CLUBS gests southern nativity, has a clear sounding voice and a good sense of showmanship in putting a number over. Looks good on the floor, too. Paulette La Pierre, delightful and charming French girl, is very much of a fav, having been here since the place opened. The French accent in her songs is a delight to the cus- tomers. Zeltna Jensen is another who pleases. Classics and ballads are her specialties. Frank Albeit and his small but spicy band are a notable feature With Albert at the piano and the other boys doubling on their instru- ments, snappy and rhythmic music is the result. Good bet for this Place. Loop. CRILLON (CHICAGO) Chicago, Nov. 22. After a shut-down of six or seven months this Michigan avenue re- sort, within scope of the loop, has been reopened under new manage- ment. It still maintains its sub- title of the "400 Club." A. Lager Is president and director, with Emil Rottmueller managing. Both men were formerly connected with the De Jonghe Hotel, long famed as an eating place. No evident changes. The two separated rooms remain as they were, which is unfavorable, as one solid room would aid materially. TAVERN A CHOP HOUSE OF EXCEPTIONAL MERIT 156-8 WEST 48TH STREE1 —— East of Broadway ' NITE CLUB VA TEN-TEN 14TII STREET On WedneHriay Night of Your Week In Washington, D. C. We Cordially Invite You to Be Oar Guest One of the rooms could and prob- ably will be utilized for various or- ganization functions. The place is open practically all day. the luncheons served figuring on a break from office trade. Furnishings are good and the at- mosphere pleasant. The object of the new managers is to maintain a high class yet democratic place, with good food at reasonable prices. Entertainment is a secondary fea- ture. At present there Is a 50-eent cover during the week and a $1 tax on Saturday night prevails. The site had a none too good rep as operated by its erstwhile owners. A ritzy environment produced nil financial results. To overcome this the present management is pre- pared to suffer a temporary loss in an effort to re-establish the place. Hugo's Society Syncopators, di- rected by Hugo Cohen, play the dance and show 'music. An eight- piece combine and a new arrival in cafes. Rather handicapped be- cause of dull business, but putting over good hot numbers as well as those of better quality. Dorothy Oreathouse, formerly with the road company of the "Stu- dent Trince," has a dramatic so- prano of fine quality. She should be suitable for picture house work. Sanirisi and Copelli, European dance team, have neat routines which thev ably execute. The next month or two should tell the story. CLUB ANATOLE (NEW YORK) New York, Nov. 26. With Anatole Fried land away in vaudeville, taking his original Club Anatole revue with him, the new frolic, headed by Hilda Ferguson and Borrah Minnevitch's harmonica orchestra, shapes up most interest- ingly. Miss Ferguson la an excellent floor show performer, her Atlantic City accomplishments as a draw this past summer bidding fair to dupli- cate at the 56th street room. The new master of ceremonies, who came in Thursday after the show had been running a few days, is Charles Kaley, a likely lad from the west, who made his debut inaus- piciously with Frances Williams at the Rendezvous, when the blonde songstress failed to register as n preferred type of cafe entertainer. Kaley handles the situation nicely and coos ballads sweetly, his violin interludes also contributing import- antly. The Minnevitch harmonica band is a novelty, although not new to a cafe floor, Minnevitch having been last season at Barney Gallant's place in Greenwich Village. The "mouth organ" virtuoso does Ger- shwin's "Rhapsodie in Blue" and kindred compositions in grand opera fashion. Ferdinand Le Blanc and Alice Du Cham are the acrobatic dancers; Ruth Manning, songstress. Hazel Gladstone and Marie RuHsell are also dance and song specialists, re- speectively, all okay. The new dance aggregation, Al Jockers* orchestra, is a favorite with the steppers-out, and are purveyors of good dansapation. Their smooth, brisk jazzique is to the liking of the smart set. it's a nice show at a $3 couvert. okay for the "nice people" who will fancy Miss Ferguson, Minnevitch and Kaley as well as the dance band, which in itself is an attraction for the hoofers. Sunday nights Friedland and his vaudeville gang drop in to augment things. Abel NIGHT LIFE IN By L. W. McLaren There may be far more beautiful ports in this world than Constan- tinople; there cannot be one that has more of an air of romance about it, especially when one slides into the narrow roadstead that is the entrance to the harbor proper at night, when the hundreds of min- arets stand out against the sky like so many huge candlesticks, and the lights of Stamboul, across the bay from Constantinople, twinkle invit- ingly. It is only since the war that night life in the Turkish capitol has come into its own. It Is only since the war that the Turks themselves hare begun to assimilate the customs and manners of Europeans In general, and, with the deposition of the Sul- tan and monarchistic government, thrown eff the yoke of tradition. The Turks have prohibition! But It is as meaningless as our own Vol- stead law. Because of the close MEET ME AT THE KNICKERBOCKER GRILL FAMOUS for DELICIOUS FOOD and MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT and DANCING from 12 NOON until 2 A. M. including THE CLICQUOT CLUB ESKIMOS with HARRY RESER in PERSON We Specialize in Banquets and Parties in Our King Cole and English Rooms 42nd Street, at Broadway, New York No Convert Churire lit I un< limn mid Dinner. I*lione: Wiac. fi883 proximity of surrounding countries, where alcoholic beverages are not regarded as kin to the devil, the smuggling business has become * thriving trade, good liquors of every variety are constantly brought across the border and sold in Con- stantinople at a small advance over the regular price. Cafs De Sultana The principal cabaret in the city of mosques is the Cafe De Sultana, in existence as the Cafe Royale since pre-war days. It is in the foreign quarter of the city, amidst the few good hotels and the foreign embassies. The resort is Parisian In char- acter, has a French orchestra, an Apache team, and a girl who sings the latest melodies from the Paris boulevards. Seated at the tables In the Sultana one will see a large group of young attaches from the consulates and embassies; a scattering of young Turks out for a good time with their western brothers and sisters; skippers and first mates from the boats in the harbor; internes from the American Hospital, about three miles from Constantinople en the Bosphorus; and young business rep- resentatives of American firms doing work In the Near East. It Is customary to start the eve- ning with a late dinner, after cock- tails at one of the American bars (one in each of the three good hotels in the town). The Apache team and the singer have no sched- ule but seem to go on the floor whenever the mood strikes them. Frequently some one seated at a table will arise and either sing or dance. The owner of the place, a Greek, tells a tale of an American lad. stranded when the freighter on which he was a seaman tailed without him, who a few years back sang every night for his dinner and drinks, until ho was finally able to sign on a ship headed f^r New York. Cover charges are unknown, and liquor, which, although It Is sup- posedly prohibited, is sold freely to all who enter at exceptionally rea- sonable prices. Even champagne of a good Vintage Is comparatively cheap. Late Places For the adventurous ones, the night is not over till the sun brlngl out the men who call the faithful to their morning worship from the minaret tops. The most popular late place is a tiny hideaway almost under the entrance door of a mosque. The place has no chairs or tables —the customers seat themselves on pillows spread around the clay wallj and order from ancient Turks who bring, first of all, the hookah. Those who have never smoked a hookah, don't. The smoke passes through water which looks like it hadn't been Changed since Turkey was mistress of tho East and then through a yard-long tube before it reaches the mouth. The long trip doesn't help the tobacco in any way. In the tiny place no effort is. made to entertain. The customers seat themselves on the cushions, smoke hookahs, sip their drinks, and con- verse in low tones. Among the clientele of the club the Russians seem in preponderance. It Is said that many a plan to take Odessa and reinstate a monarchial government in Russia has been hatched here. The plans never get beyond the hatching stage. Quiet Patrons There are perhaps a dozen places of the same character in Constan- tinople, all in the native part of the city. In one or two an orchestra made up of stringed Instruments plays away, but the patrons never dance, content to sit quietly and let the hours slip along. In Stamboul are two places where things are livelier. Between the capital city and Stamboul ferries ply all night. It is to the smaller city that the sailors from the ship- ping In the harbor generally go. Where the sailors go, there you will find excitement. At the English Nook, decorated and designed much like the ordinary cabaret in any seaport, is an or- chestra playing American melodies. Last winter tho popular pieces were "Three O'clock in the Morning," "Peggy O'Nell." and "You Made Me Love You." Practically the only way the orchestra, which has four pieces, ever ^ets any new tunes is through some musical sailor bring- ing ashore the sheet music itself. Like N. Y. Night Club Three Russians, two girls and a man, put on the entertainment in the Nook. The man dances, and the two girls sing in Russian, English, French, or any language the custo- mers call for. The Nook is open till the last customer departs. That is rarely before eight or nine In the morning. The other cabaret In Stamboul is 30-C as— ==a e "Three called by its frequenters the "Three Llghta" because a long varenda OUt- *td* is lighted by three oil flares, it has a h oi reputation; any strang- er going there Is lucky If he still has his undershirt when he leaves. The girls in the Nook ami at the) Sultana observe, "I must be getting Old, I feel It. My next stop will be the 'Three Lights*' " which accu- rately expresses it. In the two Stamboul cabarets, a peculiar custom is that of paying the orchestra whenever one dances. One Turkish lire (50 cents) is enough for several dances. If the orchestra Isn't paid they stop play- ing. The girls dance what they call "the American foxtrot," but their version of it has never been nearer America than the Santa Sophia, mosque. The late Edward Perry, Veteran vaudevlllian, was not of Perry and Applet on and Perry ami Qllson, as was stated Nov. 17 in an obituary in Variety. The partner of Apple- ton and Gilson was Ward Perry, now with the Remick Music Co. la Chicago. — HERMAN BROOKS — Club flvaion 1721 Broadway (at 54th Street) OPENED LAST NIGHT FRANK BANNISTER'S "HOT PETTICOATS" FEATURING CHARLES CRAFTS MASTER CEREMONIES THE MASKED VENU8 BROADWAYS MYSTERY BEAUTY MARCIA BELL DOROTHY CASEY Sybil Andrm, Thrlma Fenton. Oanny Phillip*. Ann Eeklaad. ROY FOX'S SENSATIONAL ORCHESTRA The Show of New Ideas Most Beautiful Girls in the World PHONE: COLUMBUS 9864 " B. B. B." Ready for Races—and Silver Slipper, New Orleans .1 i; s t r O K L A U U II 51ST STREET AND 6TH AVENUE, NEW YORK Mil CLAYTON V II O N E: EDDIE JACKSON 0 I R C L E 0 0 8 4 JIMMY DURANTE PREMIERE DEBUT ROSITA RAMON -AT Roger Wolfe Kahn's LE PERROQUE T—DE PARIS 146 West 57th Street, New York City NIGHTLY, BEGINNING DECEMBER 3 , . I i / ;/