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Glenn Miller
Purchase Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
by George T. Simon who followed the band closely during their whirl up the charts and their heyday.

Like Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, Miller was another tough taskmaster.

 

Along with his endorsement of Vic Damone's performance, Mr. Dana devoted a good portion of this review to dancers Marge and Gower Champion. Opening act Joey Bishop received words of encouragement but Vic's army buddy Burt Bacharach got his name misspelled (Bert Bachrach) for his first mention in the papers. His thank-you letter appears below which may have doubled as a reminder to Mr. Dana on the correct spelling. Anyone who saw all these future stars together must have talked about it for years.

Tips on Tables - Robert W. Dana - May 22, 1953

Damone's Out of the Army Now!

His tour of duty behind him, Vic Damone is back on the cafe ball at Bill Miller's Riviera enriched, not bothered and certainly not bewildered vic damoneby the happy change to civvies.

On a sterling new entertainment bill that features the return of one of the country's class dance teams, Marge and Gower Champion and Joey Bishop, a brave comedian to open the show. Vic gives the finest performance of his career and then toasts the life and the people he just left.

There is no doubt about Damone's maturity before his military duty. A top performer in cafes, hotel rooms, on records and in movies, his gloss and ease of showmanship gained through diligent apprenticeship since his emergence from his Paramount Theater usher's days was quite apparent.

Pearl-Gray Tuxedo.

His maturity now will have opportunity to settle in its mold, when I predict he will be the top male vocalist in the country. In a fresh engaging way he's throwing out his challenge in his Damone tuxedo, a pearl-gray affair with black lapels and cuffs.

He's backing up his case with an unaffected but polished style and strong, clear singing of numbers like "They Say," "Will You Still Be Mine?" "April in Portugal," "Where Or When" and "Gypsy In My Soul." Then after acknowledging the fine piano accompaniment of Bert Bachrach Jr. and Walter Nye's band, he toasts his Army life with "I Never Had It So Good."cartoon

Hollywood has done wonders for Marge and Gower Champion. Always professional, youthful and original in past appearances in local cafes, they now are dazzling thanks to some expert arrangements and thoughtful choreography, Their accompanist is Richard Pribor.

Five Beautiful Numbers.

They did five beautiful numbers: "Let's Dance," "The Clock" (to "Time On My Hands"),"County Fair," "Margie"and "Meeting Time."

Joey Bishop, billed as the unhappy humorist, makes the most of his unhappiness to make the audience happy. He serves well his duty to warm up the customers. Also helpful in pre-show dance sessions are the orchestras of Walter Nye and Pupi Campo.

THE REVIEWS
Andrews Sisters - Latin Quarter 1957
Desi Arnaz - w/Diosa Costello 1948
Count Basie - Lincoln 1943
Tony Bennett - Copacabana 1958
Milton Berle - Latin Quarter 1948
Joey Bishop - w/Andy Williams 1959
Ray Bolger - Wizard of Oz Scarecrow, Empire Room 1956
Cab Calloway - Greenwich Inn 1949
Diahann Carroll - Persian Room 1961
Betty Clooney - Waldorf Astoria 1954
Nat King Cole - Copacabana 1958
Perry Como - Versailles 1944
Copacabana - famous night club restaurant is reviewed 1953
Crosby Brothers - Latin Quarter 1961
Xavier Cugat - Waldorf Astoria 1951
Vic Damone - Riviera 1953
Billy Daniels - Copacabana 1952
Sammy Davis Jr. - Copacabana 1959
Phyllis Diller - w/Bobby Short 1958
Nancy Donovan - Copacabana 1952
Jimmy Durante - Copacabana 1951
Billy Eckstine - Copacabana 1951
Duke Ellington - Basin St. East 1961
Eddie Fisher - Empire Room 1959
Judy Garland -Town & Country 1958
Jackie Gleason - La Vie en Rose 1953
Benny Goodman - Empire Room 1956
Dolores Gray - Waldorf Astoria 1954
Buddy Hackett - Copacabana 1956
Connie Haines - Terrace Room 1951
Dick Haymes - Versailles 1956
Horace Heidt - 30th Anniversary 1954
Florence Henderson w/Bill Hayes 1958
Hildegarde - Pierre 1953
Celeste Holm - Plaza 1958
Eddy Howard - Roosevelt 1955
Burl Ives w/Wally Cox - Persian Room
Lisa Kirk - Persion Room 1958
Frankie Laine - Latin Quarter 1955
Julius La Rosa - Romanian 1958
Peggy Lee - Copacabana 1958
Jerry Lewis - Town & Country 1957
Joe E. Lewis - Copacabana 1945
Ted Lewis - Latin Quarter 1953
Liberace - Persian Room 1947
Guy Lombardo - Roosevelt 1957
Vincent Lopez - Grill Room 1954
Tony Martin - Riviera 1953
Martin and Lewis - Copacabana 1950
Ray McKinley - Glenn Miller Band 1957
Mills Brothers - Latin Quarter 1956
Vaughn Monroe - Astor 1955
Constance Moore - St. Regis 1958
Johnnie Ray - Copacabana 1953
Rowan & Martin - Latin Quarter 1961
Della Reese - Copacabana 1961
Sugar Ray Robinson - French Casino
Dorothy Shay - St. Regis 1961
Frank Sinatra - Wedgewood 1943
Danny Thomas - Copacabana 1949
Sophie Tucker - Latin Quarter 1950
Mae West - Latin Quarter 1956
Julie Wilson - Persian Room 1954
EDITORIALS
Dean Martin - thoughts on Mr. Sauve
Peter Lawford - retrospective
Rise & Fall of the big bands
INTERVIEWS
K Baggelaar- Copacabana author
Don Dellair - cabaret performer
Denny Farrell - big band disc jockey
Hal Turner - Performer/Conductor
B Zickafoose - played in WWII Europe
ASSORTED
Bernie Bierman bio
Sammy Kaye - Roosevelt 1957
Dinah Shore - press release and autograph from the 50's
A Letter about a WWII song
Harbers & Dale - Dance Team
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