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Tips on Tables - Robert W. Dana - February 1, 1958

Killer Diller

This is the 15th anniversary of the Blue Angel, at 152 E.55th St. The list of stars introduced there by owners Herbert Jacoby and Max Gordon reads like a Who's Who of the supper- club world. Always in search of brilliant new talent, the club's latest subject for critical acclaim is Phyllis Diller, a comedienne from San Francisco with a scathing wit.

Few subjects escape her barbs, but Los Angeles is one of the chief victims, with lines like "They planned a 75-story skyscraper, then built it horizontally around a swimming pool." Her take-off on Eartha Kitt, a Blue Angelletter alumnus singing "Monotonous" is hilarious. Phyllis' version is called "Ridiculous," and she sings it while slithering all over the top of the piano, breaking up Bart Howard, her accompanist.

Mom-Daughter Duo.

She joins a group of other highly talented performers. One is the very unusual act of Carolina and Belin, mother and daughter singing duo. Carolina Segrura, former star of Italy's LaScala Opera Company, and daughter Belin, whose father is the oldtime musical comedy star, Everett Marshall, offer such numbers as "Chi la-la" in Italian, "Meo Limao" ("My Little Lemon Tree"), a Brazilian song, and "Pecao, an Afro-Cuban song about a Chinese fish vendor.

Bobby Short, the pianist and singer, is making his first Blue Angel appearance since his debut there in 1945. Since then he's become a favorite with lovers of show tunes in Paris (at the Mars bar, where Americans go when they become homesick), Los Angeles and, most recently, at the Interlude in Chicago.

Bobby's repertoire is tremendous, and by the time he's through the half dozen numbers per show, he has to bow off to much applause. The other night he selected "The Most Beautiful Girl, in the World," "Hottentot Potentate," "The House of Flowers," "Bye, Bye Blackbird!' and "At the Moving Picture Ball."

Homey Comic.

I got quite a kick out of comic Bob Lewis, assisted by his wife, Ginny. Lewis undersells his act constantly, interspersing his jokes with magic (especially some clever work with a rope) and plays the banjo. He has the flavor of a Will Rogers, a Herb Shriner.

The Blue Angel, lounge opens at 5:30 p.m., with cocktail session until 7 pm. During this period all drinks, from champagne, to cokes, cost .50 cents, and Alex Fogarty plays the piano.

Dinner is served in the lounge between 7 and 10p.m., when the first show is presented in the main room. Music there is provided by the Jimmy Lyon trio and pianist Bart Howa a top young composer and emcee. From 2 a.m. until closing nightly except Saturdays. Bobby Short alternates with Jimmy Lyon in the lounge.

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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