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Tips on Tables - By Robert W. Dana - June 5, 1953

Tony Martin Tops Riviera's New Show

Time is moving along into the summer season as Tony Martin renews acquaintance with Bill Miller's Riviera as star of a new show. As part of the supporting tony martincast Tony asked Bill Miller to book Bambi Linn and Rod Alexander, whom he saw with the Betty Hutton troupe in Chicago. Jack Z. Leonard, the hefty comedian, tags along.

Showmanship is a casual, easygoing thing for Martin. Speaking of style, his mannerisms become increasingly like those of Harry Richman. He has the same jaunty sway of body, the cane and straw hat. Unlike the legion of Richman impersonations, however, this is a natural falling into a solid-sending style. Now all Mr. Miller needs to rock the city and the George Washington Bridge is to have Richman and Martin do a "Me and My Shadow" routine.

I like Tony's program of songs, starting with "Hallelujah" and ending with a medley of oldies including "Sleepy Time Gal," "I'll See You in My Dreams," "April Showers" and "California Here I Come."

Referring to Vic Damone, his predecessor at the Riviera, Tony says: My son sang this last week.' The song is "April in Portugal." "Father" and "Son," if you wish, run about even on this. "Where is Your Heart," one of the most beautiful of today's favorites, "I Believe" and singer martin"La Vie En Rose" are other Martin renditions. Bill Miller is parading the country's top dancers this season. The Szonys, the Champions and now Bambi Linn and Rod Alexander. As in the case of Marge and Gower Champion, there are changes of costume to make quite a production of the act.

For "Traffic Jam" and "Capsule Cavalcade" Bambi wears an aquamarine chantung with rhinestone pearls and bugle beads. For "Younger than Springtime," a number of ethereal beauty, she wears white chiffon pearls and rhinestones.

Each dance attraction at the Riviera has also been completely different. Bambi and Rod have stunning footwork and stay fairly close to the floor, although "Younger than Springtime" demonstrates they can take to the air like birds.

There's never the suggestion of forcing, and, on the other hand, he never allows his relaxed style to become sloppy.

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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