By Staff reporter
First published in the Sydney Morning Herald on August 18, 19 & 31, and December 14, 1954
Live artist show in hotel today
(First published August 18, 1954)
Entertainment for customers in hotels will start a new phase to-day when the Castlereagh Hotel, Castlereagh Street, opens the first of a series of live-artist variety shows in the bar and lounge.
The licensee, Mr. K. McGovern, said yesterday that the floor show would replace the films he has been screening.
Vocalist Nellie Small and accordionist Gus Merzi perform at the Hotel Castlereagh on August 20, 1954. Of West Indian heritage but Sydney-born, Small was described in the papers of the time as a "male impersonator".Credit: Harry Martin
He said, "I had to stop showing films at brewery request. I understand the breweries have no objections to live artist entertainment.
"The first series of shows will last a week.
"I have engaged Miss Nellie Small, entertainer, Mr. Les Welch, pianist, and Mr. Keith Petersen as compere.
"They will appear first on a small mobile stage behind the public bar. The first session will be at 12.30 p.m.
"After that show they will give another in the lounge upstairs."
In favour: Hal Lashwood in a publicity still from 1947.
Mr. McGovern expects a number of other publicans who were showing films to be in the audience to-day to see how the show goes.
The president of the Actors and Announcers' Equity Association of Australia, Mr. Hal Lashwood, said yesterday, "We are all in favour of entertainment in hotels if it means employment for our artists.
"A section in our award covers artists appearing in hotels.
"We would most strenuously oppose any action taken to deprive our artists of legitimate employment.
"It is my personal opinion that the council of the association would refer any such action to the Labour Council of N.S.W."
BREWERY SILENCE
A reporter who tried to ascertain brewery reaction to this new development was rebuffed again yesterday before he was able to state the subject of his call.
A telephonist at Tooth's brewery told him that neither the managing director, Mr. T. Watson, nor the city manager, Mr. A. Bentley, was "available on Tuesdays."
The general manager of Toohey's brewery, Mr. E. Callaway, was also "not available."
A meeting of "rebel" publicans last night decided to ask the Labour Council of N.S.W. to receive a deputation of four hotelkeepers "to find out whether trade-unionists wanted entertainment in hotels."
All but one of the publicans at the meeting were licensees of hotels "tied" to the breweries.
With that one exception they had all stopped screening films in their hotel bars after requests by the breweries.
Theatre Co. Stops Live Hotel Show
(First published August 19, 1954)
Celebrity Circuits Pty. Ltd. yesterday stopped a live-artist show in the Castlereagh Hotel, city.
Compere Keith Petersen photographed on July 27, 1962
Coloured vocalist Nelly Small, pianist Les Welch and compere Keith Petersen were due to appear in the hotel, at the corner of Park and Castlereagh Streets, at 12.30 p.m.
Thc publican, Mr. Ken McGovern, had arranged throw to replace film screenings banned by the breweries.
The bar was packed at 12.30, but half an hour later Mr Petersen came out to say he could not appear.
Messrs. Welch and Petersen are both under contract to the Celebrity Circuit, which controls the Palladium. Their contract provides that they shall not appear elsewhere without the permission of the governing director, Mr. Harry Wren.
Mr. Wren had arrived at he hotel to tell them so.
In fact, Mr. Wren went along to the Castlereagh Hotel and drew the attention of Messrs. Petersen, Welch, and McGovern to the clause.
"MORE BEHIND IT"
Mr. Petersen came out to the bar and said: "I'm sorry, chaps, but I'm not allowed to appear here or be funny. I think that there is more behind it than my contract with the Palladium."
A voice: "Who is it, the breweries?"
Another voice: "Are we only supposed to come into a pub to get full?"
Entrepreneur Harry Wren, his wife, and American producer David Gould on December 12, 1956
A further voice: "What else do you come into a pub for?"
Mr. McGovern had made urgent telephone calls in the meantime and, piano-accordionist Gus Merzi arrived, out of breath.
Miss Small explained that despite her colour she was not under any black ban, and sang two numbers, accompanied by Mr. Merzi.
Mr. Merzi then played two numbers and one of the customers with a wavering tenor dived behind the bar and rendered "Mona Lisa" and another number which nobody recognised.
The crowd at the bar then joined in a short bracket of community singing and the show ended.
One drinker summed up the position by declaring it was "just like Anzac Day."
PROTEST MADE
Mr. Wren yesterday also protested to Actors' Equity Against the association's endorsement of live-artist shows in hotels.
"If your union is going to support members being engaged full time in a theatre and then appearing at a place of entertainment not charging admission prices, and in particular hotel bars, then it is time this company sought to transfer its interests from live artist entertainment to pictures," he told the association.
Brewery Bans Live Artist Shows In Bars
(First published August 31, 1954)
Tooth and Co. Ltd. has banned live artist shows in the public bars of hotels which it controls.
The ban came into force yesterday when Mr. K. McGovern, licensee of the Castlereagh Hotel, Castlereagh Street, withdrew a live artist show from his public bar.
The secretary of the Actors' Equity, Mr. Hal Alexander, said last night that the ban would curtail the field of employment for his members, and he intended to complain to the N.S.W. Labour Council on Thursday.
Earlier this month both Tooth's and Toohey's breweries stopped hotelkeepers, including Mr. McGovern, from showing films in their bars.
Mr. McGovern replaced the films with live artists.
Thereupon the executive of the United Licensed Victuallers' Association decided to recommend to the council of the association that live artist shows should also be banned.
The next meeting of the council of the U.L.V.A. is on September 10.
The brewery has forestalled the U.L.V.A. in the hotels under its control.
Actors, officials of Actors' Equity and reporters gathered in the private lounge of the Castlereagh Hotel last night for an interview with Mr. McGovern about the show's withdrawal.
The president of Actors' Equity, Mr. Hal Lashwood, told Mr. McGovern that the artists were anxious to know who was behind the ban.
Mr. McGovern replied: "I'll order some drinks."
I think the ban a shocking thing. We are getting like countries behind the Iron Curtain.
Nellie Small, singer
Asked whether the U.L.V.A. or the breweries had imposed the ban, Mr. McGovern said: "No comment."
Miss Nellie Small, one of the singers employed at the hotel, said she had found the men in the bar to be "thorough gentlemen."
"I think the ban a shocking thing," she added. "We are getting like countries behind the Iron Curtain."
A few minutes later Miss Small gave a performance in the lounge of the hotel.
She sang "Are You Lonesome To-night" and "You're Going To Miss Me Honey" for "the boys in the bar," to whom the songs were conveyed through loud-speakers.
But the bar was half empty, in contrast with last week, when it was packed between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The shows were on then.
200 See Hotel Vaudeville
(First published December 14, 1954)
About 200 people crowded the lounge of a city hotel yesterday to watch an hour of vaudeville entertainment.
Mr. Ken McGovern, licensee of the Castlereagh Hotel, Castlereagh Street, staged the show, which began at 5 p.m.
Nellie Small entertains the crowd at the Hotel Castlereagh on 20 August 1954.Credit: Harry Martin
Men and women sat at tables and sipped beer while they watched the performances of Keith Petersen, comedian; Frank Cleary, juggler; Lola Nixon, nightclub singer, Milton Saunders, pianist and compere; and Frank Strain.
The drinkers applauded enthusiastically at the end of each item, and whistled when Lola Nixon appeared on the stage in a tight-fitting, off-the shoulder black dress during a sketch.
Patrons drank their beer leisurely and waitresses had an easy time compared with the normal 5 p.m., to 6 p.m. rush hour.
£130 A WEEK
Mr. McGovern said it was the first hour of vaudeville produced in a Sydney hotel. He had extended the lounge and built a stage.
Artists' fees will cost about £130 a week, he said.
"The present bill will continue for a fortnight," said Mr. McGovern. "After that I have other performers lined up.
"I envisage big things in hotel entertainment when later closing becomes law in February."
He said he was planning for two shows daily, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. One of the artists, Frank Strain, said: "Previous hotel shows have consisted of a singer with a piano. This is a complete small production, and opens up a whole new field to entertainers."