Authors: Mickey Podell-Raber
The Copa (13 page)
Wayne wrote in his autobiography,
Once Before I Go,
that “Bobby was absolutely like the older brother I had always wanted.” He also said of Bobby that he “represented to me the epitome of what I considered a
recording artist to beâ¦he was the most consummate talent I had ever known.”
Like many other entertainers, Wayne Newton would eventually travel to Las Vegas, where he became a top attraction, and still performs to this day. Newton has had one of the longest tenures as a headliner in the city, all thanks to a little help from Jackie Gleason and Jules Podell.
Bobby Darin
Although Bobby Darin, born Walden Robert Cassotto, died tragically at the age of thirty-seven in 1973 from a lifelong illness, his engagements at the Copacabana are legendary.
Darin first played the Copa in 1960 and at that point in his career he had a few hits on the charts, including “Splish Splash,” and had played Las Vegas with comedian George Burns. Darin was enjoying success on the touring circuit, but he knew the Copacabana was the mecca of all nightclubs. Atco, the singer's recording company, had decided to record some shows during this engagement for future release. The resulting album,
Darin at the Copa,
continues to sell today, almost fifty years after it was recorded.
Bobby Rydell, my father, and agent Sam Branson in the Copa kitchen before Rydell's opening.
Darin's engagement at the Copa was a huge success; he broke all previous attendance records at the nightclub. The reviews were glowing and they catapulted Darin into superstardom as well as winning praise from the press and his fellow entertainers. Walter Winchell, a supporter of the young Darin, wrote in his
New York Mirror
column: “Bobby Darin's premiere at the Copa went down in the Copacabana history books as one of the Standouts.” Martin Burden at the
New York Post
wrote: “Singer Bobby Darin is giving the Copa it biggest, boomingest business in years.” And Gene Knight at the
New York Journal-American
summed it up best when he wrote: “All those raves you've been reading about Bobby Darin, the boy wonder of Hollywood and Las Vegas, are deserved. He is the greatest natural nightclub talent to come along since
Sammy Davis Jr. Which Bobby proved last evening when he opened a three-week engagement at Jules Podell's Copacabana. Within seconds after Mr. Darin, aged 22, came on, you knew he had it!”
Jules Podell took an immediate liking to the up-and-coming singer, and based on the tremendous amount of business the Copa had done, he invited Darin to return. Darin would work the Copacabana throughout the decade and enjoyed hanging out at the lounge even when he was not a scheduled performer. Darin and Podell would clash when Bobby decided to stray from the traditional pop standard songs that had made him a star and ditched his tuxedo for a more modern lookâan all-denim outfit. One of the biggest confrontations between Darin and Podell occurred when Darin insisted that Nipsey Russell, a
black comedian, be his opening act. At first, Podell resisted Darin's request, but finally acquiesced, realizing the business he would lose if Darin canceled the engagement.
Singer Tony Martin and my father. Martin was a popular singer who also starred in several films. He was married to Alice Faye and after they divorced he married dancer Cyd Charisse.
Even though his career was short, Bobby Darin will always be associated as one of the greatest entertainers to grace the stage of the Copacabana.
My father and Jimmy Durante were great friends. Durante is wearing the Copa Bonnet, which was an honor bestowed on the most popular entertainers who appeared at the club by my father.
The Copa Bonnet
Jules Podell and Jack Entratter wanted to find a way to honor the top headliners who appeared at their nightclub, so they came up with the Copa Bonnet. “The Copa Bonnet was an award given to those stars who had scored memorable successes in Copa revenues. It has been called the Night Club Academy Award, the Oscar of after-dark entertainment. It was presented as one of the most coveted symbols of success in all of the show world, and little wonder, for just take a look at only a few greats who have won the Copa bonnet over the years” or so said the Copa's press material.
The winners would have their photos printed in the Copa menus and handbills with a Copa Bonnet superimposed on the top of their heads. The list of those entertainers who received the honor includes: Frank Sinatra, Joe E. Lewis, Nat King Cole, Danny Thomas, Lena Horne, Dean Martin, Tony Martin, Paul Anka, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme, Louis Prima, Keely Smith, Bobby Darin, Jimmy Durante, Sammy Davis Jr., Jerry Lewis, Johnny Mathis, and Joey Bishop.
Many artists through the years would use the Copacabana as a venue to record their performances for album release. Bobby Darin, Paul Anka, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Durante, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and Connie Francis are just a few of those who have released recordings that were taped at the Copa.
Sound engineer and producer Hank Cattaneo recalls:
My first encounter with the Copacabana was in the late 1960s. Dionne Warwick was doing a recording there for Burt Bacharach and I was asked to survey the Copa and determine where to gain
entrance, place equipment, and provide general technical support. Given the Copa's famed reputation, my expectations were high. However, I was to be disappointed with the reality. Instead of the grand showroom I had seen replicated on many a Hollywood set, what I encountered was a nightclub with a basement entrance located below an unattractive hotel. Though clean, it was small and dark, with odors of the prior evening's meals. It was painted entirely in black, with fabricated white palm treesâfar less than what I had expected. The backstage entrance was through the hotel lobby, which had a balcony that overlooked the check-in area. It was said that here on this balcony young waifs offered their services to waiters and captains to gain free entrance when some of the legendary performers were appearing.
A small stage managed to satisfy some of the greatest performers. Their working space would continue to diminish as waiters would appear, adding more small tables to satisfy late-arriving luminaries who demanded front-row seating. A table that started out as front-row seating could become back-of-the-house as the night went on. Less-than-distinguished guests, or those who had failed to adequately satisfy a captain's out-raised hand, were escorted to the infamous “Burma Road” area of the clubâan elevated balcony to the extreme left of the entrance where one's table offered less than a commanding view of the stage.
These details not withstanding, the Copa had a mystique all its own. Famous for its fine French and Chinese food, it was when the place was occupied with patrons that it became alive. The patrons and the performers made the Copa and the allure of its name become real. The hustle and bustle of guests, waiters, captains, and celebrities created an excitement that suddenly would transform it into the magnificent nightclub it was famous for [being].
The legendary Jules Podell, a large imposing man, was the ownerâthough it was often rumored [that] he represented individuals who chose to be anonymous. He sat at a small table
not far from the entrance; it was [from] here, at that famous command center, [that] all matters pertaining to the management of the club were directed: cleanliness, quality and quantity of food, the pecking order of seating, selection of entertainers, their starting times, their departure from stage, etc. A simple rap upon the table from his famous, large ring would signal the nearest captain, and waiters would scurry simply to avoid what would be the rich voice of wrath that he was famous for. Acts would shudder with concern when that ring rapped more than once upon the table. [At] a level loud enough to be heard onstage, he would signal his annoyance at a bad joke. Lesser performers were known to panic. Were they on too long, had they performed poorly? He was a figure [who] was as legendary as his famous nightclub; Damon Runyon could not have created a better character.
The famous Copa Girls, who often opened the evening's performances, were at times required to work in spaces not much larger than some tables. They were directed to the stage by a gentleman named Doug Coudy, who would often send them on their way with a loving tap on their behinds as they giggled out to the stage. Doug was the house production manager, electrician, and the soundman. He was, in fact, a “can do” kind of guy. The girls' entrance was at the foot of the steps, where all working personnel entered through the lobby of the upstairs hotel. Organized confusion often reigned in this area as waiters all
served dinners from this location as well. Sound and lights were also controlled here. Doug, who had a slight but disarmingly attractive speech impediment, did his best to control the situation, but most often it was without success and at times could be quite funny.
One day I received a call from Paul Anka, whom I had worked with at A&R Recording Studios. He was performing at the Copa and asked if I could stop by to check out the sound. It seemed he was having some inconsistencies with the sound levels. The sound equipment, though dated, appeared to be working fine as I positioned myself in the show room during his performance. Still in view of the sound equipment, I saw a waiter with a tray of food pass by the equipment and, without missing a step, lowered Paul's volume control, only to see another waiter a moment later change it back again. Simple enough; I taped all the controls fixed to the correct level, and the rest of the show went flawlessly. Later, with Paul, I explained the reason for volume changes and what had been done to prevent it from occurring again. Though upset, Paul just shook his head in dismay. However, to prevent it from happening again, he requested I attend each evening's performance until his run was over. This eventually led to my touring with Paul Anka for many years.
My experience at the Copa, allowed me throughout the subsequent years to enjoy working with many wonderfully talented artists including Frank Sinatra. Those were the days.