Long Beach, California
YMCA’s Armed Servicemen’s Club
Cynthia performed solo.
Los Angeles, California
Shrine Auditorium (sponsored by May Co.)
Performed for 14,000 Girl Scouts.
Also appearing were Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Debbie Reynolds, Jack Smith, Ken Carpenter (m.c.), Robert Young, Robert Martinez.
First Time: Stayed overnight in Ambassador Hotel, “first time in a hotel.”
Los Angeles, California
Shrine Auditorium
“An Eyeful of Paris,” 18th Los Angeles Annual Police Show
Also appearing were Gene Autry and Champion, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Tony Martin, Donald O’Connor, Dennis Day, Ralph Edwards, Liberace, Georgie Tapps, The Modernaires
Long Beach, California
“Greatest Stage Show on Earth,” sponsored by the Long Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce, at Municipal Auditorium IMAGE
Also appearing were Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Jane Russell, Tony Martin, Jerry Colonna, Les Brown, Marilyn Maxwell (“the Atomic Blonde”)
San Diego, California
San Diego County Fair at San Diego County Fairgrounds
“Fiestacade of 1952” (Bell Sisters were headline attraction)
Also appearing were Ina Ray Hutton and her all-girl TV cast, Hilo Hattie (Hawaiian comedienne of Song), Spade Cooley (the “King of Western Swing”), Nick Lucas (“The Singing Troubador”) and Bob Wiliams and “Einstein” (dog act).
Bell Sisters performed “two oldies before doing ‘Bermuda’.” Cynthia performed “I’ll Walk Alone.”
Hotel/Pay: Stayed at Del Mar Hotel. Bell Sisters earned $3,500 for 4-day appearance.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Last Frontier Hotel IMAGE
Bell Sisters performed “Hello,” “Drip Drop,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Poor Whip-Poor-Will,” “Rutza Rutza,” “Hang Out the Stars” and “Goodbye.”
Pay: Bell Sisters earned $7,000 for their two week appearance.
Los Angeles, California
Downtown Paramount Hotel
Opened for Nat King Cole IMAGE
Two week engagement; performed 5 shows a day, about 20 minutes per show (performed six songs) IMAGE
Montreal, Canada
Seville Theater
Also appearing were Christine and Moll (novelty dance team), The Three Glens (adagio experts), Roy Beson (comic) and Jean and Stanley Kayne (mimicry)
Home Movies: Home movies of the Bell Sisters exist and are on YouTube, which include footage from this Seville Theater trip.
Reno, Nevada
The Riverside Hotel (Mert Wertheimer’s Riverside Casino) IMAGE
Also appearing were Buddy Hacket and Paul Sydell and his performing dogs.
Bell Sisters performed “Hello,” “Drip Drop,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Poor Whip-Poor-Will,” “Rutza Rutza” and “Hang Out the Stars.”
San Francisco, California
San Francisco Civic Auditorium
Western Living and Home Exposition
Hollywood, California
Hollywood Bowl
Y-Day in Hollywood
Long Beach, California
Appreciation Dinner – Long Beach Independent-Press Telegram (newspaper)
Marine Room of Wilton Hotel, audience of 275 newspaper carriers and parents
Bell Sisters performed “There’s a Ship Comin’ In,” “June Night,” “Bermuda” and “Socko the Smallest Snowball.”
Los Angeles, California
Examiner’s 39th Annual Christmas Benefit Show
Shrine Auditorium
Also appearing were Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Danny Thomas, Dorothy Shay, Abbott & Costello, Gisele MacKenzie, Mickey Rooney, Connie Moore, Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, George Murphy, Rory Calhoun, Lita Baron, Rose Marie.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Press Photographers Association
Grand Charity Ball (for the benefit of Crippled Children’s Society)
Also appearing were Bob Hope, Ken Murray, Abbott & Costello, Ed Wynn, Donald O’Connor, Sidney Miller, Art Linkletter, Dick Haymes, Joel Grey, Virginia Mayo, Greer Garson, Victor Mature, George Jessel, Pat O’Brien, Will Rogers, Jr.
Bell Sisters performed “June Night,” “A Fool Such as I,” “Take Back Your Gold” and “AP Song” (changed lyrics to a song called “Trees” – from the poem “I think that I shall never see…”)
Long Beach, California
Municipal Auditorium
Long Beach Retailers Associated (benefitting the American Red Cross)
Spring Festival of Fun and Fashion
Hollywood, California
Brookside Park
Booked by William Morris Agency
Jamboree City (Irvine Ranch), California
Third National Boy Scout Jamboree (July 17-23) IMAGE
Also appearing were Dorothy Lamour, James Stewart, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (and Trigger), Lash LaRue, Danny Kaye, Dick Powell, June Allyson, Jerry Colonna and others.
Bell Sisters appeared in “Jamboree Variety Review.” Attendance for the Jamobree was 45,000 Boy Scout troops and their families.
Texas Goodwill: Bell Sisters had dinner with Troop 6 from Houston, Texas (600 scouts) and received a certificate making them “Honorary Citizens of the Empire of Texas.”
Rendezvous Ballroom
Booked by San Rey Group
Hollywood, California
Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles’ “I Am An American Day” (sponsored by Mayor Poulson’s Citizens Committee)
Also appearing were Art Linkletter and Jose Greco
Tin Pan Alley Show
Thrifty Drug Store Party
Korea, Japan, Hawaii, Pacific Islands
USO Tour, “Operation Starlift” IMAGE
Also appearing were Roscoe Ates (headed group), Mary Murphy (starred in “Wild Ones” with Marlon Brando), Virginia Hall (starlet), Chris Towner (starlet), Elisabeth Galbol-Martin (comedienne), Bill Lloyd, Eddie Ross, Dick Contino (band)
Other Groups: One of six entertainment groups, comprising a total of 42 performers. Terry Moore, a starlet in another troupe, got a lot of press for wearing a white ermine mink bikini for the troops.
Trianon Ballroom
Camp Pendleton, California
U.S. Marine Corp Base, Camp Pendleton
Denver, Colorado
Lowry Air Force Base
First appearance of Hollywood Variety Troupe together since their return from a tour of Korean bases Christmas before.
Also appearing were Larry Roberts, Mary Anders (starlet), Kay Marx (sister of Groucho, Chico), two dancers of Gene Nash Trio, Lenny Sherman (comedian from Paramount Studios), Jerry Mandell (piano accompanist)
Bell Sisters performed “Boo-Hoo,” “Bermuda” and others.
Denver, Colorado
Fitszimmons Army Hospital
Kay’s Birthday – had big party in the Officer’s Club to celebrate.
Belvoir, Virginia
Fort Belvoir Army Hospital
Thursday afternoon show at Red Cross Recreation Hall, “was carried to the bedside of ward patients by the Hospital Radio Station, WBBS.”
Also appearing, among others, was Larry Roberts, Hollywood night club comedian, as M.C.
Unknown (Virginia?)
Aboard U.S.S. Missouri
San Bernardino, California
National Orange Show
Glendale, California
Glendale Police Show
29 Palms, California
29 Palms Show
Booked by Bernie Kane Agency
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth Naval Hospital
With USO Group. Celebrating National Hospital Week.
Bell Sisters performed “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” “Heartless,” “Across the Alley from the Alamo,” a “mice number,” “Just a Gigolo” and “Bermuda.”
Bethesda, Maryland
U.S. Naval Medical Center
Norfolk, Virginia
On board U.S.S. Lake Champlain in Hangar Bay #1 during its stopover in Norfolk
Two hour show, audience of 1,000 personnel and guests. Appeared with New York’s “52” Club Association.
Also appearing were Patti Parks (ventriloquist and songstress), Teyd and Deana Peters (aerial ballet team), Palmer and Doreen (comedy magicians), Urylee Leonardes (star of Porgy and Bess)
Bell Sisters performed several numbers, including “Bermuda.”
Los Angeles, California
Various Theatre Appearances
Booked by William Morris Agency
Lodi, California
Lodi Fair
Booked by William Morris Agency
Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland Armory
“A Century of Progress,” presented by the Ashland Centennial Committee, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Friday night, 8:00 p.m. Appeared in Showboat sequence; sang “Dixie” acapella, “Cruisin’ Down the River” and other numbers.
American Water Works Association Show
Booked by William Morris Agency
Hadassah Women’s Club Show
San Diego, California
U.S. Navy Show
Texas
Entertained armed forces for three days in a group headed by disc jockey Johnny Grant.
Korea, Japan, Hawaii, Pacific Islands
USO Tour, Army IMAGE
Also appearing were Larry Roberts, Penny Singleton, Roscoe Ates [?].
Long Beach Elk’s Club, Long Beach, California
Sigma-Pi Fraternity, March of Dimes Dance
“Special event of the evening was the appearance of the Bell Sisters of singing fame. They entertained the audience with several musical selections”
(from Long Beach State College “The Forty-Niner”, February 23, 1955, Page 3)
Salinas, Kansas
Smoky Hills Air Force Base IMAGE
Belvoir, Virginia
Fort Belvoir
Two performances of Hollywood Revue – afternoon at Red Cross Recreational Hall, U.S. Army Hospital, 8:00 p.m. at Wallace Theater.
San Francisco, California
Air Force Association Show
Long Beach, California IMAGE
Scout-O-Rama, Long Beach Area Council – Boy Scouts of America
Veterans Memorial Stadium
Also appearing were Long Beach Municipal Band, “The Rudells” (trampoline act)
