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li FREEMAN COMPANY ?╜ pub//cists l Since then show people have not been surprised at anything involving Jack and his desert stage. When he recently decided that Van Johnson had cabaret possi- bilities, for instance, the young movie star protested he couldn't do it. "Jack," he said, "I haven't the right material and, believe it or not, I haven't got the money to buy it,?╟Ñ "Don't worry about It," Jack replied. "I know a couple of writers In Hollywood who can write the material - and I'll give you a ?║10,000 advance on your salary to pay for It." pros call "socko", and as a special tribute most of the hotel employees began wearing the Van Johnson trademark - bright red socks. Some of them are still on display In other Las Vegas spots.' The tremendous salaries paid by Entratter have occasionally caused a snag or two, but Jack views these problems as Inevitable in a town where seven luxurious gambling casinos are scrambling for their share of the 9 million travelers who visit Las Vegas every year. a week, for example, but had to postpone the booking because the hotel couldn't open on time. When Bay was later offered another date, he asked for $20,000 a week. "I didn't think he was worth that much," says Jack, "and I told him to go somewhere else," Johnny did. got out of hand-- thanks to certain press agents anxious to inflate their clients' value. When Milton Berle was erroneously reported coming to Las Vegas for $37*500 a week, columnist Louella Parsons rebelled and publicly rapped all the publicists on the knuckles. The wild money talk has since subsided. But there Is nothing spurious about Sir Bountiful himself. At the moment, he gives away $5*000 ?√ß worth of whisky every week to gambling visitors in the Casino, plus $800 in cigars and cigarettes. The constant pressure and the seemingly casual but nerve-frazzling juggling of huge sums occasionally Johnson's subsequent performance was what the Jack originally signed Johnny Ray for $8,500 Humors about Las Vegas salaries eventually - more - 9 5 0 8 W I L S H I R E BLVD. ?╟≤ BE V B R LY HILL S, CAL. ?? BRADSHAW 2 - 8 6 1 1