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AUGUSTA, CHRONICA D. mm S. 59,000 OCT 1 1965 j \-?╟?;. . ?╟≤ ^ #?·?·%; ^?√ß^l?^^ II H ::& C4H you need to be is beautiful' 'Copa girls9 are choicest, but difficult to choose mm LAS VEGAS (UPI)-"A11 you need to be is beautiful." That's Las Vegas producer Jack Entratter's favorite slogan"" selecting young ladies for his "Copa girl" chorus line at the Sands Hotel. "Any girl who is truly beautiful," he explains, "has a $10,000 a year job awaiting her here, and it entails just 12 minutes of work six nights a week." The 12 minutes is a matter of wearing lovely clothes and appearing in the big production number that opens each show at the Sands, where the headliners include Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Red Skelton, Alan King, Joey Bishop, Danny Thomas and Sammy Davis. Being a "Copa girl" has been called a dream job, but finding a "Copa girl" is beginning to become a nightmare. "U n f ortunately," Entratter says "the American girl is a vanishing breed. "There don't seem to be many beautiful girls .with a burning desire to work in a nightclub anymore. Once, it ??hoto Was comparatively easy to find dozens of girls who were not only gorgeous but who felt that a chorus job was a wonderful way to get started in.show business. "Today, the girls are waiting for a break in TV or movies, and the sad thing is that the majority wait their lives away for something that isn't going to happen." The term, "Copa girl," was originated by Entratter in 1940 at the Copacabana in New York. In 1952, he decided to have a "Copa girl" chorus line at the Sands, since the term had become synonymous with beauty. No Chorus Cuties The "Copa girls" are no mere chorus cuties. A producer at one of the other Las Vegas hotels admits they're probably the most gorgeous group of showgirls in the desert city. "They're not just beautiful," he says, "but they look like ladies." Entratter insists on that. He's against two ingredients that are very much a part of many of the other nightclub shows. "Copa girls" are never undepressed in a Sands show. "1 don't think nudity would add anything to our production numbers," he says. "We keep the girls in beautiful gowns?╟÷ sometimes long, sometimes short. They feel pretty in their costumes, and the audience appreciates the total effect." The second thing Entratter won't sanction is too much make-up. "All that eye stuff," he commented, with a look of distaste, "is terrible. I just won't tolerate this kind of exaggeration. "It takes away, rather than adds to true beauty." When Entratter holds auditions for new "Copa girls," usually every eight weeks, he doesn't particularly care if the girls are expert dancers. "The audition is actually a very simple thing," he observed., "I ask that the girls wear leotards and keep their hair up off their face, so that I can see the contours of their face and body. They just have to stand there and then do a few turns so I can see if they are graceful. "I don't ask for their names or background. Not until after a girl has been chosen, do we find out who she is." In the most recent audition, involving 182 girls, Entratter could find seven that he thought might possibly be right to join the "Copa girls." After another audition, in which the girls were put through a series of dance turns and combinations to see how well they moved, the number was reduced again. "If we're lucky," the veteran producer said, "we'll be able to use two of these girls." Many Married "The best way to find beautiful girls today," Entratter continued, "is to go out on the road, cover the entire country, but that's too time-consuming. At present, we usually limit the search to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York since most of the beautiful girls who are trying to get into show business gravitate to these cities." The chorus girls of 20s, years ago were almost always single, but today Entratter finds that many of the girls are married and have a family or are divorcees with several children to support. "Some of our girls are mainly interested in the money which they need for their families. The glamour, to them, is secondary. Other of the girls want to progress from the chorus line and are studying acting or saving their money to try their luck in movies, television or on the stage."