Bonanza, Country-Style

Among the more smoothly rocking cradles of light culture in the U.S. is a resort hotel in the Catskills known as Grossinger's, or simply "The G." A long roster of singers, actors and comedians got early starts on its "Borscht Circuit" stage and are proud to return as stars. Last week Grossinger's declared a field day to honor Eddie Fisher, 24, its latest big-time alumnus and one of the U.S.'s most popular young singers.

Black-haired Eddie Fisher got his chance at Grossinger's at 17, thanks to a recommendation to Manager Jennie Grossinger by Broadway Showman Monte Proser. As a Grossinger's staff member, Eddie sang every night for a whole summer, learned how to gauge the reactions of the hotel's Broadway-wise customers, how to flash his bright smile at the right moment, how to pitch his voice for the best effect. Eddie landed wintertime jobs after that, e.g., singing during the chorus-girl numbers at Manhattan's Copacabana. But his real break came when Eddie Cantor spotted him three summers later at Grossinger's and took him on a vaudeville tour. Since then, Fisher's easygoing voice has made 14 hit records in a row--his I'm Walking Behind You is this week's No. 1 bestseller--and his four radio and TV shows keep him well-centered in the public eye and ear.

Grossinger's also polished up the early careers of Actress Shelley Winters, Comedienne Betty Garrett, Film Producer Dore Schary (who was once editor of the weekly Grossinger News) and Metropolitan Opera Baritone Robert Merrill.*

The G's entertainment program lists some 500 acts a year, which makes it by far the largest in the Catskills. But among the other 300-odd resort hotels, a whopping total of about 62,000 performances a year is totted up, and the other hotels have their own graduate luminaries. Comedian Danny Kaye started at the White Roe Lake Hotel, Met Tenor Jan Peerce at the President Hotel. Comedians Red Buttons, Phil Silvers, Playwrights Moss Hart, Garson Kanin are also Catskill alumni.

Nobody at Grossinger's remembers just when entertainers were first installed, but it was "some time in the early '30s." Manager Jennie Grossinger, daughter of the founder, got the idea, just as she got the idea of having a resident art instructor ("I took up painting myself and had so much fun, I thought my guests would also enjoy it"). Her formula for Eddie Fishers: "Feed them up, and give them a chance."

* Grossinger's also shelters sportsmen: Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano is training there now for his September fight with Roland La Starza. Channel Swimmer Florence Chadwick was a Grossinger pro, as was Golfer Babe Didrickson Zaharias.

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