Visit our web site at www.pstos.org

Published monthly by Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society, a non-profit organization furthering the appreciation, preservation and use of the Theatre Pipe Organs of yesteryear. PSTOS is a Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society. Volume 19, No. 8 August 2008 A Chapter of American Theatre Organ Society

Have you reserved? Don’t put it DRIVE DIRECTIONS— Please save! Or refer to your favorite internet map site, off–seating is limited to 60! Mapquest, Google Maps, etc. 9914 Hampshire Ct. SE, Olympia I-5 Southbound: Take exit 116 - Mounts Rd/Old Nisqually, turn left onto Nisqually Rd/Old Pacific Hwy. Continue to follow Old Pacific Hwy about 7 miles to Hwy 510 (Not signed). This is an intersection with a Inaugurates Bill Keller’s new stop sign and sharp hairpin left turn. Turn left onto Hwy 510, go a half mile to Merid- 5-manual Allen theatre organ! ian Road SE (A “Y” to the right). Go .4 mile and turn left at Hampshire Ct. SE. Go Don will put this one-of-a-kind instrument to the end of the street. (White fences) through its paces with lots of your favorite music. Bill’s lovely home in a semi-rural area I-5 Northbound: Take exit 111 for WA- near Olympia is the perfect spot for a summer 510 E/Marvin Rd toward Yelm. Straight afternoon of delightful theatre organ music. through the round-about and follow signs Don Feely began playing the theatre for Marvin Rd N. Turn right at Marvin Rd Music! Refreshments! Fun! pipe organ as a teen and for two years he NE/WA-510, drive 1.6 miles. At the round- performed on the 5/24 Marr & Colton in about, turn left onto Pacific Ave SE and Open Console Will Follow the Sherwood Oriental Theatre. Following drive about three miles to Meridian Rd SE college he traveled for two years across the (a “Y” to the right). Drive .4 mile and turn left at Hampshire Ct. SE. Go to the end of Saturday, August 9, 2:00 p m country as a music director for the Miss 9914 Hampshire Ct. SE, Olympia Teen America pageants. He was a featured the street. (White fences) organist at the Organ Grinder Restaurant A good place for lunch Admission $10, Age 15 and under free in Portland for over 10 years, performing The best restaurants are either the Hawks Prairie Seating limited to 60, Reservtions, please! on the 4/51 Wurlitzer. He and his wife Restaurant or the Hawks Prairie Casino Restau- Heidi are in the process of installing a rant. The casino is behind the restaurant at Exit Reserve by email— [email protected] 3/20 Wurlitzer in their home. 111 on the northbound side of I-5. They have Or by phone at 360-438-1341—leave message good food at reasonable prices. Who wants to go to Clute, Texas? During a Paramount Theater string chamber restoration session at the end of February, Tom Blackwell posed this question to the group. It seems that The 7th Street Theater in Hoquiam had located their original Wurlitzer down in Clute, and were asking for assistance bringing it home. They had contacted Tom via the PSTOS website, and the push was on to get their organ back. Time was of the essence as the owner made clear it would be headed for the dump if they did not move immediately. Ken Double and Dick Wilson had taken the time to drive one hour south of Houston to take a peek at the instrument and buy us some time to assemble a crew. They pronounced it in good shape, at least what they could see of it. At the next work session, Tom asked the same question, and since nobody else seemed interested, I volunteered. I was put in touch with Tom Quigg in Hoquiam, who provided the particulars and also financed the operation. There would be five volunteers (including myself) flying down March 10 to disassemble and pack the organ for a truck trip home. Continued on Page 3… Dave Luttinen removes the organ bolster PUGET SOUND PIPELINE

Vol. 19, No. 8 –August 2008 Published monthly by Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society Hello everyone, 6521 NE 191st ST Paramount Update ♦Don Feely will inaugurate Bill Kenmore, WA 98028-3453 Keller’s exciting 5-manual Allen At the recent American Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society is a non-profit Theatre Organ Society Theatre Organ in Olympia organization furthering the appreciation, restoration, (ATOS) annual convention and use of the historic Theatre Pipe Organs of the THIS WILL BE WORTH THE DRIVE! in Indianapolis, we received 1920s, through education. Don Feely is well known among the good news that PSTOS northwest theatre organ aficionados. OFFICERS will receive an additional He was a featured organist at Portland’s President–Tom Blackwell, 206-784-9203 $3,000 award from the former Organ Grinder Pizza Restaurant, Past Pres.–Clint Meadway, 1-877-843-0953 ATOS Endowment Fund to support our Vice President– Ray Harris, 425-774-1773 has performed for several organ conven- restoration work at the Paramount. Togeth- Secretary–Joani Roughton, 253-946-4400 tions, is music director for St. Andrew’s er with last year’s award of $2,000, our to- Treasurer–Bill Keller, 360-888-5118 Church in Portland and teaches band tal from ATOS is now $5,000 and we have BOARD MEMBERS and choir in Canby, OR. He and his been encouraged to re-apply next year. This Tom Roughton, 253-946-4400 • Bob McCuthchin, 425-743-0565 wife Heidi are busy installing a 3/20 brings our total raised for the Paramount, Dave Luttinen, 206-963-3283 • Phil Hargiss, 206-524-8799 Wurlitzer in their home. from all sources, to nearly $45,000! With COMMITTEES Saturday, August 9 Development & Grant Writing–Barbara Graham a target of $105,000, we are hard at work History & Archives–Tom Blackwell with the Paramount Development office to Organ Restoration & Maintenance–Bob Zat raise the remaining $60,000. Theatre man- CHRISTMAS PIPES AND agers have agreed to host a visit by ATOS ♦ Programs Planning–Ray Harris HAND BELLS Promotions & Media Relations–Dave Luttinen Adult Summer Camp participants, August Scholarship–Carl Dodrill & Norman Miller 11-14. The camp, based at Wurlitzer Man- Keep the afternoon of Sunday, De- Volunteer Coordination–Dan Warner or in Gig Harbor, will include an afternoon cember 21st, 2008, open for a terrific New member processing–Doug Owen, 253-566-6734 visit to the Paramount to see and play the Holiday concert at Calvary Christian Haller Lake keys–Bob Zat original Publix 1 Wurlitzer. Participants will Assembly! Seattle theatre organist Mark Sunshine –Joani Roughton, 253-946-4400 also get a special tour of the theatre with Anderson teams with colleague Lynn Hospitality HLCC—Ellen Sullivan, 206-365-7554 instructors Charlie Balogh and Patti Simon. Anderson on bells to present a wonder- NEWSLETTER & WEBSITE If you are interested in attending the camp, ful concert featuring the rarely heard Pipeline Editors–Russ & JoAnn Evans, 425-485-5465 please apply now at: http://www.atos. Calvary Wurlitzer organ. Pipeline Online Website–Tom Blackwell, 206-784-9203 org/front-desk/forms. Space is limited. In Sunday, December 21 Nat’l Magazine Reporter–Jo Ann Evans other Paramount news, over 80 volunteers, LIAISONS including Clint Meadway, Larry Mayer AMICA & POF–Carl Dodrill • Haller Lake Comm.Club–Bob Zat and Kurt Morrison from PSTOS enjoyed Paramount Theatre–Tom Blackwell • Wash. Center–Andy Crow a special recognition luncheon on board the ms Oosterdam cruise ship on Saturday Listing of non-PSTOS events in the Pipeline July 12. This luncheon was provided by PSTOS, upon request, will list non-conflicting non- Holland America Lines as a way to thank PSTOS theatre organ events in the “Other Events” the Paramount for their business partner- column of the two Pipelines immediately preceding ship. According to Larry, “…there was no Three-rank organ, Fotoplayer, with the event, providing Pipeline editors receive sufficient prior written notification. Venue, artist, type of event, pipe organ on board, but they did have flute, string, vox humana, chimes. Com- date, and contact information will comprise the one acoustic piano, and four grand piano- plete with console and blower. Blower included information. shaped digital pianos.” has vacuum unit. It has no player mecha- Advertising in the Pipeline Scholarship News nism. Crated. For more information con- Classified-type ads for member-owned electronic, 16 year old PSTOS member Kat Bright- tact Richard Warburton, 360-677-2254. electric, or pipe organs, and/or pipe organ parts, will be published at no charge. Please limit copy to well will be attending the ATOS Youth Summer Camp held in the Chicago area, include brief description, contact name and phone hosts and then we’ll have our chance to number. Prices will not be listed. Ads may be edited July 21-25. Her attendance is supported by welcome theatre organ fans the world over for content and length. Mail ad copy to address above. a $650 award from the PSTOS Scholarship Other advertising is not accepted. Fund. Thanks to all those who have con- to Seattle in 2010 when PSTOS hosts the tributed to this fund over the last year. It’s convention. Your PSTOS Board is busy at Joining Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society is great to see the monies put to such good work with planning. If you have program- quick and easy! For a one year membership, send use for someone as enthusiastic as Kat. ming ideas you would like to share, or have a $20 check payable to PSTOS together with your Seattle ATOS Convention Update - 23 an interest in helping out with lodging, name(s) as you would like them to appear on your transportation, catering and special events, name badges, your address with complete 9-digit months and ticking! With over 550 attendees, the recent please contact me at [email protected] or ZIP code, and your email address (optional) to: (206) 784-9203. Bill Keller, Treasurer, 9914 Hampshire Ct. SE, Indianapolis ATOS convention was a rous- Olympia, WA 98513-4241. ing success! Next year, Cleveland, Ohio Tom Blackwell, President 2 PUGET SOUND PIPELINE • AUGUST 2008 we decided to eat upon arrival and start the a representative F#. Thankfully, the reporter next morning once we knew what we had. did not write the episode for the local news. Arriving at the residence early March An older gentleman came to help and 11, we were welcomed by the owner who he built the most magnificent pedal board box you have ever seen. Not one finger was Kenyon Hall in West Seattle showed us around. The console and most ♦ of the pipes were assembled on the porch, touched in the entire process. The inner Latest news can be found on the web at but the console was not wired in. There was blocks held it from moving both sideways www.kenyonhall.org or by email at no wind connected. The diapason offsets and forward to rear. [email protected] were in the hallway inside the house. The Without the console, we had room to work. The chests were straightforward; one Lincoln Theatre in Mt. Vernon relay and blower were in a shed out back, ♦ along with extra parts. was custom made and lightweight. Every Hear the Wurlitzer every Mon/Tue at 7p m & The rental truck was acquired after a list set of parts that would fit in a bag was la- Fri/Sat/Sun at 5p m . of lumber was assembled. Lane laid out beled and its spot marked with blue tape. tools on a makeshift bench while materi- All the relay wiring’s insulation had been ♦ Columbia River Organ Club als were purchased. A production line was eaten by critters. The shed was floor to ceil- For info and latest news go to put together and we built the crates in a ing in pipe-organ related parts, but it was www.croconline.org few short hours. We were able to acquire unclear whether they were original or not Bellingham’s Mt Baker Theatre spare lumber for free from the local Home ♦ Depot, which came in handy when packing. The Mt. Baker is closed for a few One morning we spent dumpster diving for months for upgrading the heating and air cardboard to protect parts from chafing. conditioning system. Watch this column for The day we removed the console was reopening date and events. quite an event. The media showed up as well as the entire Clute Volunteer Fire Clute, Texas… Department. They were called (in advance) My task was to keep them on track and on a non-emergency call where muscle was identify the parts for later reassembly. needed, so fire trucks showed up and they Having helped move one Kimball theater used their strength and agility to remove organ hardly makes me a crew chief, but the console from the front porch. There many of you who have been around for a was exactly 0.125” clearance without the while learned from being put to the test in as the organ had been expanded over time. the field. So with a great deal of trepida- The floor of the shed used to be plywood, tion I began a rapid exchange of informa- but it was deteriorated so most material sat tion regarding what tools to take, packing on the dirt. With two work areas, it was materials we would need, and passed along quite a process to keep everyone busy. We Tom Blackwell’s magnificent formula for finished late on March 12, but wanted to pipe crates. make sure the truck was balanced and solid. In addition to Tom Quigg, Lane You- Early in the morning March 13, at the mans (my roomie), Mark Izatt, and Marv Day’s Inn where we stayed, we were given Hammell took time out of their week to permission to off-load nearly everything trek to Texas on this worthwhile adventure. and repack the load. It was spread over Clute is about an hour south of Hous- their parking lot and lawn and everything ton, and the route Mark and Marv would screen door frame and not one scratch was was inspected one item at a time. It was take home covered 2700 miles. They opted put on the console. They put it all the way quite a panorama of items. not to go the shortest route but the most to the front of the truck in no time flat. It Talking about six degrees of separation: weather and hill friendly route. It was mid- was a blessing beyond belief to have their the owner of the pipe organ in Clute, Texas March and nature had been known to put help. knows a close friend of mine in Tacoma as up roadblocks on the straight line home in When the newspaper reporter asked to both were pastors of churches in the area. the past. hear one of the pipes, I selected a suitable The short story is that the truck arrived Opus 789 was sitting in an enclosed trumpet from the chest, made a circle with in Hoquiam to a media frenzy and quite a front porch for the last twenty something my finger to keep my mouth off the toe bit of fanfare. Not one item shifted! years, and had not played since its last and blew. Nothing happened. So I took a The 7th Street Theatre has their organ move. Unfortunately, a windstorm dropped larger breath of air and blew harder. Noth- back in the basement in its entirety. Well, a tree into the porch and rainwater poured ing happened. I looked at the reporter and except that when I returned from my recent into some of the pipes for some number one of the work crew with a quizzical grin, trip, I found a plastic bag that said “Con- of years. The damage is reparable, but it examined the opening of the pipe which sole Cover Screws.” So I sheepishly wrote will take skill and labor to get it back to did not display anything untoward, took a Lane Youmans my confession who replied designer specifications. HUGE breath and blew. “THAT’S where they went.” We arrived at SeaTac airport within mo- Foom! Sputter. At my feet lay a perfect This is an ongoing story. The arrival of ments of each other and had a quick cup of cone of dead crickets, beetles, spiders, and WurliTzer Opus 789 in Hoquiam was the coffee and pastry to discuss how the process cock roaches. They sat in a perfect pile with completion of a journey, but the beginning would work. Since we were arriving in the sails of dust radiating from the center. Once of a new life in its magnificent home. evening and had some distance to drive, again I created my blow hole and out came …Dave Luttinen PUGET SOUND PIPELINE • AUGUST 2008 3 1966

Reprinted from The Seattle Times, January 11, 1966 Midnight Music on the Pipes By Byron Fish

If the time for pipe organ concerts here University District to the seems to be set with Walpurgis Night in Tukwila basement of Bill mind, it is due only to circumstances. Carson, a machinist at Boe- Organ music fans turn out at midnight and ing. go home when the roosters crow simply The Embassy The- because the graveyard hours are when the atre had a Kimball organ theatre is available to them. which is now in Edmonds, The American Theatre Organ Enthusi- installed in the home of asts are sponsoring another concert at the Harold Shawver, an insur- Paramount Theatre Saturday at midnight. ance man. Howard Burr, The organist will be Don Baker, interna- 2202 N. 60th, also owns a tionally known recording artist. Tickets are Kimball. on sale at Sherman Clay, or can be obtained Bill Morrison, who is in at the door. construction work, made Last fall, members of A.T.O.E. devoted sure his Robert Morton about eight weekends of voluntary labor to pipe organ would transplant reconditioning the Paramount’s pipe organ. comfortably. The instru- Then they presented Larry Vannucci, San ment went from the Roxy Francisco organist, in a public recital that Theatre in Tacoma to a miniature theatre, brand. Ed Stern, 4210 48th S., latched lasted until 3 a m because nobody would go balconies and all, in Morrison’s home at onto one of the original roller rink organs home. Mukilteo. in the Northwest, a Wurlitzer from King’s The purpose this time, as then, is to raise Thirty years ago, when live programs in Tacoma. money for parts to put the Fifth Avenue originated in radio stations or came directly Numerous other A.T.O.E. members own Theatre’s pipe organ into good repair. It from the production studios of the net- large pipe organs as yet unassembled. Dick may end up as the only big instrument left works, major stations had their own pipe Schrum’s Morton, for example, came from in a Seattle theatre. organs. the Orpheum Theatre in Portland. He may Maintenance of a pipe organ is a con- They furnished background music for have to build a new home to house it. tinuing expense, whether or not it is used. local productions and for late evening Obviously pipe organ fans have instru- Leather bellows grow brittle or come musical programs. If a network breakdown ments to which they themselves can listen. unglued with age, and instruments played interrupted a program, a standby musician They feel that in sponsoring public concerts by remote control from the keyboard need rushed to the keyboard and kept the station such as the one Saturday night, they are tuning. on the air. acting for the general welfare. If A.T.O.E. members know how to The Wurlitzer from the KOMO stu- repair pipe organs, it is because so many of dios is now owned by Bennett Fisher, Jr., The following 1922 article from an Astoria, them have installed one in their own home. who installed it in his Des Moines home. Oregon, newspaper is typical of the writings At least one of the organs is bigger than the Since the Fisher Flouring Mills family owns of a reporter who wasn’t listening carefully Paramount’s. KOMO, this organ has something of the to the facts! All misspelled words have been Robert C. Jones, a banker, has a four- status of an heirloom. reproduced for your amusement. The organ manual 20-rank combination Wurlitzer and Russ Evans, Lake City grocer, went pipe- was a 2/4 Morton. The theatre was later Morton in the basement of his Edmonds organ hunting in Los Angeles. He found a renamed the Blue Mouse. home. The Paramount organ stops with 20 Kimball and gave it to the Prince of Peace sets of pipes. Lutheran Church at 145th and 20th N.E. Organ Installed in Real Arts Theatre The Kimball from the Palomar Theatre, Evans has a Wurlitzer in his home. recently torn down, ended up at Martha Dan Adamson, 4225 Eastern N., put to- Installation of the big $15,000 organ Lake in the possession of Jim Collier, a gether a Wurlitzer and a Morton operated in the new Real Arts theatre on Com- machine-shop owner. Collier converted by one console. Adamson is a teacher but mercial Street was practically complete the lower part of a barn into a home. The also a pipe organ technician, so he knew yesterday under the efforts of C. M. Bal- upper half is a dance floor, complete with how to go about the mechanics of it. com, superintendent of construction with pipe organ. Ray Whelpley of Bellevue has an organ Sherman, Clay & Co., of Portland. The Wurlitzer that once roared in the he calls “Mostly Wurlitzer,” Woody Presho, It has been under erection for three Rolladium Roller Rink went from the 16837 Fourth S., owns a purebred of that weeks, that time being necessary to install 4 PUGET SOUND PIPELINE • AUGUST 2008 Advertisement from an Albany, Oregon newspaper, March 1922

the many complicated parts, such as hun- pipes, effects, etc, is supplied by a large equipped with the Vox Humano pipes for dreds of electric magnets, valves, pneu- blower driven by a 3 hp. motor, turning the reproduction of the human voice. matics, pipes, cables, contacts, chests, 1300 revolutions per minute, deliver- Mr. Balcom, who for the past few tremelos, etc. ing approximately twelve pounds to the weeks has been here installing the organ The instrument has its own generating square inch at the organ. made a special trip to the Robert Morton plant furnishing 10 volts, 20 ampere cur- It is voiced strictly orchestral, giving organ factory at Van Nuys, California to rent. As the action of the organ is electric absolute imitations of such instruments design the many different parts operating throughout and so much depends on a as Orchestral Oboe, saxaphone, French the tones and mechanism. quick response to the organist’s touch at horn, flute, piccolo, violin, cello, bass Mr. Balcom says the accoustics in the the keyboard, the generator really plays viola, cornet, drums, xylophone, chimes, Real Arts theatre are absalutely the best an important part in the correctness of tom tom and others. Special attention and that this condition is a wonderful aid the playing. is called to the string harp in this instru- in the voicing and tone regulation of the The wind used to supply different ment known as the harp celeste. It is also instrument. PUGET SOUND PIPELINE • AUGUST 2008 5 PUGET SOUND THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY An Orgabiography Non-Profit Org. Russ & Jo Ann Evans, Newsletter Editors U.S. Postage by Genevieve McMahan 6521 NE 191st ST PAID In last month’s Pipeline you read of the Kenmore, WA 98028-3453 Bothell, WA Permit #287 recent visit to Haller Lake by McMahan family members to again see the Wurlitzer that had earlier been owned by their RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED parents. After her husband’s death in an auto accident, Mrs. McMahan sold the organ to PSTOS, and it was installed at HLCC. In 1966, Mrs. McMahan submitted to Theatre Organ Journal a humorous recounting of the family’s experiences restoring the instrument. Reprinted here is the first of two parts. Never, but never, have I been swept away with any wild daydreams of being owned by a theatre pipe organ. My exposure to them was limited to the gilded console with the golden voice accompanying the silent flick- ers. So it was quite a revelation a few short years ago to discover the organ itself is a conglomeration of tin, wood and leather concealed from an unsuspecting audience. My routine as an Ohio wife and mother was sometimes nudged a little off course by a spouse who frequently imparted juicy little tidbits about pipe organs. Fulfilling his lifetime interest in pipe organs, he followed indirect leads to uncovering forgotten instruments, gathering information about their locations and playability, and advising, to whoever would lend an ear, whether or not they could be salvaged. The outcome Receipt dated April 4, 1959 for $50, payment in full for the Wurlitzer pipes now installed in Haller of my husband’s visit to an Eagles board Lake Community Club. The console and blower were missing and replacements had to be located. meeting in a converted theatre set up for party, leaving a trail of grimy footsteps, we glue and screwed joints produced a console bingo, completely altered our joint family pretended to ignore the startled expressions capable of being knocked down, a feature activities. Acting in an advisory capacity of on the players’ faces as the game came to a proving invaluable to us at a later date. It aiding them in disposing of a pipe organ, he faltering halt. We are past masters at doing was placed on a caster bearing platform so ended up buying the contraption. This in everything the hard way, so although we it could be horsed around like any other itself was an astonishing development, but reached a hasty decision to make a base- abnormal piece of furniture, requiring little eeh gad, we didn’t even have an organist in ment installation, the organ had to be more than the standard wifely supervision. the family. Our joint repertoire was limited stored in the attic. The carting of pipes The restoration included a complete to monotonous renditions of “Love Letters and boxes up to their temporary quarters wood refinishing, renewal of all felt, re- in the Sand” and the first four measures was executed with a minimum amount of cementing the lead tubing and the indoctri- of “American Bolero.” It didn’t take me grumbling and fumbling, but maneuver- nation of leathering. The art of releathering long to realize that our lives were about to ing the chests over banisters and around can best be accomplished with a pot of revolve around a Wurlitzer opus 1432, of corners was quite a strain on some beautiful strong coffee, pipe organ records grinding 6 ranks–divided: (Main) Flute, Open and friendships. full blast on the hi-fi, and a semi-awareness Salicional; (Solo) Tibia, Vox, Trumpet, and Most hobbies are pursued in a logi- to the tedious ritual of strip, sand, dip, the Toy Counter, a nonsensical but lovable cal sequence of steps, but ours was a mish brush, smooth, press, dry and trim. The accessory. mash of planning, hunting for a console, fabulous organ buffs we were beginning to We were catapulted into a feverish world blower and motor, and starting a complete meet generously permitted our brain pick- of activity when the project of removal was restoring job. Some of my husband’s ideas ing, accelerating my apprenticeship so I was underway. Four nights a week, with a bor- were quite a stumbling block but we finally soon graduated to a journeyman. Allowed rowed station wagon, three dubious young- resolved his insistence on a three manual to dismantle the offsets, relay and two main sters of our own, plus any more we could console by locating a Marr & Colton 3/7 chests, I toiled with the speed of a snail coerce into helping, we tiptoed through the in Toledo. The console weaved and sagged and was overwhelmed to face a mounting auditorium of bingo players, trudged up due to tired glue, as it was transported 125 display of pans, casseroles and soup plates four flights of steep stairs into sooty organ miles in a trailer, so we decided to give it filled with discs, gizmos, thing-a-ma-bobs chambers and loaded up the outstretched our immediate attention. In the renovation and doodads. arms. Parading back through the bingo and reassembly, a revised combination of Part two will appear in the September Pipeline. 6 PUGET SOUND PIPELINE • AUGUST 2008