ATOS SepOct 50-5 G 8/8/08 3:40 PM Page 1
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008
50THEATRE ORGAN YEARS ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:17 PM Page 2
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WALKERTHEATRE ORGANS • 6610 CrownLane , Zionsville, PA18092 • phone610.966.8585 • www.walkertheatreorgan.com ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:37 PM Page 1
THEATRE ORGAN SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 Volume 50 | Number 5
FEATURES THEATRE ORGAN Theatre Organs of Chicago 14 Roseland State Theatre 16 Wurlitzer Opus 1854 20 Link Organ Company 50 51 Years Later YEARS 30 The Organ-ized Art 34 of Eric H. Fahner 38 A Renaissance in Phoenix 42 The Australian Adventure
DEPARTMENTS 4 Vox Humana 5 Headquarters 6 Letters 8 News & Notes Chicago Roseland State Theatre 11 From the Archives 12 Vox Nova 13 Vox Pops 24 For the Records On the cover: The cover illustration of Loew’s Jersey Theatre, Jersey City, New Jersey, was drawn by ATOS member Eric H. Fahner; more of his detailed, colorful art may be found on 46 Professional Perspectives pages 34–37. Inaugural performances of the four-manual Robert-Morton organ installed by members of the Garden State Theatre Organ Society at Loew’s Jersey Theatre will be held 48 Chapter News October 3–5. The American Theatre Organ Society congratulates members of GSTOS on the installation. 62 Around the Circuit THEATRE ORGAN (ISSN 0040-5531) is published bimonthly by the American Theatre Organ Society, 65 Meeting Minutes Inc., 5 Third Street, Suite 724, San Francisco, California 94103-3200. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, California and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscription of $33.00 paid from members’ dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THEATRE ORGAN, c/o ATOS Membership 66 Obituaries Office, P.O. Box 5327, Fullerton, California 92838, [email protected].
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 1 ATOS SepOct50-5H8/9/083:37PMPage2 2 ! +, -.&. ) * %&'( " #$ " ! $# $5 4 & +2$ ( 3 4 3 0" "%%" ( 45 &'"()"*'"(+* '"(),% -) # $. -% 5" ,%$ " 1 7 0 (2 '$"* ' +/0 1 0 " '' "# " 6*3 $" 4* % 6* & ( 47 6* & ( , 88""( " ($"* " $ "'+ *4 $ "*'"(1* %$ 040 . / $ % $3%& ( -31%&&1 $ )/:,9 1 2 " 884" // ,$ +/, . &39" THEATRE ORGAN Make GreatGifts! P S Concert Series EET THE RESENTS For more informationcontactSusanCole. USAN Jim Merry,ExecutiveSecretary Church ontheSquare, TheVillages,FL “Pop” Organ Memberships 352-383-6975 Cell407-252-1997 Friday, February13,2009 —Jelani Eddington— P.O. Box5327,Fullerton Friday, January16,2009 [email protected] (1.5 hours northofOrlando) Friday, March 13,2009 C —Tommy Johnson www.atos.org Friday, April3,2009 —Choy Lozada— & HalVincent— OLE California 92838, California Donna Parker —Ken Double— [email protected] 503/642-7009 [email protected] Aloha, Oregon97007 Box6103 Post Office P D for bookinginformation: DonnaI Parker NCORPORATED RODUCTIONS ONNA ATOS K 11 EYBOARD TH P A ARKER NNUAL P , RODUCTIONS 009 V ast.net ILLAGES ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:37 PM Page 3
Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society Library of Congress Catalog Number ML 1T 334 (ISSN 0040-5531) Printed in U.S.A. SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 Volume 50 | Number 5
THEATRE ORGAN EDITORIAL OFFICE CORPORATE OFFICE ENDOWMENT FUND WEBSITE (www.atos.org) 1845 South Michigan Avenue #1905 American Theatre Organ Society, Inc. Michael Fellenzer Tom Blackwell Chicago, Illinois 60616 5 Third Street, Suite 724 6041 Garver Road 9717 Dayton Avenue North Voice/Fax 312-842-7475 San Francisco, California 94103 Indianapolis, Indiana 46208 Seattle, Washington 98103 [email protected] 317-251-6962 206-784-9203 DESIGN & TYPESETTING Fax 317-251-6940 206-778-2724 mobile PRESIDENT Sleeping Giant Creative [email protected] [email protected] Ken Double Indianapolis, Indiana 5705 80th Street North INNER-CITY YOUTH/SCHOOLS PROGRAM PRINTING & MAILING St. Petersburg, Florida 33709 Johnson Press of America TBA 281-798-6205 Pontiac, Illinois MENTOR PROGRAM [email protected] Donna Parker (see above at Education) ATOS MISSION STATEMENT—The Ameri- VICE PRESIDENT ATOS COMMITTEES can Theatre Organ Society (ATOS) is NOMINATIONS—BOARD ELECTION Craig Peterson the leading international organization & CHAIRS Bill Carr 7800 Laguna Vega Drive dedicated to pursuing a positive ACQUISITIONS & EXPANSIONS 11815 North 77th Drive Elk Grove, California 95758 difference in conserving and promot- Ken Double (see above at President) Peoria, Arizona 85345 916-682-9699 ing the theatre pipe organ and its 623-694-1746 [email protected] AMATEUR THEATRE ORGANIST music, preserving original instruments COMPETITION [email protected] where possible. We provide support SECRETARY Susan Cole ORGANIST SCHOLARSHIPS and guidance to all ATOS chapters Bob Evans P.O. Box 653 Carlton Smith and others, with promotional and 798 Old Warren Road Mount Dora, Florida 32756 2175 North Irwin Street educational opportunities to both Swansea, Massachusetts 02777 352-383-6875 Indianapolis, Indiana 46219-2220 those within the Society, and to the Voice/Fax 508-674-0276 [email protected] 317-356-1240 public worldwide through the Internet, [email protected] Fax: 317-322-9379 publications, conventions, and per- Colonel Mike Hartley TREASURER sonal contact. We are passionately 17 Whippoorwill Drive PIPE PIPER Paul Van Der Molen devoted to providing professional Palm Coast, Florida 32164 Jonathan Ortloff 0 N 468 Willow Road leadership and resources so the theatre 386-445-7562 CPU 274369 Wheaton, Illinois 60187 pipe organ will thrive in the 21st century. [email protected] Rochester, New York 14627 630-653-4986 518-572-8397 Fax 630-653-4987 ARCHIVE/LIBRARY [email protected] [email protected] Jim Patak THEATRE ORGAN (title registered U.S. Rialto Square PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTORS (current term) Patent Office) is the official publication 5 East Van Buren Street, Suite 210 Donna Parker (see above at Education) John Apple (2011) of the American Theatre Organ Joliet, Illinois 60432 John DeMajo (2011) PUBLICATIONS REVIEW Society, Inc. (ATOS), a non-profit 708-562-8538 Jelani Eddington (2010) Doug Powers organization. © 2008 American Theatre [email protected] Michael Fellenzer (2010) 3323 Belvoir Boulevard Organ Society, Inc. All rights reserved. ARCHIVAL LIAISON Beachwood, Ohio 44122 Allen Miller (2010) Annual membership in the American Jeff Weiler (see above at Journal 216-401-9671 Don Near (2009) Theatre Organ Society is $40.00 per Donna Parker (2009) Advertising) Fax 440-338-5651 [email protected] year ($55.00 outside of the U.S.A.), Doug Powers (2009) AROUND THE CIRCUIT which includes six issues of THEATRE Bucky Reddish (2011) Dave Luttinen RESTORATION & PRESERVATION ORGAN. Make check or money order YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE 4710 225th Place SW Allen Miller payable to ATOS and mail to the TO THE BOARD Mountlake Terrace, Washington 98043 167 Carriage Drive ATOS Membership Office, P.O. Box Tyler Morkin 425-678-8813 Glastonbury, Connecticut 06033 5327, Fullerton, California 92838, 1240 East Broomfield Street, Apt 00-8 [email protected] 860-633-5710 [email protected]. MasterCard Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 Fax 860-633-7230 and VISA are accepted. AWARDS & RECOGNITION 906-367-1454 [email protected] Don Near [email protected] Single copies of current and back issues 9700 Chapman Avenue SIMONTON LITERARY PRIZE are available for $6.00 each (please JOURNAL ADVERTISING Garden Grove, California 92841 Jelani Eddington (see above at Bylaws) add $3.00 per issue sent outside of the Jeff Weiler 714-544-1106 Donna Parker (see above at Education) U.S.A.). Make check or money order 1845 South Michigan Avenue #1905 Fax 714-539-5734 STRATEGIC PLANNING payable to ATOS and mail with your Chicago, Illinois 60616 [email protected] Doug Powers (see above at order to ATOS Marketplace, Dennis Voice/Fax 312-842-7475 BYLAWS Publications Review) Unks, 4002 Westbury Ridge Drive, Erie, [email protected] Pennsylvania 16506. Jelani Eddington TECHNICAL ATOS MARKETPLACE 1706 West Palomino Drive Allen Miller (see above at Restoration Dennis Unks Racine, Wisconsin 53402 & Preservation) 4002 Westbury Ridge Drive 262-639-8788 Opinions expressed in articles and Erie, Pennsylvania 16506 Fax 262-639-8242 TECHNICAL CONSULTATION PROGRAM advertisements appearing in THEATRE 814-838-8794 [email protected] Allen Miller (see above at Restoration ORGAN are not necessarily those Fax 440-338-5651 & Preservation) CHAPTER RELATIONS of the American Theatre Organ Society [email protected] Craig Peterson DAVID L. JUNCHEN TECHNICAL or the Editor. ATOS is not responsible MEMBERSHIP/EXECUTIVE SECRETARY 7800 Laguna Vega Drive SCHOLARSHIP for omissions or errors that result Jim Merry Elk Grove, California 95758 Allen Miller (see above at Restoration from misrepresentation of information P.O. Box 5327 916-682-9699 & Preservation) provided. Advertisers and their agents assume all liability for advertising con- Fullerton, California 92838 [email protected] YOUNG THEATRE ORGANIST COMPETITION 714-773-4354 tent. Advertisements in THEATRE ORGAN CONVENTION PLANNING Jelani Eddington (see above at Bylaws) Fax 714-773-4829 do not constitute an endorsement by Mike Kinerk Donna Parker (see above at Education) [email protected] ATOS or the Editor of goods or services 2655 Pine Tree Drive YOUTH INITIATIVES: offered. The Editorial Office reserves the JOURNAL STAFF Miami Beach, Florida 33140 GEORGE WRIGHT MEMORIAL right to accept, reject, or edit any and EDITOR Jeff Weiler 305-532-9000 FELLOWSHIP all submitted articles and advertising. CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fax 305-376-3679 THEATRE ORGAN INSTRUCTOR Vern Bickel, Jonathan Ortloff, [email protected] & STUDENT LISTS Article submissions: We are pleased to Scott Smith accept manuscripts for review. Contact EDUCATION Jelani Eddington (see above at Bylaws) PUBLISHER Doug Powers the Editor, Jeff Weiler ([email protected], Jelani Eddington (see above at Bylaws) PUBLICATIONS MANAGER THEATRE ORGAN STUDENT OF THE YEAR 312-842-7475) to discuss length and Alden Stockebrand Donna Parker Tyler Morkin (see above at Youth content. ADVERTISING Jeff Weiler P.O. Box 6103 Representative) Aloha, Oregon 97007 Reproduction: No part of THEATRE ASSOCIATE EDITORS THEATRE ORGAN WORKSHOPS 503-642-7009 ORGAN may be reproduced in any AROUND THE CIRCUIT Dave Luttinen Jonas Nordwall Fax: 503-530-8610 form by any means without prior written MUSIC Steven Ball 7221 SW 13th [email protected] consent from ATOS. For additional REVIEWS Andy Antonczyk, Portland, Oregon 97219 reprint information, please contact Stanley D. Hightower ELECTRONIC ORGANS (ETONES) 503-246-7262 Jeff Weiler, THEATRE ORGAN Editorial PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES Bucky Reddish [email protected] Office, 1845 South Michigan Avenue Edward M. Stout III 5370 Vinings Lake View Drive #1905, Chicago, Illinois 60616, WURLITZER RARITIES Ron Mitchell Mableton, Georgia 30126-2542 [email protected]. [email protected]
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 3 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:37 PM Page 4
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Cratos, as taken from the Greek, means strength and power.
Our friends in the Cedar Rapids Original theatre organ installations are chapter (CRATOS) have suffered devas- rare; having two in such close proximity is tating losses. In June, not one, but two extraordinary. The theatre organ world original theatre pipe organs were severely waits anxiously to learn of the future of damaged as a result of floods which these spectacular instruments and the ravaged a large portion of the city along buildings which house them. the banks of the Cedar River. Repeated The resolve, character, and strength of and heavy rainstorms contributed to the Iowa people is legendary—they show the historic catastrophe. The Paramount their best in time of crisis and in Theatre and its original Wurlitzer organ overcoming adversity. I have no doubt that (Opus 1907, 1927) have become icons in much will be accomplished. the national media symbolizing the extent For further information, please visit the and brutality of such natural forces. The CRATOS web site at www.cr-atos.com. one-of-a-kind art case Wurlitzer console —Jeff Weiler, Editor floated tethered by its main cable as water levels rose some seven feet above the stage. Days later, it was found lying on its back, pedalboard still in place, covered with muck. A few blocks away, Theatre Cedar Rapids (the former Iowa Theatre) and its original Wangerin-Barton organ (Opus 510, 1927) fared somewhat better, yet the famous rhinestone-studded console was partially submersed.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• CONCERTS • SILENT FILMS (ON 4 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:37 PM Page 5 As I write this message to you, we have just concluded one of the most successful ATOS annual conventions in recent memory. Our collective congratulations and thanks go to our friends at the Central Indiana chapter, including Convention Chair Tim Needler and his most capable staff, for putting on a near-flawless event. Of particular interest is the fact that Meanwhile, important steps such as the more than 530 attended the gathering, a updating of our Mission Statement, the sharp increase over the New York City addition of a new Vision Statement, the numbers, and that this number bodes well first steps toward adding a new post of for the Western Reserve chapter which International Liaison to the Board (with will host us all next year in Cleveland. the most capable Simon Moran as the That chapter’s presentation provided quite nominee), the first steps toward producing a buzz as it will live up to its billing as the our own ATOS webcast program, and so “In-Theatre Convention,” with instal- much more came out of our meetings in lations being presented in no fewer than Indianapolis. eight glorious movie palaces. For those who attended the Indi- Musically, it will be difficult for any anapolis convention, thank you and we convention to live up to the level of sincerely hope you enjoyed yourselves. musicianship that was on display in For all of us, it is not too early to begin Indianapolis. You will eventually enjoy planning for Cleveland in 2009. Our first Robert Ridgeway’s review of the affair, so visit there should be spectacular. I won’t get into particulars except to state On a personal note, it is good to see that every step of the way, the music Board member (and also an ATOS charter seemed to get better. Our thanks and member) Allen Miller doing well. Can you congratulations to our artists, as well, for imagine he suffered a slight stroke on providing so much wonderful entertain- Tuesday, and yet showed up for our Board ment for us all. meeting on Wednesday prior to the Also coming out of this convention was convention! A quick move to Indianapolis’ the announcement of a change at the top. Methodist Hospital provided the care The ATOS Board of Directors has formally necessary. That, and the help of John and announced the new position of President/ Meredith Sibley, got Allen whole again so CEO, and I am proud, humbled, honored he could enjoy the last two days of the and excited to lead ATOS through this event. The wonders of modern medicine title. For the first time, this is a paid, full- and the recuperative powers of youth! We time post that will provide ATOS an in- are better because of Allen’s participation charge person working every day for the and are delighted he is doing well. good of the organization and its members. We will chat again soon. The position becomes effective —Ken Double September 1, 2008, and with it will come changes in the officers. There will be a new Chairman selected by the Board. Craig Peterson’s position will become Vice Chairman. SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 5 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:37 PM Page 6 Being from the Richmond area, she told Once Seven, Wendy Wurlitzer me of the upcoming rejuvenation of the Now One In the mid 1950s, Hugh Burdick of Lake Byrd Theatre, hopefully to include the Geneva, Wisconsin invited me to go with Wurlitzer, playable, but in need of In the heyday of the theatre organ, him to Richmond, Virginia, where he was to substantial repair. Now inflamed to action Ireland possessed seven such instru- “refurbish” and tune the Wurlitzer in the (plus having heard my copy of Leibert Takes ments—two in Dublin, two in Belfast, and Byrd Theatre. This was in anticipation of Richmond), Wendy was appointed to a one each in Cork, Limerick, and Bangor. Of Leibert’s recording by Westminster Record- committee-for-the-organ. To show her the seven, only one now remains—the ing Company. Unusual for 17 ranks with two sincerity, she put her money where her Compton, originally installed in the Tonic Tibias (a Tibia Plena and the other a Tibia mouth is and made a very substantial Theatre in Bangor, County Down. Later Clausa), the combined sound created a donation. transferred to a local school, it continued to “whipped cream” blend. Fine acoustics, a ATOS could use a lot more Wendy entertain audiences there for over 30 years. vibrant ensemble, and an excellent record- Wurlitzers! Interested in aiding the cause? This year the school is to be demolished, ing technique made for an electrifying Her e-mail address is [email protected]. so the organ has been removed and securely record even by today’s standard. —Fred Hermes stored until another home for it is found. This “Wurly Byrd,” then in his late 20s Hopefully this will be in the new Bangor but now in the 21st century, is plugging Grammar School, construction of which will along…an old geezer yet active; age 80, but Kudos to start this autumn and should be completed needing the proverbial “shot-in-the-arm” by 2010. To provide accommodation for the that some of us require in our dotage. With ATOS Board organ in the new school will cost about the Byrd still operating but due for a I have never written a letter to the £35,000 and, at a later stage, restoration is restoration, it was thought the Wurly should THEATRE ORGAN editor before, but I expected to cost around £100,000. Appeals also have some consideration. would be remiss if I did not express a few for help have been submitted to no fewer Enter now a much later model Wurlitzer, comments about the ATOS Board of than seven possible sources of funding, Wendy, the great-great-granddaughter of Directors (BOD). but so far the replies have not been Rudolph, founder of the Wurlitzer Com- First, this letter is not meant to disparage encouraging. pany; the great-granddaughter of Howard, any BOD member, past or present. On the Are there perhaps any ATOS members overseer of the company’s other various contrary, I have spent many years on my with Irish/Ulster connections who would be musical manufacturing aspects; and the neighborhood homeowners association willing to help? The Tonic Organ Trust is a great-grandniece of Farny, who ran the board and know how thankless this type of small band of enthusiasts determined to division at North Tonawanda, New York in duty too often is. ensure that this last remaining theatre organ the heydaze [sic] of the roaring 20s. While This being said, I must say that the in Ireland is preserved and continues to scanning the obits in the Milwaukee current BOD is doing outstanding work for entertain audiences at public concerts. Journal-Sentinel last October, the name the organization. I hope every Society Any help you can give them will be Rymund Wurlitzer, a prominent banker, member realizes how lucky ATOS is to have greatly appreciated and gratefully acknowl- popped up. Immediately calling the funeral the current BOD working on their behalf, edged. Contributions may be sent to me at home, I was told a family member would giving their time, energy, talent and passion. the address below, made payable to the contact me. It was Wendy! We became fast The survey in the May/June issue of Tonic Organ Trust’s bank account: IBAN friends during our discussion of her heritage THEATRE ORGAN is only the latest GB12BARC 2062 2373 994414 (Swift TBC and my revelation to her of the saga of the example of this. The BOD has been BARC GB22). Mighty Wurlitzer. Accepting an invitation extremely good for the Society, not because Perhaps I should add that I have been an to experience the five-manual Wurly in of any deficiency in previous boards, but ATOS member for about 30 years, have my “Basement Bijou,” she examined the because they do so much more than attended many of its annual conventions, chambers and signed a 16 ft. Bombarde required. and on several occasions have contributed pipe. She was HOOKED, then joining both I correlate this to the business I lead, articles to THEATRE ORGAN. Most ATOS and the Dairyland Theatre Organ Organ Stop Pizza. Events and conversations recently I was the winner of Bill Irwin’s Society. competition, and my arrangement of “Silent of the past few years have caused my Night” appeared in the January/February business partners and me to begin thinking 2008 issue. about what lies ahead for each of us, and for —Rodney Bambrick Organ Stop. In the not-too-distant future, we 1B Beverly Hills, Bangor will begin to look for the right situation to Northern Ireland BT20-4NA step aside and have “new blood” take over. 6 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:37 PM Page 7 Will we be as lucky as ATOS and find people to take the reins who will allow us to ATOS Membership Application leave with confidence the business will thrive? Please tell your musical, historical and preservationist-minded friends about Will the right situation unfold so that someone the American Theatre Organ Society and its work. Encourage them to join the with the necessary vision, energy, passion, and ranks! knowledge will expand on the successes we have enjoyed? ATOS has been energized by the ______current BOD. Their dedication is obvious, their Name ideas innovative, and the future of the Society ______looks bright. We will be thrilled if, like ATOS, Address Organ Stop and our Wurlitzer continue to ______flourish in the hands of able guardians. City, State ATOS Board members, past and present, deserve the thanks, support, and assistance of ______the membership. The next time you see or Zip/Post Code speak to one of them, please express your ______gratitude. Phone —Brad Bishop, President ______ERB Enterprises, Inc., dba Organ Stop Pizza E-mail Mesa, Arizona ______Member of ATOS Chapter □ Help me contact local chapter □ Renewal □ Past Member Payment by:□ Check/Money Order □ MasterCard □ VISA ______Card Number ______Expiration Date ______Security Code (back of card) ______Signature ______Date Membership Levels □ Regular ...... $40 Presidents Club...... $1,000 (Outside U.S. $15 additional surcharge) □ Student...... $25 Benefactor...... $500 □ □ (Age 23 and under with documentation) □ Patron ...... $200 Sustaining ...... $100 Optional Services □ First Class Mail U.S. only add ...... $15 □ Contributing...... $75 □ □ Airmail Outside U.S.add ...... $35 Dues are for 12 months from the date entered and cover one household. Contributions in excess of regular membership are tax deductible. Send the completed form and your remittance to: ATOS Membership P.O. Box 5327 Fullerton, California 92838 Contact: Jim Merry, Executive Secretary 714-773-4354, [email protected] Join or renew online at www.atos.org/membership SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 7 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:37 PM Page 8 ATOS CHAPTER LIAISONS A CALL FOR DOCUMENTS Tyler Morkin Bob Evans Donna Parker 906-367-1454 508-674-0276 503-642-7009 Theatre Organ Installation [email protected] [email protected] 503-530-8610 Fax Document Research Project Great Lakes Delaware Valley [email protected] The ATOS Technical and Education Motor City Eastern Massachusetts Oregon Committees are jointly requesting the Northern Michigan Garden State Puget Sound assistance of all ATOS members who have Central Illinois New York Santa Barbara access to original factory organ cham- Chicago Area Pine Tree Valley of the Sun ber and contractor blueprints, drawings, Chicagoland Southern Jersey Great Salt Lake contracts, photos, specifications and corre- Spokane First Nazarene spon dence. The goal is to acquire historic John Apple Jelani Eddington Mount Baker docu ments to include in the ever- 704-567-1066 262-639-8788 expanding ATOS Archive. This request for [email protected] 262-639-8242 Fax Craig Peterson documentation includes all builders of Cedar Rapids [email protected] 916-682-9699 theatre pipe organs. Rome New York Central Minnesota Otter Tail [email protected] Although a number of original Wurlitzer Metrolina Dairyland Jesse Crawford drawings are presently available through London and South of England Kiwi Magnolia the Smithsonian Institution, they represent Hilo Packerland Sierra less than 10% of the total number gener- Joliet Mount Shasta ated by the firm. We are seeking originals, John DeMajo La Crosse Scenic Bluffs Sequoia or high-quality copies, of prints and 504-858-7689 Land O’Lakes Golden State documents that do not exist in the [email protected] Northern California Smithsonian Wurlitzer collection. Equally Wichita Great Planes Michael Fellenzer important is the acquisition of installation Potomac Valley 317-251-6962 Doug Powers blueprints and technical drawings of Piedmont 317-251-6940 Fax 216-283-8080 Robert-Morton, Barton, Marr & Colton, Cumberland Valley [email protected] [email protected] Kimball and other theatre organ builders. Susquehanna Valley Central Indiana Kingston Please assist us with this important North Florida Red River Toledo Area project, before any more of our history is Central Ohio Western Reserve lost. Bucky Reddish Kansas City Ohio Valley Contact Jeff Weiler, Archival Liaison, at 770-948-8424 St. Louis [email protected] or 312-842-7475. [email protected] Allen Miller Alabama 860-633-5710 Atlanta [email protected] Aloha Binghamton River City Buffalo Sooner State Connecticut Valley Australia Felix Hudson Mohawk Magnolia Manasota Ken Double Don Near 281-798-6205 714-544-1106 [email protected] 714-539-5734 Fax Attention All ATOS Alamo [email protected] North Texas Inland Empire Southeast Texas Los Angeles Chapter Officers Orlando Orange County Please visit the ATOS website, www.atos.org/front-desk/chapters.html, Central Florida Pikes Peak and verify that the information for your chapter is current. If there are South Florida Rocky Mountain San Diego any changes needed, please e-mail [email protected]. 8 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 9 FINANCIAL REPORT WELCOME TO NEW Fellow members of the American Theatre Organ Society: ATOS MEMBERS I’m happy to report the ATOS is in solid financial condition. Our total assets as of the close of our fiscal year, April 30, 2008, are MAY 22, 2008 THRU JULY 15, 2008 $1,140,912.80. That is made up of the following; • $139,323.48 of cash Fred Ballinger, Indianapolis, Indiana • Fixed assets after depreciation of $2,370.63 Jerry A. Beam, Union City, Ohio • $422,043.08 in our General Fund investments Ron and Jacqueline Berkman, Urbana, Illinois • $205,108.10 in our Endowment Fund Glen A. Boer, Lansing, Illinois • $27,486.34 in the George Wright Memorial Fund Charles E. Brown, Morehead City, North Carolina • $26,188.06 in the so-called Smithsonian Fund Frank J. Campailla, Asheville, North Carolina • and $318,393.11 of appraised value added to the archive collection. Ray Carnovale, Toronto, Canada Richard Cencibaugh, Fresno, California Some notes that I think are worthy of reporting: Rick Dalrymple, Denver, Colorado Jeff Weiler deserves much credit for reducing the cost of producing the Paul Davis, Oldsmar, Florida journal by almost $35,000.00 from the previous year. That’s huge. I know that Sean P. DeDanaan, Tucson, Arizona he is working on what may be even more cost reductions for this coming year. The money designated as the Smithsonian fund was spent by donating Timothy Dunham, Detroit, Michigan $100,000.00 to the Friends of the Wanamaker, $15,000.00 to the University of Vic Ferrer, San Francisco, California Oklahoma for the removal of a pristine Wurlitzer organ to be later installed in Thomas Fortier, Clio, Michigan a University-designated location, and $3,250.00 was returned to donors at their Godelieve Ghavalas, West Pennant Hills, Australia request. The balance of approximately $21,500.00 went for either direct John Giacchi, Point Cook, Australia endowment gifts or to the fund itself. Larry L. Goins, Elwood, Indiana This year also saw the one-time spending of $12,000.00 on the touring show Jonathon Gradin, Rathdrum, Idaho promoter as seed money for what we believe will be a successful revenue- Suni Jacobs, Bellingham, Washington producing touring show in the same vein as the Rialtofest in Joliet, Illinois. Gary L. Jenkins, Terre Haute, Indiana Steve LaManna is leading that project. Chi Mei Ku, Temple City, California Youth summer camp was an overwhelming success based on attendance. We Karen K. Leeman, Nashville, Tennessee do need to address how to raise funds of almost $20,000.00 to continue this Ian K. Macnaught, Glasgow, United Kingdom wonderful program. ATOS also received its first five-figure donation directly designated for the Richard Majczinger, St. Louis, Missouri projected newly defined position of President. Warren C. McLeary, Johnstown, Pennsylvania My appeal to you, our members, is to seriously consider making ATOS a part Christopher R. McPhee, Campbelltown, Australia of your will or trust. If our organization is going to continue to promote theatre Joy and Leonard Mershimer, Chicago, Illinois organ in all of the ways we do, we are going to need significant funds. I’m aware Carl Michaelis, Indianapolis, Indiana that all of us consider family and perhaps places of worship or educational Neil Mihok, Canadensis, Pennsylvania institutions; however, we also need to remember those organizations that have Stephen Austin and John Nunns, Poulton-le-fylde, given us so much pleasure in our hobbies and recreation. Our organization also United Kingdom promotes education in music, which I would guess is important to every member Eileen Parker, Bellingham, Washington of ATOS. Whether it’s one thousand dollars or one million dollars, we need your David Leland Parsons, Sydney, Australia help if ATOS is going to grow and be a recognized and respected force in the Gregg Patkowski, Toronto, Canada music world. Nancy C. Pennington, Livonia, Michigan Please, make a decision for ATOS and see your estate planner. Or, simply Jim R. Pitts, Waco, Texas write a check now. I’ll be glad to accept it. Ron Reynolds, Bankstown, Australia Thank you. —Paul Van Der Molen, Treasurer Peter Robinson, Eastwood, Australia John C. Schwegman, Plainfield, Indiana Darrell Slaton, Hayward, California Kim Sosin, Omaha, Nebraska Glenn Tallar, Homer Glenn, Illinois Richard A. Terrell, Fullerton, California Donald Treadwell, Indianapolis, Indiana George Walker, Paisley, United Kingdom Carolyn Wall, Sylvania Heights, Australia SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 9 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 10 ATOS EDUCATORS’ GUIDES ARE NOW AVAILABLE After being out of print for several years, the ATOS Educators’ Guides are once again available. The guides have been completely revised and are now in two editions. The Chapter Edition is for use by ATOS chapters; it gives chapter members step-by-step guidelines to help them prepare and present a successful theatre organ program to students in their area. The School Edition is for the use of educators as they prepare their students to attend a theatre organ program. Both guides must be used together when presenting a theatre organ program to students. The newly revised ATOS Educators’ 2008 MENTOR PROGRAM Guides may be downloaded from www.atos.org or purchased from the ATOS This was to be my first annual convention. I recalled from reading about past Marketplace. conventions that there was a program under which average players like me could get some coaching—the Mentor Program. In her reply to my e-mail inquiry, Donna Parker, the board member responsible for the program, told me where to find information and encouraged me to apply. Following the suggestions in the materials, I wrote a short narrative application and e-mailed it to Donna, but I didn’t hold much hope. Surely there would be applications from many more talented than me. Shortly before leaving for the convention, however, I got an e-mail from her saying that I had been accepted and that I would have time in Indianapolis with Jelani Eddington! ATTENTION ALL I quickly began to prepare. I gathered up music for some tunes I had been working on and wrote out some specific questions about how to develop theatre stylings from lead sheets. It was time well spent. THEATRE ORGANISTS! Jelani was the consummate professional. He patiently observed what I was doing, ATOS is adding an expanded section answered my questions, made some suggestions, and demonstrated them. The time to its website with information about flew by. I was left hungry for more. all performing theatre organists. The Words can’t begin to describe the thrill of coaching by one of the world’s finest information will include a biography, organists. It was truly a once-in-a lifetime experience. My sincere thanks to Donna publicity photo, and contact informa- for organizing the Mentor Program; to Jelani for his time, patience and challenging tion (name, address, phone, e-mail, suggestions; and to the Allen Organ Company, which let us use their demonstration website). Having this information avail- instrument for the Mentor Program session. able to concert promoters, program —Dusty Miller directors, and chapters will help them, and will give you added visibility. Please send all information to [email protected] or to Donna Parker, P.O. Box 6103, Aloha, Oregon 97007. E-mail or call with questions (503-642- 7009). 10 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 11 0 Mystery Organist Readers of Jeanette Crumpler’s book, The Theatre Organ Murders, will already appreciate the con- nection that exists between her narrative and the now long-gone Palace Theatre in Dallas, Texas. Here we have a 1930 photo of the console of its famous Wurlitzer Publix #1, Opus 2125. But can anyone help identify the organist? (Photo by William Langley) ATOS Archive Collections Policy: The American Theatre Organ Society Archive actively pursues the acquisition and preservation of historic, primary research materials specifically related to the theatre pipe organ, theatre organists, and the corporate activities of ATOS and its chapters. These materials include photos, stoplists, and specifications of theatre organ installations; contracts; correspondence, blueprints, engineering documents, and business records pertaining to theatre organ installations and theatre organ builders; photos, correspondence, performance contracts, programs, recordings and scores as they relate specifically to the activities of theatre organists and theatre organ personalities; books, drafts, transcripts, lectures, interviews and other publications related to the theatre organ; oral histories, written reminiscences, and other documents or artifacts relating specifically to the theatre organ. SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 11 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 12 Preparing To Play a Movie Overture Picture yourself in this situation: charge of picking organists called and nice catch: they were covered hem-to-hem you’ve just arrived at the old 1920s movie asked me to play the overture and inter- in the lovely sparkles I was looking for, theatre down the road for the first time in mission for the movie Grease on May 17. and they at least slightly resembled a pair your life. As you enter the grand lobby, “Heck, YEAH, I’ll do it!” Wahoo! that Sandy wears near the end of the film. you look around, probably say something Immediately after I hung up the phone My top was a simple sleeveless black such as “hey, nice chandeliers” or the I realized just how much work I was going blouse with glitter all down the front, also like, get some popcorn and then proceed to have to do to pull off a mini-concert for found at said resale shop. Anyone who to go upstairs and sit down in the second 150 or so people! Before I started compil- knows me has probably noticed that I am to front row of the balcony. You notice a ing a set list (I’ve been told to call it rarely seen without a hat on my head, so I spectacular gleaming light coming from “repertoire”; sadly I’m not that good yet), found a nice black one to match the outfit, the left side of the orchestra pit, capturing I had to ask myself some questions such dressy enough to be worn on an occasion your eyes. You’re not sure, but you think as “What general age is the audience like this, adding something different to the it’s an organ; sure looks like one alright, likely to be?” and “Doesn’t Grease have in ensemble. but where are the drawknobs? And wait… it some songs I can play?” I immediately After hours of practicing, the big day why are there pretty, colorful buttons all pulled out my DVD of Grease Rockin’ was finally here. Arriving an hour before around inside the console? Rydell edition and paid special attention the doors opened, I practiced like crazy Well, this was pretty much my reaction to the songs. I finally decided on a few of whilst trying to deal with the nerves that when I first came to the Redford Theatre, them to scatter amidst my organ overture, come with performing publicly. The doors home of the Motor City Theatre Organ and set out to a local music store to find a opened, people started to come in, and I Society here in Detroit not knowing much songbook from the film. waited nervously in the light booth as the about theatre organs at all. I guess I’d I’ve noticed through many years of clock ticked along, finally arriving at been to a silent movie or two at the sleepovers at friends houses that most of 1:29pm. I grabbed my music, dashed Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor when I my pal’s mothers are apparently attracted down to the console, set registration, and was five or six, but at that time I’m to this movie and to John Travolta in took a deep breath. As the curtains rolled assuming I paid much more attention to particular (I’ve no idea why…), so I back to reveal a gigantic flag, I began the Rudolph Valentino romancing one of those figured that women about my mother’s age Star-Spangled Banner to accompany the lucky ladies than “that thing in the pit.” were the most likely audience members, voices of people singing behind me. Before I’d come to the Redford, I’d played probably bringing their kids and/or Hitting the console lift at the end of the classical organ for a year or so, so the word dragging their husbands along as well. piece, I began my set. to describe my feelings at the time is This being the case, I decided to learn —Emily Rose Seward something like “intrigued.” some familiar tunes from the 1960s and At the Redford, we open the doors at 1970s, along with some more traditional 7:00pm on several weekends a month, music. chill for a half hour, and wait for the Now it was time to find some appro- organist to head down towards our golden- priate performance attire. I figured one voiced 3/10 Barton organ, which he or she decked in sparkles would be nice, perhaps plays until the show starts at 8:00pm and a 1950s-ish outfit to match the film. then again during intermission. A few Heading to the local resale shop, I found months ago one of the MCTOS persons in some dandy skinny black pants with a 12 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 13 Please send your items of interest to the Editor. The Byrd Theatre Pipe Organ Presentations The historic Byrd Theatre has been saved by a group of people As reported in The Desert Sun on March 3, 2008, Don who understand the significance of both the theatre and its original Thompson, 73, is giving older music new life. Thirty-six years ago, 1928 Style 260 Special Wurlitzer pipe organ. In 2007, the non- he launched his pipe organ music record label, Pipe Organ profit Byrd Theatre Foundation purchased the building to secure Presentations. He wipes the dust off old, bulky master tapes, some its future. A new roof was immediately installed to ensure the decades old, and ushers the hallowed tunes into the digital age building remains safe from water damage. The immediate needs of through his home computer. Though sales are good enough, the organ were next on the agenda. Special characteristics of this Thompson said a shrinking number of nostalgic players, producers instrument include a four-manual console, a Tibia Plena, a grand and enthusiasts run the industry. “Basically, you sell to the people piano, a 49-note Xylophone, an unenclosed Marimba/Harp, and a who still remember,” he said. “People buy it for nostalgia’s sake.” 37-note master Xylophone. This instrument is installed above the He and his label-mate, Jack Gustafson, 69, have known each other proscenium with a tone chute to project the sound downward into for 40 years and shared venues as musicians when the pipe organ the auditorium. was a popular fixture in pizza parlors. Pipe Organ Presentations Restoration of the swell shutter actions has been begun by has released about 35 CDs and about 40 LPs, all of which have Robert H. Lent. Extreme care is being taken to ensure that every been distributed nationwide and internationally. part is restored in a manner according to Guidelines for Restoration and Conservation set forth by the Organ Historical Society. Future articles will discuss restoration methods used, as well as photographs detailing the work. [See Fred Hermes’ letter on page 6. Ed.] Have you remembered the ATOS Endowment Fund in your will or trust? zo man Pipe Organ ~ ~. tServices -~ r. ' I ~••- • $- •Installation • Restoration •Service & Tonal Finishing—at its best •Expert Installation of Relay Systems •. Century II Exhibition Hall, 4/38 Wurlitzer, Wichita, KS Little River Studio—Coup Residence, 4/19 Wurlitzer, Wichita, KS Wurlitzer Manor, 4/48 Wurlitzer, Gig Harbor, WA ---;::.•..._ . ~ N.· I • ....-..f,--,. ..·~• Washington Center for Performing Arts, 3/22 Wurlitzer, Olympia, WA J· I. V:.., As Heard On ' .,., I Aveni Residence, 4/60 Wurlitzer, Gates Mills, OH National Public Peery's Egyptian Theatre, 3/23 Wurlitzer, Ogden, UT •}i· ·;,•, ·. { Holdgreve Residence, 3/21 Wurlitzer, Colorado Springs, CO Radio 's "Pipedreams " Burnett Residence, 3/18 Kimball, Halstead, KS '. Markworth Residence, 3/24 Kimball/Wurlitzer, Omaha, NE Ed Zollman • 3310 Forest Ridge, Wichita, KS 67205 WWW.SllVIENIBALLCOMI 316-729-6860 • [email protected] (734} 846"3627 www.zollmanpipeorgans.com SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 13 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 14 THEATRE ORGANS OF CHICAGO The Roseland State Theatre Möller Pipe Organ BY JOHN SHANAHAN The Southwest corner of 110 Place and Michigan Avenue The drapery covering the organ grills was later removed Main floor of the auditorium 14 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 15 In a previous article about the Southtown pedalboard and inside the console and key transmission snapped off. Even with the Theatre Wurlitzer [THEATRE ORGAN, contact actions. The State organ did not universal drive, I think there was sufficient Vol. 50, No. 1, January/February 2008], I have a console lift; it sat on the floor at the thrust from misalignment that over time mentioned a three-manual, 12-rank Möller left of the orchestra pit and had taken the work-hardened the shaft until it cracked organ installed in the State Theatre in a brunt of daily floor cleaning for 30 years. and failed under load. There was about two Chicago neighborhood known as Roseland. I soon learned that the best-fed mice in inches of drive shaft extending beyond the Roseland’s business district ran from Roseland resided in the State Theatre bearing box of the Kinetic Blower (about roughly 107th Street to 113th Street along orchestra pit and inside the Möller console. three inches long) which permitted the Michigan Avenue on Chicago’s far south My first job was to install two mousetraps fitting of a Browning taper sheave for the side. There were two theatres in that area, in the console and empty them every week. generator. With the generator mounting the Parkway at 11053 Michigan with 774 My second observation was that there revised from inline to side-by-side, an seats and a little two-manual, seven-rank were many dead key notes and “sticky” key automotive fan belt was installed to drive Wurlitzer, and the State at 11020 Michigan return actions. After opening the service the generator. All these parts were not with 2,300 seats. The State was an doors on the ends of the console and cheap and, since all expense came out of independent venue managed in the 1920s removing the top and back panels, it was my pocket, this job went on deferred by Berkson/Levy/Rheinheimer Theatres. It obvious it needed a major vacuum cleaning requirement for several months until funds opened in about 1922 with a small organ of operation. The wooden keys had swollen were accumulated. unknown make and size, but in 1925 they from soaking up popcorn oil and butter over The immediate solution for keeping the purchased M. P. Möller Opus 4191 with many years. The stopkey actions were all- organ playable was to drive my car to the what was described as considerably electric so they fared pretty well, but the theatre, park in the lot, remove my car improved performance ability. bronze key contacts were heavily coated battery and carry it into the basement, My interest in theatre organs began in with green corrosion caused by mouse connect it to the organ action current wires about 1952 after hearing broadcasts of Joe urine. It took several Saturdays to clean the with jumper cables, and then keep account Lyons playing the Rialto Theatre Barton console interior and correct the key contact of how much playing time was expended. If organ in Joliet, Illinois on radio station problems by scraping the corrosion with a you only played for two hours, there was WJOL. A short time later, I was attending pocketknife blade and liberal use of TV always enough battery left to restart the car an event at the State Theatre and heard the contact cleaner. and drive home. If you played longer than organ played for an intermission. It was the The Möller key contacts were flat bronze two hours, you might have to beg a jump- first live theatre organ I ever heard, and it sheet metal about the size of a paper match, start from someone in the parking lot. was impressive to a novice enthusiast. It unlike the round wire under-key contacts At first glance, the console appeared would be several years before I had the used by Wurlitzer. The key contacts at the to have a good quantity of stopkeys for opportunity to play it for my own amuse- State Theatre stood in rows with slider a three-manual, 12-rank instrument. Eight ment, thanks to the help of a local musician. actions that moved them in or out of range of the 174 tablets were left blank as When I raised the nerve to ask the manager of the bell crank buss bars that were provisions for expansion. After a closer for permission to play the organ, he directed activated by pressing the manual key. inspection you will see that the top manual me to Don Lee Ellis who played in a pub These contacts were vulnerable to the (Solo) had only tuned percussion stops around the corner on 111th Street. (I was rodent traffic and blown debris of (Marimba, Xylophone, Glockenspiel) and only 16 and in high school, so he wasn’t auditorium cleaning. As time went by, I one speaking voice, an 8' Kinura. There motivated to let a kid in the theatre.) found they needed seasonal adjustment to were Orchestral-to-Solo couplers, but Don Ellis played the State organ on compensate for swelling from summer essentially it was a two-manual organ. occasion and was kind enough to meet me humidity and shrinkage during the heating All stops drawn on a particular voice had at the theatre. When he turned the organ on, period. all available pitches grouped together. So if it had wind pressure but no action current Later I fabricated a pedal keyboard you wanted all 16' pitches, you had to hunt and wouldn’t play a note. I asked to see the “bonnet” to snap in place and reduce for them all around the stoprail. To make blower and immediately could see the further popcorn and dirt infiltration. matters even more complicated, Möller accumulated dirt and oil on the generator The all-electric combination action was unified many of the voices beyond the commutator was the likely problem. I very reliable given the age of the organ and norm. For example, the Solo String (Cello) 2 located a rag and some Carbon Tetra- its exposure to dirt and rodents. It did have appeared at 16', 8', 4', 2 ⁄3', 2' and 1' on both chloride and had it playing in five minutes. a liability, however, that would later result Accompaniment and Orchestral manuals. This was a good introduction with the in a major repair expense: all 174 stopkeys When it came to sound effects, the manager, and I was granted permission to were either thrown on or off simultaneously Möller was second to none. It had 22 effects come in when the custodian was doing when a general piston was pressed. This operated by stopkeys, including Storm auditorium cleanup in the mornings. drew significant current well over 80 to 90 (discord on Pedal 16' Diapasons); Thunder The method of cleaning the theatre was amps, so the organ was equipped with a (a sheet of steel about 16" wide and 6' long to start at the rear row of seats and with a 125-amp generator. Even with that amount shaken by large pneumatic motors); Rain (a backpack vacuum cleaner running in of energy on tap, you could hear the “buzz” tin box of buck shot with a reiterate action); reverse, blow all the debris on the floors of generator commutator segments passing Wind (an almost comical Kazoo siren). and into the orchestra pit where it was swept up under the brushes if you held a piston. my favorite, the “Baby Cry” which and taken away. Well not all of it: 75% was The major repair came several years later consisted of a small French Horn pipe spilled popcorn which eventually accu- when the end of the blower drive shaft that mounted to a medium-size pneumatic motor mulated in large quantities under the drove the big generator via a universal with an undersize air inlet. The pipe spoke SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 15 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 16 Right: Möller electric stop action magnets Below: Original Solo Division stops (l to r) Trumpet, Tibia Clausa, Tibia Plena, Viole d’ Orchestre, Viole Celeste, Solo String Console of Möller Opus 4191 in 1955 at half pitch until the pneumatic was inflated. As the wind pressure rose, the sound changed to a high, falsetto “Cry,” or OOOOHH-WAHH sound. With not one, but three, song bird whistles, the custodian Joe Marelli always wondered if there really were “forest birds” in cages up in the organ loft. With all six ranks in the Solo Division voiced on 15" wind, the organ had had plenty of power in the reed, Tibia, and string families. Look closely at the photo of the Solo Tibia Solo Division after modification (l to r): Clausa and Tibia Plena scales. They are by far the widest Trumpet, Wurlitzer Tibia Clausa, Kimball Tibia Minor, Viole d’ Orchestre, Viole pipes you’ll likely ever see. In the tenor octave they were Celeste, Solo String given extended pipe feet to raise the bodies above the mouths of adjacent pipes for speaking clearance. I’ll admit to taking liberties by changing some of the voices in later years. I always envied the Hub Skating Rink’s Wangerin Doppel Flute which was voiced on 20" wind. When I found one for sale, I bought and installed it in place of the Möller Concert Flute. Well, the harmonics on 10" wind never Hobart M. Cable Piano came close to those on 20" wind, but it did brighten up the Main division. The Tibia Plena was uninspiring, just a very loud flute. I tried several Tibia sets over the years including a Kimball Tibia Minor to the Wurlitzer Tibia from Grauman’s Theatre, Hollywood. The Grauman pipes looked like brand new (they didn’t heat the theatre all winter with coal-fired boilers as was done in Chicago). I traded Russ Nelson the Chicago Southtown Wurlitzer Solo Tibia for that set. None of the Tibias were overwhelming improvements; I believe the Moller Main Division (l to r): Kinura, Clarinet, winding configuration and reservoirs just didn’t compare to French Horn, Doppel Flute, Diaphonic Wurlitzer’s. Diapason, Vox Humana John Shanahan tuning the The one big improvement I made was adding a Wurlitzer Trumpet, 1955 Chrysoglott to the Main chamber. It was also salvaged from the Southtown organ. My activity at the State lasted from 1954 until 1964 when I moved from the Roseland area to be closer to my employer, the Gulbransen Organ Co. in Melrose Park, Illinois. In the early 1970s the State ceased operation, and parts of the organ were sold to Chicago-area collectors George Anderson, George Miller, and Paul Szymkowski. John Shanahan plays the State Theatre Möller in 1959 Deagan 61-note Marimba/Harp/Xylophone 16 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 17 The State Theatre, Chicago, Illinois M.P. Möller, Opus 4191, 1925 PEDAL ORGAN French Horn 4 ORCHESTRAL Jazz Tap (Single Stroke) Vox Basso (Ten C) 16 Diaphone 16 Sleigh Bells (One Strap) Piano 16 Vox Tenor 8 Diaphonic Diapason 8 Piano 8 Diapason (Resultant) 32 Vox Soprano 4 Octave Diapason 4 Mandolin Diapason Phonon 16 Tibia Plena 8 Concert Flute 8 Kinura 8 Tibia Clausa 16 Tibia Plena 4 Orchestral Flute 4 Orchestral to Solo 2 Contra Bass 16 Contra Tibia Clausa 16 Nazard 2 ⁄3 Solo Sub Octave 3 Tuba 16 Tibia Clausa 8 Tierce 1 ⁄5 Solo Octave Trombone 8 Tibia Clausa 4 Solo French Horn 8 (Three blank stopkeys) 2 Bass Flute 8 Tibia Twelfth 2 ⁄3 French Horn 4 Cello 8 Solo Piccolo 2 Vox Basso (Ten C) 16 ACCOMPANIMENT 2ND 3 Tibia Plena 8 Tibia Tierce 1 ⁄5 Vox Tenor 8 TOUCH Bass Drum Trombone 16 Vox Soprano 4 Crash Cymbal Solo Trumpet 8 Bassoon (Ten C) 16 Solo Trumpet 8 Accompaniment to Pedal Jazz Trumpet 4 Solo Clarinet 8 Tibia Clausa 8 Solo to Pedal Echo Trumpet 2 Clarinet 4 Alto Saxophone (Synthetic) 8 Orchestral to Pedal Solo Clarinet 8 Kinura 8 Cello 8 Tympani Roll Kinura 8 Kinura 4 French Horn 8 Grand Crash (16 Trumpet English Horn (Synthetic) 8 Muted Viola (Ten C) 16 Kinura 8 discord) Alto Saxophone (Synthetic) 8 Cello 8 Jazz Tap (Single stroke) Violin 4 TREMOLOS 2 Vox Humana ACCOMPANIMENT Glockenspiel String Twelfth 2 ⁄3 Grande Flute 16 Marimba-Harp Violin Harmonic 2 Left Concert Flute 8 Tom Tom Harmonic 1 Right Orchestral Flute 4 Tambourine Mixture III 2 BALANCED PEDALS Nazard 2 ⁄3 Castanets Principal Viole Celeste 8 3 Left Tierce 1 ⁄5 Chinese Gong Roll Octave Viole Celeste 4 Right Muted Viola (Ten C) 16 Triangle (Reiterating) Solo Violin 8 Crescendo Cello 8 Snare Drum Roll Violin II 4 Violin 4 Snare Drum Tap Tibia Plena 8 2 EFFECTS String Twelfth 2 ⁄3 Tympani Roll Tibia Plena 4 Storm Violin Harmonic 2 Piano 8 Contra Tibia Clausa 16 Thunder Sheet Harmonic 1 Mandolin Tibia Clausa 8 Rain Mixture III Solo to Accompaniment Tibia Clausa 4 2 Wind Principal Viole Celeste 8 Orchestral to Tibia Twelfth 2 ⁄3 Auto Horn (Small) Octave Viole Celeste 4 Accompaniment Solo Piccolo 2 3 Auto Horn (Large, Klaxon) Solo Violin 8 Accompaniment Sub Octave Tibia Tierce 1 ⁄5 Siren Violin II 4 Accompaniment Octave Trombone 16 Fire Gong Solo French Horn 8 (Two blank stopkeys) Solo Trumpet 8 Surf Jazz Trumpet 4 Steamboat (Large) Echo Trumpet 2 Steamboat (Small) English Horn (Synthetic) 8 Factory Whistle Oboe (Synthetic) 8 Alarm Clock Musette (Synthetic) 4 Baby Cry Tenor Saxophone Door Bell (Synthetic) 16 Cow Bell Alto Saxophone (Synthetic) 8 Song Bird I Melody Saxophone Song Bird II (Synthetic) 4 Song Bird III Piano 8 Turkish Cymbal Solo to Orchestral Sub Octave Crash Cymbal Orchestral Sub Octave Shattering Glass Orchestral Octave (Two blank stopkeys) COMBINATIONS SOLO 10 Generals 8 Pistons to Orchestral Chimes (Four tubes: 8 Pistons to Accompaniment C, D, E, Ten G) Drums On Orchestra Bells 8 Drums Off Marimba (Reiterating) Marimba (Single Stroke) INDICATORS Xylophone (Reiterating) Action Current w/test button Xylophone (Single Stroke) Crescendo Harp (Single Stroke) Sforzando Triangle (Reiterating) Jazz Tap (Reiterating) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 17 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:42 PM Page 18 Wurlitzer Opus 1854 Ever since I sat in the dark at the Fox and vaudeville house in the small town of Following the end of the WWII, Las Theatre in San Francisco, listening to Las Vegas. In the pit was a new Kimball Vegas continued to grow. New theatres were George Wright make that grand Wurlitzer upright piano, pounding out sounds to built, though none as grand as the El Portal. sing, I have been interested in theatre pipe accompany what was on the screen above. Like many downtown theatres, the El Portal organs. Over the years I have had the good The city grew, and Cragin and Pike built eventually fell out of favor. It closed in fortune to play some grand organs, and I the $150,000 El Portal Theatre. A June, 1978, almost 50 years to the day that still play when time and instrument present Wurlitzer, Style D, Opus 1854, was ordered it opened. themselves. and left the factory on March 8, 1928. On a While I do not know when the Wurlitzer As a result of my work at the Nevada night in June, 1928, the El Portal Theatre organ was removed, I know that it has a State Museum in Las Vegas, I came across opened with much fanfare. The organist on home in Pauma Valley, Calfornia, owned by an interior photo of the El Portal Theatre, opening night was Melodie Stone, and the ATOS member Charles Lyall. I have not yet representing a side of Las Vegas still alive Las Vegas Age reported that the picture been able to contact him. only in the memories of very few. This shown was “made doubly impressive by the I hope I have brought to light a different photo piqued my curiosity, and I began to musical accompaniment.” side of Las Vegas unknown to most tourists. research the organ and the theatre. By all accounts, the organ was a huge —Paul Carson The partnership of E. W. Cragin and success. According to newspaper advertise- Las Vegas, Nevada W. H. Pike began in 1918 when they ments, the organ was still playing in 1932, purchased the Majestic Theatre. At the as well as in 1945, during World War II. time, the Majestic was the finest picture 18 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:51 PM Page 19 @tec:.eJt§"S~:-11ii1iii1J , 1 . ' i I • "< . <~ GRAND OPENING AND 0 DEDICATION ;., ·v I~" • '-t"; ~ ... • 1. I El Portal Theatre ' LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Thursday, June 21, at 8:15 P. M. BIG SPECIAL PROGRAM INCLUDING PRE-RELEASE SHOWING CLARA BOW IN 'LADIES OF THE MOB' Ticket Sale Open Saturday, June 16 at 10 A. M. at the Majestic Theatre Box Office. All seats except loges, $1.35, tax 14c, total $1.49. Loges $1.50, tax 15c, total $1.65. Rcse 1Talions from out of cily, made by mail mnsl be a.c cornpaHicd by mon ey order for full amount. Th ey w i.11be fill ed iH order of re ce ipt. Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, circa 1930, showing the new El Portal Theatre on the right Interior of El Portal Theatre, Las Vegas, Nevada, circa 1929, showing at front Wurlitzer Style D, Opus 1854 (Photos Carson Collection) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 19 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:52 PM Page 20 The Link Organ The Link Company, headquartered in Binghamton, New York, built only about 100 theatre organs. Yet it occupies an interesting niche in the history of the instrument. For a time, Link organs were personally endorsed by the popular theatre organist C. Sharpe Minor. Ed Link’s name remains well known today in aviation circles as the inventor of the Link flight trainer, hundreds of which were sold to the United States government during World War II. Link produced some attractive promotional material Successful c·1rcu1t . o which is reproduced below, along with some correspon- Link Orga wner Installs dence and a newspaper article reprint. ns and Tells Why (Weiler Collection) M. B. HORW WASHINO;;'"°'nNr. '"' J T Z 211 CLEVE~::~ TRE CIRCUIT l'AYHC AV~• t;l~~~NG CLEVELAND, 0. • Nov . is, 1sa1. Are You Paying for a LINK-C. SHARPE MINOR Without Owning One? OMPETITION is keen, Not only with other theatres. C But also with many outsiae interests ol moa ern \il e. H.ow many thousand dollars more coula be yours - il only \ you coul d introdu ce into your program a PERMANENT FEATURB wh ich woula make your theatre the outstan ain g foca l point of your community? \ "Same ola stufl, " you say . W ell - so throughout hi story has saia many a man and then wo na ere d wh y h e was lorced M'BH/F C. Sharpe Min or, nation ally famo11s organiat, al· fhoug b a.pproached by other builders, ,.e\eeted L1N'IC to to the sideline s. b\Dld bia idet.l o r1an. HE N as We hav e desig nea and built in to our org ans revolutionary W finest th uccessful circuit O\ their w d eatre organs vner has pro leatures. Ton e colors-Novelty eflects-Pep ana Punch sele or s of praise - when hundred ved our claims ct for install ation-.-mcan yo the re be roo1n fsor of qu othe. r exhib1't ors of being a the mak e rs of ti yet maintaining th e majesti c sonorousness ol the " KI N G The Link Or . ur new theatre est,oni ng which re constant ly add' ,e OF IN STRUMENTS. " ';;"'- o,,:::';,;'s'"''= =,a;, < . o,~o'°" M« fioa« ;"' • OREOVER throughout we have kept that ruggeane•• ; " Oose ossOed L" ' L& ,, " " ';,' "'"" o merica ·s finest ins~~: Orchestra l 0ni~ ~bout o Write for our booklet , " S ixteen Fa cts." lt will tell you mor e about U S, Th e wor la is ever aavancing , Don ' t, through patronag e lost and rnon ey unwisely spent, put yourseH in the pooition ol pa ying for a Link--C , Sharpe \ Minor Unit Organ without enjoyi ng th e profits ol owners hip . ~\l~[}g c. sHARPE MINOR*G $ uNIT ORGANS BlNGHAMiON, N. Y . 20 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:52 PM Page 21 Reprint from ===="-D Feb . 28. 1928 ~n~~ O F F I C E S. DEMONSTRAT I NG ROOMS - AND ARTISTSCORES '~~ IN S TRU CTOR"S S T U DI OS LOS A NGE LES, CALIF, e. S.fl.Ar(PE-- .NlrN01<_ 1122 WEST 16™ STREET N EW YOR K TRIUMPHON UN IT O~G-ANS 1600 BROADWAY Facto1 :y: BlNG/ -lAMTON , llNKORGAN NE W YORK By CARL BRONSON May 2,19 2 8 T raci ng out th e cultu ra l pa ths of m us ic w hi ch a r e in te rl ac in g ou r co m m uni ty m or e a nd m ore I wa !l Mr. F.A.Leatherman, dered yes ter day a ft ern oo n, int o th e 150 Walton St . N.w. pa la ti a l n ew hom e of Willi a m Mea d at 350 N ort h Jun e s tr ee t, wh er 1; a Atlanta,Ga. tes t openin g of th e Link _repr odu cm g res ide n ce pip e or ga n whi ch h a s b ee n in sta lled in th e s ta ir tu r r et of th Js arc hi tec tur a l sy mphon y , :W~8 i~ Dear Mr. Leatherman; p rogress un d er th e sup erv1s1on . o H a rr y H . H icks a nd a~s ista nt s, w1:h n o less a world ce lebrity a t t_he ?' - Confirming our conversation of yesterday , we have ~an co nso le th a n C. Sh a rp Mm oi · entered yrur order for one Mortuary R~producing Pipe Organ at th e " Thi s unit or ga n is a bund a nt p_r o~f $1125 . 00, also one of our style 2- 2 of how the ca u se of goo d m u sic is special net cash price to you of bei ng sp on so r ed ev en b y th e ver y theatre organs at the special cash price to you of $2 900 . 00. As mu ch a b sorb ed m er ch a nt _of t:i,e soon as Mr. Thayer returns to the factory we wil l figure out the busy m a rt For h ere In thi s pri s beat regular price we can give you in lots of ten. We have also m atica lly light ed turr et in th e space of a n h our a n d a ha lf a pro g ra m entered your order for Autovox 1s to be shipued to Nashville and was p rese nt ed both per son ~lly a nd Ml!llllphis,Tenn. in accordance with your in str uctions . a ut oma ti ca lly th a t put bac k mt o th e dim sha dow th ose celebr a t ed or ga n r ec ita ls whi ch w e u se d occas !on a lly I am enclosing with this letter one of our organ to h ea r wh en so m e gr ea t virtuo so booklets, also ~ photograp h!.and some other material which might be of th at in strum en t ca m e to town. of interest to you in your advertising . We shall be glad to send you Of co urs e, C. Sh a rp Min or , for wh om a larger supply of this literature if you will advise us how much you thi s p ar ti cul a r two m a nu a l ba by can make use of . g r a nd or ga n is n a med , is un~ oub~ ed ly on e of th e g r ea t es_t org a nists i~ th e w or ld in hi s es p eci a l ph ase a n the two m a nu a ls_ li te r~lly sa ng un As soon as you re turn to Atlanta we shall l ook de r hi s d eft m a nipulati on . forward to your advic e about phonograph records and advertising you VIBRATION ELIMINATED . are going to work out in accordance with our convers ation . Th e qu a liti es of thi.<; h om e pip e or gan a r e ve ry ex tr ao rdin a r y fr o;:,; a mu sica l st a ndpoint a nd th e d I very much enjoyed my visit with you, but am sorry co mbin at ion s whi ch ca n ~e m a c that you could not arrange to stay with us a little longer . However , u pon its v a ri ou s se ts_ of P 1P~S al)~ we trust that from now on you will be able to make your plans so that r eeds give one th e impr ess 1or ~ you can call upon us oftener . }f~ are very opt imis 1ric, in fact en li ste nin g to a mu ch m ore m as s v e y co n s tru cted Instrument. In this par thusiastic about the business ind:' we feel confi dent that you are going ti cul a r in sta lla ti on th e wh ole m e to develop for us in the South and if at any time there is any way we ch a ni ca l d epa rtm ent of th e or gf~ can be of particular service kindly do not hesitate to call upon us , is la id out in a co rn er of th e so i co n cre te ba se m ent in su ch a w,,ay th a t on e ca n n ot f eel even a pu se With best personal regards, of vibr a ti on a pa rt fr om th e a ctu f l ton e it se lf in a n y p art of th e r es - d en ce· but by pl a cing th e sound r_e f Yours very truly , leas in g shutt ers in th e ope ~ w a ib O t th e s ta ir turr et on e lm ag m es a th e or ga n is in th e sa m e r oo m ,i.s LINK-- C.Sharpe ~~ th a t of th e k eybo a rd . d v - . · , ""ec. Th e pl ac in g of thi s op en soun GTL:LK. _1 , .__, v ent Is so a dr oitl y a rr a n ge d th a t th : Enc. or ga n can be h ear d in an y r oom an th e sw ells a r e so m a nipul a ted th a t either th e full or ec h o v olum e <:a n be di stribut ed. Th er e is a se lec t1_ve co ntr ol box op er a tin g th e se lec ti ve r oll r ep r oducing pl a y er fr om a n y P. s • As soon as Mr Thay d ista n ce a nd th e touch of a b u tto n in stan tl y ch a n ge s th e r olls to wh a t the layout of the ~rgan ::f;:t:;;sw;f1 the factory we will work out ev er se lection is dem a nded . so that You can start to layout space. sen You detailed a· enslons TEST IS CONCLUSIVE Th e wh ole Is a gre a t s tep forw a rd t ow a rd m a king th e h om e a perf ect sal on for th e mo st intim at e ass ~ cia tl on with th e m a st ers of music d th oug h this t es t of yes terd ay GTL ~';. ; e ntir ely in fo rm a l a nd only pre par a tory to th e formal opening which is to be giv en wh en the home is compl eted , ye t th e te st was a ~ arti stic triumph ln home org t buildin g a nd th e Meads a re to e congratul a ted up on their a dditi on to th e cu ltur a l pr ospect of th e com munity, SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2008 21 ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:53 PM Page 22 ..,,..,,======...-~ll.~CK-,E,..---,======- - FOREWORD 0 the live wir e EXHIBITOR The modern unit organ is a whole of TODAY it is not neces orchestra in itself. For following sary to prove that Good pictures, it is peculiarly adaptable, as Music is indispensable to it has within itself a rang e of exp res the success of his theatre. Nor to sion and additional effects of patho s the majority of exhibitors is it nec and depth which cannot be repro essary to prove that in his scheme duced by any other one instrument , for good music, a modern Unit Pipe or group of musical instr ument s. Organ is also indispensable. The The modern organ has truthfully well informed Exhibitor would no been desc!"ibed many times as the more think of building his theatre "King of Instruments ." without making provisions for an In the pages that follow, we de organ, than he would of leaving out scribe to you a "qualit y instrument" his seats or his screen. built to a sta ndard, without regard It is extremely unfor tunate, how to cost, by men 1 who, through experi ever, that there are still too many ence and invest igatio n, know what organs sold that from any point of they are doing. These are not view cannot be called theatre organs. empty words. We have made an ex We have invariably found that where haustive study, not only of our own an exhib itor still believes that an organs but of all other organs tha t organ cannot be made an attractive are worthy of the name. We know feature in his theatre, the organs their weaknesses and faults and we which he has heard a1·e eit her in know that in Link Unit Organ s and struments built for church usage, in LINK-C Sharpe Minor Un it Or which have no place in the theatre, gans these are eliminated and many or these organs are half-way at additional exclusive features added. tempt s at theatre organs, usually sold at a price without regard to Read the page s that follow. We suitability or quality. invi te inve stigation. We know that if you will investigate , your enthus Theatr es of large capacit y main tain their DeLuxe Orchestra s at a iasm will exce l om·s, and you will tremendous cost, and, natura lly, they agree that any LINK or LINK-C Jfx teen facts that are effective . But it is intere sti ng Sharpe Minor Unit Organ from the here to note that these same theatres smallest style to our Master, which is which maintain such orchestras , the largest unit organ ever designed, clearly define without except ion, are equipped with will make money for you and will, in an organ, and the larger the orches the end, be the cheape st in vestment tra, the larger the organ. you ever made. the excellence of One 22 THEATRE ORGAN ATOS SepOct 50-5 H 8/9/08 3:53 PM Page 23 -1