eHAlJNeEY HAINES at the console

As told to Stu Green. Photos are from the Haines Collection.

PART I

His grandfather had played first San Diego and the Egyptian in Long Dame in 1923 and the Thief of Bag­ trumpet in the Abraham Lincoln Beach. And he made his mark with dad in 1924. During the sound era Union band back in 1863. His dad Balaban and Katz in Chicago with he was usually a member of the stu­ did long stints as an arranger and stints at most of their famous pre­ dio orchestras which played sound­ trombonist in both the Arthur Pryor sentation houses. Charlie Chaplin track musical scores for such famous and Sousa bands around the turn of was with him in the pit at the L.A. Hollywood composers as Erich Korn­ the century. There had always been preem of The Gold Rush, feeding gold, Max Steiner, Franz Waxman, music, as far back as he could re­ him cues. He played the premiere LA John Green, Dimitri Tiomkin, David member. Music is in his blood. showings of Hunchback of Notre Rose and Alfred Newman. Chances As a lad, still in his teens, he cued are he'll be cueing a silent film re­ the Birth of a Nation on its initial vival tonight. He does 40 such shows a year, often on a 73-rank pipe or­ run. In Los Angeles he played at the Above photo : This is the earliest photo of a young DeLuxe, the Kinema, Loew's and the man about to start a rewarding career as a theatre gan. Forum. There were side trips to the organist taken in 1917. About this time, Chauncey But who is Chauncey Haines? You landed his first playing job . Haines recalls that Mor ­ California theatres in Bakersfield ton's young installer and maintenance man, Lee won't find his name in the ATOS and Santa Barbara , to the Strand in Haggart, was present when this photo was taken . Hall of Fame but he played opposite

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER, 1977 THEATRE ORGAN 29 Picture Academy in Hollywood. Let's go back to the beginnings of We first met Chauncey Haines in these pages in a 1971 issue. the Haines career. Music was in the Since then he has continued with his silent film series, usually in cards for him from the beginning. connection with film study courses sponsored by universities. Today, His grandfather , Jahn , played trum­ the veteran organist is still ''good copy, " so we decided on this fol­ pet during the Civil War, in the lowup. While Part 1 covers some of the ground we did six y ears ago, Abraham Lincoln Union band. His this study of the man reveals some of the more intimate details of father, Chauncey Sr., played brass his y ears as a theatre organist. With great frankness he discusses the in both the Sousa and Arthur Pryor organs, his many jobs, how he managed to lose them and his mul­ bands. Then dad decided it was time tiple marriages. Mr. Haines promises that the next installment will to settle down with his family in one be even more revealing. place and stop the constant travel of "one night stands." Dad settled for the directorship Helen Crawford, who ghosted por­ but occasionally saw his name men­ of the Detroit opera, and by the time tions of the scores for Duel in the tioned in the trade journals in con­ he was ten Chauncey had met many Sun and Saratoga Trunk. He was an nection with various motion picture of the notables who appeared at the intimate of comedian Harold Lloyd, scores. opera house, including William S. orchestra conductor for the Sonya The next time we heard his name Hart, John and Lionel Barrymore. Henle ice show and has been playing it was in connection with motion Among the opera orchestra members silent film revivals for the past 15 picture courses at UCLA; he was he found a ready supply of gratis years, often for the college cinema scoring the silent classics for the teachers. In no time he became pro­ classes. students. Then the university cut ficient on the piano. But the piano Chauncey Haines is one of the back on its motion picture classics wasn't his only interest; he also most active and creative organists on and we heard no more of Chauncey played drums, sometimes on horse­ the music scene continuously since Haines. Then, the seat of learning back in his dad's band for the Pen­ 1917, when he played his first stint did an about face , and came on dleton Roundup, a wild west show in in a Los Angeles theatre, the DeLuxe strong with its movie series. And the northwest Oater called a "ro­ (at Alvarado and Wilshire) , one of Chauncey Haines was once again at deo"). The Haines family lived in two LA houses then equipped with the console of the 73-rank Aeolian­ Walla Walla , Washington for a time . Hope-Jones styled 8-rank Wurlitzers. Skinner in UCLA's Royce Hall. That Small organs were all that were was 10 years ago , and Chauncey has Then he discovered a new phe­ available during the war years. since been cueing up to 40 movies a nomenum springing up everywhere The first time this writer met year , some in Royce Hall for UCLA, - movies. They needed music and Chauncey Haines was when he played some for "Filmex ," some for UC in young Chauncey was ready to ac­ a concert for the Theatre Organ Santa Barbara (Campbell Hall), company the "flickers" on the piano. Club of Los Angeles in the late 'SOs some in Beckman Hall for Pasa­ About this time the Haines family at the Lorin Whitney studio in Glen­ dena 's California Institute of Tech­ moved to southern California 's dry dale, Calif. That was before auxiliary nology, and some for the Motion climate for his mother's continued studios encroached on the speaking health. Movie houses in 1913 were area of Whitney's 4/34 WurliMorton Chauncey Haines in 1920. By this time he was both being improvised from Los Angeles in demand for the quality of his music and getting stores at an alarming rate. Chauncey and there was room for an audience fired for being too often AWOL. He was also think ­ of 200. Haines arrived after an all ing about getting married for the first time . There heard his first organ in a theatre , a night session of performing a Ber­ would be four more. rather dull sounding church organ , nard Herrmann score for some sub­ but hearing it changed the rest of terranean sci-fie epic sound track at his life. When he was about 16, an­ the 20th Century Fox studio. Yet he other event took place which would was able to come up with exemplary further tie him to the theatre or­ readings of the "Bagpiper" from gan; two Los Angeles houses in­ Schwanda and Wagner's "Liebes­ stalled small but prophetic Hope­ tod ," in crisp organ arrangements. Jones Wurlitzer organs , the Million His orthodox approach and offbeat Dollar and the DeLuxe. The DeLuxe tunelist might have been over the organ was a "style 185" (8 ranks) heads of many fans in the late 'S0s to which a Tibia had been added. audience. The hobby was new to The vastly different sound of an or­ many in those fledgling days but his gan tailored to film accompaniment audience sensed they were in the needs had a strong appeal to the presence of greatness, and received young man , whose practice was done him well. Chauncey included some on church organs. material by Steiner, Herrmann and Another significant event which Tiomkin, and these more familiar inspired Haines was the arrival at the soundtrack tunes hit the spot. LA Million Dollar Theatre in 1917 of After that one concert, we some­ a young man named Jesse Crawford, how lost track of Chauncey Haines, fresh from triumphs in the northwest

30 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER, 1977 (where he was born) and in Grauman mended a teacher, and Arthur Shaw theatres in northern California. marvelled how rapidly Chauncey Haines had never heard anything improved. like the combination of Crawford When Shaw left the DeLuxe, the and the style 185 Wurlitzer organ. obvious replacement was Haines. He He went to the Million Dollar every was on his way. night he had the price of admis­ Of Shaw, Chauncey says "He was sion and sat as near to the console one of the greatest musical techni­ as possible, watching Crawford's cians I've ever known. I had great every move as he produced that gor­ respect for his faultless musical taste geous music. Chauncey was firmly and his ability to cue silent films. He "hooked." was second only to Oliver Wallace, Crawford noticed it, too. One the greatest of all time." night the great man turned to his In a recent interview, we asked faithful fan and asked: Chauncey about other Los Angeles "Interested in organs, kid?" theatre organists of the 'teens period. Haines was petrified at being noticed "I don't think ATOSers will re­ by his idol but managed to mumble call them," said Haines, "But here an affirmative answer. are a few - Albert Tufts, Herb Bur­ "Then come on over and sit on the land, Claude Riemer, Johnny Hill, bench with me," said Crawford, who Reginald Martin, Fred Burr Scholl, didn't know then that the youth had Clifford Demarest, and Ollie Wal­ already landed a job playing the only lace. They'd better know Ollie. He other Wurlitzer in town as "relief' greatly influenced the well-estab­ (the 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. stint) to the lished style of Jesse Crawford. But exceptional British organist, Arthur Ollie's forte was film cueing. There Shaw, at the DeLuxe theatre. Craw­ was no one like him - as proved in ford arranged for Haines to be ad­ later years when he did orchestral mitted anytime at the Million Dol­ scores for Walt Disney movies and lar's stage door, and shortly there­ organized Disney's music depart­ after asked Chauncey to take over ment under his brilliant leadership." the console for a brief interval during Let's examine some of Chauncey the final evening show. But the inter­ Haines' engagements during the late A promotional photo of Haines at the original Chi­ val was long enough to tell Jesse what teens and early '20s. cago Theatre 4/29 console . He was delighted to learn that it has been put in working shape by he wanted to know; the largely self­ "I got fired at the DeLuxe. One CATOE members . taught Chauncey Haines had talent. afternoon the slide came on the Chauncey recalls Crawford's stern screen for my solo - 'Chauncey When the golden era of the theatre organ passed into history, Chauncey Haine_s organized a con ­ analysis of his efforts. The man pul­ Haines at the Organ' - and nothing cert orchestra which was heard during the early led no punches. But he recom- happened. I was across the street in '30s on Los Angeles airwaves . the park (now McArthur Park) pad­ cueing movies on the Moller. dling a canoe on the pond - and not "Then I connected with the Egyp­ alone. The manager came running to tian theatre in Long Beach (near the edge of the lake to tell me I'd LA). There I played a circa 12-rank missed a solo. I answered, 'How am Smith organ known as 'the gutless I doing?' He said, 'you're fired.' wonder.' It left much to be desired. I lost more jobs because of the arro­ "While I was playing for silent gance of youth. I was making films and vaudeville at the Long $150.00 a week in 1919. That was Beach Egyptian, I heard the Forum very high pay then - for anyone, theatre in LA was looking for an or­ especially a teenager. It went to my ganist to spell Julius Johnson, an head. organist with a problem. "Next, I went to San Diego and "I had heard about the fabulous got a job at the Strand at $200.00 a Kimball in the Forum. It must have week. I played a very sweet Robert had 43 or 44 ranks of pipes, and it Morton and I lasted about three was absolutely the most gorgeous months. It was the same story. The organ I ever played. It had every­ managers liked my music but not my thing a film cuer or recitalist would lack of dependability. The dames, want. Later most of it was moved to booze and cars aspect was very the LA Wiltern theatre. tempting to a 20-year-old. So, I got "My next move was to Chicago - fired - and once again I was broke. still a haven for theatre organs. The

"Luckily, organists who could cue Balaban and Katz chain ran the the­ In the early '30s Haines looks to the future, un­ silent movies were in demand, so I atre business in Chicago in 1925, and aware that a great career as a studio musician and had no trouble lining up a job at the I started at the famed McVickers film composer is just around the corner . We'll cover California theatre in Bakersfield theatre - opposite a gal named that period in a future installment. (north of LA). There I played an Helen Anderson, who would soon be­ being built in Los Angeles, so I re­ 8-rank Robert Morton for $200.00 come Helen Crawford. turned to the west coast in the hope I a week. Still, those exotic cars beck­ "Balaban and Katz kept me mov­ might connect with that much her­ oned. I went through a Chandler ing among many theatres between alded house, the Los Angeles the­ and a Chalmers before I was fired. 1925 and 1929 - the Norshore, atre. The house was equipped with But I was improving; this time I Paradise, Marbro, Granada, Avalon, a 10-rank Wurlitzer and impresario lasted 8 months! Tivoli, Harding, Congress - and Albert Short hired a SO-man orches­ "My next engagement was back in the Chicago. Most, if not all, of these tra. It looked like a first class opera­ the big time in Los Angeles. The houses had Wurlitzers or Kimballs. tion with movies, music and stage downtown theatres were then mak­ "I don't think I qualify ·as a mem­ presentations. I was overjoyed when ing much of their organs, a style set ber of the 'Wurlitzer only' cult. One Short hired me to play the Wurlitzer. in 1913 when Talley's theatre became of the most perfectly voiced theatre Everything went well - for four a trend setter by installing a huge organs I ever played was in the St. weeks. Then, all the musicians were Murray-Harris straight organ. This Louis Orpheum. It was a Kimball. fired, and the Los Angeles theatre marked the start of the 'movie pal­ But I was a Chicago organist in St. became a "grind" movie house. That ace' era in LA and the end of the Louis. After six months I was es­ was about my last venture as a the­ converted store theatre. From this corted politely but firmly by two atre organist except for a nine­ time on, luxury would be a factor. I local AFM "business agents" to the month stint at the United Artists recall seeing Chaplin's 'Shoulder RR station to catch the train back to theatre where I played the Wurlitzer Arms' at Talley's. That thunderous Chicago. They have a very tough later to become part of Buddy Cole's Murray-Harris was a thriller. union in St. Louis. studio organ. Then I organized a "My engagement was at the Los "Back in Chicago I saw a film concert orchestra for radio broad­ Angeles Kinema theatre, which later demonstration. It must have been casts." became the Criterion. It was early in 1927, a film with John Barry­ How about the personal life dur­ equipped with a 5-manual Robert more, named 'Don Juan.' It had a ing those adventurous years? Chaun­ Morton organ which was a pleasure closely synchronized recorded score cey was married briefly to showgirl to play - except for that hard-to­ played through loudspeakers by a Ethel Stoddard in 1920, for about reach top manual. Later, organist symphony orchestra. Vitaphone had eight months. He's reluctant to say Eddie Horton quipped that the top arrived. anything about a brief but disastrous manual was a good place to store "I remember attending a club second marriage but he talks with one's brown bag lunch. meeting of Chicago organists where I great warmth about his third mar­ "My next job was at Loew's State warned that Vitaphone would soon riage to coloratura soprano Caltana which had a very slow Moller, but put musicians among the unem­ Christoph. This marriage endured that engagement put me in contact ployed. I was greeted by laughter. for three years, but by the early '30s, with Claude Riemer, a very talented At that time there were 150 organists Chauncey was again single and a conductor/ organist. I learned much employed in Chicago theatres. A fourth marriage to Willow Wray, from Claude. He was very effective year later, there were three working. sister of King Kong's "bride" Fay conducting pit orchestras as well as "I heard about a fabulous theatre Wray, lasted for 17 years. But we are

32 THEATRE ORGAN AUGUST/SEPTEMBER, 1977 ahead of our story. We have seen Melgard also operated a teaching Chauncey Haines through the silent studio for many years, training a movie era as a very successful theatre number of professionals. organist. In our next installment, A fitting tribute was paid to Mr. he will meet Hollywood composer / Melgard during the "Chicago '77" conductor Max Steiner and his life convention. Ron Bogda played "My will change again. The best is yet to Vision," composed by Al for Sonja come. D Renie when she skated on stadium ice during the 1930's. Mr. Melgard was a member of the ATOS Hall of Fame, an honorary life member of CATOE, a charter

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER, 1977 THEATRE ORGAN 33