Moller, skillfully installed in the •e)( P8PI Pasadena. California. Civic Audi­ torium. was dedicated by Tom Ha­ zleton with a concert which included music to appeal to many tastes. The event closed nine months of adapting the bulky instrument to the audi­ torium's hitherto unusued cham­ bers. installing it and coaxing theatre organ sounds from an essentially concert-style instrument. The house was full. including the balcony; the 3000 reserved seat tickets were free. In the audience were three men Reginald Foort at the console of his 5-deck brain­ whose lives were entangled with the child . A new home, hopefully permanent, its fifth. (Stufoto) Moller's destiny: (1) Reginald Foort. who designed it in 1937 as a "por­ were noted departing the area. As we Conducted . by Stu Green table" for use in English music halls. said. it's a giant and its 27 ranks (2) Sandy Fleet. who brought it back have been augmented by a 32' pedal Readers are encouraged to submit in­ to the U.S.A. for a brief life as a grunter. teresting sidelights on the organ hob ­ "pizza" organ, and (3) J. B. Nether­ Of interest to buffs was Tom's by (exclusive of chapter news items) cutt, who purchased it and donated "trip through the organ." wherein he material they believe will be of general it to the City of Pasadena. Each was demonstrated each voice separately. interest about local organ activities introduced and took his bow. Among One of the most effective audience and installations and the people who work at the hobby . We know "there's the unsung and invisible heroes were pleasers was Tom's classical-style VOX POPS in them there chapters" Dave Junchen and Steve Adams; development of the familiar Alka­ and it only requires a 70¢ postcard to they managed all technical aspects Seltzer jingle. He "plop-plop. fizz­ get it to VOX POPS Editor, Box 3564, of the installation. even managed to fizzed" his way through a number of Granada Hills, California 97344. If the make it sound more theatrical. vaguely related "variations." always contributor can afford a 75d stamp , The white console is on a lift and building in volume and intensity. please include a contrasty black and Tom Hazleton came up playing then. when the suspense was over­ white photo which need not be re­ "From This Moment On." For stan­ powering. he pounced on the raw turned. dards Tom offered medleys of Aint basic theme with everything the or­ Misbehavin ' tunes. a Gershwin set. gan had. He had said absolutely Where are this country's remain­ tunes from the Superman score. a nothing musically with this ditty. but ing operational municipal pipe or­ hymn and a grouping of tunes popu­ he had done it beautifully. His huge gans? Minneapolis? Memphis? lar in 1938 when Foort first as­ audience loved it. Pasadena? The ones in Cleveland tounded the British public with his ~ and San Diego are undergoing res­ giant "portativ." toration. Then there's the 60.000- Classical selections included The situation with regard to Shea's pipe. 177-stop Austin in the Port­ Bach's famous "Toccata." DeFalla 's Buffalo Theatre as reported in the land. Maine, City Hall Auditorium. "Ritual Fire Dance" and Moussorg­ February issue seems to have im­ It's been there since 1912. the gift of sky's "Great Gate at Kiev." a thun­ proved. The organization which Cyrus H. Curtis. of publishing fame, derer which figuratively rattled ma­ saved the hou . e from the wrecking and is named the Kotzschmar Me­ sonry on those sitting close to the ball. "Friends of the Buffalo." has morial Organ. It is actually eight Solo Chamber (right); so great was disbanded. However. an organiza­ straight divisions of one organ - the volume. a few sensitive souls tion with a new name. "The Preser­ Great, Swell, Orchestral. Solo. Anti­ vation Guild of Shea's Buffalo." phonal. Echo, Percussion and Pedal. has come to the fore and it includes and the instrument is capable of many of "The Friends." The PG will playing everything from Widor's concern itself solely with restoration; "Toccata" to Joplin's "Sting.'' The another group will take over the organ hasn't been given much publi­ management and booking opera­ city through the years. but an en­ tions at the house. deavor is being made to secure pic­ Meanwhile, efforts are being di­ tures and information for a future rected toward restoring the 4/28 story. Wurlitzer. In addition to Curt Man­ gel. other leaders in the organ's re­ furbishing. which was continued during the upheavals previously April 23rd saw an old friend in a reported. are Gorden Gillette and new and hopefully permanent home. Charles Koester. Console work is The famed Reginald Foort 5/27 Tom Hazleton . (Stufoto) being handled by Dave Junchen. JUNE / JULY 1980 THEATRE ORGAN 27 any number of other factors, per­ closed with the 'Warsaw Concerto,' sonal and logistical - and he has to the resounding approval of the ridden the crest. Shea's Buffalo is afficionados nearby. What an or­ alive and well! Love and money are gan!" being pumped into the building by It is gratifying to hear of an in­ state and local governments, and stance where the new owner of an certainly by Curt and his staff." establishment can fathom the value of priceless assets, and restore them rather than remove them. Don Baker, weary of the Houston pizza parlor routine, is now playing a well-amplified Kawai in the Hous­ Tom Delay took time off from ton Astrodome for ball games, re­ getting married to report that the ports tourist Gary Kanas of Davis, Tom Gnaster . (Stufoto) large Tulare Theatre in relatively California. small Tulare, California, finally bit However. the dedication, previously the dust. The house opened in 1926 hoped for in the spring, has been The good word comes to us from with a 2/7 Style E Wurlitzer which delayed. Philadelphia, that the Wanamaker was sold to Bob Baese in 1960. Bob And we can add a report from Grand Court Organ will be alive and installed it superbly in his Cuper­ Tom Gnaster, one of circa 20 musi­ well for a long time. Doc Bebko re­ tino, California, home. In the theatre cians who played at the Buffalo dur­ ports, "The firm which owns the organ was a rare overhead prosceni­ ing the gala premiere on March 20th famed Neiman-Marcus store in Dal­ um installation. Opus 1496 (to keep of Hide in Plain Sight, a feature las, Carter Hawley, purchased Wurlitzer historian Judd Walton film shot entirely in the Buffalo area. Wanamaker's two years ago for a re­ happy). The event found Tom soloing an ported $60 million from the original Allen electronic, and there was a pit heirs, and is determined to re-estab­ orchestra, too. Ceremonies included lish the glory and grandeur of every­ Also from the mid-California area turning over the Keys to the City to thing which the founder created. The comes a report from Salinas that our Curt Mangel, III. who is perhaps Crystal Dining Room, about the size editor, George Thompson's kids the most active worker for the Buf­ of a football field and sporting 16 gave him a brand new Moller Or­ falo Theatre. The presentation was theatre-type chandeliers, has been chestral Oboe rank as a retirement made by Buffalo's Mayor Griffin. restored by a $1 million expenditure. present from his job. This will be Says Tom, "I have known Curt "About the same sum will be ear­ added to his studio Opus 1900 (Hi, Mangel since he was first in Shea's. marked to refurbish the Grand Court Judd!) Style 165 (2/6) Wurli. The He's been faced with seemingly in­ and the organ. When we heard the Oboe has full-length resonators, not surmountable fiscal problems, in­ instrument, the soloist did a half­ the more common Wurli half-length effectual corporations, politics, and hour program of light pops and type. The Oboe chest is being re­ leathered by able Bert Robinson. The console will also be releathered and, for the first time in the Thompson music room, winded to activate the combination action. Thompson sold his French Horn pipes to John Led­ won of Agoura, California, who is collecting parts to restore the 4/24 organ nearly wiped out in a brush fire a few years back. Again from the Salinas, Cali­ fornia, area, we hear that Bert Rob­ inson has purchased the 2/4 Wurli that has seen much service in the First Baptist Church. Bert plans to add a Morton Trumpet and a Wur­ litzer Tibia next time he installs it. Why did the church part with Opus 209? No, not in exchange for a plug­ in. A 3/22 mostly Wurlitzer was do­ nated to the church and 19 ranks are already playing. It's a composite organ which includes Wurli pipe­ The Wanamaker giant . Safe for the foreseeable future . work from the historic Denver Isis 28 THEATRE ORGAN JUNE/JULY 1980 Theatre (see the first issue of this church, classic and theatre organ manual console. about "Style 260" mag, then called The Tibia) namely, tonalities. It will be recalled that the size. the Tuba Mirabilis and Clarinet Hoosier Theatre was equipped with a Bob Montgomery will serve as ranks. circa 3/ 11 composite instrument music director for the new hotel. It is played for services in theatre that played a part in at least one past says the Journal story, and will super­ style by ATOSers Nancy Hoffman ATOS convention, a remembered vise the installation.