Two ~..-Eat ~Arnei in the Theatr-E Or-Aan Wor-Ld with Your Help, the Legend and the Organ Will Go on Forever!
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Two ~..-eat ~arnei in the Theatr-e Or-aan Wor-ld With your help, the legend and the organ will go on forever! \\\11 11 .... ~ ,,,,\ nt - 1111111,Jfl'II ~ --- JESSECRAWFORD CHICAGO THEATREWURLITZER CONSOLE Since 1977 CATOE,with the help of the American Theatre Organ Society has been workingto save one of the mostfamous theatre pipe organs - At last we can truly say the Chicago Theatre is secure. Frankly speaking, CATOE needs your help! We want to The building is now owned by a group of people who do the Chicago Theatre Wurlitzer restoration absolutely understand its historical significance as well as the need as complete and perfectly as is possible. Your contribu tor preserving all of its entertainment capabili ties. CA TOE tions of funds to help raise the thousands of dollars neces and ATOS have played a major role in the success of the sary can help secure, tor you and tor ATOS, a place and campaign . an instrument of unparalled historical and musical impor It is no secret that the Chicago Theatre Wurlitzer is in tance . We feel confident that our "taking care of our need of a complete and thorough restoration . Now that own" in the course of the Chicago Theatre restoration will the future of the theatre is secured, that work can begin . insure that ATOS will always be welcomed there to enjoy As a first step CA TOE has made a firm agreement with the this magnificent instrument. new owner of the Chicago to insure that the Wurlitzer will Contributions to CATOE tor the Chicago Theatre Wurlit play a role in that future of the building and that CA TOE zer restoration fund are totally tax deductible and a// of will oversee the restoration and the maintenance of the the funds you designate tor that project will be spent en instrument. tirely on the Chicago Theatre Wurlitzer. A careful record will be kept of all those who participate in this project At the present time CATOE is undertaking the restora whether your contribution be one or one thousand tion and re-installation of the 4/20 Oriental Wurlitzer, the dollars. care and location of the well known Indiana Theatre Wur litzer, in addition to the ongoing maintenance and opera Please send your tax free donation to: tion of many other Bartons, Kimballs, Genevas and Smiths in the Chicago area. The challenges are sometimes stag C.A.T.0.E., Chicago Theatre Wurlitzer Fund gering but we are committed to keep theatre organ alive l 03 E. Chestnut and well in Chicago tor everyone to enjoy . Chicago, Illinois 60611 With your help the Chicago Theatre Wurlitzer will truly take its place as the centerpiece of the next ATOS convention in Chicago. 2 THEATRE ORGAN JANUARY /FEBRUARY 1986 ~ ATOS _ABCIIIVESI LIBRARY Editorial Robert M . Gilbert 3448 Cowper Court Palo Alto , California 94306 JOURNAL OF THE Phone : 41 5/494 -1 870 !ISSN 0040-5531 I AMERICAN Advertising Len Clarke THEATRE ORGAN 1839 Weeg Way SOCIETY Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 Phone : 312 /692-9399 Library of Congress Back Issues & Binders Catalog Number - ML 1 T 334 Vernon P. Bickel 1 393 Don Carlos Court Chula Vista, California 92010 VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1 Phone : 619 /421 -9629 JANUARY /FEBRUARY 1986 President Jack Moelmann P.O . Box 13106 Omaha, Nebraska 6811 3 featur-es . .. Phone : 402 /292- 7799 Vice President 5 TheByrdTheatre ....................... MilesJ.Rudisill,Jr. Russell Joseph 18 Fenchurch Drive 8 The Phoenix Festival Was Fantastic ......... Grace E. McGinnis Bella Vista, Arkansas 72714 Phone : 501 /855-1 002 10 Edward Swan, Theatre Organist ................. Lloyd E. Klos Secretary David M. Barnett 12 Repairing and Voicing Damaged Organ Pipes ....... Dan Barton 423 North Stafford Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23220 14 Another Opening, Another Show .......... Dr. Larry Warkintin Phone: 804 /359-631 8 Treasurer 24 Dan Barton's Tuning Procedure Revisited ......... John L. Little Warren D. " Dale" Mendenhall 4428 Pennsylvania Avenue Fair Oaks, California 95628 25 May we introduce ... Melissa Ambrose ..... Grace E. McGinnis Phone : 916 /967 -5060 Executive Director 28 The Theatre Organ ... Wherein Lies Its Future? .. John Ledwon Douglas C . Fisk P.O . Box 420490 Sacramento , California 95842 Phone : 916 /962-1019 depar-tments .... Board of Directors Lowell C . Ayars 26 Book Reviews Tom B'hend 4 Executive Messages Dr . John W. Landon Allen R . Miller 7 Johnson's Quiz Question 29 Pipes and Personalities Ashley Miller Fr. James Miller 16 For the Records 31 Closing Chord Lois F. Segur Richard J. Sklenar 19 Biographical Dictionary 32 Letters to the Editors Walter Strony Rex Koury, Past President 22 Nuggets from the Golden Days 33 Chapter Notes Corporate Office American Theatre Organ Society, Inc . Keyboard Techniques 54 Classified Ads 1 393 Don Carlos Court 26 Chula Vista, California 9201 0 Curator - Archive/Library Vernon P . Bickel 1393 Don Carlos Court Chula Vista , California 92010 Phone: 619 /421-9629 Cove.- Vhoto Journal Staff Editor - Robert M . Gilbert Views of the Byrd Theatre in Richmond, Co-editor - Grace E. McGinnis Virginia. See story beginning on page five. Editor Emeritus - W . Stu Green Associate Editors Lloyd E. Klos Peg Nielsen Verna Mae Wilson ATOS National Membership is $20.00 per year, profit organization. Jack Moelmann, Presi Photographer - which includes a subscription to THEATRE dent . All rights reserved. Entire contents copy Art Director - Floyd A . Mumm ORGAN, the official publication of the Ameri righted, American Theatre Organ Society, Advertising - Len Clarke can Theatre Organ Society. Single copies Inc., 1985. Office of publication is 4428 Penn Publisher - Warren Dale Mendenhall $2.50. Make check or money order payable to sylvania Avenue, Fair Oaks, California 95628. Design & Typesetting ATOS, and mail to ATOS Membership Office, Pica Studio P.O. Box 420490, Sacramento, Calif. 95842. Livonia, Michigan POSTMASTER: Second Class postage paid at Printing & Mailing THEATRE ORGAN (title registered U.S . Pa Livonia, Michigan . IF UNDELIVERABLE, send Scott Publications tent Office) is published bimonthly by the form 3579 to ATOS Membership Office, P.O. Livonia, Michigan American Theatre Organ Society, Inc., a non- Box 420490 Sacramento, Calif. 95842. 3 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1986 THEATRE ORGAN American TheatreOigan Society PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE A big "well done" goesto the Valleyof the sitate it being removed.This is the only organ owned by the American Sun Chapter for putting on a terrific "Phoe Theatre Organ Society, and we want to ensure that it gets a good nix Festival'85" regional convention in No home. You will be advisedof progresson this program. vember. For those who attended it was a 1986 will be an exciting year. From readingthe newslettersfrom the memorable event. During that convention various chapters, there is a lot going on and a lot more to do. The Walt Strony, the convention chairman, pre Young Organist Competition, increased membership, ATOS promo senteda check for $1000 to ATOSfor use in tion, the Archives/Library, and an exciting convention in Richmondin the YoungOrganist Competition program. A July are at the forefront of our activities. Our Promotion and Conven big THANKYOU for this most generousgift. tion Planning committees are hard at work promoting ATOSto the Speakingof the Young Organist Competi world and developingprocedures and guidelinesfor exciting conven tion, the information on this year's program tions in the future. Weare also attempting to get a grasp on how con has beensent to all chapter presidents.We look forward to having a lot ventions should be reviewed;your concerns have been noted. of participation this year. As you have noticed, we have expandedthe It is time to consider nominations for the ATOSBoard of Directors. competition to include three winners instead of just one. The overall We need new people to serve our organization. Being on the board is winner, however,will be the one who will be featured in a cameodur challengingand fun, and you would be helping a growing organization ing the 1986 National Conventionin Richmond, Virginia. to achieveits goals.Think about running or nominating someonewho After great deliberation,the term "Chapter Chairman" will no long would do a good job. er be used as far as the national board is concerned.The more appro Your officers and Board of Directors wish each of you a happy and priate title of "President" will be used in referring to chapter leader prosperousNew Year. ship. Werecognize that there may be local reasonsfor referring to the Sincerely, chapter officer by another title, but ChapterPresident, in our opinion, more appropriately reflects the job of the chapter leader. The 2/ 5 Wurlitzer organ in the CarnegieHall Cinemahas to be re moved.The organ was donatedto ATOSsome years ago as a memorial to the late Ben Hall (it was Ben's organ and called "Little Mother"). Over the yearsthe organ has providedenjoyment to those who visited the CarnegieHall Cinemain NewYork, but plans for the theatre neces- Jack Moelmann EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE Mail during the past weeks has been or presentations.The search is for the key to finding a segment of a heavy with membershiprenewals for 1986. new generationthat will want to use the theatre organ in new and dif Along with the renewalscame many notes ferent ways. And maybe the ATOSpurpose should be changed from and letters. One ideaexpressed in a number "preservation" to "preservation and presentations" to get more of different ways is the need for ATOS to thinking geared to reaching new audiences.Any specific ideas?Send consider a restatement of its purpose. The them in and we will find a way of sharing them. Society was developedto preservethe the Another point of interest with the renewalsis the number of mem atre organ. Whilethat must continue (many bers who voluntarily contribute more than the basic dues. As an ex are still being lost), their long-termpreserva pressionof appreciationand recognition to those members,the May/ tion must be tied to how they are used now June THEATREORGAN will carry a list of all who havequalified as Con and in the future.