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public satisfaction with the musical pro­ His three-year Regent stint ended grams presented. when he accepted an offer in Detroit July 1926 (M) ... where he remained two years. In 1919, The Liberty Theatre in Olympia, Wash­ he received a return call to Rochester ington, prides itself on having a beautiful by the Piccadilly Theatre. In 1921, Mr. Wurlitzer and SAMUAL PHELPS TOTTEN Burroughs accepted a return engage­ to play it. Mr. Totten has been at the ment at the Regent where he remained Liberty since its inception in 1924, and until the Lyndhurst opening. Prospected his popularity with the capital city's the- . Mr. Burroughs has made several tours, by atre-goers is growing fast. Sam is well including 20 recitals on the Pan-American Lloyd equipped for picture and vaudeville work. organ in Buffalo's Convention Hall. Since E. For six years, he directed musical 1915, he has conducted a motion picture Klos comedy, and conducted orchestras, do­ column fn the Diapason. Rochester is ing pictures and vaudeville work for the fortunate in having an organist of Mr. Pantages and Gussun circuits. Burroughs' calibre at the Lundhurst Sources for this column were Jacobs In 1917, he decided to confine his console. Magazine (J), Local Press (LP), Melody efforts to the organ, as he had played March 30, 1928 (LP) ... (M) and Radio Daily RD). several years previously in Everett, Cen­ TOM GRIERSON, Rochester organist, April 1926 (M) ... tralia, Wenatchee and Olympia theatres. who has been heard in theatres and Youth and Music! Hand in hand, they Besides doing pictures, Sam plays for churches here for the past 1O years, will skip along. Nowadays, you find a young­ vaudeville, stages prologues, novelty solos leave tomorrow for Buffalo where he has ster doing well that which only would have and Sunday concerts. He has the distinc­ accepted the position at Shea's Buffalo been attempted by a seasoned performer, tion of being one of only four vaudeville Theatre, playing its 4/28 Wurlitzer, largest and then only after many years of pre­ organists on the West Coast. of that make between New York and paratory study. The installation of pipe Sam says that playing the organ for Chicago. organs for solo use in theatres is respon­ vaudeville can be very pleasurable to November 1, 1929 (LP) ... sible for bringing to the public many patrons and artists. An instrument of Loew's Rochester will introduce a new capable musicians. quick response, and a slight anticipation organist, MAURICE COOK, "The Jovial A most engaging young chap has been on the part of the organist are required. Console Master," at the opening of Metro­ added lately to our list of musicians, He's played for some very fast classical Goldwyn-Mayer's all-talking campus ROBERT MACHAT, organist at the Park school dancing acts. comedy, So This is College, tomorrow. Theatre in Washington, D.C. His pro­ His opinions on so-called "modern" Maurice has been playing solos for ten grams, which add much enjoyment to the music are not very enthusiastic . Experi­ years, and before that, he was a movie pictures, have received favorable com­ ence has taught him to give the public, accompanist. He traveled in vaudeville ment. Mr. Machat was raised in a show as represented by the majority of moving as a member of Dunbar's Nine White business atmosphere. In the theatre idiom picture attendees, what they want: i.e. Huzzars, a Keith headline act. For a sea­ 20 years, his father owned a chain of melody; about 1O % from the old masters, son or two, he conducted an orchestra, theatres in this city and New York. When and the remaining 90% from masters playing with the Birth of a Nation produc­ the Park was added to the chain, R9bert not so old. tion, and the Ramona Traveling Shows. was brought here from New York to take December 1927 U) ... For over a season, he was at the charge of the Wurlitzer organ. The Lyndhurst Theatre in Rochester, Cinema Theatre in Los Angeles. He left He undoubtedly has more pupils than New York, recently instailed a two-manual that house to take up a similar position any teacher of theatre organ in the city, organ which was opened on September at the Blue Mouse in Minneapolis. He being very thorough and conscientious in 12 by WESLEY RAY BURROUGHS. The was also at the Tower in St. Paul and the this work. He will spend any amount of organ was built and installed by a local State in Minneapolis. time with a pupil who is apt and inter­ concern, the Kohl Organ Co. In 1925, Maurice went to Chicago ested, but will waste no time upon any­ Mr. Burroughs received most of his where he opened 11 Balaban & Katz one who just wants to "play a little bit." training under Dr. William C. Carl at the theatres in one year - next to the Indiana Robert is very progressive, frequently Guilmont Organ School in New York. Like Theatre in Indianapolis for a year, then going to New York for new ideas and other theatre organists of the old school, to Loew's State in Syracuse until that music. Mr. Burroughs had built a reputation as house introduced a vaudeville policy. The young man played for road-show a church musician before the organ took Baltimore came next with an engagement rehearsals in New York before he was 16, permanent abode in the theatre pit. One at Loew's Century, from which he comes and for a number of years was pianist of his most notable positions was that of to Rochester. with traveling orchestras and shows. organist and choral director of the Dela­ During his Los Angeles assignment , Such training proved valuable when he ware Baptist Church of Buffalo from 1908 Maurice frequently played the organ for took up motion picture work, and his through 1913. Directing a 30-voice chor­ big premieres. A number of leading film ability as a musician enables him to cue us, Mr. Burroughs proved his ability for stars are among his friends. "People who pictures in a novel and pleasing manner. this work until it was forsaken for the have never been there have a mistaken One of his pupils, Mrs. MARGARET theatre idiom. idea of Hollywood," he says. "They think WATKINS, has been trained by him to In 1914, Rochester's Regent Theatre, it is a place where more whoopee is play exactly as he does himself, and is the city's first large motion picture house, made than pictures . Many of the stars nON his assistant at the Park. Mr. Machat was built, and Mr. Burroughs was selec­ are exceptionally hard workers, and often also acts as music supervisor of his ted to design the organ specifications retire as early as 9:00 p.m. so that they father's other theatres, guaranteeing and be chief organist. (continued on page 49 . .) THEATREORGAN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER• 43 NUGG-ETS (continued from page 43) may be in fit condition to meet their ob­ ligations on the lot early the next day. Thoughts About The Picture stars who have held their high places are, for the most part, surprisingly 1989 Young Organist Conipetition orderly persons.'' July 29, 1942 (RD) ... DOLPH GOEBEL, musical director and It seemsas if our committee'sdecisions to toorigorous requirements. I think "Embraceable organist of WWRL in Woodside, New electRussell Holmes, John Cook, and Barry Baker You"was a little too demanding.In his book, York, since June 1941, has been named havemet generalapproval. I havereceived no AmericanPopular Song, Alec Wilder discusses by the U.S. Treasury Dept. to make per­ complaint,although I didn't expect any. The win­ GeorgeGershwin's skill in the useof bassnotes, sonal appearances Sundays at Forest nersplayed well, were always courteous and gen­ his avoidanceof musicalcliches, and his ever­ Park, Long Island, in behalf of the sale of tlemanly,and broughtcredit to their sponsors, movingharmony. This latter characteristic explains War Bonds and Stamps. Goebel will be teachers,families and friends.I am especially whyseveral of ourcandidates found it necessary featured at the Hammond , supplying the happywith the winners because they exemplified to usetoo slow a tempofor a populartune that music for community sings and rallies. musicalcharacteristics that I like: restraintin is basicallyhappy and affectionate in spirit.The registrationand dynamics. I like the pedalwork firstmeasure starts after a quarter-rest,and then GOLD DUST: 7/38 ERIC THINMAN and of all three,for theywere sparing in their useof imitatesit in the second,to be followedby an REGINALD FOORT over GSG and GSI, thosemuddy old sixteen-footbourdons, and not unexpectedphrase in the third. Anotherunex­ England; LEW WHITE, CBS; ARTHUR oneof themwas hooked in addictionto snarling ~ noveltyis the eighth-notee-flat in the final CHANDLER, Jr., WLW, Cincinnati; Chi­ posthornsthat makemore noise than music. We cadence(the piece is writtenin G). cago's HAROLD TURNER on MBS play­ hadevidence at the Conventionthat theywere Thereare two ways to helpour young students ing piano; Canada's ROLAND TODD over competentto playeverything to whichthey pro­ avoidpitfalls: (1) use popular material in theform MBS; MIL TON CHARLES & The Four fessedin theirtapes; there could have been no A-A-B-A. It is simpleand repetitive. Students who Notes, CBS ... 10/38 CHARLES PAUL, tape-{ioctoringor double-recording. I had a talk can'thandle this needear-training . (2) Havethe CBS; GEORGE t.UNDQUIST, WJTN, with RussellHolmes about his training and was studentssing the songsthey are proposing to play. pleasedto find himable to indicatesome know­ Thiswill insurethat theycatch the moodand Jamestown, NY; MARY FOUNTAIN, ledgeof harmonyas wetalked about triad-inver­ styleof anypiece before they get carriedaway WHP, Harrisburg, PA; DICK LEIBERT, sions,seventh and ninth chords.

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