TheatreOrgan Bombarde JOURNAL of the AMERICAN THEATRE ORGAN ENTHUSIASTS __ .,,'1 - "'i'l, 1 i~- f ;.:, I -·~ • 1' I - ......·. - •' FAREWELL TO THE ORIENTAL CHICAGO CONVENTION PLANS Wurlitzer Theatre Organ The modern Theatre Console Organ that combines the grandeur of yesterday with the electronic wizardry of today. Command performance! Wurlitzer combines the classic Horseshoe Design of the immortal Mighty Wurlitzer with the exclusive Total Tone electronic circuitry of today. Knowledge and craftsmanship from the Mighty Wurlitzer Era have produced authentic console dimensions in this magnificent new theatre organ. It stands apart, in an instru­ Partial list of features ment of its size, from all imitative theatre organ • Dual system of tone generation • Authentic Mighty Wurlitzer Horseshoe Design designs. To achieve its big, rich and electrifying • Authentic voicing of theatrical Tibia and tone, Wurlitzer harmonically "photographed" Kinura originating on the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ voices of the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ to • Four families of organ tone serve as a standard. The resultant voices are au­ • Two 61-note keyboards • 25-note pedal keyboard with two 16 ' and thentic individually, and when combined they two 8 ' pedal voices augmented by Sustain blend into a rich ensemble of magnificent dimen­ • Multi-Matic Percussion ~ with Ssh-Boom ®, Sustain , Repeat , Attack , Pizzicato , and sion. Then, to crown the accomplishment, we Bongo Percussion incorporated the famous Wurlitzer Multi-Matic • Silicon transistors for minimum maintenance Percussion ® section with exclusive Ssh-Boom ® • Reverb , Slide , Chimes , and Solo controls • Electronic Vibrato (4 settings) that requires no special playing techniques, • Exclusive 2 speed Spectra -Tone ® Sound Pizzi ca to Touch that was found only on larger pipe in Motion • Two-channel solid state amplifiers , 70 watts organs, Chimes and Slide Control ... and dozens total distributed output of other features that no other organ can offer. • 8 speakers (two rotating) • Theatre furniture styling in walnut or See ... hear .. play this magnificent organ today. antique white and gold URLI ZER means Music to millions pianos • organs • electronic pianos • guitars • stereos • band instruments. DeKalb, Illinois 60115 ~ ATOS ~fflvES/LIBRAR7 THE COVER PHOTO The famous 4-20 Oriental Wurlitzer console TheatreOrgan after redecoration by members of CATOE. This organ was recorded by Arsene Siegal and Helen Westbrook on the Replica Record label in the l 950's. The story on Farewell Bombarde to the Oriental appears on page 5 of this issue. Volume 11, Number 2 Photo by Bill Lamb April, 1969 In This Issue A.T.O.E. National Membership is $7.00 per cal­ Editorial - Al Mason ..... 3 endar year, which inciudes a subscription to THEATRE ORGAN BOMBARDE, the official pub ­ An Acre of Seats . .. .. .. .. .. .. .............................. 4 I ication of the American Threatre Organ Enthu­ Farewell to the Oriental ...... ................... ....... ........................... .......... 5 siasts. Single copies : $1.25. Make check or Whatever Became of Mary Jean Miller . 6 money order payable to A.T.O.E., and mail to A Farewell to Loew's Ohio .... ................. ..................... ...................... ...... 9 P. 0 . Box 2329, Livonia, Michigan 48150 . Dennis James Thrills RTOS ................. ....... ......... .... 8 New York Hosts 14th Anniversary ...................... ................... 10 OVERSEAS Membership : $8.00. National Board of Directors Meeting 11 ALL MATERIAL FOR PUBLICATION Helen Dell Warms Damp Audience ... 12 EXCEPT ADVERTISING SHOULD BE Au Revoir to Boyd Kimball ... ................... ············ ···"····· 12 SENT TO A .T.O.E. PUBLICATIONS DTOC's Good Fortune - Don Miller 13 P. 0. BOX 2329, LIVONIA, MICHIGAN 48150 Larsen Visit Thrills Disabled Fan .... 14 Organ Literature Foundation Moves ............ ..... 15 ADVERTISING ADDRESS: Dewey Cagle, 3291 A TOE Election - Special Editorial ................. ... ..... ........................ ... 15 Guido Street, Oakland, California 94602 . Let's Communicate ........ ... ............. .. 16 Repairing and Rewinding Wurlitzer Magnets .................................... ............. ................... 17 The Organ Plays "Golden Favorites" 19 A.T.O.E. National Officers 1969 Convention Schedule . 22 Albert T. Mason, President Chicago Stadium 's Barton .. 24 Richard F. Kline, Jr ., Vice President Dick Schrum Entertains RTOS ............. ....... ... ... .... ..... .................. 25 Betty Mason, National Secretary Hollywood Cavalcade .............. ................ ................ 26 Dorothy MacClain, Secretary-Treasurer For the Records .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .......... ..... 26 Vox Pops .... ................. .............. ............. .... 30 A.T.O.E. National Board of Directors Disc Squeals ....................... ............................. ... ·33 Lee Erwin Nuggets from the Golden Days .... ............ ........................ ... 34 W. "Tiny" James Theatre Organ Magazine 's l 0th Birthday ············· ······"··· · 35 Frederick J. Kruse Chapter Chairmen and Secretaries 38 Ben M. Hall 39 Chapter News ........... ................ Dorothy J. MacClain Classified Ads .... ................ .......... 42 Phil Olson Allen W. Rossiter Erwin A. Young, Jr . TO PRESERVETHE THEATREORGAN Richard H. Schrum, Honorary When we started many years ago as a group of hobbyists, the idea of 'preserv­ A.T.O.E. Honorary Members ing' meant to remove and take home a theatre organ or sit around undet a drop 1959 - Jesse Crawford light in a dark auditorium with a large group of six or seven and moon over the 1960 - Farny Wurlitzer death of the instruments. Times have changed. We now have new responsibilities. 1961 - Mel Doner 1962 - Leonard MacClai n The real sound is developed in large spaces. Even the largest home must have 1963 - Eddie Dunstedter artificial reverb to give full dimension for the pipe 's abilities. The development of 1964 - Reginald Foort young artists to carry on the use of the instruments we ar~ preserving demands 1965 - Dan Barton access to a public willing to pay for their entertainment and that means either 1966 - W . "Tiny" James theatres or other public auditoriums. This movement is developing . 1967 - Erwin A. Young , Jr. Doesn't our success now mean that we should, as chapters at least, turn more 1968 - Richard C. Simonton of our attention to the restoration in place or use in schools of the organs remaining EDITORIAL STAFF rather than just being a social group? If we give the owner or management some Editor - George Thompson reason to see that there are people willing to pay for their fun then the king of Associate Editors - Ray Brubacher instruments becomes an asset rather than a nuisance. Lloyd Klos Social life with other interested people is fun and an integral part of our Peg Nielsen chapter life but it doesn't give our favorite music much future. Support your local Editor-Emeritus - W . "Stu" Green Publications Director - Don Lockwood chapter by joining it as well as the national. Maybe there are more members in Advertising Manager - Dewey Cagle your area who would enjoy having a chapter. Circulation Manager - Vi Thompson Come to the Chicago Convention , have fun and also learn the ropes on THEATRE ORGAN BOMBARDE (title registered producing shows featuring the pipes and silent movies . U. S. Patent Office) is published bi-monthly by the American Theatre Organ Enthusiasts, Inc., a non-profit organization, Albert T. Mason, President . AIJ rights reserved. Entire contents copyrighted 1969 by A.T.O.E., Inc., Office of publication is P.O. Box 2329, Livonia, Michigan 48150 . Printed by Detroit Master Craft, Livonia . Michigan 48150 . - Al Mason, President POSTMASTER: Second Class postage paid at Pontiac, Michigan . IF UNDELIVERABLE, send form 3579 to A.T.O.E. Circulation Department, Box 1314, Salinas, California 93901. 3 theatre organ bombarde By Bill Peterson - number 14 in a series ROXY THEATRE - NEW YORK CITY This house, built on a magnificent scale, was conceived by Samuel L. "Roxy" Rothafel and designed by W. W. Ahlschlager. The auditorium seating 6214 persons was lavishly decorated in gold, and of awesome proportions. The public rooms were dominated by a spectacular rotunda which had its own organ, a duplex player. Kimball got the contract for the Roxy, and put a total of five consoles in the building. One was installed in the radio broadcast studio high up above the theatre proper, while no less than three consoles were located in the pit on elevators. The auditorium organ spoke out from under the stage. Very impressive to see, but not the best to hear. The Roxy was torn down in 1960. april 1969 4 FAREWELLto the ORIENTAL Recently word came to the Chicago was actually vinyl art forms and are Area Chapter of A TOE that the Ori­ produced by the company that ·used to ental Theatre was to be separated into make the plaster ones formerly used two theatres. CA TOE chairman, Bill on the original consoles. Benedict and CATOE secretary Bill The Oriental Theatre, built in 1925 Rieger , persuaded the management to by the famous theatre architects, Rapp allow the organization to have one last & Rapp , is described as a work of art . concert before the conversion took The auditorium is beyond words with place. its intricacies of Eastern magnificence With the full cooperation of the man­ featuring grotesque dancers and Indian agement, the half ton console. was re­ animal figures complete with illumin­ moved from the 12 foot pit and