I SPRING 1964 VOL.1l.I, NO. 1 In the glow from one of the magnificent stage candelabrum, Horace Weber is shown seated at the console of the beautiful 3m/l 5r Wurl iTzer in Melbourne's doomed Capitol Theatre. The theatre scene, taken from the dress circle during the final recital last November 17th, serves to introduce the featured article in this issue, starting on page twelve. Written by Eric Wicks, a former organ pupi I of Weber and now a newspaperman, the feature wil I be presented in t'.VOparts- this issue being devoted to the life of the A.T .O.E. Membership - $5.00 per organist; the next wi 11describe the theatre, the organ and its re­ year includes subscription to THE A TRE ORGAN. Make your moval by the Victorian Division of the Theatre Organ Society of check or Money Order Payable to Australia. A.T.O.E. and mail to P. 0. ·qox Already a nostalgic remembrance of a golden era, this photo 248, Alameda, California. also signals the termination of a long friendship, or, if you will, A.T .0.E. HONORARY MEMBERS a devotion of an artist to an outstanding instrument. It is a fitting 1959 Jesse Crawford tribute by TOSA to a superb organist, a wonderful WurliTzer, 1960 Farny Wurlitzer 1961 Mel Doner and a truly dramatic, theatrical closing of a great theatre. 1962 Leonard MacClaln 1963 Eddie Dunstedter EDITOR ............. Tom B'Hend ChapterDirectory Associate Editor . George Thompson CHICAGO AREA CHAPTER NEW YORK CHAPTER POTOMAC VALLEY CHAPTER STAFF FOR A. T.O.E. Chairman - Dr. Rodney P. Elliott Chairman - James Dougherty Chainnan - Ray Brubacher 3101 South Wabash Avenue PRESIDENT ......... W. 'Tiny'.Jame!. 314 East 196 Street 1706 Mayhew Drive Chicago, Illinois 60616 Vice President ..... Erwin A. Young Bronx, New York Silver Spring, Maryland Secretary - ·George C. Johnston Secretary _• • • • • • • .. Mrs. Ida James Secretary - Mary Dougherty Secretary - Woody Wise 130 North Third Avenue 370 I Eaton Place Advertising Manager .... Dewey Cagle Villo Pork, Illinois 60181 Alexandria, Virginia THEATRE ORGAN is a quarterly NIAGARA FRONTIER CHAPTER CONN~CTICUT VALLEY CHAPTER publication devoted to the interests of Chalnnan - Grant Whitcomb PUGET SOUND CHAPTER 19 Church Street theatre organ enthusiasts, and to pub­ Chainnan - Everett Bassett East Aurora, New York Chairman - Dick Schrum 213 Homestead Avenue lishing of official notes and pro­ 12258 Twelfth Street NW Waterbury, Conn. 0670 I ceedings of the American Association Secretary - Laura Thomas Seattle, Washington 98177 3534 Bowen Road of Theatre Organ Enthusiasts. Al I com­ Secretary - Judy Derby Lancaster, New Yark Secretary - Roger Johnson munications and material should be l 09 Layton Street 29015 Thirty-Ninth South West Hartford, Conn. 06110 sent to THEATRE ORGAN, P. 0. Box Auburn, Washington 248, Alameda, California. Inquiries and NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER all materials intended for A.T.O.E. DELAWARE VALLEY CHAPTER Chairman - Fred Clapp SOUTHEASTERN CHAPTER should be directed to the above ad­ 5610 Castle Drive Chainnon - John Armstrong, Jr. Oakland, California Chainnan - Carl Norvell dress and will be correctly routed to Mechanicsville, Po. ·tlie-proper office., Rt. 3, Box 249 Secretary - Gordon Walker Griffin, Georgia Secretary - Laura T. Fesmire 4678 Belfast Avenue 2411 Huntingdon Pike Oakland, California Secretary - Bob Hill Huntingdon Valley, Pa. THEATRE ORGAN (title registered Shurlington Plaza U.S. Patent Office} is p.,blished by ' Macon , Georgia OHIO VALLEY CHAPTER the American Association of Theatre EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER Organ Enthusiasts, President W. 1Tin/ Chainnan - Glenn E. Merriam ST. LOUIS AREA CHAPTER 548 Terrace Avenue James, 2834 Santa Clara St., Alameda, Chairman - Jim Rankin Cincinnati 20, Oh io Cha irman - Fred Pl llsbury 73 Grond Stree t California. All rights reserved. En­ 680 South McKnight Road Reading, Massachusetts tire contents copyright 1963 by A.T.O.E., Secretary - Mrs. Glen E. Merriam St. Louis, Missouri 63124 lndbrporated. Secretary - Elbert J. Drazy Secretary - Walter Brummer 6 Amherst Road OREGON CHAPTER Andover, Massachusetts 2310 Delmar Street Granite City, Illinois POSTMASTER: - If undeliverable, send Chairman - Ted Marks 706 N. E. 165th Avenue LAND O'LAKES CHAPTER Form 3579 to THEATRE ORGAN, Portland, Oregon VALLEY OF THE SUN CHAPTER P.O. Box 248, Alameda, California. Chairman - Ed Borowiec Secretary - BlII Peterson Chairman - Al Comtois 224 S. 5th Street RETURN REQUESTED. Second 2708 N. Portland Blvd. , Apt. 2 3508 West McClellan Blvd. Delano, Minnesota Class Permit paid at Alameda, Cal­ Portland, Oregon Phoenix, Arizona Secretary - Burt Frank ifornia. Secretary - Edna E. Hunnicutt 820 Hoyt Avenue W. PIEDMONT CHAPTER 3026 East Garfield Street St. Paul, Minnesota Phoenix, Arizona Chairman - Paul M. Abernathy, M. D. I 610 Vaughn Road LOS ANGELES CHAPTER Burlington, N.C. Chairman - Jack Shemick IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE Secretary - Edwin G. Baldwin 4311 Stewart Avenue 2711 Bedford Street 'THEATRE ORGAN' Los Angeles, California Burlington, N.C. Please keep us advised of your correct Secreto')'. - Miss Constance Brenner 8551-3/4 Holloway Drive address. The Post Office DOES NOT Hollywood 69, California forward Second Class Mail. 2 theatre organ CONY EN TION SCENE Final Maclean Record Offered By Mail Order Quentin Maclean, just a few weeks before his d each due to lung cancer, played informal "jam sessions" on the residential WurliTzer of ATOE member Dr. Ray Lawson, in Montreal. More by Pipe Organs abound in the Niagara N .Y., and moved to the church . Fabulous accident than design, these sessions were taped. The artist was completely Frontier Chapter area and there will be acoustics. approximately 17 available for inspec­ relaxed, and there was no rehearsing; nor Home Installations was there any intention to publish the tion. Some of those listed will figure prominently in the convention musical Harold Logan, Niagara Falls, Ontario- music at the time. Now the best extracts of the time programs: 3m/ 19r WurliTzer in mint condition. Maclean spent at the console playing Shea's Buffalo Theatre 4m/ 28r John Spalding, Kenmore - 3m/10r Marr WurliTzer. Restoration progressing well & Colton with Wurli Tzer console, recent­ this instrument have been made into stereo recordings. They are available and organ should be in condition by ly reinstalled. only by ordering direct from Laurentien July. This is the largest WurliTzer in Joe Thomas, Lancaster 3m/ 5r Records, P .0. Box 23, Station B, Mont­ New York State outside of New York Wurli Tzer-Marr & Colton. Everything real, Canada. Record price is $5.00 City and acknowledged one of the finest playing except noise makers; they have postpaid, capes $9.50 postpaid. acoustical installations. Theatre seats air but not connected to console yet. This release, Laurentien officials about 3,600. Harvey Elsaesser, Buffalo - 3m/ 7r noted, "is issued with a pang of regret Riviera Theatre, North Tonawanda - Wurli Tzer-Marr & Colton all playing and it is the last of Quentin Maclean." 3m/ llr WurliTzer will be in good con­ sounds good. dition by July and console elevator put Irving Toner, East Aurora - 2m/ 3r in service . Instrument was used by Wicks Unit Organ with added octave of Wurli Tzer as a demonstrator. The theatre WurliTzer Diaphones to pedals. Irv also seats about 1,800. maintains the 2m/ 5r Wurli Tzer in Blazing WurliTzer Console Rapids Theatre, Niagara Falls Star Lodge (Masonic Temple) East 2m/ 8r WurliTzer, highly unified with Aurora, and has access anytime. In House - No Organ second touch on pedals. A 16-foot Joseph Sanders, Jr., Williamsville - Bourdon has been added as well as 2m /7 r Link, originally in Capitol Theatre, It's comforting to have a Wurli Tzer chimes. Organ in good condition. Theatre Buffalo. An excellent basement instal­ console around the house, even if there seats about 1,800. lation. are no chambers, relays, pipes, blower Skate Haven Roller Rink , Lackawanna Robert Knock, Buffalo - 2m/ 4r Wur­ and percussions . New Yorker Danny (suburb of Buffalo) - 3m/ 15r WurliTzer li Tzer. Fine installation in music room. Schultz believes this - he recently re­ from the Seneca Theatre, with Diaphones moved the 3m/ 13r WurliTzer from the Paramount Theatre in Rochester and added. Will be completed by July . For WurliTzer Widows Niagara Frontier expects to have con­ hauled it to his home at Fishers, about cert there before convention time. WurliTzer Widows and Kids have not 18 miles southeast of the theatre loca­ Tentative plans call for a banquet in been forgotten by Niagara Frontier Chap­ tiona . rink proper where organ is installed. ter - they are scheduled to have a Seating capacity about 2,000. wonderful time on boat sightseeing "Our installation is setting at present R.K.O. Palace Theatre , Rochester - trips, bus and plane tours , fashion shows, waiting for additional funds and Spring so 4m / 21r Wurli Tzer in mint condition. radio and television participation shows, the chambers can be dug," Schultz ha:s Reginald Foore remarked that this. organ a trip on a real steam locomotive , going advised. He plans to photograph the is the first in many years that he has to horse races, art galleries, museums, a entire rebuilding session and will pre­ pJayed where everything works. Player trip to the zoo , famed Niagara Falls, pare a story for future publication in attachment has been added by member Crystal Beach and Fantasy Island, and THEATRE ORGAN. The organ is Opus 1928, Style 240. It was installed in the Danny Schultz. Theatre seats about inspection of the formal gardens 10 3 ,000. Rochester's Eastman Park. Paramount in 1928. Imperial Theatre, Toronto, Canada - 4m/ 28r Warren. Latest report is that organ will not be all completed by July. Theatre seats about 3 ,200. Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto , Canada- 5m/ 21r WurliTzer in mint condition, used for all Garden shows by Horac e Lapp . Organ has world's fattest tib i a, re­ scaled and voiced for 30 inches of wind pressure.