Orbil ID™e eclronic 1ynihe1izer P,UJ ~ -~o~reO1pinel organ equo1... ~e newe1Iway lo mo <emu1ic ~romWur irzec Now with the Orbit III electronic synthesizer from slowly, just as the theatre organist did by opening and Wurlitzer you can create new synthesized sounds in­ closing the chamber louvers. stantly. ·.. in performance. And with the built-in Orbit III synthesizer, this This new Wurlitzer instrument is also a theatre organ, instrument can play exciting combinations of synthe­ with a sectionalized vibrato/tremolo, toy counter, in­ sized, new sounds, along with traditional organ music. A dependent tibias on each keyboard and the penetrating built-in cassette player/recorder lets you play along with kinura voice that all combine to recreate the sounds of pre-recorded tapes for even more dimensions in sound. the twenty-ton Mighty Wurlitzers of silent screen days. But you've got to play the Orbit III to believe it. And it's a cathedral/classical organ, too, with its own in­ Stop in at your Wurlitzer dealer and see the Wurlitzer dividually voiced diapason, reed, string and flute voices. 4037 and 4373. Play the eerie, switched-on sounds New linear accent controls permit you to increase or of synthesized music. Ask for your free Orbit III decrease the volume of selected sections suddenly, or demonstration record. Or write: Dept. T0-27 2 WURLilzER® The Wurlitzer Company, DeKalb, Illinois 60115. ha.4'the ,Tag cover- Photo •.. One of the organs to be featured at this years National Convention, July 10-14, 1972, is the 3/15 Wurlitzer in the Loew's Theatre, Richmond, Virginia. Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society in thii iiiue ••• Volume 14, No. 1 • February, 1972 ATOS National Membership is $8.00 per cal­ FEATURES endar year, which includes a subscription to THEATRE ORGAN, the official publication of 5 Bert Buhrman and the School of the Ozark's Wurlitzer. Lloyd E. Klos the American Theatre Organ Society. Single 10 The Blending of Traditions. ... John Muri copies: $1 .25. Make check or money order 11 Home Organ Festival . .. G. Bandini payable to ATOS, and mail to P. 0. Box 306, 12 Bobbie Irvin and the "Mighty Mo". Ray Brubacher North Haven, Connecticut 06473. 13 The Empty Envelope ALL MATERIAL FOR PUBLICATION 15 Complete Wurlitzer List EXCEPT ADVERTISING SHOULD BE SENT TO ATOS PUBLICATIONS 25 Everything Happened to Me . • . Rex Koury P. 0. BOX 2329, LIVONIA, MICHIGAN 48150 ADVERTISING ADDRESS: Dick Schrum, Box DEPARTMENTS 7 422, Bitter Lake Station, Seattle, Wash. 98133. 4 Acre of Seats 20 Vox Pops 32 Nuggets from the Golden Days ATOS National Officers 14 Hollywood Cavalcade 24 Closing Chord 33 Chapter Notes Stillman Rice, President Lee Erwin, Vice President 16 For the Records 28 Snippets from England 39 Classified Ads Mory Bowles, Secretary-Treasurer 19 Dinny's Colyum 29 Letters to the Editor Mildred Rice, Executive Secretary Barbara Hubbard, Membership Secretary ATOS National Board of Directors Mary Bowles Gaylord Carter Lee Erwin Allen W. Rossiter Allen Miller Richard Simonton February 5th marks the 17th Anniversary of Ron Willfong Judd Walton the American Theatre Organ Society. Albert T. Mason, Past President My thanks to all the National Officers, Board of ATOS Honorary Members Directors, the Editorial Staff and to all Chapters 1959-Jesse Crawford 1960-Farny Wurlitzer and members who made contributions to our 1961-Mel Doner Theatre Organ publication during the past year. 1962-Leonard MocClain I think of no better way to start 1972 than to 1963-Eddie Dunstedter 1964-Reginald Foort review the purposes for which our great association 1965-Dan Barton was formed: 1966-W. "Tiny" James "To preserve and further the use and understand­ 1967-Erwin A. Young, Jr. 1968-Richard C. Simonton ing of the Theatre Pipe Organ and its music and to 1969-Judd Walton publish a periodical concerning the instrument." 1970-Bill Lamb Membership renewals are very satisfactory in 1971-George and Vi Thompson r------ HALL OF FAME ----- addition to new members and requests for membership applications. To our mem­ bers, may I urge that you aid in building the membership of ATOS by inviting your DON BAKER F. DONALD MILLER JESSE CRAWFORD C. SHARPE MINOR friends to meetings and concerts and if they are interested, ask them to join. Also MRS. JESSE CRAWFORD HENRY B. MURTAGH EDDIE DUNSTEDTER RAY SHELLEY if any member thinks a Chapter of ATOS could be formed in their area, please LEE ERWIN ARSENE SIEGAL inform National Headquarters. FRED FEIBEL Ml L TON SLOSSER REGINALD FOORT FIRMIN SWINNEN Again it is time to nominate members for the National Board of Directors to ARTHUR GUTOW SIDNEY TORCH serve a two-year term. Any members interested in serving as a director, kindly SIGMUND KRUMGOLD OLIVER WALLACE LEONARD MacCLAIN LEW WHITE make this known to your Chapter Chairman or National Headquarters. It is my pleasure to announce the following Internal Revenue Service classi­ EDITORIAL STAFF fication for the American Theatre Organ Society, Dated December 7, 1971. Editor - George Thompson Quote: We have evaluated your foundation status notification and, based on the Associate Editors - Ray Brubacher Lloyd E. Klos information you submitted, we have determined that you are not a private foun­ Peg Nielsen dation within the meaning of section 509 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code because Editor-Emeritus - W. "Stu" Green you are an organization described in section 509 (a) (2). Publisher - Al Mason Art Director - Don Lockwood Donors may deduct contributions to you, as provided by section 170 of the Advertising Manager - Dick Schrum Code. Bequests, legacies, devises, transfers, or gifts to you or for your use are Circulation Manager - Vi Thompson deductible for Federal estate and gift tax purposes under sections 2055, 2106, and THEATRE ORGAN (title registered U. S. Patent 2522 of the Code. Office) is published bi-monthly by the American This ruling modifies our ruling to you holding you exempt under section Theatre Organ Society, Inc., a non-profit organ­ ization, Stillman H. Rice, President. All rights 501 (c) (7) of the Code. reserved. Entire contents copyrighted 1970 by Our ID No. 94610-1867 ATOS, Inc., Office of publication is P. 0. Box "ORGANIZE your fun at the 17th ANNUAL CONVENTION "IN TUNE 2329, Livonia, Michigan 48150. FOR YOU IN '72". , POSTMASTER: Second Class postage paid at Livonia, Michigan. IF UNDELIVERABLE, send ~;{(~ form 3579 to ATOS Circulation Department, Box 1314, Salinas, California 93901. Stillman H. Rice, President THEATRE ORGAN FEBRUARY, 1972 3 AN ACRJE OJF §JEAT§ ICN A JPAJLACJE OJF §JPJLJENJD)OR (Photo courtesy - Helgesen collection) By BillPeterson, Number 25 in a series FOX THEATRE - SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA The San Diego Fox was designed by the California architectual firm of Weeks and Day, who did many houses in that state. This theatre opened on November 8, 1928. Although the console does not show in this photo, the house has a Robert Morton organ which is in "good health" and used occasionally for concerts. 4 FEBRUARY, 1972 THEATRE ORGAN ~ERT ~UHRMAN and the School <JIt}ie Ozarl(s 'Wurlitzer by Lloyd E. Klos When one thinks of the Ozark region served as organist at St. John's and at over WOQ,owned by the Unity School of Missouri, he envisions hillbillies, the Electric Theatre. Bert says that of Christianity, using 2/ 5 and 3 / 10 rattlesnakes, hilly terrain, rocks etc. Stambach was an excellent teacher Wurlitzers. Bert wonders what hap­ Little does he realize that culture has and a fine musician. Recitals were held pened to these instruments which play­ taken a strong foothold in the area - in the Martin Building where there ed by remote control from the Wur­ culture in the form of a magnificent were several studios and a recital hall. litzer Building on Grand Avenue. Wurlitzer theatre organ in the School While attending Kansas City Junior In 1933, he had a program using of the Ozarks at Pt. Lookout, Mo. College in 1932-33, Buhrman played organ and piano on WHB in Kansas The installation is fast gaining in pop­ City. The organ was a 3/5 Wicks ularity and will serve as a stopping from the Jenkins Music Company. place on the concert circuit as time While at the University of Kansas at passes. at Lawrence in 1934-36, he played To completely tell the story of organ and piano programs on WREN, this magnificent undertaking, we must owned by Jenny Wren Mills, now in first review the background of the man Topeka. Organ programs were broad­ who helped make it possible, organist cast from the Reuter Factory on a Bert Buhrman. small studio organ, and on each new Bert was ten when he began play­ organ in the erection room as it was ing the pipe organ at St. John's Epis­ set up for final adjustments before copal Church in Springfield, Mo. He Bert Buhrman and the restored console. The was a student of Glen Stamback, who wreck caved in the left side, stop rails were sprung, board behind the pedals buckled, and several pedals were broken. The suitable bass button for the accompaniment manual was never found. (Bert Buhrman collection) shipping. "The title was changed to Big Payoff". force in 194 7. But when the radio 'construction room' for the benefit Gradually, starting in 1936, pipe shows switched to TV, I went with of the radio audiences," Bert says. organs had began disappearing from them. It became even greater. They Bert was graduated from the Uni­ radio programs to be replaced by would record the TV show and con­ versity of Kansas with an A. B. degree electronics which were maintenance­ tinue it on radio for which they had and a major in music, which didn't free and movable.