leatherless Wicks chest. The rest will tives attract the notice of the daily or play from a Smith chest and the weekly press, or a magazine, only good •ex P8PI Roosevelt chest which came with the can result. erstwhile 5-rank Smith . It's the last two that Lee and Laurel are re­ leathering in their Granada Hills, Calif. workshop. Sorry about the misteak. ~ Organs continue to move, usually over long distances. Wurlitzer opus 2128 somehow managed to find its way from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas to Seattle, Wash., where the Balaban 3 is getting a face lifting while a home for it is being sought, perhaps in Spoktzne or Tacoma. A 2/6 Wurlitzer tagged along with the Shirey family when they Conducted by Stu Green quit the Chicago area for San Fran­ cisco. Charlie Evan's former WLW Readers are encouraged to submit "Moon River" Wurlitzer has somehow interesting sidelights on the organ managed a trip to Sacramento , Calif A late arrival waits for her still later date at hobby (exclusive of chapter news (at least its new owner, Lawrence the Orange theatre. - (Stufoto) items) material they believe will be of Weid, lives there) after several years general interest about local organ Two big events marked the lives of activities and installations and the sojourn in the Evans home in Dallas. ATOSers Bob Carson and Helen Dell people who work at the hobby. We In fact, Dallas is a hotbed of T.O. recently. The rehabilition of the know "there's VOX POPS in them movement. Gordon Wright has rescued there chapters" and it only requires Orange Theatre 2/8 Wicks organ an 8 cent postcard to get it to VOX Texas' last remaining in-theatre organ, the long silent style 235 Wurlitzer (about 60 miles from Los Angeles) by POPS Editor, Box 3564,Granada Hills, Bob, Dick Stoney and a crew of ATOS California 91344. If the contributor from the Dallas Capri theatre. And can afford a 10 cent stamp, why not Weldon Flanagan's former Dallas volunteers, was celebrated by a well­ include a black and white photo Palace Wurlitzer is due for a trip to attended public performance by Helen which need not be returned. Fort Worth to be with its new owner, on March 2. In addition to Helen's Fred Graybeal. A fl of the above is well-received concert on the refur­ based on shaky rumors picked up in bished Wicks (now with mostly Robert massage parlors, city dumps, deserted Morton pipework), she accompanied a How many remember Spike Jones' gas stations, singles bars and parking hilarious tongue-in-cheek 1927 spoof rendition of "Der Fuehrer's Face" lots where theatres once flourished. If of action movies called The Fighting which was extremely popular in 1942 any reader has any solid info, pis American, starring Mary Astor in her and launched the Jones' aggregation send up a few smoke signals. first major film role. However, come­ on the road to success? Did you know dian Raymond Hatton stole the show the lyrics were composed by ATOS ~ with his slightly plastered Chinese gen­ Hall of Farner Oliver Wallace? The Those with an eye toward making eral role, upstaging even Warner Oland song was originally written for a war­ ATOS aspirations clear to the general in a pre-Charlie Chan oriental role ( he time Donald Duck cartoon, In Nutsy public have been active. Getting a was actually of Irish lineage). The (Nazi) Land. After the master disc was non-organ oriented publication to concert was opened with a fanfare by made, Walt Disney changed the title to print a story about organs and ATOS three trumpeters (playing straight Der Fuehrer's Face and a million and a is always a step in the right direction. Posthorns) borrowed from nearby Dis­ half Bluebird pressings of Spike's Two such articles have been brought neyland. So much for the plus side; frenetic arrangement were sold in a to our attention , one by Allen Miller the next event was more sobering. The short time. who reports that the April edition of Carsons (Bob & Helen, married Yankee magazine ran a spread, with y'know) have moved out of their color photos , about the home pipe Hollywood home which houses the Goof Correction Dept. About 25 of installations of ConValChap members. Kearns/Carson 3/26 Wurlitzer, long a you came down real hard on your And we received a half-page clip from famous recording organ. It is one of VOX POPPER for describing Lee the Joliet (Illinois) Hearld-News for three built by Wurlitzer specifically for Haggart as releathering a Wicks chest March 31 announcing the Tony studi o use, thus "silent operation" and in the April column. Anyone with an Tahlman concert at the 4/21 Barton in voicing for quality rather than volume. ounce of savvy knows that Wicks Joliet's Rialto theatre sponsored by Reason: increased rent and cascading chests are equipped with direct electric the Joliet Area Theatre Organ Enthu­ lawsuits over ownership of the organ. action and don't employ the leathered siasts, an ATOS chapter with quite a There was considerable apprehension pneumatics found in other action switch in emphasis from the late on the part of West Coast pipe enthu­ systems. No excuses, we just plain "Kimbar Club" of a few years ago. siasts concerning the future of the goofed. Lee is planning on 11 ranks, as The article included a solid plug for instrument. For ten years Bob Carson stated, but only seven will be on the ATOS activities. When ATOS objec- has been its protector and champion. 20 THEA TRE ORGAN JUNE, 1974 1929 for the Warner Bros. movie Shirley Hannum, Bud Taylor, Paul studios on Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Beaver and Helen Dell, not to mention where it was most familar to organ­ such pre-Carson stars as "Guy philes as the A mos and Andy organ, Melindy", "Jocelin McNeil" ("by with which Gaylord Carter opened and George") and the late Dave Andrews closed the nightly 15 minute radio and Johnny Duffy. program of the blackface comics in the Reg. Poort taped a Readers' Digest early '30s. It was later acquired by release on the 3/26 during the Carson CBS and stored. Actor Joe Kearns years and there was one release by ("Mr. Wilson in Dennis the Menace), a George Wright on Carson's Malar label. former theatre organist, purchased it in Also one by Gaylord Carter. The the early '50s and built his Hollywood Carson's guest book reads like a roll home around it. After his death, the call of theatre organ greats, not to Helen and Bob. The rent went up so they organ was once again in danger, mostly mention such luminaries in the clas­ went out. - (Stufoto) because the property's new owners sical field as Richard Purvis and the were not aware of the cultural treasure late Richard Ellsasser. Regarding the The owner, whoever the law decrees within the walls. This writer was con­ future of this historic instrument, we he may be, may or may not be aware sulted and recommended the can only keep fingers crossed - and of the non-replaceable treasure in the applicant-tenant most likely to be kind hope for the best. to the organ, a new arrival from the home the late Joe Kearns built to ~ house the instrument. mid-West - Bob Carson. It proved to be a good choice. The organ flourished From Charleston, S.C., ATOSer Bill during the Carson years, and con­ Smith submits a clipping from the As most fans know the Carson tributed to the ascendency of such News & Courier concerning a studio organ was designed and built in recording organists as Lyn Larsen, "phantom organist", socalled because he has so far eluded the fuzz. The "phantom's" idea of a successful night's work is to break into a church and play the organ, sometimes all night. Since last October he has entered eleven Roanoke, Georgia, churches, and practiced his vice. He rarely disturbs anything else but the premium on electrict1lenergy gives him a nuisance value which keeps Roanoke's finest hot on his musical trail. Perhaps someone should tell him about ATOS or AGO. Dean McNichols, organist at the Los Angeles "Haven of Rest," reveals that the Haven's organ, heard every­ where on taped radiocasts, has been upgraded to a 3/13 Wurlitzer. It is now controlled by the style 260 Wurlitzer console from the Hollywood Egyptian theatre ( which one-time owner Harvey Heck replaced with a style 285 Wurlit­ zer 4-decker when his pipework out­ grew the 3-manual console many years ago). And the switching is now aided and abetted by the relays from the Portland Oriental Style 235 Wurlitzers which were replaced when the 13- ranker became the nucleus for the greatly enlarged Portland "Organ­ grinder" pizzery instrument. The Amos 'n' Andy cast pose outside the Hollywood CBS studio in 1939. Left to right they are Streakers? At organ concerts? Yes, announcer Bill Hay, Charles Correll (Andy), Madaline Lee (Miss Blue), Freeman Gosden (Amos) it has happened. What is possibly the and Gaylord Carter who played the opening and closing theme, "The Perfect Song," through first one took place during a St. seven years of the show's west coast run. Prior to that, the program originated in Chicago and Dean Fossler played the theme. - (From Gaylord Carter's collection) Patrick's day concert at the Los 21 JUNE, 1974 THEATRE ORGAN Angeles Wiltern theatre. Read about it The former home of the Florida East in this issue's Los Angeles Chapter Coast Railway magnate contains a re[XJrt.