often runs over the scheduled time. Sitting in for Milton at his posh bean­ ery job at the Toluca Lake (Calif.) "Kings Arms" is his regular "night off" relief organist, Harry Jenkins. Harry opens and plays the Hammond spinet, conducts sing-alongs, and acknowledges re uests until Milton shows up. Diclc Lewis - a "digger'' accompaniment could be played on the bottom manual (it was originally an orchestral manual with solo stops) and the console was moved from the left side to the center of the pit. The "mag­ nificent seven" organ restorers were dig­ Readers are encouraged to submit inter­ ging a pit furiously as we went to press esting sidelights on the organ hobby (ex­ in a valiant attempt to get the console clusive of chapter news items), material elevator (moved from another theatre) 808 GARRETSON, PIZZA SALESMAN-He they believe will be of general interest lound installed in time to hoist Gaylord and about local organ adivities and installa­ the 2-7 quite ' different from the Gulbransen plug­ ins he has been playing. Note percussions mount- console up into the spotlight. Accord­ tions and the people who work at the ing to C. R. Lewis, spokesman for the hobby. We know "there's VOX POPS in ed high on the wall beyond the console. them there chapters" and it only requires group, the theatre handled all promo­ a Sc postcard to get it to The BOMBARDE, Speaking of relief organists ( the tion for the concert. The Carter. per­ Box 5013 Bendix Station, North Holly­ name given the guy who played the formance is the first in a series of con­ wood, Calif. 91605. 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. "supper show" to certs by top artists which the Fox plans give the guy who had been playing to spotlight during the year. The pos­ Theatre organ buffs in the Rochester, since noon a chance to recover for the sibility of concerts by George Wright N. Y., area were treated to a rare film long night shift), the recently opened and Eddie Dunstedter loomed brightly sequence on a recent Jack Douglas 1V "Monk's Musical Pizza" in Covina, as we neared our April issue deadline. travelogue. As part of a "pot luck" Calif. is currently enjoying the music * * * tour of the United States, a sequence of Bob Garretson at the 2-7 Wurlitzer. The working crew charged with the filmed in the Leon Berry residence in Bob is sitting in for regular organist task of installing the LA chapter's 3-14 Chicago concentrated on what was ap­ Bud Taylor, while Bud is recovering Wurlitzer in the San Gabriel civic audi­ propriately described as "The Beast from a siege of illness. Bob pointed out torium, enjoyed a rare treat just before in the Basement." The film showed that we goofed slightly in listing the the existing Aeolian classic organ was Berry as he demonstrated the various stops of the Wurlitzer "style 170." In turned off prior to removal. The group's effects of his Wurlitzer, some original, the theatre, it was equipped with a technical advisor dropped by to see others of his own ingenuity. The three­ Trumpet, Diapason, Vox, Flute and how restoration work is going on the manual console, toy counter and pipe Dulciana. It still has all of those plus Wurli, and Irving Cosgrove invited him chambers were adequately shown as an added Tibia Clausa. When we de­ to try out the Aeolian before they organ music played in the background. scribed it we slipped in a non-existent turned off the power. Later, foreman * * * string and omitted the Diapason. Actu­ Neal Kissel said that it was quite some­ An ATOE member who thinks young ally it needs such a string because the thing to hear George Wright going to is Dan Barton. Dan is currently recov­ Dulciana, while "stringy," is very soft town on about 20 ranks of straight or­ ering from a combination of ills. The and easily lost under more powerful gan. Although it had to go to make famed organ builder will be 85 years stops. Incidentally, the Brass Trumpet room for the Wurli, the future doesn't young on May 30th (also Memorial has replaced the original Trumpet and look dark for the 2-deck Aeolian; it Day). No one in the trade has devoted gives a bright reed sound for solos and has been purchased by the originator more loving care to the theatre organ riffs. A Clarinet is still to be added. of weird audio effects ("Mood Synthe­ than Dan. It has been his life. So, let's It was a Saturday night and Bob was sizer,") for films, organist Paul Beaver. all send him birthday cards timed to playing such requests as "William Tell * * * reach him on May 30th. His address is Overture" and selections from "Car­ There is quite a difference in space 736 Scott Avenue, Oshkosh, Wisconsin men" for a delighted, mostly juvenile requirements between a low pressure 54901. * * * audience which finds the windblown instrument and a theatre organ; al­ Remember Milton Charles who once box "groovy." though the Aeolian has about 25 per­ played the big Wurlitzer in the Philly * * * cent more pipework than the Wurlitzer, Mastbaum theatre, and also taught at The San Diego Fox theatre was it required far less space. Therefore a school for theatre organists and scheduled to hold its first public con­ the chambers are small and getting the broadcast from Chicago? (We still have cert on the restored 4-31 Robert Mor­ Wurli in may be a tight squeeze. Irving a Columbia "78" of Milton playing on ton on March 25 with a concert, sing­ Cosgrove has already volunteered to a practice organ in the Gunn School of along and silent feature ("The Mark of serve as "shoehorn dispenser." Our Organ, Chicago). In Hollywood he's Zorro" starring Douglas Fairbanks) Irving Cosgrove (we last saw him doz­ now playing a Rodgers plug-in on a with veteran console entertainer-star ing beneath the console at the Elks syndicated 1V game show called "Beat Gaylord Carter doing the initial hon­ Temple Morton on page 6 of the Feb. the Odds." The show is taped on Fri­ ors. In preparation for the event, ihe '68 issue) - the "Gunga Din" of the days ( several stanzas at a time) and Morton's manuQls were rearranged so shoe horn! april 1969 30 From Britain we learn that the ex­ named Gee Robinson who, stated the a 4-28 Wurli on the west coast and a Trocadero theatre organ, owned by the floater, is a former chief organist at 3-17 Wurli in the midwest. Then there's Cinema Organ Society and being in­ radio station WMCA, New York, and Kay McAbee's studio organ which he stalled in a town hall for safe keeping, a former staffer at the New York works on in his "spare time" (it's about had a close call when the building caught "Roxie" (sic), San Franciscans · are 80 percent complete) and he hopes to fire in the area where the chambers had indeed fortunate to have this facility assemble a church organ for himself. been built to house the Wurlitzer's in their midst. There's nothing quite As Dan Barton once described the pipework. Luckily, no organ parts had like it West of the New York Beacon heavy demands of several simultaneous been moved into the new chambers theatre. organ contracts, "I was desperate with but the damage to the building has set * * * success!" Hi, Dave! the installation project back months, The Beacon was doing fine in the * * * while the structure damage is repaired. nostalgia department, too. They made A prominent Syracuse, N.Y. archi­ contact with former film star Buddy tectural firm has been asked to investi­ * * * Rogers and a raft of Mary Pickford gate the possibility of developing a Also from England ( via Ian Suther­ films (she's Mrs. Rogers). Their 2- year-round museum at the nearby N. Y. land, Editor of the Cinema Organ So­ night stand was on Feb. 24 and 25. State Fair grounds. ciety Newsletter) comes the news that It included Buddy's commentaries on The study is directed toward the British organ fans are hopping sore the Pickford films shown, some musical future of the Empire State Theatre and about the dearth of T.O. music and reminiscences (Buddy was a top dance Musical Instruments Museum organiz­ BBC airwaves. Ian writes, "We are band leader at one point in his career), ation, the group formed around the going through the worst period we have Lee Erwin at the 3-19 Wurlitzer, a ex-Keith's 3-11 Wurlitzer now instal­ ever had for organ broadcasts on the Pickford documentary film and a re­ led in a building on the fair grounds. BBC. Therefore, one of our members membered Pickford - Rogers feature, Fair Director Bernard W. Potter be­ has decided to organize a massive na­ "My Best Girl" with a musical score lieves expanded museum facilities tionwide petition to the BBC for the composed and played by Lee Erwin. would bring more people to the Fair reinstatement of organ broadcasts - It was a production of the New York and help make it a true showcase of whole programmes devoted to theatre Theatre Organ Society which is like New York State. organ. He aims to collect at least saying "New York Chapter, ATOE." * * * 100,000 signatures." This was the re­ The Syracuse ESTMJM group enjoy­ sult of the BBC cutting down to two * * * Bill Wright, organist-manager at the ed a rare treat on March 8th when organ selections in each broadcast day.