Comments from Will Dunklin

Showing 126 - 150 of 503 comments

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Princess Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 6:15 pm

A couple of questions: The opening paragraph says that the 1939 Princess replaced an earlier Princess which was destroyed by fire. So is the 1939 Princess in the shell of the 1926 building. The 1926 Princess appears to have burned twice. Or was there still an earlier (pre 1926) Princess Theatre in Harriman at a different location? Also, was the original owner Tony Sudekum / Crescent Amusement? I’m seeing his name appear in connection to a theatre in Harriman and many Crescent Theatres were named Princess.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Tennessee Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 5:16 pm

Very nice article on the back story of the Tennessee Theatre is here:

http://nashvillehistory.blogspot.com/2013/06/tennessee-theater-and-sudekum-building.html

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Orpheum Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 10:47 am

David Bowers' “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p.551 lists a Reproduco organ installed at the Orpheum Theatre, Fulton, Kentucky. There is no date, but certainly before 1930.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about American Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 10:27 am

David Bowers' “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p.551 lists a Reproduco organ installed at the American Theatre, Memphis. There is no date, but certainly before 1928. Reproduco built hundreds of photoplayers for smaller theatres during the silent movie era: half-player-piano/half pipe organ/half sound effects machine.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Joy Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 10:23 am

David Bowers' “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p.551 lists a Reproduco organ installed at the Cameo Theatre, Memphis. There is no date, but certainly before 1930. Reproduco built hundreds of photoplayers for theatres in the silent movie era: half-player-piano/half pipe organ/half sound effects machines.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Belcourt Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 10:17 am

David Bower’s “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p. 551 lists the Hillsboro in Nashville Tennessee as having a Reproduco organ, but there is no date. Wonder if the Reproduco preceded the Kimball or was there an earlier theatre with the same name? Reproducos were mostly of the photoplayer variety, rather than fully developed theatre organs.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Roxy Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 9:57 am

David Bowers “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p. 551 mentions the installation of a Reproduco organ at the Lillian Theatre, Clarksville, Tennessee. There is no date on that reference, but certainly before 1930. In all likelihood it a was photoplayer: very similar to an orchestrelle.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Booth Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 9:39 am

Tim – do you know who operated the Booth originally? I’ve found references to Booth Theatres in both Sweetwater TN and Greeneville TN. I was wondering if there was a local chain using that name in the 1920’s.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Capitol Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 9:31 am

In David Bowers “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p. 551 mentions the installation of a Reproduco organ (probably a photoplayer) at the Dixie Theatre, Paris Tennessee. There is no date on that reference, but certainly before 1930.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Princess Theater on Mar 29, 2014 at 9:26 am

There is reference to the Princess having a Kimball organ. In David Bowers “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p. 551 is a reference to the installation of a Reproduco organ (probably a photoplayer) at the Princess. There is no date: maybe it preceded the Kimball.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Princess Theatre on Mar 29, 2014 at 9:17 am

I too found the reference in David Bowers “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments” p. 551 to the installation of a Reproduco organ at the Princess. There is no date on the list, but the implication is a date earlier than 1930.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Princess Theater on Mar 29, 2014 at 8:59 am

David Bowers' book “Encyclopedia of Automated Musical Instruments,” page 551 has a list of installations of Reproduco pipe organs. That list mentions the Howard Theatre, Lebanon, Tennessee. Never heard of the Howard myself. Any thoughts? Wonder if it was a short lived name for this hall?

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Harris Theater on Mar 28, 2014 at 8:59 pm

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company shipped a small pipe organ, their opus 1409, a style B, II/4, to the Harris Theatre on August 8, 1926.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Uptown Theatre on Mar 24, 2014 at 7:58 am

The Wurlitzer company shipped an organ, Style H-Special, opus 1403, to the Uptown Theatre, NY in July 1926.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Capitol Theatre on Mar 18, 2014 at 7:24 am

The organ was a Wurlitzer, style 190 Special, III/8 (sic!) opus 1395, shipped from the Wurlitzer factory in July 1926. It’s something of an oddity: Wurlitzer only built 4 to this design. Does anyone know if it, or any part, still exists?

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Regent Theater on Mar 3, 2014 at 8:38 am

An article about the Regent. http://media.democratandchronicle.com/retrofitting-rochester/regent-theatre

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about RKO Bushwick Theatre on Mar 1, 2014 at 9:40 am

Wurlitzer’s records show that they shipped a 2-manual, 8 rank pipe organ, Style F, opus 1390 to the Bushwick Theatre in Brooklyn in the summer of 1926. This implies that the Bushwick had started showing movies by that date.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about 5th Avenue Theatre on Mar 1, 2014 at 8:59 am

Several photos available here: http://www.pstos.org/instruments/wa/seattle/5th-ave.htm

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Franklin Theatre on Feb 26, 2014 at 10:51 am

A small Wurlitzer pipe organ opus 1383, a Style B, was installed here in the summer of 1926.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Ruby Theatre on Feb 25, 2014 at 6:52 am

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company shipped a small pipe organ, their opus 1376, style B, II/4+percussions, to “Rivington Theatre, NY” in the summer of 1926. Since the Ruby is a small theatre, on Rivington Street, and the only theatre of 3 on the street listed on Cinema Treasures as opening in 1926, seems likely that that organ was installed in this theatre. It’s a just a guess though.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Washington Street Theater on Feb 24, 2014 at 10:50 am

Just cross referencing some information, I find a listing that the Washington Theatre, New York (it doesn’t say Brooklyn) got a pipe organ from the Beman Organ Company in 1915. Beman was a very minor organ builder with just a handful of instruments listed around New York and Pennsylvania. The date, name and modest scale certainly seem right for this hall.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Gopher Theatre on Feb 24, 2014 at 8:41 am

As The Grand Theatre, the hall had a small Wurlitzer pipe organ installed in 1926. Wurlitzer’s opus 1374 was a style B special with 2 manuals and 5 ranks of pipes. The top of the console is visible in the photo link posted by Lost Memory.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Loew's Avenue B Theatre on Feb 24, 2014 at 7:59 am

The Avenue B had a large organ built by M. P. Moller, their opus 1947 with four manuals and 31 ranks. It is interesting that the organ records state “contained many used parts, $5,700.” You gotta laugh, Marcus Loew builds a spectacular new theatre on the site of his childhood home, but let’s see if we can’t save a few dollars on that organ, okay?

I also find reference that Wurlitzer sold a little 2-manual, 3-rank organ to “Avenue B Theatre, New York, NY” in 1926 (opus 1372). Was there another hall with the same name? Maybe this was a lobby organ? Another mystery!

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Athens Theatre on Feb 24, 2014 at 7:25 am

The Athens Theatre briefly had a tiny Wurlitzer pipe organ. Wurlitzer’s records show a Style 105 Special, opus 1371, 2 manuals, 3 ranks, with a curved console was installed in June 1926, but the organ was moved to a theatre in Maryland in September 1927. The theatre’s website says the hall was equipped for sound pictures in 1929 so the short life of the organ there is something of a mystery.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin commented about Midland Theater on Feb 22, 2014 at 8:25 am

In June 1926, the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company shipped their opus 1356, a Style 109 pipe organ of 2 manuals and 3 ranks plus a piano to the Midland Theatre, Pittsburg Kansas. This is a very small instrument, implying that the Midland was not a big hall.