I was the one who owned the former pipe organ from the Grand. It seems to me that all this public bickering back and forth is completely non-productive and will turn the public against you all. I was very excited to hear about the refurbishing of the theatre and the possibility of returning the organ to it’s home but all this turmoil is going to end all hopes of a glorius revival. If you all want to argue with each other do it privately and not on the CT site.
James Grebe
In the midtown Grand Center area were the Fox, Princess, New Grand Central, Misourri, Empress, St. Louis and the Vicoria all with 6 blocks of each other. Some were and some did double duty,
James Grebe
According to my friend, Marlin Mackley, who refurbed the 4m/36r from the time the Strauss’s got the building in the 80’s til about 2 years ago there was not another organ or console in the building in the screening room. The slave console was already gone when Marlin arrived on the scene.
James Grebe
In 1925 a Kilgen organ was installed , a 2m/4r instrument.It had a 2hp motore and was on 10" wind The opus number was 3471. No indication of the fate of the organ.
JamesGrebe
In 1923 The Kilgen Organ Co. installed a 2m/6r organ in a single chamber on the right side.It had a 5hp blower and a pressure of 10' wind. The chambers were up in the original part of the front. Behind all the draperies was still the orgianl stuff, though painted black. In a organ crawl through the chamber I found a few remnants of the organ. I was given permission by having a contact with Claudia Mink, a friend of the manager in the 1980’s For a 6 rank organ that blower size was large. Never found out where the organ wound up. Seeing that there were a few parts still in the chambers it was probably trashed and pitched.
JameGrebe
In 1920 the Kilgen Organ Co installed a used Austin pipe organ from Warrensburg, MO into the Pageant.it was a 2m/8r instrument. No indication whether a true TO or church organ. Whereabout later are unknown.
JamesGrebe
More on the organ. The Kimball was set up more like a church organ than theatre style. There was only 1 unit chest (flute) and the rest of the organ was on pitman chests. All ranks except flute were 61n. The ranks on the great, horn diapsaon, muted viol, trumpet. The swell, tibia, vox humana, viol, viol celeste, & the flute on other. The diapsaon was very horny and served as a nice solo stop. The trumpet was fiery. The strings were very nice. As it sat origanally the chestwork fit together in a large sqaure shape with a walk board between. The offset held the bottom of the flutes. Originally it had chimes, and a bass drum & cymbal. They were gone when I bought it and instead was a Barton 37n metal bar harp.Originally the vox had it’s own 7.5 wp regulator and all else was on a big cone valve regulator(10wp). Regulators were under the chestwork. I added a 3rd regulator for the Swell portion and a 3rd trem. All the relay and switches were internal in the console and the swell shutter were 11 graduated in size and individually operated. A very powerful organ for it’s size. It served the church after the Grand till it was replaced by a new Keates Pipe organ.
JamesGrebe
I had a piano tuning client, Stan Fredrickson, who played piano at the Excello in the 1930’s. He was the brother of Cliff Fredrickson who was in Russ David’s Orchestra. Cliff was a great accordianist and Stan a woncderful pianist. Stan lived up in Ferguson, MO
JamesGrebe
It has been rightly pointed out to me that there was indeed a 2m/11r Kilgen organ in the Columbia Theatre. The problem was it was not this Columbia but an earlier one that was located at 6th and St. Charles. It was installed in 1919. The Columbia on Southwest only dates back to around 1925.
JamesGrebe
The reason the Ambassadore was a problem was that it was only part of a huge office building that was run down and there was no way to seperate it from the building since it was part of it. The office buildeing was not usable without HUGE sums of money and the land was very valuable
JamesGrebe
he Melvin was one of those theatres that used to give out dishes and things as attendance prizes (Tuesday or Wednsday). My aunt & uncle used to go there just to collect the dishes. Yes. it was called the “Smelvin”.
JamesGrebe
Back in the 1980’s when Marlin Mackley was restoring the Fox 4m/36r he had asked me to tune the piano in the chambers. The Fox organ piano is a standard 52" Wurlitzer player piano , minus the player roll assembly. The piano sits on a platform with it’s back right in front of the swell shades. The piano was about a quarter step flat, as who knows if the piano had ever been tuned before, since it’s instalation. The ivory keytops were still snow white as the chamber was almost perfectly dark all the time since it’s placing there. It is light that causes ivoery to turn yellow. The piano came up to standard pitch without a hitch. That was in the 1980’s and I have not tuned it since, though I have volunteered to tune it at no cost again. This year for our upcoming “Extravaganza” I will volunteer to tune again to the powers that be. for the upcoming Kay McAbee and Stan Kann concert. For some reasons people think player pianos sound better when they are out of tune. To an organist, it just means that you do not use it, as it does not blend with the organs' pipes. It is like only using 36 out of 37 possible ranks.
JamesGrebe
The Wurlitzer TO in the Missouri was installed in 3/27/21 and was a model 285 Wurlitzer (4m/32r). Due to its success, the organ was enlarged on 1/15/27. This was the biggest Wurli in town till the Fox. When the theatre closed not enough time and money left to pull everything out before demolition and instead the blower of the organ was left in the basement, covered with a tarp and the theatre was torn down over it. It must be still below the pavement in the parking lot. The Baldwin piano that was on the stage was a model H Baldwin (6') and was orginally white. When the theatre closed the piano was purchased by Merkel Piano Co. The white was stripped and underneatth was grey primer. It was covered with cigarette burn and mars. There is a pic in Mary Bagleys book of the piano on stage. The piano now sits in a condimineum in Chesterfield owner is a private party.
JamesGrebe
Prior to the time the Kingsland was sold by the Lesters the St.LTOS had been installing the little 2m/8r Majestic Wurli. We were putting it in the left chamber after having gutted the chamber of air conditioning systems. After 2/3’s instalation the theatre was sold and we had to pull it out and that would have been it’s newest home before the club put it in the Fox lobby. We nver got it to playing status before removal
Originally the Kingland had a small KIlgen TO and it whereabouts are unknown.
Standing in the Kingsland spot now is an Aldis store
JamesGRebe pianoman@accessus./net
The Carmi is now the Showtime Cinemas and have at least 3 screens. It is operational.James Grebe
I was the one who owned the former pipe organ from the Grand. It seems to me that all this public bickering back and forth is completely non-productive and will turn the public against you all. I was very excited to hear about the refurbishing of the theatre and the possibility of returning the organ to it’s home but all this turmoil is going to end all hopes of a glorius revival. If you all want to argue with each other do it privately and not on the CT site.
James Grebe
In the midtown Grand Center area were the Fox, Princess, New Grand Central, Misourri, Empress, St. Louis and the Vicoria all with 6 blocks of each other. Some were and some did double duty,
James Grebe
According to my friend, Marlin Mackley, who refurbed the 4m/36r from the time the Strauss’s got the building in the 80’s til about 2 years ago there was not another organ or console in the building in the screening room. The slave console was already gone when Marlin arrived on the scene.
James Grebe
OH WELL,
THANKS FIOR RESPONDING.
jIM
Mr. Lau,
Do you have any interior shots of the theatre?
JamesGrebe
The wrong bandit struck again. The correct address is 6th and Hickory
Thank you
Where would a person be able to find some, some ideas? Do you know who published it?
Thanks,
Jim
Hi Ken,
Do your book show and opening and closing date for the Strand?
JamesGrebe
In 1925 a Kilgen organ was installed , a 2m/4r instrument.It had a 2hp motore and was on 10" wind The opus number was 3471. No indication of the fate of the organ.
JamesGrebe
In 1923 The Kilgen Organ Co. installed a 2m/6r organ in a single chamber on the right side.It had a 5hp blower and a pressure of 10' wind. The chambers were up in the original part of the front. Behind all the draperies was still the orgianl stuff, though painted black. In a organ crawl through the chamber I found a few remnants of the organ. I was given permission by having a contact with Claudia Mink, a friend of the manager in the 1980’s For a 6 rank organ that blower size was large. Never found out where the organ wound up. Seeing that there were a few parts still in the chambers it was probably trashed and pitched.
JameGrebe
In 1921 the Klilgen Organ Co installed a 2m/10r instrument in the Empress that was formerly in the Empress Theatre in Kansas City MO
JamesGrebe
In 1920 the Kilgen Organ Co installed a used Austin pipe organ from Warrensburg, MO into the Pageant.it was a 2m/8r instrument. No indication whether a true TO or church organ. Whereabout later are unknown.
JamesGrebe
More on the organ. The Kimball was set up more like a church organ than theatre style. There was only 1 unit chest (flute) and the rest of the organ was on pitman chests. All ranks except flute were 61n. The ranks on the great, horn diapsaon, muted viol, trumpet. The swell, tibia, vox humana, viol, viol celeste, & the flute on other. The diapsaon was very horny and served as a nice solo stop. The trumpet was fiery. The strings were very nice. As it sat origanally the chestwork fit together in a large sqaure shape with a walk board between. The offset held the bottom of the flutes. Originally it had chimes, and a bass drum & cymbal. They were gone when I bought it and instead was a Barton 37n metal bar harp.Originally the vox had it’s own 7.5 wp regulator and all else was on a big cone valve regulator(10wp). Regulators were under the chestwork. I added a 3rd regulator for the Swell portion and a 3rd trem. All the relay and switches were internal in the console and the swell shutter were 11 graduated in size and individually operated. A very powerful organ for it’s size. It served the church after the Grand till it was replaced by a new Keates Pipe organ.
JamesGrebe
I had a piano tuning client, Stan Fredrickson, who played piano at the Excello in the 1930’s. He was the brother of Cliff Fredrickson who was in Russ David’s Orchestra. Cliff was a great accordianist and Stan a woncderful pianist. Stan lived up in Ferguson, MO
JamesGrebe
The opus number of the Kimball theatre organ installed in the Grand Theatre in 1923 was/is 6794.
JamesGrebe
The Whiteway was at the corner of 6th and Rutger, not Geyer.
JamesGrebe
It has been rightly pointed out to me that there was indeed a 2m/11r Kilgen organ in the Columbia Theatre. The problem was it was not this Columbia but an earlier one that was located at 6th and St. Charles. It was installed in 1919. The Columbia on Southwest only dates back to around 1925.
JamesGrebe
The reason the Ambassadore was a problem was that it was only part of a huge office building that was run down and there was no way to seperate it from the building since it was part of it. The office buildeing was not usable without HUGE sums of money and the land was very valuable
JamesGrebe
he Melvin was one of those theatres that used to give out dishes and things as attendance prizes (Tuesday or Wednsday). My aunt & uncle used to go there just to collect the dishes. Yes. it was called the “Smelvin”.
JamesGrebe
Back in the 1980’s when Marlin Mackley was restoring the Fox 4m/36r he had asked me to tune the piano in the chambers. The Fox organ piano is a standard 52" Wurlitzer player piano , minus the player roll assembly. The piano sits on a platform with it’s back right in front of the swell shades. The piano was about a quarter step flat, as who knows if the piano had ever been tuned before, since it’s instalation. The ivory keytops were still snow white as the chamber was almost perfectly dark all the time since it’s placing there. It is light that causes ivoery to turn yellow. The piano came up to standard pitch without a hitch. That was in the 1980’s and I have not tuned it since, though I have volunteered to tune it at no cost again. This year for our upcoming “Extravaganza” I will volunteer to tune again to the powers that be. for the upcoming Kay McAbee and Stan Kann concert. For some reasons people think player pianos sound better when they are out of tune. To an organist, it just means that you do not use it, as it does not blend with the organs' pipes. It is like only using 36 out of 37 possible ranks.
JamesGrebe
I have a study print of the site beforre the Fox was there and a church was on the site.
JamesGrebe
The Wurlitzer TO in the Missouri was installed in 3/27/21 and was a model 285 Wurlitzer (4m/32r). Due to its success, the organ was enlarged on 1/15/27. This was the biggest Wurli in town till the Fox. When the theatre closed not enough time and money left to pull everything out before demolition and instead the blower of the organ was left in the basement, covered with a tarp and the theatre was torn down over it. It must be still below the pavement in the parking lot. The Baldwin piano that was on the stage was a model H Baldwin (6') and was orginally white. When the theatre closed the piano was purchased by Merkel Piano Co. The white was stripped and underneatth was grey primer. It was covered with cigarette burn and mars. There is a pic in Mary Bagleys book of the piano on stage. The piano now sits in a condimineum in Chesterfield owner is a private party.
JamesGrebe
Prior to the time the Kingsland was sold by the Lesters the St.LTOS had been installing the little 2m/8r Majestic Wurli. We were putting it in the left chamber after having gutted the chamber of air conditioning systems. After 2/3’s instalation the theatre was sold and we had to pull it out and that would have been it’s newest home before the club put it in the Fox lobby. We nver got it to playing status before removal
Originally the Kingland had a small KIlgen TO and it whereabouts are unknown.
Standing in the Kingsland spot now is an Aldis store
JamesGRebe pianoman@accessus./net