A mid-1920’s ad for Reproduco organs lists an installation of one of their photoplayers at the Norwood Theatre. That would predate this building. Was this a remodeling of an older structure or maybe the replacement of an older theatre? Several other Reproduco organs were installed in Birmingham in the 1910’s.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Five Points Theatre had a Reproduco organ to accompany silent pictures.
A mid-1920’s ad for Reproduco organs lists an installation of one of their photoplayers at the Norwood Theatre. That would predate this building. Was this a remodeling of an older structure or maybe the replacement of an older theatre? Several other Reproduco organs were installed in Birmingham in the 1910’s.
It appears that in 1915 the Rialto had a Reproduco Photoplayer which was replaced by their Pilcher organ in 1921.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
The Wurlitzer company shipped an organ, Style H-Special, opus 1403, to the Uptown Theatre, NY in July 1926.
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?
An article about the Regent. http://media.democratandchronicle.com/retrofitting-rochester/regent-theatre
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.
Several photos available here: http://www.pstos.org/instruments/wa/seattle/5th-ave.htm
A small Wurlitzer pipe organ opus 1383, a Style B, was installed here in the summer of 1926.
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.
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.
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.