Alan Lapp, I’m guessing you are near Buffalo (I live near Chicago). I had the Central Park on my list of theaters to add to CT. In my hand written notes I had an address of 2001 Main Street. I don’t remember where I got it, but I thought I’d mention it to you, though your’s is most likley correct. Also in my notes—-
In 1927 a Marr & Colton Pipe Organ was installed in the Central Park Theatre and it is not known what happened to it. Anyone have any information?
“I don’t sell tickets to movies. I sell tickets to theatres.” Marcus Loew
Actually in LOST MEMORY’S above post make sure to look at all 9 photos to see the beautiful ceilings, walls and stained glass in the other photos. I have to agree with Karl the photographer that you would not know that the building was a theatre and it would be nice if they would recreate it’s original marquee.
Now for something completly different. Accidentlly when I was looking on the photo site that LOST MEMORY had posted. I went to KARL’S ALL GALLERIES and then to 38 YEARS WITH JENIFER and then looked at each photo and READ NEXT EACH CAPTION. “1969 THE JOURNEY BEGINS” Good for everyone to read, especially someone who is going to get married. If it won’t move you, your heart is “a lump of lead as cold as steel”. I like the one for anyone who has or will ever have teenagers “1989-Maine This was a tough time for us; our teenage son was giving us fits. He eventually enlisted in the Navy, went in a boy and came home a man. He earned his battle ribbons in the Gulf War. We all grew from the experience.”
Does anyone know what happened to those Austin Theater Organs? I don’t know for certain, but I think Opus 476 was a 2/14 installed in 1915 and cost $2,000. I think Opus 546 was a rebuild installed later. The one thing for sure is we don’t know what happened to them. Here’s a hint, they are bigger than a bread box, they might still be around??
D.Unks,you know about this, along with everyone else go to Peter Beames wonderful WurliTzer site in Australia (this is an interesting site) http://www.theatreorgans.com/AU/opus/
go to Opus and to 1616. I think Patrick Murphy took the photos.
D. Unks, Thanks for the info, interesting. I don’t know how I got the idea that the original console was no longer around?? So this had the cash register stops for the toy counter? These photos are supposed to be of the Opus 1616 Console, can you recall if these photos are of that console? View link View link View link
I agree, it would be sad to see it broken up for parts.
Patsy: I live near Chicago, but it seems to me it would be nice if Opus 1616 could get back home to Buffalo. Isn’t some theater, university, college, high school or house of worship just dying for a nice 3 Manual, 11 Rank, Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ? I have nothing to do with OSI, but check with them, the contact info is at the bottom of the page. Don’t lose yet another Buffalo treasuer and I’ll come to the first concert, but hurry (I’m 65). Let us all know how it goes. What does a 3/11 cost anyway?
OSI is at http://www.organsupply.com/
DUnks-How are things going with that Fox/Shea’s, Great Lakes/Paramount, Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ, Opus 1616, 3/11, you have in, Erie, Pennsylvania? If I remember right, you do not have the original console, do you know what happened to it?
If you look at the photo posted on July 1, 2005 by Lost Memory it looks to me like one of the names of the theater that should be listed at the top should be “BASIL’S LAFAYETTE”.
The seating should be changed to 3542.
The Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ was/is Opus 501 and as of April 7, 2000 was still “OK” in a residence it was installed in 1973 in Stratford, Connecticut.
The “REAL” Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ for this theater was Opus 585, a 3 Manual/15 Rank organ, shipped on September 29, 1922, a whole 17.9 miles, from the WurliTzer Headquarters in North Tonawanda, New York. The last anyone knows, in May of 1957, the organ went to a residence in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and was still playable.
Speaking of film cans does anyone know how many floors up the projection booth was at the Clark? One good thing about working in the booth is you never got real bored with the same movie (say “The Sound of Music” for over a year), but hauling 2 movies every day up and down could get hard on the back. How high up did did they have to go?
Anyone know if they didn’t get the films sometimes or got mixed up reels?
I never saw films in the middle of the night, did many homeless folks spend the night at the Clark in cold weather?
“I don’t sell tickets to movies. I sell tickets to theatres.” Marcus Loew
The Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ mentioned above is Opus 1206, a 4 Manual, 32 Rank monster shipped all the way from the WurliTzer Headquarters at 908 Niagara Falls Boulevard, North Tonwanda, New York, less then 18 miles away from the theater. It was shipped on November 30, 1925. As best as I can tell about 17 theaters in Buffalo had WurliTzers installed in them and this is the only theater that still has one. In fact this is one a the very few theaters that still has the original organ still installed in the original theater! Buffalo should be very PROUD.
REndres-Break my heart and mention the McClurg Court. Not exactly a movie palace, but technically a great place to screen a film. I looked back at the CT McClurg Court site and it lists “Fiddler” as the first movie and I did see it at the McClurg, GREAT SOUND. I do however seem to remember (at a previous movie that I saw at the McClurg) a womem employee all excited talking about “Fiddler” coming soon to the McClurg. Of course this was all over 35 years ago, I could have it mixed up. Pehaps they had a sneak preview or something? Not much to do with the McVickers, well they both start out with Mc!
“Ladies and Gentlemen, This is CINERAMA!” Lowell Thomas September 30, 1952
KenC-thanks for your help, I remember that song, but that’s not the tune I remember from the CLARK. It seems to me they only played one song in the intermission, I don’t remember it being that one. Perhaps they started Delicado after I went into the Navy. I can’t remember did they show previews and did they show them between each film or after the double feature? Did a cartoon get shown? Sorta hard to remember after 45+ years. Anyway thanks for trying to come up with the song.
CHARLES BOOS
Please pass this on to Bruce Trinz. In the late 50’s and early 60’s my first job in high school was as a soda jerk at the Walgreens Redwood Inn Cafeteria at State and Madison. That had been the old Boston Store and is now a Sears. I had never seen many movies as I grew up so every chance I got I went over to the CLARK to see all those movies I had missed. I made up for lost time, what a film education I got! Thank you so much. In the early 60’s at intermision one instrumental song was played, I think it was on blank film, do you or anyone else recall what that tune was? It’s my one memory of the CLARK I can hum every place I go. Again, I can’t thank you enough.
I got distracted by Henry Plitt. I thought some dates might be helpful on when Plitt was here and when Cineplex Odeon was here. So here are those dates and for the fun of it all the important dates for Chicago theaters. Lets start at the very begining and see if I’ve got this sorta right?
1916 Balaban and Katz (B&K) Corporation formed.
1926 Famous Players Lasky Corporation buys a controlling interest in B&K.
1949 B&K becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of United Paramount Theatres.
1953 United Paramount Theatres mergers with American Broadcasting Company (ABC).
1970 B&K now a subsidiary of ABC is officially dissolved.
1974 Henry Plitt aquires from ABC Paramount the 123 northern division theaters for 25 million dollars.
1985 Cineplex-Odeon acquires Plitt Theaters.
1998 Lowes and Cineplex merge.
2006 AMC acquires Lowes.
Did I make any mistakes?
Life’s too short
Henry Plitt would be 90 if he is still around. I know he was a General in the U.S. Army Reserves. During World War II he captured a Nazi arch-antisemite which is sorta ironic seeing that Henry Plitt was Jewish, an interesting fellow. You can see his picture and hear/read his war story at the site below. http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/hps0055m.htm
“Ladies and Gentlemen, This is CINERAMA!” Lowell Thomas
September 30, 1952
likely
Alan Lapp, I’m guessing you are near Buffalo (I live near Chicago). I had the Central Park on my list of theaters to add to CT. In my hand written notes I had an address of 2001 Main Street. I don’t remember where I got it, but I thought I’d mention it to you, though your’s is most likley correct. Also in my notes—-
In 1927 a Marr & Colton Pipe Organ was installed in the Central Park Theatre and it is not known what happened to it. Anyone have any information?
“I don’t sell tickets to movies. I sell tickets to theatres.” Marcus Loew
Actually in LOST MEMORY’S above post make sure to look at all 9 photos to see the beautiful ceilings, walls and stained glass in the other photos. I have to agree with Karl the photographer that you would not know that the building was a theatre and it would be nice if they would recreate it’s original marquee.
Now for something completly different. Accidentlly when I was looking on the photo site that LOST MEMORY had posted. I went to KARL’S ALL GALLERIES and then to 38 YEARS WITH JENIFER and then looked at each photo and READ NEXT EACH CAPTION. “1969 THE JOURNEY BEGINS” Good for everyone to read, especially someone who is going to get married. If it won’t move you, your heart is “a lump of lead as cold as steel”. I like the one for anyone who has or will ever have teenagers “1989-Maine This was a tough time for us; our teenage son was giving us fits. He eventually enlisted in the Navy, went in a boy and came home a man. He earned his battle ribbons in the Gulf War. We all grew from the experience.”
“FOREVER IS FOREVER”
Does anyone know what happened to those Austin Theater Organs? I don’t know for certain, but I think Opus 476 was a 2/14 installed in 1915 and cost $2,000. I think Opus 546 was a rebuild installed later. The one thing for sure is we don’t know what happened to them. Here’s a hint, they are bigger than a bread box, they might still be around??
“Gee Dad, they were Austins!”
D.Unks,you know about this, along with everyone else go to Peter Beames wonderful WurliTzer site in Australia (this is an interesting site)
http://www.theatreorgans.com/AU/opus/
go to Opus and to 1616. I think Patrick Murphy took the photos.
“Gee Dad, it "LOTS OF” WurliTzers!"
D. Unks, Thanks for the info, interesting. I don’t know how I got the idea that the original console was no longer around?? So this had the cash register stops for the toy counter? These photos are supposed to be of the Opus 1616 Console, can you recall if these photos are of that console?
View link
View link
View link
I agree, it would be sad to see it broken up for parts.
Patsy: I live near Chicago, but it seems to me it would be nice if Opus 1616 could get back home to Buffalo. Isn’t some theater, university, college, high school or house of worship just dying for a nice 3 Manual, 11 Rank, Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ? I have nothing to do with OSI, but check with them, the contact info is at the bottom of the page. Don’t lose yet another Buffalo treasuer and I’ll come to the first concert, but hurry (I’m 65). Let us all know how it goes. What does a 3/11 cost anyway?
OSI is at
http://www.organsupply.com/
DUnks-How are things going with that Fox/Shea’s, Great Lakes/Paramount, Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ, Opus 1616, 3/11, you have in, Erie, Pennsylvania? If I remember right, you do not have the original console, do you know what happened to it?
“Gee Dad, it "IS” a WurliTzer!"
Another photo of the North Park
http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=7198
“THE SHOW STARTS ON THE SIDEWALK” S. Charles Lee/Maggie Valentine
If you look at the photo posted on July 1, 2005 by Lost Memory it looks to me like one of the names of the theater that should be listed at the top should be “BASIL’S LAFAYETTE”.
The seating should be changed to 3542.
The Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ was/is Opus 501 and as of April 7, 2000 was still “OK” in a residence it was installed in 1973 in Stratford, Connecticut.
“Gee Dad, it "IS” a WurliTzer"
I think at one time this theater was used as a church??
“I don’t sell tickets to movies. I sell tickets to theatres.” Marcus Loew
Who explaines the rules? Are they listed someplace? I don’t want to make any mistakes! My computer makes enough for me!
“I don’t sell tickets to movies. I sell tickets to theaters.” Marcus Loew
The “REAL” Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ for this theater was Opus 585, a 3 Manual/15 Rank organ, shipped on September 29, 1922, a whole 17.9 miles, from the WurliTzer Headquarters in North Tonawanda, New York. The last anyone knows, in May of 1957, the organ went to a residence in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and was still playable.
“Gee Dad, it’s a WurliTzer!”
That WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ was a 2 Manual 4 Rank. It is not known what happened to the organ.
“Gee Dad, it "WAS” a WurliTzer!"
Speaking of film cans does anyone know how many floors up the projection booth was at the Clark? One good thing about working in the booth is you never got real bored with the same movie (say “The Sound of Music” for over a year), but hauling 2 movies every day up and down could get hard on the back. How high up did did they have to go?
Anyone know if they didn’t get the films sometimes or got mixed up reels?
I never saw films in the middle of the night, did many homeless folks spend the night at the Clark in cold weather?
“I don’t sell tickets to movies. I sell tickets to theatres.” Marcus Loew
The Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ mentioned above is Opus 1206, a 4 Manual, 32 Rank monster shipped all the way from the WurliTzer Headquarters at 908 Niagara Falls Boulevard, North Tonwanda, New York, less then 18 miles away from the theater. It was shipped on November 30, 1925. As best as I can tell about 17 theaters in Buffalo had WurliTzers installed in them and this is the only theater that still has one. In fact this is one a the very few theaters that still has the original organ still installed in the original theater! Buffalo should be very PROUD.
“Gee Dad, it "IS” a WurliTzer!"
REndres-Break my heart and mention the McClurg Court. Not exactly a movie palace, but technically a great place to screen a film. I looked back at the CT McClurg Court site and it lists “Fiddler” as the first movie and I did see it at the McClurg, GREAT SOUND. I do however seem to remember (at a previous movie that I saw at the McClurg) a womem employee all excited talking about “Fiddler” coming soon to the McClurg. Of course this was all over 35 years ago, I could have it mixed up. Pehaps they had a sneak preview or something? Not much to do with the McVickers, well they both start out with Mc!
“Ladies and Gentlemen, This is CINERAMA!” Lowell Thomas September 30, 1952
Lost Memory-that’s why I wrote “a” Columbia Theater. I wasn’t sure. It’s the missing LINK! Sorry I had to add that.
This theater was at one time the Columbia and a Link Theatre Organ was installed in a Columbia Theatre in Buffalo in 1924.
“Gee Dad, it was a Link!”
See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_G-jzEFK4k
“Gee Dad, it was a WurliTzer!”
KenC-thanks for your help, I remember that song, but that’s not the tune I remember from the CLARK. It seems to me they only played one song in the intermission, I don’t remember it being that one. Perhaps they started Delicado after I went into the Navy. I can’t remember did they show previews and did they show them between each film or after the double feature? Did a cartoon get shown? Sorta hard to remember after 45+ years. Anyway thanks for trying to come up with the song.
CHARLES BOOS
Please pass this on to Bruce Trinz. In the late 50’s and early 60’s my first job in high school was as a soda jerk at the Walgreens Redwood Inn Cafeteria at State and Madison. That had been the old Boston Store and is now a Sears. I had never seen many movies as I grew up so every chance I got I went over to the CLARK to see all those movies I had missed. I made up for lost time, what a film education I got! Thank you so much. In the early 60’s at intermision one instrumental song was played, I think it was on blank film, do you or anyone else recall what that tune was? It’s my one memory of the CLARK I can hum every place I go. Again, I can’t thank you enough.
Ah yes, Marcus Loew would never forgive me, thanks.
I got distracted by Henry Plitt. I thought some dates might be helpful on when Plitt was here and when Cineplex Odeon was here. So here are those dates and for the fun of it all the important dates for Chicago theaters. Lets start at the very begining and see if I’ve got this sorta right?
1916 Balaban and Katz (B&K) Corporation formed.
1926 Famous Players Lasky Corporation buys a controlling interest in B&K.
1949 B&K becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of United Paramount Theatres.
1953 United Paramount Theatres mergers with American Broadcasting Company (ABC).
1970 B&K now a subsidiary of ABC is officially dissolved.
1974 Henry Plitt aquires from ABC Paramount the 123 northern division theaters for 25 million dollars.
1985 Cineplex-Odeon acquires Plitt Theaters.
1998 Lowes and Cineplex merge.
2006 AMC acquires Lowes.
Did I make any mistakes?
“Gee Dad, it was a WurliTzer!”
Life’s too short
Henry Plitt would be 90 if he is still around. I know he was a General in the U.S. Army Reserves. During World War II he captured a Nazi arch-antisemite which is sorta ironic seeing that Henry Plitt was Jewish, an interesting fellow. You can see his picture and hear/read his war story at the site below.
http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/hps0055m.htm
“Ladies and Gentlemen, This is CINERAMA!” Lowell Thomas
September 30, 1952
That second one is a typo, it should be
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047939/
Sorry.
“Gee Dad, it was a Wurlitzer!”