Memories… Greenville about 1958, on weekends from college, the management would allow me to play the organ prior to a film. Problem was… never knew if it would play!
Finally, we found the problem, the generator wasn’t generating! My college room mate (James H. Wilkes) and I persuaded the management to fork over about $200 to rebuild the generator which ran off a belt from the blower motor.
The Robert Morton was a 2/4 installed on one side of the theatre. Not much of an organ, but it was a sweet sound and, not having been heard for years and years the audiences might have well thought it was a 4/36.
That summer, I spent many a weekend playing pre-shows and intermissions. I was beginning to breath the sound of pipes! Unless you were in the balcony, the “little” console was unseen by most. SO,Jimmy and I went around the corner to the Delta Democrat Times and “borrowed” I don’t know HOW many Coca Cola (bottles) cases. We took them to the theatre and after MUCH effort we had the console pretty much in view of the main floor.
Not many attended the regular films shown, but there was a new release with Randolph Scott. The Paramount managed to get the premiere release and the management asked me to play the organ prior to the first run showing. That little 2/4 S H I N E D and the audience STOOD to applaud the “little organ that could.”
Memories… Greenville about 1958, on weekends from college, the management would allow me to play the organ prior to a film. Problem was… never knew if it would play!
Finally, we found the problem, the generator wasn’t generating! My college room mate (James H. Wilkes) and I persuaded the management to fork over about $200 to rebuild the generator which ran off a belt from the blower motor.
The Robert Morton was a 2/4 installed on one side of the theatre. Not much of an organ, but it was a sweet sound and, not having been heard for years and years the audiences might have well thought it was a 4/36.
That summer, I spent many a weekend playing pre-shows and intermissions. I was beginning to breath the sound of pipes! Unless you were in the balcony, the “little” console was unseen by most. SO,Jimmy and I went around the corner to the Delta Democrat Times and “borrowed” I don’t know HOW many Coca Cola (bottles) cases. We took them to the theatre and after MUCH effort we had the console pretty much in view of the main floor.
Not many attended the regular films shown, but there was a new release with Randolph Scott. The Paramount managed to get the premiere release and the management asked me to play the organ prior to the first run showing. That little 2/4 S H I N E D and the audience STOOD to applaud the “little organ that could.”
Terry Charles
www.kirkorgan.com