hey east coast – We’re on LBI, where are you?
As soon as I saw the name I remembered hearing of Mel…I never met him. I knew Leibert, Jack Ward, and Jimmy Paulin at RCMH in those days, used to visit a lot.
Ron Delsener – I remember hearing that on WABC in those days a lot. Remember the ads for Murry the K shows at the Brooklyn Fox? I used the think they were saying Brooklyn Box, sad misguided surburan Jersey kid. dave.
1974 – I am pretty sure the Beacon was still doing movies then, I could be off. I was one of the organists there at the “end”. There were several of us, I played every two-three weeks for about a year. We would play at the intermission around 8 or 9 when the last Saturday movie started, then return to close the house. The organ, yes a ‘mighty Wurlitzer’ was a major pain to play. The pipe chambers are way up above the stage and speak straight out into the balcony (which is huge) so by the time the sound gets down to you at the organ its like three days later. LOL. Try that after going out drinking and then coming back to play the close. Whoever was doing the organ maintenance was really doing a great job, the organ in those days had nearly everthing working, even Radio City couldnt say that in those days. Riding the lift up while playing was a real treat too.
I was glad to see above that WB redid the interior cause i could never figure out how that place could have been a ‘little Roxy’. It is definately a Rapp & Rapp atmospheric. The stage is flanked by two massive figures which are Moorish guards, holding spears. (I cant recall if they were male or female, sorry.) The spears at the top held open a tent, which formed the proscenium over the stage. (The organ chambers were up there behind the I think red and white striped “tent”). I too recall the murals as being totally obscured. The effect out in the house was like sitting out in the open air looking into a tent.
The only movie i recall playing for was “Cinderella Liberty”. I cant forget that cause while sitting at the organ waiting with the lift near the top, near the end of the movie, a pregnant character’s water breaks, and it was right over my head. My wife has never stopped laughing at me for nearly jumping off the console for that one.
The Beacon had a ‘contour curtain’ like the Music Hall. The stage hands would set the curtain up to frame the organist while you played. Really cool! Oh, and some roaches lived in the console, every so often one would come out while playing, that was fun too.
It all ended with the world premier of “The Three Musketeers” starring Rachel Welch, Michael York, Richard Chaimberland. The new management was nice enough to give the organists tickets for that night, but sadly they stopped using the organ not long after that.
hey east coast – We’re on LBI, where are you?
As soon as I saw the name I remembered hearing of Mel…I never met him. I knew Leibert, Jack Ward, and Jimmy Paulin at RCMH in those days, used to visit a lot.
Ron Delsener – I remember hearing that on WABC in those days a lot. Remember the ads for Murry the K shows at the Brooklyn Fox? I used the think they were saying Brooklyn Box, sad misguided surburan Jersey kid. dave.
1974 – I am pretty sure the Beacon was still doing movies then, I could be off. I was one of the organists there at the “end”. There were several of us, I played every two-three weeks for about a year. We would play at the intermission around 8 or 9 when the last Saturday movie started, then return to close the house. The organ, yes a ‘mighty Wurlitzer’ was a major pain to play. The pipe chambers are way up above the stage and speak straight out into the balcony (which is huge) so by the time the sound gets down to you at the organ its like three days later. LOL. Try that after going out drinking and then coming back to play the close. Whoever was doing the organ maintenance was really doing a great job, the organ in those days had nearly everthing working, even Radio City couldnt say that in those days. Riding the lift up while playing was a real treat too.
I was glad to see above that WB redid the interior cause i could never figure out how that place could have been a ‘little Roxy’. It is definately a Rapp & Rapp atmospheric. The stage is flanked by two massive figures which are Moorish guards, holding spears. (I cant recall if they were male or female, sorry.) The spears at the top held open a tent, which formed the proscenium over the stage. (The organ chambers were up there behind the I think red and white striped “tent”). I too recall the murals as being totally obscured. The effect out in the house was like sitting out in the open air looking into a tent.
The only movie i recall playing for was “Cinderella Liberty”. I cant forget that cause while sitting at the organ waiting with the lift near the top, near the end of the movie, a pregnant character’s water breaks, and it was right over my head. My wife has never stopped laughing at me for nearly jumping off the console for that one.
The Beacon had a ‘contour curtain’ like the Music Hall. The stage hands would set the curtain up to frame the organist while you played. Really cool! Oh, and some roaches lived in the console, every so often one would come out while playing, that was fun too.
It all ended with the world premier of “The Three Musketeers” starring Rachel Welch, Michael York, Richard Chaimberland. The new management was nice enough to give the organists tickets for that night, but sadly they stopped using the organ not long after that.