Comments from bcnett

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bcnett
bcnett commented about Jane Pickens Theatre on Sep 7, 2010 at 4:21 am

I was in there last year and took several pictures of the organ. If I knew how to attach them to this comment, I would. The organ is unusual in having a Symphonic Registrator, a second stop rail with mood stops (blind combinations labeled according to the action on the screen, such as love, chase, and children). As house organist at the theatre for years, I can testify as to how helpful that is in accompanying a silent movie. For dramas I used the mood stops almost exclusively. For comedies it is not as effective. The organ is no longer playable due to Perflex, but is still there on the floor to the left of the stage. The owner of the theatre would be thrilled to have it working again.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Souris Show Hall on Sep 7, 2010 at 4:11 am

The theatre reopened in 2010 as the Souris Show Hall, with movies and live performances.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Jane Pickens Theatre on Jan 18, 2009 at 3:28 pm

I was in the theatre with the new owner last month. It is in better condition than ever. The organ is still there, on the floor to the left of the stage, intact though unplayable. The owner would love to have it restored, but the cost is prohibitive. I was house organist there for 10 years, spent many happy hours at the console. I played before the shows two nights a week and accompanied silent pictures. Whenever there was a stage show, the organ was the opening act, usually with a silent comedy.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Garden Cinemas on Oct 3, 2007 at 3:45 pm

What happened to it?

bcnett
bcnett commented about Capitol Theatre on Oct 3, 2007 at 3:43 pm

That organ, now in the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, is the only one remaining in a theatre with a Symphonic Registrator (40 combinations labelled by the mood they are intended to accompany in a silent movie, such as Love, Mysterious, Children, etc. It works wonderfully when accompanying a picture.

That organ is now unplayable, but the new theatre owner is interested in having it restored.

bcnett
bcnett commented about RKO Proctor's 58th Street Theatre on Jul 30, 2007 at 6:11 am

Does anybody know the history of the theatre’s organ? The console of the organ in the Stoneham, Mass., Town Hall, is marked on the inside for Proctor’s 58th St. It was delivered with the town hall organ by Wurlitzer in 1930. The console has the kind of leather in it that Wurlitzer stopped using in 1926, so it must have been built at least 2 years before Proctor’s was built. Was Proctor’s organ actually delivered; and, if so, with what console?

bcnett
bcnett commented about Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts on Apr 3, 2007 at 1:14 pm

The contract has been signed for the installation of the largest theatre organ in New England, a 4 manual 35 rank Wurlitzer. The organ is now in a shop in New Bedford. The final concert there will take place in mid-June prior to its disassembly for the move.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts on Apr 3, 2007 at 1:14 pm

The contract has been signed for the installation of the largest theatre organ in New England, a 4 manual 35 rank Wurlitzer. The organ is now in a shop in New Bedford. The final concert there will take place in mid-June prior to its disassembly for the move.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Paramount Theatre on Mar 12, 2007 at 8:23 am

The organ in the theatre is currently unplayable, but the management has expressed some interest in doing something about that.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts on Mar 12, 2007 at 8:20 am

The contract was signed last week for the installation of the largest theatre organ in New England, a 4-manual, 35-rank Wurlitzer. Installation should begin in late summer.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Imperial Theatre on Aug 14, 2006 at 5:14 pm

The console of the theatre’s organ, a Style D Wurlitzer (2 manuals, 6 ranks of pipes) is in the basement of the theatre.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Empire Theatre on Jun 6, 2006 at 7:29 am

That is correct, per theatreorgans.com, a complete listing of Wurlitzer organs.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Durfee Theatre on Apr 27, 2006 at 5:42 pm

What happened to the organ from this theatre? For a while in the late ‘70s the console was backstage in the Columbus Theatre in Providence, then it disappeared.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Windsor Theater on Feb 28, 2006 at 2:18 am

The theatre whose organ the Windsor organ was merged with was the Empire in Brooklyn. The combined organ was first installed in WNAC radio in Boston before being moved to Stoneham.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Empire Theatre on Feb 28, 2006 at 2:15 am

The organ the Empire’s organ was combined with was repossessed by Wurlitzer from the Windsor Theatre in Brooklyn and installed in the WNAC radio studio in Boston in 1930, where it stayed until being moved to Stoneham Town Hall in 1942.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Stoneham Theatre on Feb 27, 2006 at 8:46 am

The theatre was originally owned by Joseph Kennedy, father of the president. Since it reopened it has been doing very well, drawing large audiences.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Paramount Theater on Feb 27, 2006 at 8:35 am

I heard the organ from this theatre many times when it was in a pizza parlor in Seattle, Washington. Have not heard what happened to it after the parlor closed.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Loew's State Theatre on Feb 27, 2006 at 7:54 am

The organ from the theatre is now in Babson College’s Knight Auditorium.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Empire Theatre on Feb 25, 2006 at 2:56 am

Wurlitzer installed a small organ in 1927, later reposessed it and merged it with another organ. Since 1942 it has been in the town hall in Stoneham, Mass., where I am Town Organist.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Windsor Theater on Feb 25, 2006 at 2:54 am

The theatre had an organ installed in 1927, then reposessed by Wurlitzer. They merged it with another organ. It has been in the town hall in Stoneham, Mass., since 1942. As Town Organist I play it before each town meeting.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Jane Pickens Theatre on Feb 24, 2006 at 12:55 am

The organ in the theatre was originally in the Capitol Theatre in New London, Ct. I was house organist there from 1981 until 1990. The organ was played before the shows two nights a week, for occasional silent movies, and as a part of every stage show during that period. Unfortunately the organ now needs major maintenance.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Jane Pickens Theatre on Feb 24, 2006 at 12:49 am

The family sold the theatre to a woman in Massachusetts. The film policy has not changed so far.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Capitol Theatre on Feb 15, 2006 at 4:36 pm

The organ from this theatre is now in the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, RI, where I was House Organist for 10 years.

bcnett
bcnett commented about Columbus Theatre on Feb 13, 2006 at 3:41 am

The Columbus has the last original theatre organ installation in Providence. The Style D Wurlitzer (2 keyboards, 6 ranks of pipes) is not big enough to satisfactorily fill the theatre with sound.