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Subject:
From:
"David G. Schutt" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Pipe Organs and Related Topics <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 25 Jan 1993 09:43:23 PST
Content-Type:
text/plain
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Hi OrganNet:

The premiere of what has to be the world's newest theater organ
installation happened in San Jose yesterday. And the biggest
surprise is that it is only about 2 blocks from my house!

The organ is a 3m/14 or 15-rank Wurlitzer that was originally in
the State Lake Theater in Chicago, then in the Avenue Theater in
San Francisco, and now in the Towne Theater in San Jose. I
wondered if I would ever hear it again, because it was in storage
for 8 years after the Avenue closed.

The organ is installed on the stage. The original organ in the
theater was a small Smith, so the original organ chambers are very
small. The console is on a '4-poster' lift. The present organ is
owned by a consortium of 5 people who include Warren Lubich, Jeff
Hansen and Cliff Luscher. Many others were involved in the
installation including John Johnson, formerly of the Schoenstein
organ company, who got most of the pipes behaving properly. The
organ sounded good.

The theater originally seated about 800. However, after the organ
installation was started, they tri-plexed the theater, and the
part where the organ is only seats 308. There was a full-house for
the premiere. Apparently the sound of the organ does not disturb
the other sections.

Warren Lubich played an organ prologue with a short sing-along.
Then Bob Vaughn played for 3 Buster Keaton silents. The first two
were old shorts; one was 'The Goat' (about 1920), and I've
forgotten the name of the other. The featured silent was 'Steam-
boat Bill, Jr.', a very funny movie.

Dave
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