Beacon Theatre - New York City (photo: Cinema Treasures)
 
click on any image to enlarge
Beacon Theatre

2124 Broadway at 74th Street
New York, N.Y. 10023
http://www.beacontheatrenyc.com



The 3154-seat Beacon Theatre was originally named the Roxy Midway and was intended to be the first theatre in a city-wide Roxy Circuit owned by William Fox after he acquired control of the 6,000-seat Roxy Theatre at Seventh Avenue & 50th Street. However, before it opened, Fox went bankrupt and the theatre sat unused for about two years, before Warner Brothers took it over with a policy of a first-run movie and vaudeville.

An article in the March 1930 issue of Moving Picture Review and Theatre Management claims that when Warner Brothers took over the as yet unused theatre, it completely gutted the auditorium and built a new one with Rapp & Rapp as contractors and Stanly C. Zoest in charge of the project. The new auditorium, described as a mixture of Byzantine and Moorish styles, took six weeks to complete by 200 workers on a day-and-night schedule. The new auditorium was eight stories high from ground floor to the dome in the ceiling, and featured murals along the side walls painted by the famous Danish artist, Valdemar Kjoldgaard. Its most striking feature is the oval first lobby, which is reportedly a one-quarter scale version of the Roxy's grand rotunda.

The Beacon Theatre was the largest surviving picture palace in Manhattan until 1986, when its new owners announced plans to convert the theatre to a discotheque. Despite opposition by the general community, the Beacon was granted permission by the New York City Landmarks Commission to convert the building's interior to a nightclub. Although the planned alterations have not taken place, the Beacon now hosts concerts.
     
 
Console of Wurlitzer Organ, Op. 1891 (1928) at the Beacon Theatre - New York City (photo: Diego LaJolla)
Wurlitzer Organ Company
North Tonawanda, N.Y. – Opus 1891 (1928)
Electro-pneumatic action
Style 250 Special
4 manuals, 19 ranks
           
The Wurlitzer organ in the Beacon Theatre is dated June 6, 1928.
           
Pedal – 32 notes
16
  Tuba Horn
8
  Viol Celeste
16
  Diaphonic Diapason
8
  Flute
 
  [Blank tab]
4
  Flute
16
  Tibia Clausa (S)
8
  Great to Pedal
16
  Flute
8
  Orchestral to Pedal
8
  Tuba Mirabilis
8
  Solo to Pedal
8
  Tuba Horn

 

   
8
   Diaphonic Diapason     Pedal Second Touch
8
  Tibia Clausa (S)
16
  Diaphonic Diapason
8
  Clarinet

 

   
8
   Saxophone     Pedal Pizzicato Touch
8
  String
16
  Tuba Horn
8
  Viol d'Orchestre

 

   

 

   

 

   
Accompaniment (Manual I) –- 61 notes
16
  Viol d'Orchestre
4
  Flute
16
  Flute
4
  Vox Humana
16
  Vox Humana [TC]
2 2/3
  Flute
8
  Tuba Horn
2
  Flute
8
  Diaphonic Diapason
  Cathedral Chimes
8
  Horn Diapason
  Xylophone
8
  Tibia Clausa (S)
 
  Marimba
8
  Tibia Clausa (M)
 
  Marimba Harp
8
  Clarinet
 
  Chrysoglott
8
  Saxophone
4
  Accomp. to Accomp.
 
  [Blank tab]
8
  Solo to Accomp.
8
  String
   
8
  String Celeste
  Accompaniment Second Touch
8
  Viol d'Orchestre 

8

   Tuba Horn
8
   Viol Celeste
8
   Tibia Clausa (S)
 
  [Blank tab]
8
  Solo to Accomp.
8
  Oboe Horn
   
8
  Quintadena
  Accompaniment Pizzicato Touch
8
  Flute

8

   Solo to Accomp.
8
  Vox Humana

4

   Viol d'Orchestre
  Ten Double Touch Adjustable Pistons
4
   Viol Celeste     Suitable Bass

 

   

 

   
Great (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Tuba Horn
4
  Flute
16
  Diaphonic Diapason
2 2/3
  Tibia Clausa (S)
 
  [Blank tab]
2 2/3
  Tibia Clausa (M)
16
  Tibia Clausa (S)
2 2/3
  Flute
16
  Clarinet
2
  Tibia Clausa (S)
16
  Saxophone
2
  Tibia Clausa (M)
16
  Viol d'Orchestre
2
  Viol d'Orchestre
16
  Flute
2
  Flute
8
  Tuba Mirabilis
1 3/5
  Flute
8
  Trumpet
 
  Glockenspiel
8
  Tuba Horn
 
  Sleigh Bells
8
  Diaphonic Diapason
 
  Cathedral Chimes
 
  [Blank tab]
 
  Xylophone
8
  Horn Diapason
 
  Marimba
8
  Tibia Clausa (S)
 
  Marimba Harp
8
  Tibia Clausa (M)
 
  Chrysoglott
8
  Orchestral Oboe
 
  Orchestra Bells
8
  Kinura
16
  Great to Great
8
  Clarinet
 
  Unison Off
8
  Saxophone
4
  Great to Great
 
  [Blank tab]
8
  Orchestral to Great
8
  String
8
  Solo to Great
8
  String Celeste

 

   
8
   Viol d'Orchestre     Great Second Touch
8
  Viol Celeste
16
  Tuba Horn
 
  [Blank tab]
8
  Tibia Clausa (S)
8
  Flute
8
  Solo to Great
8
  Vox Humana

 

   
4
   Tuba Horn     Great Pizzicato Touch
4
  Tibia Clausa (S)
8
  Solo to Great
4
  Tibia Clausa (M)

 

   
4
  Viol d'Orchestre

 

  Ten Double Touch Adjustable Pistons
4
  Viol Celeste

 

  Suitable Bass

 

   

 

   
Orchestral (Manual III) – 61 notes
16
  Tuba Horn
4
  Viol d'Orchestre
 
  [Blank tab]
4
  Viol Celeste
16
  Tibia Clausa (S)
4
  Flute
16
  Tibia Clausa (M)
2 2/3
  Tibia Clausa (S)
16
  Saxophone
2 2/3
  Tibia Clausa (M)
16
  Viol d'Orchestre
2 2/3
  Flute
16
  Flute
2
  Tibia Clausa (S)
8
  Tuba Mirabilis
2
  Tibia Clausa (M)
8
  Trumpet
2
  Flute
8
  Tuba Horn
1 3/5
  Flute
8
  Diaphonic Diapason

 

  Glockenspiel
 
  [Blank tab]

 

  Sleigh Bells
8
  Horn Diapason

 

  Cathedral Chimes
8
  Tibia Clausa (S)

 

  Xylophone
8
  Tibia Clausa (M)

 

  Marimba
8
  Orchestral Oboe

 

  Chrysoglott
8
  Kinura

 

  Orchestra Bells
8
  Clarinet

 

  Marimba Harp
8
  Saxophone

 

   
    [Blank tab]     Orchestral Second Touch
8
  String
8
  Tuba Mirabilis
8
  String Celeste
8
  Trumpet
 
  [Blank tab]
8
  Tibia Clausa (S)
8
  Flute
8
  Solo to Orchestral
8
  Vox Humana

 

   
4
  Tibia Clausa (S)

 

  Ten Double Touch Adjustable Pistons
4
  Tibia Clausa (M)

 

  Suitable Bass

 

   

 

   
Solo (Manual IV) – 61 notes
16
  Tuba Horn
  [Blank tab]
 
  [Blank tab]
8
  String
16
  Tibia Clausa (S)
  [Blank tab]
8
  Tuba Mirabilis
8
   Oboe Horn
8
  Trumpet
8
  Quintadena
8
  Tuba Horn
4
  Tuba Horn
8
  Diaphonic Diapason
4
  Tibia Clausa (S)
 
  [Blank tab]
4
  Tibia Clausa (M)
8
  Horn Diapason
  Glockenspiel
8
  Tibia Clausa (S)

 

  Cathedral Chimes
8
  Tibia Clausa (M)

 

  Xylophone
8
  Orchestral Oboe

 

  Orchestra Bells
8
  Kinura

 

   
8
  Clarinet

 

  Ten Double Touch Adjustable Pistons
8
   Saxophone
   
           
Tremulants (7)
    Main     Vox
    Solo     Diaphone/Tuba
    Tibia (S)     Tuba Mirabilis
    Tibia (M)      
           
General
Two Balanced Expression Pedals with Indicating Keys    
One Balanced Crescendo Pedal      
Thunder Pedal (Diaphone) - Piano Pedal    
Thunder Pedal (Reed) - Piano Pedal    
One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal - Piano Pedal
     • 1st Touch: Full stops (wind)
     • 2nd Touch: Everything 		   
One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal - Piano Pedal
     • 1st Touch: Snare Drum
     • 2nd Touch: Bass Drum and Cymbal 		   
 
Effects (operated by pistons)
Auto Horn Fire Gong
Steamboat Whistle Horse Hoofs
Two Birds (one in each expression box)
           
     
Sources:
     Cinema Treasures website: http://www.cinematreasures.org
     Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 1. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
     Junchen, David L. The WurliTzer Pipe Organ – An Illustrated History. Compiled and edited by Jeff Weiler. Chicago: The American Theatre Organ Society, 2005.
     Kaufmann, Preston J. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 3. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1995.

Photos:
     Cinema Treasures: old exterior.
     LaJolla, Diego: organ console.