Paramount Building and Theatre - New York City (undated postcard)

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Paramount Theatre Studio

Broadway at 43rd Street
New York, N.Y. 10036







The Paramount Theatre Recording Studio, located in a converted office on the 9th floor above the theatre, was used for recording and radio broadcasts. Both the theatre and studio were demolished in 1967, while the adjacent Paramount Building was refurbished for other uses.
               
  Jesse Crawford at the Wurlitzer Organ, Op. 1960 (1928) in the Paramount Theatre Studio - New York City
Jesse Crawford at the
Paramount Studio Console
  Skeleton Slave Console of the Wurlitzer Organ, Op. 1960 (1928) in the Paramount Theatre Studio - New York City (photo: David Junchen)
  Paramount Studio Slave Console
Wurlitzer Organ Company
North Tonawanda, N.Y. – Opus 1960 (1928)
Electro-pneumatic action
Style: "Special 4-manual"
4 manuals, 21 ranks
4-manual double-bolster console, plus
4-manual skeleton slave console




The Wurlitzer organ in the Paramount Theatre Recording Studio was installed by Hugo Hellstern. Known as a "Special 4-manual" style, the 21-rank organ had two four-manual consoles: a double-bolster main console, and a four-manual skeleton slave console.

Along with its sister organ in the theatre downstairs, this was one of the very organs by Wurlitzer (or any other make) to benefit from tonal finishing, in this case by Don Papp under the supervision of Jesse Crawford, chief organist at the Paramount. The outstanding results were heard in many radio broadcasts of the 1930s and 1940s, and in recordings made by Jesse Crawford, Don Baker, Dick Leibert, and others.

In the early 1960s, the studio organ was acquired by Richard Loderhose, who enlarged it to 54 ranks and installed it in his home studio in Jamaica Estates, N.Y. In 1975, Mr. Loderhose purchased the Bay Theatre in Seal Beach, Calif., where he had the organ installed.
               
Pedal – 32 notes
16
  Ophicleide  
8
  String  
16
  Diaphone  
8
  String Celeste  
16
  Tibia Clausa  
8
   Viole d'Orchestre  
16
  Double String  
8
  Viole Celeste  
16
   Double String Celeste  
8
   Flute  
16
   Oboe Horn  
8
   Piano  
16
   Bourdon  
16
   Piano  
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
8
   Harp  
8
   English Horn       Bass Drum  
8
   Trumpet       Kettle Drum  
8
   Tuba Horn       Cymbal  
8
   Open Diapason       Chinese Gong  
8
   Oboe Horn       Accomp. to Pedal  
8
   Horn Diapason       Great to Pedal  
8
   Quintadena       Bombarde to Pedal  
8
   Solo String       Solo to Pedal  
8
   Solo String Celeste          
 
     
 
     
Accompaniment (Manual I) – 61 notes
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
2
  Tibia Piccolo  
8
   English Horn  
2
   Piccolo  
8
   Trumpet  
8
  Piano  
8
   Tuba Horn  
4
  Piano  
8
   Open Diapason  
  Xylophone  
8
   Horn Diapason  
  Chrysoglott  
8
   Tibia Clausa  
 
  Chrysoglott Octave  
8
   Clarinet  
 
  Chrysoglott Dampers  
8
   Saxophone       Vibraphone  
8
   Krumet       Snare Drum  
8
   Solo String       Tom Tom  
8
   Solo String Celeste       Tambourine  
8
   String       Castanets  
8
   String Celeste       Chinese Block  
8
   Viole d'Orchestre       Sand Block  
8
   Viole Celeste       Accomp. Octave  
8
   Oboe Horn       Solo to Accomp.  
8
   Quintadena          
8
   Vox Humana       Accompaniment 2nd Touch
8
   Vox Humana  
8
   English Horn  
4
   Octave  
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
4
   Tibia Clausa  
8
   Trumpet  
4
   Solo String  
8
   Tuba Horn  
4
   Solo String Celeste  
8
   Open Diapason  
4
   String  
8
   Clarinet  
4
   String Celeste  
8
   Strings (ensemble)  
4
   Viole  
8
   Tibia Clausa  
4
   Viole Celeste  
4
   Tibia Clausa  
4
   Flue       Chimes  
4
   Vox Humana       Solo to Accomp.
4
   Vox Humana       Great to Accomp. Octave
4
   Flute       Solo to Accomp. Pizzicato
2 2/3
   Twelfth        
            20 Adjustable Combination Pistons
 
     
 
     
Great (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
   Tuba Mirabilis [TC]  
4
  Clarion (Tuba Mirabilis)  
16
   English Horn [TC]  
4
   Clarion (Trumpet)  
16
   Trumpet [TC]  
4
  Solo String  
16
   Tuba Horn  
4
  Solo String Celeste  
16
   Diaphone  
4
  String  
16
   Bass [TC]  
4
   String Celeste  
16
   Tibia Clausa  
4
   Viole  
16
   Clarinet [TC]  
4
   Viole Celeste  
16
   Solo String  
4
   Flute  
16
   Solo String Celeste  
4
   Vox Humana  
16
   Vox Humana [TC]  
4
   Vox Humana  
16
   Vox Humana [TC]  
2 2/3
   Tibia Twelfth  
16
   String Ensemble [TC]  
2 2/3
   Twelfth  
16
   Saxophone [TC]  
2
   Tibia Piccolo  
16
   Oboe Horn  
2
   Piccolo  
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
2
   Fifteenth  
8
   English Horn  
16
   Piano  
8
   Trumpet  
8
   Piano  
8
   Tuba Horn  
4
   Piano  
8
   Open Diapason       Master Xylophone Sub  
8
   Horn Diapason       Master Xylophone  
8
   Tibia Clausa       Chrysoglott Sub  
8
   Clarinet       Chrysoglott  
8
   Saxophone       Chimes  
8
   Krumet       Glockenspiel  
8
   Solo String       Vibraphone  
8
   Solo String Celeste       Snare Drum  
8
   String       Tom Tom  
8
   String Celeste       Tambourine  
8
   Viole d'Orchestre       Castanets  
8
   Viole Celeste       Chinese Block  
8
   Oboe Horn       Sand Block  
8
   Quintadena       Great Sub Octave  
8
   Vox Humana       Accomp. to Great  
8
   Vox Humana       Solo to Great Sub Octave
8
   Concert Flute       Solo to Great  
4
   Octave       Solo to Great Pizzicato  
4
   Tibia Clausa          
            20 Adjustable Combination Pistons
 
     
 
     
Bombarde (Manual III) – 61 notes
16
   Tuba Mirabilis [TC]  
8
  Saxophone  
16
   English Horn [TC]  
8
  Vox Humana  
16
   Trumpet [TC]  
8
   Vox Humana  
16
   Tuba Horn  
4
  Tibia Clausa  
16
   Diaphone  
2 2/3
  Tibia Twelfth  
16
   Tibia Clausa  
2
  Tibia Piccolo  
16
   Solo String  
  Chimes  
16
   Solo String Celeste       Glockenspiel  
16
   Saxophone  
 
  Master Xylophone Sub Octave
16
   Vox Humana [TC]       Master Xylophone  
16
   Vox Humana [TC]       Harp  
8
   Tuba Mirabilis       Chrysoglott Sub Octave  
8
   English Horn       Chrysoglott  
8
   Trumpet  
8
   Piano  
8
   Tuba Horn       Accomp. to Bombarde  
8
   Open Diapason       Solo to Bombarde Sub Octave
8
   Tibia Clausa       Solo to Bombarde
8
   Solo String          
8
   Solo String Celeste       20 Adjustable Combination Pistons
               
Solo (Manual IV) – 61 notes
16
   Tibia Clausa  
8
   Viole d'Orchestre  
16
   Saxophone  
8
   Viole Celeste  
16
   Vox Humana  
8
   Oboe Horn  
16
   Vox Humana  
8
   Quintadena  
16
   Solo String  
8
   Vox Humana  
16
   Solo String Celeste  
8
   Vox Humana  
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
4
   Tibia Clausa  
8
   English Horn  
2
   Tibia Clausa
8
   Trumpet  
8
   Piano  
8
   Tuba Horn       Master Xylophone Sub Octave
8
   Open Diapason       Master Xylophone  
8
   Tibia Clausa       Chrysoglott Sub Octave  
8
   Clarinet       Chrysoglott  
8
   Saxophone       Chimes  
8
   Krumet       Glockenspiel  
8
   Solo String       Vibraphone  
8
   Solo String Celeste       Solo Sub Octave  
8
   String       Accomp. to Solo  
8
   String Celeste          
            20 Adjustable Combination Pistons
               
STOP & CHAMBER ANALYSIS
     
Main
16
   Tuba Horn
85 pipes
16
   Open Diapason
85 pipes
16
   Horn Diapason
73 pipes
8
   Clarinet
61 pipes
8
   Krumet
61 pipes
8
   Viole d'Orchestra
85 pipes
8
   Viole Celeste
73 pipes
8
   Vox Humana
61 pipes
16
   Concert Flute
97 pipes
    Chrysoglott
49 notes
 
Solo
8
   Tuba Mirabilis
73 pipes
8
   English Horn
61 pipes
8
   Trumpet
61 pipes
16
   Tibia Clausa
97 pipes
8
   Saxophone
61 pipes
16
   Solo String
85 pipes
16
   Solo String Celeste
85 pipes
8
   String
73 pipes
8
   String Celeste
73 pipes
16
   Oboe Horn
73 pipes
8
   Quintadena
61 pipes
8
   Vox Humana
61 pipes
     
Percussion
Chimes [Deagan Class A]
25 notes
Glockenspiel
37 notes
Master Xylophone
37 notes
Harp
49 notes
Trap Assembly
Unenclosed in Studio:
Steinway concert grand piano
85 notes
               
Sources:
     Bay Theatre (Seal Beach, Calif.) web site: http://www.baytheatre.com
     Cinema Treasures web site: http://www.cinematreasures.org
     Junchen, David L., comp. and ed. by Jeff Weiler. The WurliTzer Pipe Organ – An Illustrated History. Chicago: The American Theatre Organ Society, 2005.
     Kaufmann, Preston J. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 3. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1995.
     New York Architecture Images web site: http://www.nyc-architecture.com/
     Williams, Lew. Electronic correspondence (Oct. 6, 2015) regarding location of the studio.

Illustrations:
     Junchen, David L., comp. and ed. by Jeff Weiler. The WurliTzer Pipe Organ – An Illustrated History. Jesse Crawford at the master console; skeleton slave console.
     New York Architecture Images web site. Postcard of Paramount Building.