Loew's Brevoort Theatre - Brooklyn, NY (1918)
   
  Loew's Brevoort Theatre - Brooklyn, NY (1918)
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Loew's Brevoort Theatre

1276 Bedford Avenue at Brevoort Place
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11216



The Brevoort Theatre, located on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Brevoort Place, was built and managed by A.H. Schwarz. As designed by R. Thomas Short, the Brevoort had 1,500 seats on the main floor and 700 in the balcony, and a large pit for an orchestra that provided music during the shows and intermissions. The Brevoot opened on May 1, 1918 with the patriotic film spectacle, "My Own United States," as its premiere attraction, and was described as Brooklyn's largest theatre showing movies exclusively.

In November 1919, a year and a half after its opening, the theatre was acquired by Marcus Loew, who had an organ ("mechanical orchestra") installed to provide music during non-peak shows.

Loew's Brevoort was closed in the late 1960s and demolished in the early 1970s.
     
M.P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 2799 (1919)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 16 ranks


Loew's Brevoort Theatre contained an organ built in 1919 by M.P. Möller of Hagerstown, Md., at a cost of $6,000. The instrument was one of the Möller firm's standard theatre organ models having three manuals and 16 ranks. The following specification is from the contract for Op. 2492 (1918), another 3/16 Möller installed in Loew's Bijou Theatre in Brooklyn.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Violin Diapason (TC)
73
2
   Piccolo [Fl. Harm.]
OR
8
   Open Diapason
85
    Mixture III ranks
derived
8
  Viol d'Orchestre
73
16
   Bass Clarinet (TC)
OR
8
  Doppel Flute
73
8
   French Horn
73
4
   Octave [Op. Diap.]
—
4
   Octave Horn
—
4
   Zart Flute [Quintadena]
OR
    
Cathedral Chimes
20 Notes
               
Orchestral Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Violin Diapason
GT
4
   Flute Harmonic
73
8
   Horn Diapason (Syn.)
—
16
   Fagotto (TC)
—
8
   Quintadena
73
8
   Orchestral Oboe
73
8
   Viol d'Orchestre
GT
8
  
Clarinet
73
8
   Viol Celeste (TC)
73
    
Concert Harp
37 Notes
               
Solo Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Gross Flute
85
4
   Gemshorn (TG)
—
8
   Concert Flute
73
16
   Bass Tuba (TC)
—
8
   Gemshorn
85
8
   Tuba
73
8
   Violoncello
73
8
   Vox Humana
73
4
   Flute Overte (TG) [Gross Fl.]
—
      
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Sub Bass (ext. Gross Fl.)
12
8
   Violoncello
SO
16
   Gemshorn (ext.)
12
8
   Flute
SO
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt [lo-press.]
—
        
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8', 4'       Orch. to Solo 8'  
    Orch. to Pedal 8'       Solo to Orch. 8'  
    Solo to Pedal 8'       Great 4'  
    Orch. to Great 16', 8', 4'       Orch. 16', 4'  
    Solo. to Great 16', 8', 4'       Solo 16', 4'  
               
Mechanicals
    Orchestral Tremulant   Crescendo Indicator
    Solo Tremulant    
               
Adjustable Combinations
   
Orchestral Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Great Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Solo Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4 (thumb)
Pedal Organ Pistons 1-2-3 (thumb)
               
Piston Couplers
    Corresponding Orchestral and Solo Pistons to Great Pistons
    Corresponding Pedal Pistons to Manual Pistons
               
Pedal Movements
    Balanced Solo Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible
    Balanced Orchestral Pedal   Orchestral to Pedal Reversible
    Grand Crescendo Pedal   Thunder Pedal
     
Sources:
     Cinema Treasures web site: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3949
     Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 1. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
     M.P. Möller, Inc. Agreement (Apr. 1, 1918) of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 2492 (1918). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.

Illustrations:
     Architecture and Building (Vol. L, No. 5, May 1918): 44. Exterior and interior.