| |
 |
| |
Click on images to enlarge |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
 |
Loew's Melba Theatre
300 Livingston Street at Hanover Place
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11217
Loew’s Melba Theatre was located at the intersection of Livingston Street and Hanover Place in downtown Brooklyn. It occupied the former Keeney's Livingston Theatre that opened in 1915. The April 1915 issue of Architecture and Building described the theatre:
"The Keeney theatre building covers 22,200 square feet and in the auditorium and one balcony seats 3,000 people. The construction is of steel with brick walls and reinforced concrete floor systems with an entrance facade carried out in ornamental polychrome terra cotta and white Vermont marble, the roof being of green tile. The auditorium has a span of 90 feet and there is not a post in the house, the balcony being carried by steel trusses and cantilever construction. The stage has a width of 82 feet and a depth of 40 feet. The decorations are well carried out and in fine materials. The color scheme is in rose, cream and gold, with a large proscenium decoration. The entrance lobby is also highly decorated, containing a fine mural by Arthur Brounet over the entrance to the inner foyer. This foyer is spacious and contains a white marble staircase leading to the balcony lobby."
The Keeney’s Theatre was taken over by Loew’s Inc. on June 9, 1926, and renamed Loew’s Livingston Theatre. On January 9, 1928, it was renamed again, to Loew’s Melba Theatre. According to legend, "Livingston" was discarded because it had too many letters for the electrical signage that was planned.
A very early casualty of television, Loew's Melba Theatre closed in 1954 and was razed for an outdoor parking lot. In the 1980s, a high-rise office building for the Metropolitan Transit Authority rose on the site, but it was subsequently replaced by a four level parking & commercial structure. |
| |
|
|
M.P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 2380 (1918)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 35 stops, 17 ranks
In 1918, M.P. Möller installed one of their popular 3/17 theatre organs in Keeney's Livingston Theatre. Möller installed a new console in 1926, the same year that the theatre was acquired by Loew's Inc. Although the contract for Möller's Op. 2380 has not been located, following is the standard specification of this Möller model.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
|
16 |
|
Violin Diapason (TC) |
73 |
2 |
|
Piccolo [Fl. Harm.] |
OR |
8 |
|
Open Diapason |
85 |
|
|
Mixture III ranks |
|
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 |
16 |
|
Fagotto (TC) |
— |
8 |
|
Horn Diapason (Syn.) |
— |
8 |
|
Orchestral Oboe |
73 |
8 |
|
Viol d'Orchestre |
GT |
8 |
|
Clarinet |
73 |
8 |
|
Viol Celeste (TC) |
73 |
|
|
| Orchestral Bells |
25 Notes |
|
8 |
|
Quintadena |
73 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
Flute Harmonic |
73 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 |
|
Open Diapason (ext. Gross Fl.) |
12 |
16 |
|
Lieblich Gedeckt [lo-press.] |
— |
16 |
|
Sub Bass |
32 |
8 |
|
Violoncello |
SO |
16 |
|
Gemshorn (ext.) |
12 |
8 |
|
Flute |
SO |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Couplers
|
| |
|
Great to Pedal 8', 4' |
|
|
|
Orch. to Solo |
|
| |
|
Orch. to Pedal 8' |
|
|
|
Solo to Orch. 8' 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:
Architecture and Building (Vol. XLVII, No. 4, April 1915).
Cinema Treasures web site: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4149
Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 1. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
Illustrations:
Architecture and Building (Vol. XLVII, No. 4, April 1915). Facade, house and lobby of Keeney's Theatre. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|