Loew's Rio Theatre 3837 Broadway at 160th Street New York, N.Y. 10032 Organ Specifications: ► III/32 M.P. Möller, Op. 4378 (1926) • III/16 Hall Organ Company (1920) The Rio Theatre began as a vaudeville-movie theatre in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. In the early 1920s, the theatre was purchased by the Loew's chain. After the opening of Loew's 175th Street in 1930, the Rio was reduced to playing the same programs, but two weeks later. Loew's Rio closed in 1957, and was converted for retail use.       M.P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 4379 (1926) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 157 registers, 32 ranks In 1926, the M.P. Möller company of Hagerstown, Md., installed a new organ in Loew's Rio at a cost of $18,390, discounted by $5,000 "for trade-in of existing Hall organ". This organ was one five identical organs built by Möller for Loew's theatres in New York City. Each of the five organs had three manuals and 32 ranks, and had a mahogany bat-wing style console with 157 registers. Wind pressures were 7" and 12". The identical organs were Op. 4373, installed in Loew's 83rd Street Theatre in Manhattan; Op. 4376, installed in Loew's Alhambra Theatre in Brooklyn; Op. 4377, installed in Loew's Astoria Theatre in Astoria, Queens; Op. 4378, installed in Loew's Spooner Theatre in the Bronx; and Op. 4379, installed in Loew's Rio Theatre in Manhattan. Click here to view the Möller Factory Specifications of Op. 4373 in the Loew's 83rd Street Theatre.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 8   Open Diapason 73 8   Tuba — 4   Octave Principle [sic] — 4   Clarion — 8   Gross Flute 73 16   Cor Anglais [TC] — 8   Doppel Flute 73 8   English Horn 73 8   Clarabella 73 16   Corno de Bassetto [sic] OR 8   Flute Celeste [TC] 61 8   French Trumpet 73 8   Stopped Flute OR 8   Kinura 73 4   Solo Flute — 8   Major Vox Humana 73 4   Claribel Flute —   Cathedral Chimes 25 Tubes 4   Flute d'Amour OR   Xylophone [TC] 49 Bars   Mixture III ranks derived   Tremulant 16   Violin 97   Two Blank Stop Keys 8   Solo Violin —     4   Violina —   Second Touch 2 2/3   String Twelfth — 8   Gross Flute 2   String Fifteenth — 8   Major Violin 8   Orchestral Violin 73 8   Tuba 8   Viole Celeste [TC] 61 8   English Horn 8   Major Violin 73 8   French Trumpet 16   Bass Tuba 85     Xylophone                 Orchestral Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes 16   Bourdon 97 8   English Horn GT 8   Stopped Diapason — 4   Horn Octave GT 4   Flute d'Amour — 16   Sub Vox Humana [TC] — 2 2/3   Octave Quint — 8   Vox Humana 73 2   Flautina — 8   Concert Harp [TC] — 8   Orchestral Oboe (Syn.) — 4   Octave Harp 61 Bars 8   Saxaphone [sic] (Syn.) —   Glockenspiel — 8   Harmonic Flute 73   Bells — 4   Flute —   Snare Drum 8   Major Violin GT   Castinets 8   Mezzo Violin GT   Tambourine 4   Violina GT   Tom Tom 2   String Fifteenth GT   Sleigh Bells 8   Orchestral Violin GT   Indian Block 8   Viole Celeste GT   Triangle 8   Quintadena 73   Tremulant 8   Tuba GT   Two Blank Stop Keys 8   Clarinet 73                     Solo Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes 8   Stentorphone * 73 16   Fagotto 85 8   Gross Flute * 73 8   Oboe — 16   Tibia Sub * 97 4   Oboe Clarion — 8   Tibia Clausa — 16   Sub Vox Humana [TC] — 4   Tibia Super — 8   Mezzo Vox Humana 73 2 2/3   Quint —   Concert Marimba (Repeat) 49 Bars 2   Flautina —   Single Stroke Marimba — 8   Concert Flute 73   Orchestra Bells (Single Stroke) 37 Bars 4   Flute Harmonic 73   Orchestra Bells (Repeat) 2   Piccolo —   Tremulant 4   Fern Flute —     8   Gross Gamba * 73   Second Touch 8   Gross Gam. Celeste [TC] * 61 8   Tibia Plena 8   Violin d'Orchestre [sic] 73 8   Tibia Clausa 8   Viole Celeste [TC] 61 8   Gross Gamba 4   Violina — 8   Cornopean 8   Cornopean * 73 8   French Horn 4   Corno —   Marimba (Repeat) 8   French Horn * 73                     Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Resultant — 8   Cello SO 16   Open Diapason * [ext. GT] 12 8   Tuba GT 16   Tibia * [ext. Tibia Plena] 12   Chimes 16   Contra Tibia Clausa SO   Bass Drum 16   Bourdon OR   Snare Drum 16   Bass Violin GT   Tympany Roll [Bass Drum] 16   Tuba GT   Triangle 16   Contra Fagotto SO   Cymbal 8   Tibia Plena SO   Tom Tom 8   Gross Flute GT   Castanets   8   Flute Dolce OR   Tambourine 8   Major Violin GT   Sleigh Bells             * stops on 12" wind pressure                 Affected by Pistons     Thunder Sheet       Song Birds (2)     Cymbal Crash   Chinese Gong     Grand Crash       Tubular Bell (Sharp)       Indian Block       Tubular Bell (Flat)                   Couplers     Great to Pedal 8', 4'   Orchestral to Solo 16', 8', 4'     Solo to Pedal 8', 4'   Great 16', 4', Unison Separation     Orchestral to Pedal 8'   Swell 16', 4', Unison Separation     Solo to Great 16', 8', 4'   Orch. 16', 4', Unison Separation     Orchestral to Great 16', 8', 4'         Solo to Orchestral 16', 8', 4'   Compound Coupler [Released by Pistons]                 Adjustable Combinations     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6   affecting Solo     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6   affecting Great     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6   affecting Orchestral     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6   affecting Pedal     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4   affecting Full Organ               Corresponding Pedal to Manuals Pistons [by switch in jambs, left side]                 Pedal Movements     Great to Pedal Reversible     Solo to Pedal Reversible     Balanced Solo Expression Pedal     [Balanced Great-Orchestral Expression Pedal] – not on contract     Grand Crescendo Pedal, Super and Sub Couplers Sforzando on double touch       Hall Organ Company West Haven, Conn. (1920) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 16 ranks The original organ in Loew's Rio Theatre was built in 1920 by the Hall Organ Company. In 1926, a new organ was installed by M.P. Möller (Op. 4379), and the Hall organ was moved to the Strand Theatre in Lakewood, N.J. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.       Sources:      Cinema Treasures website: http://www.cinematreasures.org      Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 1. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 4373 (1926).       | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organs List |