Superior Theatre
443-447 Third Avenue at 31st Street
New York, N.Y. 10016
The 880-seat Superior Theatre showed motion pictures from about 1920 to 1950. By 1958, a parking lot occupied the space where the theatre once stood.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
M.P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 3746 (1923)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 42 registers, 7 ranks
The Agreement of Lease between the M.P. Möller Company and The Yoost Photo Play Theatre Co., Inc. (841 9th Avenue), dated June 1, 1923, states that Möller would install a two-manual organ in the Superior Theatre for a consideration of $6,000, plus the present Smith organ and all its pipes. Möller allowed $250 for the wiring, and agreed to tune and adjust the organ "as long as said instrument is used for demonstating purposes."
Möller was contracted to build an identical organ (Op. 3745) for the Chelsea Theatre, located at 312 Eighth Avenue near 26th Street |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Solo Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, expressive
|
8 |
|
French Horn |
73 |
4 |
|
Clarion |
— |
16 |
|
Tuba Profunda (TC) |
85 |
4 |
|
Octave |
— |
16 |
|
Tibia Clausa |
97 |
4 |
|
Flute |
— |
16 |
|
Double Open Diap. (TC) |
— |
4 |
|
Vox Celeste |
— |
8 |
|
Tuba Mirabilis |
— |
4 |
|
Viole d'Orchestre |
— |
8 |
|
Open Diapason |
73 |
2 |
|
Piccolo |
— |
8 |
|
Flute |
— |
2 2/3 |
|
Quint (Tibia) |
— |
8 |
|
Vox Celeste (unit) |
73 |
2 2/3 |
|
Twelfth (VDO) |
— |
8 |
|
Violin (V.Cel + VDO) |
— |
2 |
|
Fifteenth (VDO) |
— |
8 |
|
Viole d'Orchestre
|
85 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
Vox Humana |
61 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, expressive
|
16 |
|
Tibia |
— |
|
|
| Concert Xylophone |
37 Bars |
|
8 |
|
Open Diapason |
— |
|
|
Snare Drum |
|
8 |
|
Solo String |
— |
|
|
Tambourine |
|
8 |
|
Viole d'Orchestre |
— |
|
|
Tom Tom |
|
8 |
|
Vox Celeste |
— |
|
|
Chinese Block |
|
8 |
|
Tibia |
— |
|
|
Sleigh Bells (4 pitches) |
|
8 |
|
Vox Humana |
— |
|
|
|
4 |
|
Flute |
— |
|
|
Glockenspiel |
|
8 |
|
Tuba |
— |
2 |
|
Piccolo |
— |
4 |
|
Viole d'Orchestre |
— |
2 |
|
Fifteenth |
— |
8 |
|
French Horn |
— |
2 2/3 |
|
Twelfth |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
|
32 |
|
Resultant |
— |
8 |
|
Viole d'Orchestre |
— |
16 |
|
Tibia Profunda (ext.) |
12 |
8 |
|
Flute |
— |
8 |
|
Tuba |
— |
8 |
|
French Horn |
— |
8 |
|
Diapason |
— |
|
|
Bass Drum |
|
8 |
|
Vox Celeste |
— |
|
|
Cymbal |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Couplers
|
| |
|
Great to Pedal 8' |
|
Solo to Great 16', 8', 4' |
| |
|
Solo to Pedal 8' |
|
Great to Great 16', 4' |
| |
|
Pedal to Pedal 4' |
|
Solo to Solo 16', 4' |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tremulants
|
| |
|
Tibias |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Whole Organ |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Toe Pistons
|
| |
|
Crash Cymbal |
|
|
|
Thunder Sheet |
| |
|
Song Birds (1) in Great Organ |
|
Tympani Roll |
| |
|
Six Pedal Combinations from Manual & Pedal |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pedal Movements
|
| |
|
(Two Sets Shades) Two Swell Pedals according to lay-out of Swell opening |
| |
|
Crescendo Pedal |
| |
|
Sforzando Pedal |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustable Combination Pistons
|
| |
|
Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Great stops |
| |
|
Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Solo stops |
| |
|
Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Pedal stops (toe studs) |
| |
|
Pedal to Manual Piston Coupler (reversible) |
| |
|
Solo to Great Coupler (reversible) |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Smith Unit Organ Co.
Chicago, Ill.
Electro-pneumatic action
The first known organ for the Superior Theatre was built by the Smith Unit Organ Co., of Chicago. David Junchen's book, Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 2 (Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985), lists a Smith organ for the Superior Theatre, located at 81st Street and First Avenue; the given address was probably an error. 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, Vols. I & 2. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specification
of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 3746 (1923). |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|