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Liberty Theatre
70 Beach Street
Stapleton (Staten Island), N.Y. 10304
The Liberty Theatre on Beach Street was built by the Isle Theatrical Corp., a partnership formed by Charles Harry Moses and his brothers. Designed by Jim Whitford, the theatre had a seating capacity of 1,500 and was said to be the first modern theatre on Staten Island. The Liberty opened in 1918 with the drama Very Good, Eddy, and continued with drama and vaudeville. 1919 was a gala year for this theater, with a steady parade of such performers as Fred Allen, Victor Moore, George Raft, Sophie Tucker, Georgie Jessel and Ben Bernie. Eventually, newsreels were added to their Sunday concerts and when vaudeville died out in the late 1920s, motion pictures were shown as double features.
At some point, the theatre closed and was used as a bowling alley. The building now serves as a church. |
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M.P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 3129 (1926)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 54 registers, 17 stops, 17 ranks
The Agreement of Lease (Apr. 21, 1926) between M.P. Möller and the Isle Theatrical Co., Inc., of Stapleton, S.I., states that Möller would install this organ for a total rental of $7000.00 as follows: $700 in cash upon signing the agreement; $1,030 when the organ parts are delivered to the building; $700 in cash when the organ is completed and ready for service; and the balance in eighteen equal monthly installments ($253.88) due and payable on the first of each succeeding month. The contract shows that Möller provided a three-manual console with "knobs in vertical jambs," rather than their usual "stops controlled by colored keys arranged in vertical oblique jambs." It may be that this was an error by the typist.
On the same day, Isle Theatrical Co., Inc., signed a lease for an identical organ, Möller's Op. 3130, to be installed in the Strand Theatre in Great Kills, S.I.
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Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Violin Diapason (TC) |
73 |
2 |
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Piccolo (fr. Fl. Harm.) |
OR |
8 |
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Open Diapason |
85 |
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Mixture III ranks |
derived |
8 |
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Viol d'Orchestre |
73 |
16 |
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Bass Clarinet (TC) |
OR |
8 |
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Doppel Flute |
73 |
8 |
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French Horn |
73 |
4 |
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Octave (fr. Op. Diap.) |
— |
4 |
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Octave Horn |
— |
4 |
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Zart Flute (fr. Quintadena) |
OR |
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| Cathedral Chimes |
20 Notes |
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Orchestral Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Violin Diapason |
GT |
16 |
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Fagotto (TC) |
— |
8 |
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Horn Diapason (syn) |
— |
8 |
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Orchestral Oboe |
73 |
8 |
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Viol d'Orchestre |
GT |
8 |
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Clarinet |
73 |
8 |
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Viol Celeste (TC) |
73 |
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| Orchestral Bells |
25 Notes |
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8 |
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Quintadena |
73 |
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4 |
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Flute Harmonic |
73 |
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Solo Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Gross Flute |
85 |
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8 |
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Concert Flute |
73 |
"Traps to be played from lower manuals":
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8 |
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Gemshorn |
85 |
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Snare Drum, Tap |
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8 |
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Violoncello |
73 |
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Snare Drum, Roll |
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4 |
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Flute Overte (TG) (Gross Fl.) |
— |
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Tambourine |
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4 |
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Gemshorn (TG) |
— |
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Castanets |
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16 |
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Bass Tuba (TC) |
— |
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Tom Tom |
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8 |
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Tuba |
73 |
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Triangle |
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8 |
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Vox Humana |
73 |
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Chinese Block |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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16 |
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Open Diapason (ext. Gross Fl.) |
12 |
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Bass Drum |
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16 |
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Sub Bass |
32 |
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Snare Drum, Tap |
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16 |
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Gemshorn (ext. SO) |
12 |
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Snare Drum, Roll |
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16 |
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Lieblich Gedeckt (lo-press.) |
— |
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Cymbals |
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8 |
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Violoncello |
SO |
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Crash Cymbals |
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8 |
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Flute |
SO |
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Tympani |
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Sleigh Bells |
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Couplers
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Great to Pedal 8', 4' |
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Orch. to Solo |
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Orch. to Pedal 8' |
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Solo to Orch. 8' 8' |
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Solo to Pedal 8' |
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Great 4' |
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Orch. to Great 16', 8', 4' |
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Orch. 16', 4' |
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Solo. to Great 16', 8', 4' |
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Solo 16', 4' |
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Mechanicals
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Orchestral Tremulant |
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Crescendo Indicator |
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Solo Tremulant |
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Adjustable Combinations
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| 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) |
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Piston Couplers
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Corresponding Orchestral and Solo Pistons to Great Pistons |
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Corresponding Pedal Pistons to Manual Pistons |
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Pedal Movements
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Balanced Solo Pedal |
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Chinese Gong, Roll – stud |
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Balanced Orchestral Pedal |
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Chinese Gong, Stroke – stud |
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Grand Crescendo Pedal |
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Song Birds – stud |
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Great to Pedal Reversible |
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Thunder Sheet – stud |
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Orchestral to Pedal Reversible |
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Sources:
Agreement of Lease (Apr. 21, 1926) with Factory Specifications of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 3129 (1926). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
Cinema Treasures web site: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2465
Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 1. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
"Staten Island's theaters had pizazz," Staten Island Advance (Mar. 27, 2011).
Tango, Jenny. The Jewish Community of Staten Island. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
Illustration:
Undated postcard of Liberty Theatre. Courtesy Staten Island Historical Society. |
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