Paramount Theatre - Stapleton, Staten Island, N.Y.
  Click on images to enlarge
Paramount Theatre

560 Bay Street
Stapleton, Staten Island, N.Y. 10304
http://www.siparamount.com/





The Paramount Theatre opened in 1930 with a seating capacity of 2,300. Located in the Stapleton district of Staten Island, the Paramount was considered the second most prestigious theater on Staten Island, after the St. George Theatre in nearby St. George.

In 1961, the interior was renovated to have wider seating and aisles with a reduced capacity of 2,000. Known as the New Paramount, the movie theater closed in 1977, reopening in 1979 as a multi-purpose hall. Soon it was being advertised as the Paramount Nightclub, and then in 1980 became a rock music venue. By the late 1980s the building had been closed and was used as a storage facility. The building was sold in late 2008 with plans to reopen in early 2010, but the renovation work was halted.
           
  Wurlitzer Organ, Op. 2129 (1930) in the Paramount Theatre - Stapleton, Staten Island, N.Y. (courtesy: Jeff Weiler)
 
At the Paramount Wurlitzer: Organists Priscilla Holbrook (left) and Betty Gould billed themselves as "Jackie and Jean"
Wurlitzer Organ Company
North Tonawanda, N.Y. – Opus 2129 (1930)
Electro-pneumatic action
Style Balaban 4
3 manuals, 19 ranks, 6 tuned percussions, 17 traps




Wurlitzer's Opus 2129 for the Paramount Theatre has a factory date of August 28, 1930. The added three-manual slave console has a factory date of October 7, 1930.

In 1948, the organ was sold to Dick Loderhose of Jamaica Estates (Queens), New York. In December 1954, the organ was sold to Larry Bray of Organ Loft Restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the two three-manual consoles were used to create a five-manual console.
           
Pedal – 32 notes
16
   Tuba Profunda     Bass Drum
16
  Diaphone     Kettle Drum
16
  Tibia Clausa     Snare Drum
16
   Bourdon     Crash Cymbal
8
   Tuba Horn     Cymbal
8
   Octave     Great to Pedal
8
   Tibia Clausa     Solo to Pedal
8
   Tibia Clausa      
8
   Clarinet     Pedal 2nd Touch
8
   Saxophone
16
   Diaphone
8
   Salicional
16
   Tuba Profunda – Pizzicato
8
   Cello      
8
   Flute     1st Touch & 2nd Touch Traps Switch
4
   Flute      
          3 Combination Toe Pistons

   

   
Accompaniment (Manual I) –- 61 notes
16
  Contra Viol (TC)     Marimba (re-it)
16
  Bourdon     Harp
16
   Vox Humana (TC)     Chrysoglott
8
  Tuba Horn     Snare Drum
8
  Diaphonic Diapason     Tambourine
8
  Horn Diapason     Castanets
8
   Tibia Clausa     Chinese Block
8
   Tibia Clausa     Tom Tom
8
   Clarinet     Sand Block
8
   Kinura     Octave
8
   Orchestral Oboe     Solo to Accomp.
8
   Saxophone      
8
   Salicional     Accompaniment 2nd Touch
8
   Viol d'Orchestre
8
   Tuba Horn
8
   VIol Celeste
8
   Tibia Clausa
8
   Krumet
8
   Clarinet
8
   Oboe Horn     Cathedral Chimes
8
   Quintadena     Sleigh Bells
8
   Flute     Xylophone
8
   Vox Humana     Triangle
4
   Octave     Solo to Accomp.
4
   Piccolo     Solo to Accomp. –- Pizzicato
4
   Piccolo      
4
   Viol     1st & 2nd Touch Traps Switch
4
   Octave Celeste      
4
   Flute     10 Adjustable Combination Pistons
4
   Vox Humana      
2 2/3
   Twelfth     Suitable Bass & Release
2
   Piccolo      
         
Great (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Tuba Profunda
4
   Flute
16
  Diaphone
2 2/3
   Twelfth (Tibia)
16
  Tibia Clausa
2 2/3
   Twelfth
16
  Clarinet (TC)
2
   Piccolo (Tibia)
16
  Saxophone (TC)
2
   Fifteenth
16
   Contra Viol (TC)
2
   Piccolo
16
   Bourdon
1 3/5
   Tierce
16
   Vox Humana (TC)     Marimba (re-it)
8
   English Horn     Harp
8
   Trumpet     Cathedral Chimes
8
   Tuba Horn     Sleigh Bells
8
   Diaphonic Diapason     Xylophone
8
   Horn Diapason     Glockenspiel
8
   Tibia Clausa     Orchestra Bells (re-it)
8
   Tibia Clausa     Chrysoglott
8
   Clarinet     Sub Octave
8
   Kinura     Octave
8
   Orchestral Oboe     Solo to Great
8
   Saxophone     Solo to Great – Pizzicato
8
   Salicional      
8
   Viol d'Orchestre     Great 2nd Touch
8
   Viol Celeste
16
   Tuba Profunda
8
   Krumet
8
   Tibia Clausa
8
   Flute
8
   Clarinet
8
   Vox Humana     Solo to Great
4
   Clarion      
4
   Octave     10 Adjustable Combination Pistons
4
   Piccolo      
4
   Piccolo     Suitable Bass & Release
4
   Viol      
4
   Octave Celeste      
           
Solo (Manual III) – 61 notes
16
   Tuba Profunda
8
   Krumet
16
   Diaphone
8
   Oboe Horn
16
   Tibia Clausa
8
   Quintadena
8
   English Horn
8
   Clarion
8
   Trumpet
4
   Octave
8
   Tuba Horn
4
   Piccolo
8
   Diaphonic Diapason
4
   Piccolo
8
   Horn Diapason     Cathedral Chimes
8
   Tibia Clausa     Xylophone
8
   Tibia Clausa     Glockenspiel
8
   Clarinet     Orchestral Bells (re-it)
8
   Kinura      
8
   Orchestral Oboe     10 Adjustable Combination Pistons
8
   Saxophone      
8
   Salicional     Suitable Bass & Release
           
Tremulants (6)
    Main     Tuba/Diaphonic Diapason
    Tibia Clausa (Main)     Tibia Clausa (Solo)
    Solo     Vox Humana

   

   
General
    Two Balanced Expression Pedals – Main & Solo – with Indicator Keys
    One Balanced Crescendo Pedal
    Thunder Pedal (Diaphone) – Piano Pedal
    Thunder Pedal (Reed) – Piano Pedal
    One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal – Piano Pedal
     • 1st Touch: Full stops (wind)
     • 2nd Touch: Everything
    One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal – Piano Pedal
     • 1st Touch: Snare Drum
     • 2nd Touch: Bass Drum and Cymbal
    Vibraharp      
    Chrysoglott Damper      
           
Effects
    Operated by Toe Pistons:   Operated by Push Buttons:
    Fire Gong   Door Bell
    Steamboat Whistle   Bird
    Horse Hoofs   Auto Horn
    Bird   Surf
         
STOP & CHAMBER ANALYSIS
     
Main Chamber
16
   Tuba Horn
85 pipes
16
   Diaphonic Diapason
85 pipes
8
   Tibia Clausa
73 pipes
8
   Clarinet
61 pipes
8
   Viol d'Orchestre
85 pipes
8
   Viol Celeste
73 pipes
8
   Salicional
61 pipes
8
   Krumet
61 pipes
16
   Concert Flute
97 pipes
8
   Vox Humana
61 pipes
    Chrysoglott
49 notes
 
Solo Chamber
8
   English Horn
61 pipes
8
   Trumpet
61 pipes
8
   Horn Diapason
61 pipes
16
   Tibia Clausa
97 pipes
8
   Oboe Horn
61 pipes
8
   Kinura
61 pipes
8
   Orchestral Oboe
61 pipes
8
   Saxophone
61 pipes
8
   Quintadena
61 pipes
    Marimba
49 notes
    Cathedral Chimes
25 notes
    Xylophone
37 notes
    Glockenspiel
37 notes
    Sleigh Bells
25 notes
           
Sources:
     Cinema Treasures website: http://cinematreasures.org/theater/1864/
     Junchen, David L., comp. and ed. by Jeff Weiler. The WurliTzer Pipe Organ – An Illustrated History. Chicago: The American Theatre Organ Society, 2005.
     Kaufmann, Preston J. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 3. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1995.
     Paramount Theatre website: http://www.siparamount.com/
     Wurlitzer Opus List website: http://www.theatreorgans.com/AU/opus/OPUSLIST/SP/SPBAL4.htm Specification of Wurlitzer Style Balaban 4.

Illustrations:
     Junchen, David L., comp. and ed. by Jeff Weiler. The WurliTzer Pipe Organ – An Illustrated History. "Priscilla Holbrook and Betty Gould at the Paramount Wurlitzer. Courtesy Jeff Weiler.