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Mt. Baker Theatre - 3/12 Wurlitzer
Bellingham, Washington
104 North Commerical
Organ installation timeframe: 1927 - present
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Mt. Baker Theatre interior, 2016. Image Damian-Vines-Photography.
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The Mt. Baker Theatre opened as part of the Fox chain and featured silent films (with organ accompaniment), Vaudeville and local stage acts. The house opened on April 29, 1927 and has remained in constant use to the present time. Seating capacity is 1,800 with the main floor and large balcony. The architect was Robert C. Reamer. The opening organist was Joy Brown. Eddie Clifford played for the next six years from 1927 to 1932.
In the 1990's the theatre was designated a "National Historical Monument." This was the beginning of a new life for the house, now owned by the City of Bellingham. The theatre was carefully restored and original Moorish design was maintained throughout. Other work included new carpet, new paint, and new lighting for stage work. The seats were removed, refinished, re-upholstered and re-installed. The stage was revamped to be able to handle opera or the largest of symphony orchestras. Six or seven rows of seats, which had been removed years ago to permit viewing of a wide screen, were reinstalled. |
The Mount Baker Theatre has a Style 215 Wurlitzer (opus #1558), installed in 1927. In the 1990s, as part of the overall restoration effort, $60,000 was spent on the organ. Restoration projects included re-leathering, adding a Post Horn and second Flute rank (bringing the total number of ranks to 12), properly unifying the Tibia and adjusting the shutters to open fully. With four sets of shutters for each chamber, the instrument really speaks out!
Added three-manual console, 2013. Photo courtesy Jeff Fox.
In 2013, a three-manual Wurlitzer console and Artisan control system were added. The console was originally from the Granada Theatre in South Bend, Indiana (opus #1474) and was previously owned by Andy Anderson of Seattle. When Andy passed away in 2012, the executor of his estate, Albert Ticknor donated the console to the Mt. Baker Theatre.
Artisan Instruments, under contract to the Mt. Baker Theatre, refurbished the three-manual console. They replaced the original pneumatic stop actions with stop action magnets and added 5 pistons to each manual. Lighting for the stoprail was provided by a string of "rope lights" placed in a slot routed into the underside of the horseshoe lid.
2013. Photo courtesy Jeff Fox.
Mt. Baker Theatre stage, August 28, 2005.
Ticket booth
Ornate, mirror-back lobby chairs
Lobby mezzanine with decorated columns and exposed beams
LeRoy Kastner (1907-1999) |
The wonderful condition of the Mt. Baker Theatre can largely be attributed to the wise stewardship of LeRoy Kastner. Mr. Kastner was Manager of the Mt. Baker from 1951-1974 & 1978-1986.
As a young boy, LeRoy broke into the theatre business playing the cornet in the small orchestra at the Dream Theatre on Holly Street. He later worked as custodian at the American Theatre before getting into management. In the 1950's the Fox Evergreen chain operated both the American and Mt. Baker Theatres and Kastner was manager at both houses until the American was demolished in the Spring of 1959. |
Interestingly, Kastner's brother Clifford was janitor at both theatres and stayed on at the Mt. Baker until the mid-1970's. According to patrons, "you could eat off the floor in a Kastner theatre."
It was LeRoy Kastner who saved the Mt. Baker from the Scorus Brothers attempts at redecorating in the late 40's. Only the carpet was replaced along with the addition of a modern concession stand and the lobby walls being painted pink. The theatre itself was not touched. Kastner also was instrumental in letting people come in and play the organ at any time. The organ got lots of use from his gratuity.
Kastner retired in 1974 but when the theatre came under Canadian ownership in the mid-1980's, the new owners hired Kastner to operate the house. There has never been another manager like him and he is sorely missed by everyone associated with the Mt. Baker Theatre.
Auditorium, left
Elaborate Moorish style ceiling dome and chandelier
Auditorium, right
One of two ornate chandeliers in the balcony
Main chamber showing two of the four sets of swell shades |
Bellingham organist Jeff Fox. Clarinet rank in the foreground. |
Solo chamber showing Kinura and Tuba. Tibia in the background. |
Kinura, Tuba and Orchestral Oboe |
The original two-manual console, c.1963
The Mt. Baker Wurlitzer was installed in 1927 as a Style 215, opus 1558. This two-chamber Wurlitzer was the only one of the West Coast Theatre chain not to go to a California location.
The console is raised to stage level by means of a hydraulic lift installed by Otis Elevator. When originally installed in 1927, the lift had limited travel due to a solid mass of rock under that portion of the building.
This elevator is still in use today. The extended stage apron can be opened to allow the console to rise to stage level.
For years, the organ was maintained by Dick Warburton and Buck Strickland. More recently (until 2012), Bob White and Greg Smith performed restoration work, maintenance, and tuning.
For many years the Mount Baker Theatre Organ Society, with a membership of approximately one hundred residents of Northwest Washington and British Columbia, coordinated maintenance of the organ, presented concerts, and performed fundraising. Unfortunately the group disbanded in 2012. Resposibility for care and maintenace of the Wurlitzer was transferred to theatre management.
Many famous organists have played at the Mt. Baker over the years, including Jesse Crawford. More recently (1990s) Walt Strony was been a concert artist. He commented that the Mt. Baker was one of the finest two-manual Wurlitzers he has played. In 2010, Lew Williams was featured artist at the Mt. Baker Theatre as part of the ATOS Annual Convention hosted by PSTOS.
Theatre interior showing proscenium, Wurlitzer console and organ grills, c.1962
Theatre lobby, c.1927
Main entrance, c.1937. Photo, courtesy Jeff Fox.
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Pages from the Grand Opening program - April 29, 1927. Courtesy Jeff Fox |
Left (Main) organ grill
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Original console, 2001.
Original console, 2006. Photo courtesy William G. Chapman.
Stoplist for the original two-manual console, May 2001.
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Mt. Baker Theatre features Gunnar Anderson at the console daily
Excerpt from The Console magazine, September 1977 (v15, No 9, pp3):
One of the few theatre pipe organs still heard daily in a motion picture theatre is the Wurlitzer at the Mt. Baker Theatre, Bellingham, Washington. Organist Gunnar Anderson plays for 15 or more minutes during intermissions every evening. |
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Mt. Baker Theatre To Become Arts Center
Excerpt from The Console magazine, February 1984 (v23, No 2, pp3):
Another operating movie palace will cease operations March 1. Its Wurlitzer pipe organ will no longer be heard in daily evening pre-show recitals -- but it will continue to be heard whenever the theatre is open. And it will be open as a performing arts center. The Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Washington is slated to undergo a rehabilitation project to begin in 1985.
The drive to acquire and restore the theatre received help during late January from the National Endowment for the Arts with a grant of $20,000. This will be matched by local cash and volunteer work on the theatre to help finance design and planning for general rehabilitation and restoration of the theatre along with technical upgrading of lighting and sound systems.
Owners of the building will receive $500,000 for it.
Films and some non-performing arts events are being lined up for the fall. Jim Zervas, a local architect, has been spearheading the drive to keep the theatre standing. Fortunately, according to Jeffery A. Fox, who has been playing the Wurlitzer, the present Canadian owners have maintained the theatre -- installing a new roof, new boiler, new carpet, etc. They also had some of the original lobby furniture refinished and they restored the concession stand.
The organ, a Style 215, 2/10, is kept in excellent condition by Bob White of Seattle. The Peace Arch Organ Society has voted to purchase heaters for the chambers and donate them to the theatre. "We hope to have the water-powered Otis elevator which the console rides to overture position repaired sometime this year," he added. |
Jeff Fox, Doris Miller & Gunnar Anderson at the 56th Anniversary concert
April 28, 1983 - Mt. Baker Theatre 56th Anniversary concert:
Jeffrey Fox, organist and program chair. Doris Miller, Vancouver, B.C. silent movie organist (Princess, Capitol Theatres) played overture. Gunnar Anderson (Mt. Baker Theatre opening night relief organist) played the feature film.
Mt. Baker Theatre, Grand Opening 1927
Mt. Baker Theatre, 1927
Mt. Baker Theatre, c.1930s
c.1946
Mt. Baker Theatre, c.1950
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<--- A souvenir fashion and recipe book was distributed by the Mt. Baker Theatre in 1936. The 64 page book included recipes from movie stars such as Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, James Cagney, George Burns, Gracie Allen, and others. |
Andy Crow, June 2006. Photo courtesy William G. Chapman
Postcard view of the Mt. Baker, c.1920's
Gunnar Anderson at the Mt. Baker Theatre, c.1984. Photo courtesy Jeff Fox
Main entrance during 50th Anniversary Celebration, 1977. Photo courtesy Jeff Fox.
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