ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
From: Ian McIver, May 1999
The Palladium, Copenhagen, housed a 3c/7 Wurlitzer (Brass Trumpet, Diapason,
Tibia Clausa, Brass Saxophone, Violin, Flute, Vox Humana) opened in 1937 by
Australian organist Barrie Brettoner, who was in Europe on his honeymoon.
Other organists who played there include Bobby Pagan, Robinson Cleaver,
Robin Richmond, Benna Moe and Mogens Kilde. Pagan, Kilde and Moe (and maybe
others as well) made records (78s) on it.
The organ was removed in the early 1960s. The stories at that time were
that it was sold for scrap.
This type of revolving lift mechanism was not standard for theatre organs
installed in the UK in the late 1930s. I am not sure about Dutch
installations, but I think the Copenhagen lift was a one-off.
The organ had a unique console of almost circular design, with a very
distinctive music rack comprising horizontal metal bars superimposed with
the name "Wurlitzer" (with a small "t") in cursive script.
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From: Thomas Klose, Feb. 2000
Wurlitzer opus no. 2220 was built for the Palladium Cinema (part of Tivoli
Park, i.e. amusement center) and shipped to Denmark October 8, 1937. It was a
style 175 organ with three manuals and seven ranks, the third manual being a
coupler manual only.
The Palladium Wurlitzer was opened by the end of 1937 with
Australian organist Barrie Brettoner at the console. The organ was also played
by German organist Horst Schimmelpfennig (chief organist of UfA-chain) around
1940/41. The console was mounted on a matching lift that was turned around by
180° while being lifted from its understage hideaway. Dr. John W. Landon
("Behold The Mighty Wurlitzer") mentioned Mogens Kilde as organist, presumably
the resident at the Palladium.
A fellow enthusiast of Herlev, Denmark, wrote to me November 11, 1990 that the
organ had been sold in 1960 to a man who only wanted the console to house his
electronic organ. Some of the pipework had been sold to an organ builder, the
rest was scrapped. The console lift obviously went into a garage and, maybe, had
to lift cars from then onwards... according to this source.
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From: Thomas Klose, April, 2000
One of my regular correspondents in Denmark also takes some interest in the
historic side of our subject. As a result of his recent research there is a
meticulously compiled record of the Palladium Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark,
3/7 Wurlitzer's resident organists as follows:
Barrie Brettoner
January 18 - March 30, 1938
Bobby Pagan
March 31 - July 3, 1938
July 31, 1938 - January 8, 1939
February 15 - June 30, 1939
August 9 - August 22, 1948
August 7 - August 20, 1950
H. Robinson Cleaver
July 4 - July 30, 1938
Lewis Gerard
January 9 - February 14, 1939
Peer Frost
July 1, 1939 - March 31, 1940
June 29 - July 31, 1951
September 1, 1956 - May 22, 1960
Mogens Kilde
April 1 - July 31, 1940
August 15, 1940 - July 10, 1945 (!)
July 26, 1945 - July 19, 1946
August 4, 1946 - June 30, 1947
July 15, 1947 - June 14, 1948
March 1, 1950 - August 6, 1950
August 21, 1950 - June 28, 1951
August 14, 1951 - March 31, 1952
Horst Schimmelpfennig
August 1, - August 14, 1940
Terence Dene
July 11 - July 25, 1945
Robin Richmond
July 20 - August 3, 1946
July 1 - July 14, 1947
September 26 - October 16, 1949
Ena Baga
June 15 - July 5, 1948
Benna Moe
July 6 - August 8, 1948
August 23, 1948 - July 6, 1949
August 1 - September 25, 1949
October 17, 1949 - February 28, 1950
Erik Erling
July 7 - July 31, 1949
Ove Peters
April 1 - June 30, 1952
September 25 - September 30, 1954
Bertrand Bech
July 1 - September 24, 1954
October 1, 1954 - August 31, 1956 (!)
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From: Flemming Sorensen, July 2003
According to this source:
http://musikhistoriskmuseum.kroyer.kulturhotel.dk/reg/palladium-biografen_artikel.htm
Unfortunately only in Danish. It is the home page of the Danish musical historic museum.
They have now bought the console and toy counter from the guy who owned it from the early 60's.
It is now in storage but they hope to be able to put it on display in the future.