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(Two monkeys, to be precise. The little one in the yellow jacket, and the goofball with the weird hair.) The Denver tour has been amazingly productive. As of today, six interviews have been completed, with at least two more coming up this weekend. In addition to all the production activities, there have been multiple opportunities…
A lot has been happening with the production… not only are there multiple news items yet-to-post from last month’s five-state tour of the Midwest (some really amazing stuff), but a lot has already happened during the still-ongoing Denver road trip. On Monday, I visited the Denver Public Library’s research floor. There’s a special room for…
It sure looks like the Organ Grinder, doesn’t it? But it’s not! While visiting Shawn Kenney as part of our Midwest Tour, Shawn provided a notebook filled with photos and documents of “Pipe Organ and Pizza”-themed establishments. There were over 100 restaurants with pipe organs created throughout the 1960’s-1980’s, most of them independently owned and…
While we were recording interviews at Shawn Kenney’s residence as part of the Midwest Tour, a visitor dropped by – organist Richard Gregory. As is becoming an emerging theme in this documentary, Richard became hooked on theatre organs as a toddler – in this case, at just one year of age – after visiting Roaring…
After wrapping up the Ohio leg of our Midwest Tour, our travels took us through Indiana. There, at a freeway interchange just outside of Indianapolis, is an unassuming small cemetery. A fitting symbol, as just around the bend lie the remains of the once grand and much beloved Paramount Music Palace. Much like the Organ…
Last week, as part of our Midwest Tour, we interviewed Clark Wilson, who is an accomplished organist and silent film scorer. Clark has been called “Master of silent film and showman of the first order.” We had an animated discussion with Clark about the history of the theatre organ, his experience with the “Pizza Organ”…
Last Monday, kicking off the Ohio leg of our Midwest Tour, we interviewed Shawn Kenney at his home. In addition to his duties directing a museum in Columbus, and his position as Vice Chair of the American Theatre Organ Society (ATOS), Shawn, with the help of many friends, has managed to put together an amazing…
On Sunday, we traveled to Detroit, Michigan for the first shoot of our Midwest Tour and interviewed organist Lance Luce at the historic Senate Theater. Lance is a man of many talents – and of many duties. He’s currently the organist at Little Caesar’s Arena for the Detroit Red Wings, and was once the organist…
Update: The Midwest Tour is complete – check out the updates! A whirlwind of activity commences later this week! Have you heard of the book (and films) titled “Around the World in Eighty Days“ ? How about “Around the Lakes in 18 Days” ? Well, that’s the less-than sane, destination-packed trip that is coming up…
Update: The Denver Road Trip is complete – check out the updates! That’s right, we’re going to Denver! A recent uptick in contributions is allowing us to plan our next “road trip” phase of production. Denver is very important to the Organ Grinder story. The second Organ Grinder restaurant – bigger and louder than the…
This month, we interviewed Ed Zollman at his home in Port Orchard, Washington, as part of our first Washington State Road Trip. Ed told us about his career as an organ technician, and what led him to become associated with the Organ Grinder, and his work with others to combine multiple Wurlitzer organs to create…
This week, I traveled to Port Orchard, Washington, to the home of Patti and Ed Zollman, as part of the first Washington State Road Trip for the film (there will likely be more). First, I interviewed Patti, who performed regularly at the Denver Organ Grinder (as Patti Simon), as well as in Portland and at…
On Tuesday, as part of our island-hopping Hawaii Trip, we interviewed Jerry Forchuk at a location in Waikiki near his home. Jerry and his brother Paul were among the original co-founders of the Organ Grinder. Jerry spoke on many topics, from growing up working closely with his mother and brother in the family’s restaurant business,…
On Saturday, as the first major stop on our whirlwind Hawaii Trip, we interviewed Stan Cadwallader. Stan lives on Maui, along the famous, twisty and mountainous Hana Highway, on a ranch that he and his husband, the late, beloved actor and singer Jim Nabors, purchased in the 1970s. Nestled in the hills of northeastern Maui,…
Today we had the privilege of interviewing Sam Battle, who has two very popular YouTube channels, “Look Mum No Computer” and “This Museum is Not Obsolete“. Sam participated in a remote interview conducted in his museum in Ramsgate, Kent, UK, which he describes as “the museum home for experimental and obsolete scientific and musical technology.”…
