Dear Robbie,  I feel certain that your response to Scotty Greene's
reference to the "First Nickelodeon" is correct, as Mr. Q David Bowers
definitive work, "Nickelodeon Theatres," states in the first paragraph
of the preface that the term "nickelodeon," applied to coin-operated
musical instruments, came much later and closer to modern time (the
1940s and '50s).

The term "odeon" comes from the Greek for a kind of theatre.  The
first business to be opened specifically for the showing of motion
pictures was Tally's Electric Theatre on Broadway in Los Angeles in
1902 (per Bowers), thus pre-dating the 1905 date by three years.

It would be interesting to hear from well informed readers, just when
the term Nickelodeon began to be applied to coin operated musical
instruments.  Perhaps the answer to that is buried somewhere in Mr.
Bowers' wonderful book, "Nickelodeon Theatres and Their Music."

Cecil Dover
Los Angeles

 [ Wallace Venable wrote reminding me of Teresa Brewer's 1950 hit,
 [ "Music! Music! Music!" ("Put another nickel in, In the nickelodeon")
 [ and mused, "I wonder if the confusion predates the release of her
 [ record or if the song originated the notion that a nickelodeon is
 [ a player piano."  Hmmm, could be!  -- Robbie