Today (March 10, 2019) I was at the Magic Castle in Hollywood with our
So. California AMICA chapter and it jogged my memory to wonder whatever
happened to the marvelous Imhof & Mukle orchestrion that resided there
some time in the late 'fifties and early 'sixties.
It was introduced to southern Californians on early television by a
comedian and talk show host by the name of [Jim] Hawthorne who had it
covered with an enormous tarp or blanket asking people to write or call
in guessing what was under the cover.
When it was finally unveiled and played it was the first big European
orchestrion I had ever seen, and that is what really got me hooked on
these great inventions for pure entertainment. Some time after its
guest appearance on the Hawthorne show the instrument came under the
ownership of the Magic Castle.
Cecil Dover
Los Angeles
[ At http://articles.latimes.com/2007/nov/17/local/me-hawthorne17 :
[ "Hawthorne was a natural for television. From 1950 to 1952, he
[ hosted "This Is Hawthorne," a late-evening TV talk show on KLAC-TV.
[ -- Robbie
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