Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been known by many nicknames throughout its history. Perhaps its most curious nickname is The City That Saved Itself -- the result of sandbag brigades by citizens during the flood of 1982. This particular nickname could also apply to a well-known building that is woven deep into the fabric of that city's history. This is the story of the theatre that saved itself, and of the majestic theatre pipe organ contained within.

There is a remarkable and historic building in Fort Wayne at 121 West Jefferson Boulevard: The Embassy Theatre. Here is a movie palace and vaudeville house that is home to a rare original installation Page theatre pipe organ of four manuals and 15 ranks (expanded to 16 ranks in 1990 with the addition of a Brass Trumpet).

Originally known as the Emboyd Theatre from its opening on May 14, 1928 until its sale to Alliance Amusement Corporation in 1952, the Embassy was often the last stop for various road shows and acts on their way to Chicago. Top entertainers such as Lawrence Welk, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Red Skelton, Chico Marx, Doris Day, Duke Ellington, Laurel and Hardy, the Mills Brothers, Perry Como, Count Basie, the Our Gang kids, Cab Calloway, and Artie Shaw have graced its stage. Bob Hope made his first emcee appearance at the Embassy.

Performers and patrons alike were impressed with the massive vertical sign on the building's front (then the largest such sign in the entire state) and the vastness of its 3,000-seat interior. The unusually large balcony was noteworthy for having as many seats as the main floor. Architects John Eberson and Alvin Strauss were responsible for the design of the Embassy. The Spanish Revival building included a seven-story, 150-room hotel and a variety of street level shops. Upon entering the lobby, patrons were surrounded by walls of French marble and Italian vaulted ceilings.

Equally thrilling as the theatre's sights were the many varied sounds produced by the 4/15 Page theatre pipe organ installed on either side of the proscenium. The organ, built in Lima, Ohio, was one of only three organs of that size ever built by Page. The others went to radio station WHT in Chicago and the Wrigley Avalon Casino on Catalina Island, California. Like the Embassy's organ, the Avalon Casino instrument remains in its original home.

From the moment when organist Percy Robbins first raised the white and gold console into the glow of a spotlight while filling the palatial theatre with music, a show at the Emboyd Theatre would always prove to be a spectacular event. Countless theatergoers heard this organ over the years... and they still do today. However, this was not always the case.

The few great showplaces still in operation in the early 1950s were often making their limited profits on concession stand sales rather than on ticket sales. Thus, the Emboyd Theatre, in danger of closing, was sold to the Alliance Amusement Corporation in 1952, along with the adjacent Indiana Hotel. The theatre was then renamed the Embassy, and the five-story "Emboyd" vertical sign was removed from the building exterior.

The Embassy struggled to operate as a movie theatre, and the organ fell into disrepair. However, the organ had attracted a small and loyal following of pipe organ enthusiasts who banded together to become guardians and caretakers of both the building and the Page organ. One of the most notable of these enthusiasts was the late Buddy Nolan.

Buddy Nolan was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to Fort Wayne in 1947 after completing his tour of duty in the army during World War II. Buddy fell in love with the sound of the Embassy's Page organ and he was soon appointed house organist, playing four shows daily. Concerned about the poor condition of the instrument and seeing its potential, Buddy began investing his own time and money in repairing the organ until the late 1950s when the attraction of show business in California lured him westward. Bob Nickerson and Al Buzby were responsible for undertaking the first restoration work on the organ in 1960.

In the fall of 1962, Buddy returned to Indiana to once again become the Embassy's house organist. He and Bob Nickerson continued to maintain the Page organ. Funding came from the After Midnight concerts when Buddy would fire up the organ at the conclusion of the last film of the night and entertain theatre patrons and organ enthusiasts.

Word of these late-night concerts spread quickly, and it wasn't long before Buddy began attracting people from as far away as Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. One group even chartered a private railroad car and journeyed to Fort Wayne on the famous Wabash Cannonball to attend one of his midnight organ concerts. The Embassy Theatre and its Page organ were gaining widespread attention and popularity.

Many of Fort Wayne's theatres had crumbled under the wrecking ball. The Embassy ownership had changed a few times and the theatre was showing signs of neglect. Hard times had fallen upon the downtown business area. In 1971, the Indiana Hotel closed, followed by the closure of the Embassy Theatre a year later. A group of businessmen from Indianapolis had submitted a proposal to purchase the Embassy and the adjoining hotel. The hotel building was to be converted to housing for the elderly, but the theatre was to be demolished to provide parking space in accordance with zoning requirements.

A small group of organ enthusiasts immediately formed The Embassy Foundation, a non-profit organization created to save the Embassy from the wrecking ball. The Foundation's first president was longtime Fort Wayne resident Bob Goldstine, well-known commercial real estate firm owner (and accomplished pianist and organist). He led the negotiations to purchase the property. The result brought incredible support from citizens, service organizations, and businesses. Eventually, over $250,000 was raised ... enough to spare the historic theatre from demolition. The hardest and most important steps still lay ahead.

During the early 1970s when the theatre was closed, the organ remained in fair condition, but not the theatre. Plaster was falling from the once-beautiful domed ceiling. There were leaks in the roof. Coal dust from the antiquated heating system had covered the terracotta walls and mirrored lobbies. During the winter days and nights, volunteers were taking turns at regular intervals to hand-stoke the old boilers to keep the utility pipes from freezing. Some of these "angels of the Embassy" were paying for the coal and other necessary materials out of their own pockets.

In 1975, the Embassy Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1976, an organ committee was formed to oversee maintenance of the instrument in preparation for a grand reopening concert in October, featuring Guy Lombardo and his orchestra. The first chairman of this committee was Bill Zabel, developer of the Z-tronics relay system for pipe organs. The prototype of his solid state unification switching system was installed on the Embassy's Page organ and it remains in service to this day.

By the early 1980s, the restoration of the Embassy Theatre had played an important role in the rebirth of the downtown area of Fort Wayne. A new convention center was planned in 1982 and the site was directly across the street from the Embassy. The two buildings are now connected with an enclosed pedestrian overpass and they are often used in tandem for conventions and other large gatherings.

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, the organ was played by such noted artists as Virgil Fox, Wait Strony, Dennis James, Gaylord Carter, Lee Erwin, Lyn Larsen, and Hector Olivera. The organ was also used by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, which now makes its home at the Embassy.

In 1986, the Embassy's Page organ lost one of its most steadfast champions through the death of Buddy Nolan. As a tribute to Buddy Nolan, the Fort Wayne Women's Club staged fund-raisers to create a trust fund for the continued maintenance of the organ. This led to the Wilson Foundation also donating funds for organ preservation. The Embassadors, a support group of Embassy Theatre volunteers, began pledging contributions from their holiday fund-raisers to ensure the organ's maintenance. These combined funds led to the complete renovation of the console and other major improvements to the organ from 1988 through 1996. During the 1997 ATOS Annual Convention, Buddy Nolan was inducted into the ATOS Hall of Fame -- a fitting tribute that took place on the stage of the theatre that had always been home to the organ he so dearly loved.

Many improvements have also been made to the Embassy Theatre itself. In 1996, the theatre was closed for a $5.1 million upgrade that increased the depth of the stage to 56 feet and expanded the orchestra pit to accommodate 55 musicians. A new sound system was installed. Comfortable seats were put in place throughout the house, reducing the overall seating capacity to 2,450. The theatre's terracotta facade was restored and new windows were installed in the adjacent Indiana Hotel. Dressing rooms were renovated and original-pattern carpeting was reproduced and installed where needed. New heating and air conditioning systems were installed. The roof was repaired and thermally insulated. Water leaks were repaired and ornamental plaster was restored. The total cost of this work was $7.839 million... a figure that stands in sharp contrast to the original construction cost of $1.5 million in 1928.

Bob Goldstine, Carlton Smith, Tim Needler, and Bob Ort provided assistance with this article.

Copyright © 2001 The American Theatre Organ Society, Inc. All rights reserved.