Stan Kann and Johnny Carson

Theatre organist, Stan Kann, was a gem ... and a true master of registration. For years, he was the organist at the fabled Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Stan also lived in LA.

Years ago, Stan came to Toledo for a theatre organ concert. From the time we picked him up at the airport until he left, he kept us in stitches with his stories and antics. Stan was one of a kind.

To add a special dimension to his Toledo show, we found an old kinescope recording of Stan on the Carson show. We showed the kinescope (a film process long before the days of video tape) as part of the show.

A year or so later, when I was in LA, Stan invited us to his Hancock Park home (where Mae West lived), and showed us his extensive vacuum cleaner collection. He took us to friends' home in the Hollywood Hills where they had a magnificent theatre organ - in their living room. Then, it was on to his warehouse, where Stan had an old '48 Lincoln convertible, an original Hammond organ, and a massive collection of anything & everything you can imagine.

Stan was a guest on the Tonight Show 77 times! Well, here's the kinescope of Stan on the Carson show. Remember, this is a film taken off a TV monitor. The quality is marginal, but it shows the amazing comedic talent of Stan Kann - "The Vacuum Cleaner Man."