MacClain's career as a theatre organist for silent movies started at the Jefferson Theatre, when the regular organist there could not appear on account of inclement weather. In 1919 he began playing at the Fifty-Sixth Street Theater. He became the premiere theatre organist in the Philadelphia area for decades, earning the nickname “Melody Mac”. MacClain was also popular on radio, where he had his own show. In 1935 he debuted an instrument called the “Photona” on the CBS Radio network. The instrument was of two manuals, each manual including six octaves, and had foot controls for volume and tremolo. By 1950 he was recording for Musicart Records. The late 1950s and early 1960s were the peak of MacClain’s exposure, as he signed a recording contract with Epic Records, where he recorded the Wurlitzer organ in the Tower Theatre located in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. During this time, he made numerous concert appearances, often in conjunction with the American Association of Theater Organ Enthusiasts. Highlights included being named convention organist for the Forty-Seventh Annual Rotary Convention in 1956, and as guest soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy playing “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” During this time he lived in Ocean City, New Jersey, with his wife, Dorothy. In 1963, McClain traveled to Baltimore, Buffalo, Rochester and Philadelphia to record organs in four theatres scheduled for demolition and to California to record at Lorin Whitney Studios in Glendale. These sessions were released on the Ralbar Records label. By 1966 health issues forced him to cancel appearances. He died in 1967.
Playing style and legacy
His playing was described as “forthright” and “sensible”, yet he was also noted for his improvisational skills. He was said to be able to play any song he had heard from memory, making up the chords and accompaniment as he went along. On his radio show, he offered a prize to any listener who could stump him with a song, but was rarely bested. He was reviewed by Billboard as “outstanding.” MacClain was sought after as a teacher of his instrument. Students included Dennis James, who at the age of 16 replaced MacClain in concert when the organist suffered a heart attack, Dick Smith, Shirley Hannum Keither, and Barbara Fesmire.
