I sure wished that the theater organ could make a come back again, also having sing along before the movie starts. I played the pipe organ at my church, because I was the only one who was able to play an organ. But I had never played a theater pipe organ.
@@bobbell9 A rare exception, I was speaking generally. Though, I think things are changing, the organ scene is shrinking and attitudes amongst younger generations now is abit more open minded.
I totally agree with you. You might be interested in seeing a similar demonstration of another Wurlitzer organ which was built in 1929 and based in London, England since 1931:- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-44lNk9pVCmg.html&lc=UgzBf1kclyaD0u7am4d4AaABAg.9C932ktas_f9CAQ_xQJZZR
Wurlitzer invented the theatre organ to replace the orchestras that accompanied early silent films. It was very expensive to pay a whole orchestra to accompany every film. Theatre operators found that they could put on more film sessions if they only had to pay one musician to accompany each film. A Wurlitzer theatre organ could also emulate all of the “sound effects” for a silent film that an orchestra could make, i.e., train whistles, door knocks, horses hooves, church bells, etc. After the introduction of sound, theatre organs were redeployed to play a pre-film program of popular music into the 1930s and 1940s. These organs fell out of favour (as did single screen theatres) in the 1950s with the advent of television, drive-ins and bowling alleys. Long film programs gradually fell out of fashion, as did theatre organs. By this time, a lot of the organs were approaching 40 and in need of expensive repair. Many were uninstalled and sold to private collectors and relocated vast distances from their original locations in private homes and local halls. Many of the single screen, large and valuable land footprint theatres were either sold for redevelopment or cut into multiplexes. Theatre organ societies sprung up in the 70s and 80s to recreate the “mighty Wurlitzer” era.
That's pretty cool, reminds me of a local theater where I grew up, it's still in business and they still have their Mighty Wurlitzer. they're always using it for pre-and post show music
If I understand organs back in the day had that kinda “roll” paper, as did pianos, kind of like the original MIDI. Not sure if silent film organs had such, instead of the organist having to practice for weeks and play in time with the long movies. Wouldn’t surprise me if they did though. As said, if it can be done cheaper, it will. Thanks for explaining the history of theatre organs.
@@ecoRfan Theater organs in their peak era did NOT have player rolls like pianos...period. I have seen a few installed in homes where the owner modified the organ to be played with rolls because the owner did not play keyboard instruments. In these modern days with theater organs connected through computer systems, the computer captures EVERY movement that the organist performs such as electrically storing every key pressed, every piston pressed, and every change from swell volume. For organist live concerts, the CD recording is generally made after everyone leaves, and then the computer file replays the organ, which eliminates all of the coughing and other noises that happen during a live concert.
Wurlitzer didn't invent the theatre organ. It was a British man, Robert Hope-Jones, which is why the early Wurlitzer organs are labelled as Hope Jones unit orchestras.
What a wonderful treat, Thank You for sharing. I can't wrap my head around the person who invented the concept, Wurlitzer expounded upon the initial concept, but I'm dumbfounded by the level of understanding that it took to open the door to new inventions...now that is an engineering genius.
I think that at at 2:00, what they call the "regulators" are actually the devices (tremulant) that generate the varying air pressure for the tremolo effect.
As a trained, but unqualified, pipe organist, I agree completely with the comment about snobbishness amongst the so-called organ 'elite'. So few of them are what might be called 'innovative'. I'd give a great deal to be able to play a theatre organ properly. Such a versatile instrument.
The technicians adjust airflow, the responsiveness of the console to instruments and repair circuits all the time. It is a labor of love, to be sure. You may also enjoy the history of this organ - see the description for a link.
There are many ways. Theatre organs usually use a device that rhythmically dumps puffs of air out, with a bellows. Some companies tried an eccentric spinning weight on a motor attached to the feeder, to put puffs of air through the pipes. Austin sometimes used a revolving fan over the tops of the pipes, which also works in a way (try singing directly into an electric fan).
paulj0557 - The tremolo uses a wind powered unit called a Tremulant. In very simple terms it allows wind to enter a box, which then opens a bellows which when full will operate a valve which will dump the wind to atmosphere, then the bellows will collapse, the valve closes and the cycle starts all over again. Speed and depth are adjustable using built in slides. The tremulant is attached to the pipe chest and causes variations in pressure, which in turn affect tuning & loudness in each pipe.
The organ can be an acquired taste that once acquired will never leave you. Every mood can be translated to organ music. I'm a fan of these organists, and even have and play a few myself, with the theater organ being my favorite. During the WWII factory retooling that every manufacture went through, Wurlitzer posted an ad in a magazine stating that they bought the patents for the Orgatron reed organ, and that after the war it would be produced. This came true. Can you please introduce to us?
The shutter problem is familiar to me - when our church's organ was installed in 1931, the shutters for the Swell division were installed so that they directed the sound toward the wall. In 1983, work was done, including reversing the shutters so that they directed the sound toward the congregation. It's an interesting organ, built by Marr & Colton (a theater organ company) but using the pipework from a 1871 Wm. A. Johnson tracker organ: pennyanfbc(DOT)com/organ
Being a classical organist I think I can speak to the issue of why some classical organists look down their nose at the theater organist.... Firstly a theater organist does have much more ability to arrange and use the physical features of the organ to please the listener.... I believe that there is enmity of the classical organist towards the theater organist for that reason... I believe that classical organists take themselves perhaps a bit to seriously.... I agree that modern music generally is easier to play then classical pieces.... (blanket statement) .... Some classical pieces take months if not years to master.... Thou art the rock by mulet being an example... I also grew up as a theater organist and can still manage to be passable playing modern music.... I do however enjoy the classics of Bach and especially of Handel for its magnificence of composition.... My last comment is that its my hope that organists of both realms can show respect to each other. each has unique gifts.... music.... is a gift from the almighty.....
The Mighty Wurlitzer may be grandfather of the synthesiser. But Max Crook's "Musitron" was definately the father. For the uninitiated, Max Crook and his"Musitron" are best known for the instrumental break on Del Shannon's global #1. The Musitron was Max's own invention which consisted of a English Clavoline and components from discarded audio equipment, as these components were already patented, he couldn't patent the Musitron in its own right, which left it wide open for duplication.
One major difference with theatre organs is the principle of unification. In theatre organ, you can play 1 rank of pipes from 5-12 different stop tabs. To make the rank capable of both two different pitches (Like 16' and 8'), they simply add a few more pipes to either end. I remember another video where Wurlitzer was criticized by church organists with how little # of ranks their organs had. If you were to de-unify this organ, it would probably have 22 ranks just like your organ.
I must comment on theater vs. classical organs. (I like both) In general, a classical organ with the tremolo on can do a poor imitation of a theater organ, and a theater organ with the trems off can do a poor imitation of a good classical organ, This organ, a medium sized theater organ, has 8 sets (ranks) of pipes, where our medium sized church organ (my other comment) has 22 sets. A large classical organ can have well over 100 sets of pipes. Theater organs use their sets of pipes in more ways.
These could still be argued as the original forerunner, in that you can play many types of instrumental sounds from one keyboard. The Hammond, though, was the next step, from a different direction, creating electrically-created tones, though its ideas started with the Telharmonium.
@paulj0557 I second your notion regarding the organ being an acquired taste. Once I heard one, I was hooked for life. The best addiction one could ever have :)
Classical organists frequently refer to theater organists as those who play only toy instruments. They could not be farther from the truth! The skill level required of a theater organist is infinitely higher than is required of a classical organist. The ONLY instrument connected to classical organs are chimes. The theater organists control dozens of other real instruments and provide a full rhythm section with percussions that classical organists simply can not do. Generally, classical organs have more ranks, but many of them sound very much the same; whereas, theater organs employ very different sounding ranks, so the organists can play orchestral arrangements...again, something the classical organs are not capable of doing. Regarding more ranks if you have to have more, check out the Atlantic City Midmer-Losh theater pipe organ that has 455 ranks using 7 manuals plus the pedal board...all manipulated using 1,439 stop tabs and pistons. There are 30 different tremolos. The top 3 manuals contain 5 octaves each, the 4th manual has 6 octaves, and the 5th thru 7th manuals have 7 octaves each. It was invented by Senator Emerson Richards in 1929. The auditorium in which it resides is 4 city blocks, and a 13-story building could be set inside and not touch the ceiling. From 8 different chambers, the organ speaks into a room that has 5,500,000 cubic feet of space, and the room seats 41,000 people. The organ can drown out 3,500 orchestral musicians! The pipes are made from tin, lead, zinc, brass, and wood (and it required 225,000 board feet of lumber just for the wooden pipes!). The organ weighs 150 tons and took 33 fully loaded railroad cars to bring it into the city. There are 33,112 pipes with 12 additional rooms (besides the chambers) to house all of the motors, relays, and turbines. The largest blower is 1,000 horse power that moves 36,400 cubic feet of air per minute using 3.5" to 100" wind pressures. The smallest pipe is 1/16", and the largest pipe is 64' 9" that was made from an Oregon fir tree ~785 old with 3" thick walls and with a square base measuring 10" at the bottom and a square top measuring 36" across, and this pipe produces a zero distortion frequency of 8 HZ, which is one octave above an earthquake! The lowest 12-note octave on this 64' rank took 10,000 board feet of lumber to produce those pipes. The electrical wire to connect everything is 137,500 miles long, which could wrap around the equator 5.5 times! Also, theater pipe organs often times employed second touch keyboards that produce one sound when the key is pressed half-way down, and they produce another sound or percussion when it is pressed all the way down, which enables the organists to play melodies or rhythms from the same hand that is producing background accompaniment sounds.
The part about classical organists is true, most of us can't play theatre stuff. It's like i heard at a recital a few years back when the visiting organist played some Nigel Ogden: "And now for a piece from blackpool tower. Because i know that deep inside, every church organist wishes they were a theatre organist!"
Very good explanations of everything but I think the synthesiser comparison goes a bit too far. Electronic organ would be better. The difference lies in a proper synthesiser has very few 'modules', often only one, but the 'module' is not fixed to a particular voice and needs setting up by the player. Equivalent to a pipe organ having one rank, with that rank turning into diapason pipes, flutes, even a xylophone or anything, at the players manipulation. Electronic organ, with a choice of factory preformed voices that are player selected, is a simpler and better simile.
isopath1 Depending on the state of the organ, it may need constant tuning, or it may only need tuning every few years. One theater I used to go to would spend weeks tuning the organ before a film festival, and it would only hold for about a month. Some organs might only need a day or two of work, others... much longer.
Yeah, no kidding! As compared with classical organs, though theater organs typically don't have nearly as many pipes, they're so... " *well-rounded* "! :D
Is there a higher resolution version of this? We saw it at the October 28 showing of "Phantom of the Opera" but it is a bit difficult to see some of the details. Great job of editing.
Hi Chip. Glad you enjoyed our short about the Wurlitzer (and a silent movie fir for Halloween)! You can watch a higher resolution version on our Vimeo channel at vimeo.com/92048545
Perfect point!! Toyr-R-Us has done a disservice to the xylophone. Every toy xylophone I've seen has metal bars, but they have only wooden bars. The glockenspiel is made using metal bars.
Ha! We're blushing over here, Julian. Thanks for the comment and glad to know we incrementally improved your appreciation for theater organs and the musicians that play them.
