The Last One: The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ 

Thank goodness so many theater organs have been restored and are in regular use!

A fully restored Mighty Wurlitzer is on display and running at the coleman theatre in miami, oklahoma on rt 66. They let me climb up into the pipe and instrument rooms while it was playing, blows you away, its so awesome.

George Wright- Galloping Comedians love it!! 👍👍

I vaguely remember the Tivoli in Frederick. My aunt used to live above Frederick. Maybe some of you remember the old Alexandria Roller Rink. They had a monstrous Wurlitzer, and if my memory serves me, I think the guy who used to play it was Tommy Boyce??? No other sound in the world is like the mighty Wurlitzer at full throttle... Thanks for the memories...

We loved having access to the instrument chambers and mechanical areas not many people get to see. The ability to interview three gentlemen so critical to the longevity and enjoyment of this organ brought it all together. So glad you enjoy it!

I love organ music!

Don’t you just love RU-vid. You come across something like the Wurlitzer organ randomly and one search query away you find this excellent and compact documentary. 👏

So glad you enjoyed the waltz down memory lane. Thanks for watching.

The name of the organist at America On Wheels skating rink in Alexandria, Virginia, was Jimmy Boyce. He appeared in a cameo in the film Serpico. The organ there was an unenclosed 4/34 Wurlitzer. He would regulate the volume by stop registration or crescendo, since there were no swell shades to control it. He was exceptionally talented and could hold a conversation with someone while playing a difficult piece of music.

Tivoli must have been a popular name for those old movie palaces. Our Tivoli theater in Chattanooga was opened in 1921 and was renovated in the 1980s. Our mighty Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ No. 235 special dates from 1924 and still plays today. I applaud communities who strive to keep their cities landmarks from the wrecking ball.

Yesterday this organ was put through its paces. They showed this film and suddenly you could hear the loud organ pouring into the theater and the console was being lifted onto the stage on an elevator!

The rendition of The Comedian's Galop starting at 0:52 is by George Wright at the 5/21 Wurlitzer formerly installed in the Chicago Paradise Theatre.

Nothing like the sound of a live WurliTzer!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

This guy is really good. I've dabbled in piano, but the idea of adding pedals is almost a little overwhelming to me. This man can not only do it, but improvise a nice march literally on the fly (4:40-5:39 mark). I am so envious of these guys.

The music was a nice touch :D

There's a working Wurlitzer at the Palace Theater in Lorain, OH. It was nice to hear it being played.

SUPERB Documentary- thank you!!

super commentary/history and great footage of the factory, etc! Thanks!!

Great documentary! Well put together and informative!

There are two pre-Opus 1000 Wurlitzers here in Butte County, California. Within the past week, a raging fire destroyed Paradise, and threatened to flatten Magalia and Oroville as well. The winds have not blown for a while, so fire crews managed to prevent spreading into These two other towns. In Magalia, there is a private residence that houses a four manual twenty six rank Wurlitzer, added onto over the years since its removal from the Rivoli Theatre in Pendleton, Oregon. Its Opus number is 435. In Oroville, there is a medium sized movie palace placed in the historic downtown area. State Theatre has been its name since 1928. The original Wurlitzer, a single chamber instrument, was removed long ago. Recently, within the past twenty years, a three manual seventeen rank Wurlitzer was planned to be installed in this theater. I joined the project about halfway through, when the solo chamber became the focus of installation. This was mid 2018-before the fire. I have assisted the organist and organ builder, Dave Moreno, and the Piano Tuner David Dewey, in the installation. The Opus number for this instrument is 716, and the organ’s console is from Wurlitzer Opus 846. The fire has, so far, left these two instruments untouched and undamaged. I hope that they will not receive any smoke damage from the air, and I hope that the one in Magalia remains in healthy condition, even as I speak, it is in an uncontrolled indoor climate. The area has received a long evacuation period, and cut of power until the power distribution company fixes all of the downed wires. I live five miles from this organ, and my home is likely in the same condition as that which houses the organ. Both houses, I am almost certain, are untouched.

I've heard figures ofonly about 20% of the silent films produced 1910-1929 survive to the present day. I worked in the Motion Picture/Broadcasting/Recorded Sound Division, Library of Congress for 24 years. Harold Lloyd lost his main film vault to a fire in the late 1930s. The Library of Congress was gifted Mary Pickford's film archives - but, she had seriously considered destroying the films (fortunately, another actress talked her out to destroying her priceless film collection. The major studios seemed little interested in preserving the pre-1929 silent films - many discovered since the 1960s had deteriorated within their cans.

Great history...thank you!

fascinating movie. What a stunning feat of engineering and rightfully worthy of saving !

This was a very nice video, thanks for sharing!

Frederick must be a great town to have this center and this great instrument still in action!

The march at 0:55 is "Galloping Comedians" by Kabalevsky.

Very informative video and hats off to all who made it possible especially the Weinbergs.

Thoughtful documentary

Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, AZ is the most amazing one and is played 7 nights per week. A must see!

great clip of history! thanks for posting 🎹 👍 😉

incredible

I've only seen one in the Historic Alabama Theater. It is magnificent!

Very nice, I enjoyed it .

Wonderful story.

fascinating movie. What a stunning feat of engineering and rightfully worthy of saving !!

Very nice video, thanks for sharing.

We used to drive to Indianapolis and eat at the Paramount Music Palace just to hear one of these.

Nice to see you again Ray. ... Dave Johnson

Love to listen to organ music, love to play organ, and Jesse Crawford is my hero! I have several organs with my favorite being a Wurlitzer 4500 that I rescued from the next morning's trash pick-up. Saved a few this way. Oddly, my favorite organs were all the free ones- Gulbransen Rialto II, Gulbransen 1132, Conn 543, Wurlitzer 4410 electrostatic reed, Wurlitzer 4500, and Hammond S6. Morelock's Wurlitzer Parts in Mississippi will rebuild easy to remove amp chassis & mail back very reasonably!

Great video! :)

When I came to nz 1954 there was still a theatre organ used to rise up and play at interval. I so regretted it when it stopped

Yea, I love the Theater Organ. We do silent movie night at my house, where we mute the TV and I play the Yamaha psr-e373, with the Organ sounds to old TV westerns, and other old movies. It's a blast. Jeff

I hope that people keep playing the organ and wurlizters so as to keep this wonderful music and tradition alive.

The newest Wurlitzer (from the factory) still in its original home and still playing is at Blackpool Opera House, Opus 2229. It was installed in 1939 and its specification was designed by Horace Finch.

AH, HA! Now I have another excuse to head down from New Jersey and visit Frederick, MD. Lots of History to discover there. The organ will be an added bonus.

Awesome video and love Wurlitzer pipe organs and the sound & music they create. Especially when your in fraternal orders that have a organ or pipe organ in the lodge room!

The Castro in San Francisco still has, as well as the Oakland Paramount, and I think the Grand Lake in Oakland as well. Of course, Radio City... What a great instrument and the acoustics in those big theaters makes them sound even better !

They had one of these at a big pizza restaurant in Indianapolis called the Paramount Music Palace, I loved to go and listen to the music. The building is gone now, not sure where the organ went.

There’s still a mighty Wurlitzer at the Fox Theater, in St Louis.

Wow! This organ was first shipped 2 years before the Indonesian National Day "Youth Oath Day" at October 28 1928

Thanks

Thanks, Paul. You may also like this video about the renovations of the last five years. We have a time lapse of the work on the main theater walls and visual before/after video. Look for "Raising the Curtain: Weinberg Renovation"

I saw Lost World (1925) with one of these things live. It was absolutely incredible.

Hi Sam. You are right - this is certainly not the last Wulritzer organ anywhere, just the last one in its original installation in Maryland and one of only a handful on the east coast. Mesa is lucky to have one of these great organs, and a great fan in you.

We love the old radio dramas, too. There is an incredible amount of creativity, preparation and talent that goes into each presentation.

in the philippines, the avenue theater (1000 seats) had a wurlitzer 2/8. the metropolitian (1700 seats) has room for an organ but they never installed one. the prewar lyric theater (1500 seats), never had one. the 2/8 wurlitzer was bought by the iglesia ni cristo, is in storage since the 1950s. unfortunately, 60-70 years have done no justice to the organ. i thought the lyric had one, but it didn't. the avenue is now gone and a padi's point is on the site.

nothing like a Wurlitzer organ - same for the juke box - many a time both of these wonderful instruments played to dancing, roller skating, and movie theaters - such a great loss - true music - no modern day electronics can compare

Bring back the Wurlitzer to more theatres, they make the places and even the act of going out for the evening much more special.in an age of technology and digital wonder,something handmade and making sound via real pipes,xylophones, drums,bells,trumpets, whistles is so much better.

I don't know where you got the idea that this is "the last one"...The Wurlitzer organ from the Denver Theater is alive and well in Mesa, AZ...it has been restored to it's greatness and can be heard daily...

Rhodes kicks butt with the Theater organ. When you forget he is playing you know he is damn good. You also may have had Foley sound effects men doing horse hoof beats, gun shots, etc. These come from a golden age of electropneumatic manufacturing in America. I love working on stuff like this. I am a master electrician and luthier. I can well imagine repairing one of these. Tom Mix rules! LOL

Weldon Flanagan was the organist for the Palace Theater for many years and he bought the organ and had a special room built on his home for the organ. I do not know where it is now. Jerry Roberson

Wow!..:-)

~~Good ~~~

we should try to get an interest in the American Theatre Organ Society in the southern part of florida. tampa's society is doing well, i understand.

BAH TO COMUTERS! This is all you need for good music x3

Sam, we used several bits of music in the public domain from the archive.org. Search for Charleston and I believe this track is the one by George Wright.

I've been to the theater in Knoxville, it was incredible :) Is that a pile of cases of drinks near the beginning of the film?

The Palace theater in downtown Dallas had a beautiful Wurlitzer, but sadly was torn down for an office building. Does anyone know what happened to the great instrument? Thanks!

What song was playing around 2:35? Awesome vide

Lol coolest Organ player ever.

I projected for silents at stanford hall in rempstone in england, i must say it was different, this was about 20 years ago 2000 foot magazines GB Magnus projectors on peerless magnarcs. i was railroded in this venture because most of operators used to this age old equipment are dead, i really miss this work, its in your blood from boyhood.i dont know what happened to the wurlitzer there, i hope it is still operational?

What about the St. Louis Fox Wurlitzer organ?

My school has one

The Riviera Theater in North Tonawanda, NY has a WurliTzer organ.

anyone knows the name of the march starting at 0:55 ? thanks!

i want one.

This isn’t the last one. St. Louis’ Fox Theater has one.

I believe that could be the Charlston

Surround sound the old fashioned way.

FL Studio before the PC era.

they don,t call it the king of instruments for nothing.

Liberty Bell March (700 Subscribers Special)

It isn't the last one as there is a few on Earth, but the one in Blackpool is the only one that still works.

0:12 HOLY CRAP! that guy sounds EXACTLY like alex jones! xD

Jimmy Boyce

Is there anyone here who CANNOT name the last tune?

It's not the last