The Lawler Theatre appears to have opened with a Barton pipe organ. The Barton was replaced by Wurlitzer pipe organ opus 1350, a Style B Special, III/5, installed in 1926.
The Harris (Casino) had 2 Wurlitzer organs during the 1920’s. The first, opus 961, dated December 1924, was a highly customized Style B – listed as a 3 manual, 8 rank organ. The 2nd, opus 1344, dated May 1926, was a stock E-X, 2 manuals, 7 ranks.
In 1926 the Sheridan Square Theatre got a new Wurlitzer pipe organ, opus 1344, a style E-X, 2 manuals, 7 ranks. Interestingly, the next Wurlitzer opus number, 1345, an identical organ, went to Pittsburg’s Harris Theatre. Were the Harris and the Sheridan Square under the same management?
The Balboa got the Wurlitzer pipe organ, opus 1339, a style B, 2 manuals 4 ranks in 1930. This was the organ originally installed at the Uptown Theatre in Seattle in 1926. The organ reportedly moved to a church in Oak Harbor Washington in 1941.
The Uptown Theatre had a tiny Wurlitzer pipe organ when it opened: opus 1339, built in 1926 for this theatre was 2 manuals and 4 ranks, a style B stock model. It seems the organ was removed in 1930 and is now (supposedly) at the Presbyterian Church in Oak Harbor, Washington.
Chuck, thanks for clarifying the theatre’s previous names. CT doesn’t list the alternate name PALACE for this hall. The Wurlitzer pipe organ factory records indicate their opus 1338, a tiny 2 manual, 4 rank (Style B) organ was installed in the Palace Theatre, McAlester, OK, in 1926.
The Wurlitzer factory records show a pipe organ Style B “Special” (meaning a customized design) 2 manuals, 6 ranks sold to the Beyer Theatre, Excelsior Springs MO in May 1926.
Joe, that fits nicely with the 1926 ad you posted that says “always the best music” especially since the price of a Wurlitzer was often double the cost of some of the other organ builders, and therefor something of an extravagance for a small theatre, feasible only because of the cache of the Wurlitzer name.
Chuck – on your description at the head of the page it says the Beyer opened in 1942. Is that correct or should it read 1924?
A substantial Kimball pipe organ, a III/18 was installed in the Liberty Theatre (later known as the Crest) ca. 1922. It was a used organ bought from the Doric Theatre in Kansas City Missouri (q.v.) which had closed after a gas explosion.
Finally found the story on the organ at the Linden Circle. It was built for the Loew’s State Theatre in Buffalo NY in 1921 – Moller opus 2888. In 1925 the Buffalo theatre upgraded to a new, larger Moller organ and Moller took #2888 in trade. It was rebuilt and renumber as #4551 and installed in the Linden Circle the following year.
Looks like the Loew’s State opened with a Moller pipe organ, opus 2888, a III/17 in 1921. In 1925, they traded that one back to Moller for opus 4318, a III/32. Opus 2888 wound up in Memphis Tennessee at the Linden Circle Theatre.
Some confusion, I’m finding a listing for the Central Coliseum Theatre, Washington DC in 1916. Would it be this one? From what I’m reading above, this hall was called Moore’s Garden in 1916. Thoughts?
Wurlitzer organ opus 1332 (style D-X, a fairly small instrument) was listed as sold to the Franklin Theatre, Tampa, Florida, April 4, 1926. This website
Looks like the Capitol had 2 organs during the 1920’s. Lostmemory mentions Wurlitzer opus 371 installed in 1920. In 1926 Wurlitzer installed their opus 1330, a style E X, (2 manuals 7 ranks in 2 chambers). I’ve noticed a couple of other examples of theatres which replaced their organs within just a few years. Of course, being played 8 to 12 hours a day, 7 days a week would wear out the leathers in the organ pretty quickly.
Continuing the story on the organ – David Junchen “The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ, An Illustrated History” also lists this theatre as getting a new Wurlitzer, opus 1316, a II/7 style E, in 1927. Wonder if opus 745 was repossessed or just sold when the Forest got a new, bigger instrument?
David Junchen’s “The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ, An Illustrated History” lists the 1926 installation of a tiny (II/4) organ in the William Penn Theatre in Pittsburg, but with no address. Would that be this theatre? The facade looks more like a 1930’s design.
Hey guys, could you check your Film Daily yearbooks in the mid-1940’s up to the mid-1950s and see if you find a movie theatre at 1121 North Central? It’s about a block east of this one, on the same side of the road and it looks really suspiciously like a post-war, low-rent theatre, maybe 300 seats. It’s been empty for years. I’m not finding it in my limited materials here at home and a trip to the library would have to wait until after new years.
Wurlitzer installed their pipe organ opus 1302 here in 1926, a very modest Style E, 2 manuals 7 ranks in one chamber. The organ was later moved to the Crystal Palace in West Goshen CT.
Wurlitzer installed their organ opus 1301 here in 1926. A style 235 III/11 is a nice size organ for a 1700 seat theatre. The Sanford must have started out as a first rate operation.
The Liberty also had one of the early Wurlitzer organs – built in their first year of pipe organ production. It was a 3 manual, 20 rank instrument – including a 4 rank echo division. The organ was only the 42nd instrument Wurlitzer built (out of some 2200 total). The cost was a whopping $16,500.
I found a reference that the 1925 Wurlitzer organ (opus 1200, Style H sp) originally installed at the Majestic Theatre, Burlington VT was moved to the Flynn. The organ supposedly later moved to an unnamed convent in Burlington. Anyone else have details to add to this story?
From the Estey organ company I find record of them selling an organ to the Isis Theatre, Denver CO in 1910, 3 years before this building opened. Then the Wurlitzer records show THEY sold an organ to the Isis Theatre, Denver CO, in 1915, 2 years after this theatre opened. Certainly theatres upgraded their organs – and believe me, if you had a theatre with an Estey, you needed an upgrade. I can even understand maybe Estey using a contract date rather than an installation date, but 3 years is too long for that. Any suggestions? Was there a previous Isis Theatre?
The Wurlitzer records indicate a large instrument (opus 27 IV/22) was installed at the Pitt Theatre, Pittsburg PA in August 1913. The organ apparently not only had the usual left and right chambers, but also a stage division and a balcony division – seriously deluxe upgrades.
The Franklin Theatre had one of the earliest Wurlitzer organs, (opus 6). It was a small instrument only 4 ranks, but cost a whopping $4000. The organ was reportedly sold to a theatre in Cincinnati Ohio.
The Lawler Theatre appears to have opened with a Barton pipe organ. The Barton was replaced by Wurlitzer pipe organ opus 1350, a Style B Special, III/5, installed in 1926.
The Harris (Casino) had 2 Wurlitzer organs during the 1920’s. The first, opus 961, dated December 1924, was a highly customized Style B – listed as a 3 manual, 8 rank organ. The 2nd, opus 1344, dated May 1926, was a stock E-X, 2 manuals, 7 ranks.
In 1926 the Sheridan Square Theatre got a new Wurlitzer pipe organ, opus 1344, a style E-X, 2 manuals, 7 ranks. Interestingly, the next Wurlitzer opus number, 1345, an identical organ, went to Pittsburg’s Harris Theatre. Were the Harris and the Sheridan Square under the same management?
The Balboa got the Wurlitzer pipe organ, opus 1339, a style B, 2 manuals 4 ranks in 1930. This was the organ originally installed at the Uptown Theatre in Seattle in 1926. The organ reportedly moved to a church in Oak Harbor Washington in 1941.
The Uptown Theatre had a tiny Wurlitzer pipe organ when it opened: opus 1339, built in 1926 for this theatre was 2 manuals and 4 ranks, a style B stock model. It seems the organ was removed in 1930 and is now (supposedly) at the Presbyterian Church in Oak Harbor, Washington.
Chuck, thanks for clarifying the theatre’s previous names. CT doesn’t list the alternate name PALACE for this hall. The Wurlitzer pipe organ factory records indicate their opus 1338, a tiny 2 manual, 4 rank (Style B) organ was installed in the Palace Theatre, McAlester, OK, in 1926.
The Wurlitzer factory records show a pipe organ Style B “Special” (meaning a customized design) 2 manuals, 6 ranks sold to the Beyer Theatre, Excelsior Springs MO in May 1926.
Joe, that fits nicely with the 1926 ad you posted that says “always the best music” especially since the price of a Wurlitzer was often double the cost of some of the other organ builders, and therefor something of an extravagance for a small theatre, feasible only because of the cache of the Wurlitzer name.
Chuck – on your description at the head of the page it says the Beyer opened in 1942. Is that correct or should it read 1924?
A substantial Kimball pipe organ, a III/18 was installed in the Liberty Theatre (later known as the Crest) ca. 1922. It was a used organ bought from the Doric Theatre in Kansas City Missouri (q.v.) which had closed after a gas explosion.
Finally found the story on the organ at the Linden Circle. It was built for the Loew’s State Theatre in Buffalo NY in 1921 – Moller opus 2888. In 1925 the Buffalo theatre upgraded to a new, larger Moller organ and Moller took #2888 in trade. It was rebuilt and renumber as #4551 and installed in the Linden Circle the following year.
Looks like the Loew’s State opened with a Moller pipe organ, opus 2888, a III/17 in 1921. In 1925, they traded that one back to Moller for opus 4318, a III/32. Opus 2888 wound up in Memphis Tennessee at the Linden Circle Theatre.
Some confusion, I’m finding a listing for the Central Coliseum Theatre, Washington DC in 1916. Would it be this one? From what I’m reading above, this hall was called Moore’s Garden in 1916. Thoughts?
According to www.imdb.com What’s Your Hurry opened August 15, 1920.
Wurlitzer organ opus 1332 (style D-X, a fairly small instrument) was listed as sold to the Franklin Theatre, Tampa, Florida, April 4, 1926. This website
http://historictheatresintampa.blogspot.com/2008/08/franklinflorida-theatre-downtown.html
lists the Florida Theatre as having opened as the Franklin, but the street address is 712 Franklin, not 710. Can you verify this one way or the other?
Looks like the Capitol had 2 organs during the 1920’s. Lostmemory mentions Wurlitzer opus 371 installed in 1920. In 1926 Wurlitzer installed their opus 1330, a style E X, (2 manuals 7 ranks in 2 chambers). I’ve noticed a couple of other examples of theatres which replaced their organs within just a few years. Of course, being played 8 to 12 hours a day, 7 days a week would wear out the leathers in the organ pretty quickly.
Thanks Roger. Good lead!
Continuing the story on the organ – David Junchen “The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ, An Illustrated History” also lists this theatre as getting a new Wurlitzer, opus 1316, a II/7 style E, in 1927. Wonder if opus 745 was repossessed or just sold when the Forest got a new, bigger instrument?
David Junchen’s “The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ, An Illustrated History” lists the 1926 installation of a tiny (II/4) organ in the William Penn Theatre in Pittsburg, but with no address. Would that be this theatre? The facade looks more like a 1930’s design.
Hey guys, could you check your Film Daily yearbooks in the mid-1940’s up to the mid-1950s and see if you find a movie theatre at 1121 North Central? It’s about a block east of this one, on the same side of the road and it looks really suspiciously like a post-war, low-rent theatre, maybe 300 seats. It’s been empty for years. I’m not finding it in my limited materials here at home and a trip to the library would have to wait until after new years.
Wurlitzer installed their pipe organ opus 1302 here in 1926, a very modest Style E, 2 manuals 7 ranks in one chamber. The organ was later moved to the Crystal Palace in West Goshen CT.
Wurlitzer installed their organ opus 1301 here in 1926. A style 235 III/11 is a nice size organ for a 1700 seat theatre. The Sanford must have started out as a first rate operation.
The Liberty also had one of the early Wurlitzer organs – built in their first year of pipe organ production. It was a 3 manual, 20 rank instrument – including a 4 rank echo division. The organ was only the 42nd instrument Wurlitzer built (out of some 2200 total). The cost was a whopping $16,500.
I found a reference that the 1925 Wurlitzer organ (opus 1200, Style H sp) originally installed at the Majestic Theatre, Burlington VT was moved to the Flynn. The organ supposedly later moved to an unnamed convent in Burlington. Anyone else have details to add to this story?
From the Estey organ company I find record of them selling an organ to the Isis Theatre, Denver CO in 1910, 3 years before this building opened. Then the Wurlitzer records show THEY sold an organ to the Isis Theatre, Denver CO, in 1915, 2 years after this theatre opened. Certainly theatres upgraded their organs – and believe me, if you had a theatre with an Estey, you needed an upgrade. I can even understand maybe Estey using a contract date rather than an installation date, but 3 years is too long for that. Any suggestions? Was there a previous Isis Theatre?
The Wurlitzer records indicate a large instrument (opus 27 IV/22) was installed at the Pitt Theatre, Pittsburg PA in August 1913. The organ apparently not only had the usual left and right chambers, but also a stage division and a balcony division – seriously deluxe upgrades.
The Franklin Theatre had one of the earliest Wurlitzer organs, (opus 6). It was a small instrument only 4 ranks, but cost a whopping $4000. The organ was reportedly sold to a theatre in Cincinnati Ohio.