The Last One: The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- www.DigitalBard... presents "The Last One: The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ." Lovers of silent movies know the experience wouldn't be the same without the music and sound effects of the Wurlitzer Organ. Take a look at Maryland's oldest original installation at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, MD.
Shot in high definition, this video features interviews with three men integral to the longevity of the theater organ as they explain the history and significance of the Mighty Wurlitzer. Includes wonderful archive footage and photos from the early days of the silent movies at the old Tivoli theater.
Edited by Samuel Tressler, IV, with camera work by Araminta Finn and Whitney Hahn
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Don’t you just love UA-cam. You come across something like the Wurlitzer organ randomly and one search query away you find this excellent and compact documentary. 👏
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!
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.
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...
the organist in Alexandria (who also owned the organ) was >>Jimmy
Nothing like the sound of a live WurliTzer!!!
Thanks for sharing!!!
George Wright- Galloping Comedians love it!! 👍👍
I have my parents 1960s reel to reel George Wright tapes that I have converted to digital. He was the best.
NBC Thesaurus Transcription Service featured George Wright, but on the Hammond Organ.
I love organ music!
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.
Boyce was also a composer and wrote, among other things, a tune called The Alexandria March.
+Ozzman Osgood
he was also Organist at St. Christopher's in Springfield and I believe installation of the Gress Miles organ there.
memories of the Roller rink and Boyce playing in Alexander and then Bach on the Gress-Miles
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.
So glad you enjoyed the waltz down memory lane. Thanks for watching.
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.
There's a working Wurlitzer at the Palace Theater in Lorain, OH. It was nice to hear it being played.
The music was a nice touch :D
I hope that people keep playing the organ and wurlizters so as to keep this wonderful music and tradition alive.
Us, too! It is an increasingly rare skill. Many organs like this now have modern, computer-controlled mechanisms instead of human organists. THAT's how difficult it is!
Frederick must be a great town to have this center and this great instrument still in action!
Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, AZ is the most amazing one and is played 7 nights per week. A must see!
SUPERB Documentary- thank you!!
fascinating movie.
What a stunning feat of engineering and rightfully worthy of saving !
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.
Nice to see you again Ray. ... Dave Johnson
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.
super commentary/history and great footage of the factory, etc! Thanks!!
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
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!
This was a very nice video, thanks for sharing!
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
fascinating movie.
What a stunning feat of engineering and rightfully worthy of saving !!
great clip of history! thanks for posting 🎹 👍 😉
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!
Very informative video and hats off to all who made it possible especially the Weinbergs.
Wonderful story.
I've only seen one in the Historic Alabama Theater. It is magnificent!
Made in North Tonawanda,NY building is beautiful
The march at 0:55 is "Galloping Comedians" by Kabalevsky.
Yes. Here's the whole piece: ua-cam.com/video/N6Qnxf04Whg/v-deo.html
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.
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.
Very nice video, thanks for sharing.
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
Great documentary! Well put together and informative!
Indianapolis In.....Paramount Pizza and Ice cream .....Larry MacPherson is my brother who has passed now.....but he worked on it & also played it here in Indy....I would love to talk to this gentleman about everything Wurlitzer.....oh I hope to speak with some one who ;payes a pipe organ....my mother who just celebrated 90 years old would be in awe.....Mrs. Skipworth
Great history...thank you!
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.
If ever around oklahoma we have one in Miami at the coleman theatre in full restored condition, was the original organ for the threatre too. Can get access to all of the chambers too
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 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?
We used to drive to Indianapolis and eat at the Paramount Music Palace just to hear one of these.
incredible
Wurlitzer factory North Tonawanda NY, just north of Buffalo. My city.
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 !
The Castro organ is now gone, and is being replaced with a 6 manual digital organ....and no, I'm not joking.
@@OrganMusicYT The Castro, an upright organ and a skin flute
Thanks
There’s still a mighty Wurlitzer at the Fox Theater, in St Louis.
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.
Thoughtful documentary
Wow! This organ was first shipped 2 years before the Indonesian National Day "Youth Oath Day" at October 28 1928
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"
Very nice, I enjoyed it .
I saw Lost World (1925) with one of these things live. It was absolutely incredible.
Aw, man. We are jealous!
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.
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!
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
What song was playing around 2:35? Awesome vide
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...
We love the old radio dramas, too. There is an incredible amount of creativity, preparation and talent that goes into each presentation.
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
Great video! :)
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.
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!
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.
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?
What about the St. Louis Fox Wurlitzer organ?
anyone knows the name of the march starting at 0:55 ? thanks!
It's the "Comedians' Galop" by Dimitri Kabalevsky
This isn’t the last one. St. Louis’ Fox Theater has one.
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.
With all the money in Palm Beach and Miami, I'm surprised that there isn't one yet.
My school has one
Wow!..:-)
BAH TO COMUTERS! This is all you need for good music x3
~~Good ~~~
Lol coolest Organ player ever.
I believe that could be the Charlston
What a s o u n d
i want one.
Me too😐
Surround sound the old fashioned way.
Liberty Bell March (700 Subscribers Special)
Is there anyone here who CANNOT name the last tune?
20th Century Wurlitzer The song you hear around 5:50 is one that Ray Brubaker made up on the spot, in response to us asking him if the Weinberg had it's own theme song. Ray passed away in February 2014, and we are so grateful to have captured this interview and some of his skills on film.
Ray seemed like such a cool guy, the real deal. Ot many folks like him around.
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.
James Pedrick no, there are about 480 working theater pipe organs in the world
Including the one installed in my home.
FL Studio before the PC era.
they don,t call it the king of instruments for nothing.
Jimmy Boyce
0:12 HOLY CRAP! that guy sounds EXACTLY like alex jones! xD
It's not the last