The story of the theater organ is, in a real sense, the
story of the movie palace which housed it, and its existence
may be solely attributed to the fact that the movies of the
time were silent. In larger theaters, movies were originally
presented as part of larger shows, which also included live
on-stage acts such as singing and dancing. Music was
required for these performances, and theaters employed staff
musicians - sometimes entire orchestras - to provide live
music for the stage acts. In smaller, less affluent
settings, a piano would serve as the sole musical
accompaniment to this live entertainment. With musicians and
instruments at hand, the silent movies were quickly provided
the luxury of a musical accompaniment.
 
| 3/14 Wurlitzer in Orpheum Theater,
Los Angeles |
4/17 Wurlitzer in Byrd Theater,
Richmond, Virginia |
The impresarios who brought these nightly extravaganzas to
an eager public were searching for something new and
different, and an idea was born. What could better
contribute to the image of the theatre as a "cathedral of
the motion picture" than the sound of a mighty pipe organ?
An added incentive, surely not lost on these shrewd and
competitive businessmen, was the savings afforded by having
to pay only one musician, who while playing a pipe organ
could produce sounds approaching those of an orchestra of
dozens of players.
The first pipe organs to appear in theatres were little more
than transplanted church organs. While they looked and
sounded impressive, they were really ill-suited to the
performance of the popular music of the day, a necessity in
the realm of the theatre. However, the instrument quickly
evolved into an entirely different instrument, one which was
far better suited to its intended purpose.
 
| Robert Hope-Jones |
The Wurlitzer Factory in North
Tonawanda, NY (1930s) |
Rudolph Wurlitzer |
Many of the innovations which lead to the perfection of the
theatre organ were the work of one man, a brilliant English
inventor named Robert Hope-Jones. Hope-Jones developed
many of his innovative ideas regarding organ design in his
native England; however it was not until his arrival
in America and his very fruitful collaboration with the
Rudolph Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda, New York, that
many of his ideas were realized.
 
| 4/15 Page in Embassy Theater, Ft.
Wayne, IN |
4/20 Wurlitzer in Alabama Theater,
Birmingham, AL |
The product of that collaboration was called the "Wurlitzer
Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra," and although it quickly became
just the "Mighty Wurlitzer" in the eye of the public, its
official name better reflected its nature.
 With
the incorporation of Robert Hope-Jones' ideas, the
instrument had truly become a one-man substitute for a full
orchestra, and Wurlitzer went on to become the most
successful builder of theater style pipe organs, easily
dominating the market.
The demand for theater pipe organs only lasted a few years
as can be seen in this graph covering Wurlitzer's production
from 1911 to 1939. When production peaked in 1926, Wurlitzer
shipped over 300 pipe organs, an average of one instrument
each work day, setting a record that has never been equaled,
before or since, by any organ builder, anywhere. Sadly, very
few of these magnificent instruments survive today.
| 4/34 Robert-Morton in Ohio Theater,
Columbus Ohio |
3/12 Christie in Grenada Theater,
Walthamstow, UK |
The next chapter will explore the reasons for this
precipitous fall in pipe organ production, and the history
of the Wurlitzer in the Hardman Studio will become the focus
for review.
The Hardmans wish to thank David Kelzenberg for
researching and writing this Story of the Theater
Organ
 
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