|
|
 
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Wutlitzer organ transplanted from Ohio to Windermere, England
|
Leo Enticknap
Film God
Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
|
posted 10-11-2012 09:57 AM
quote: Daily Mail
Live pipe organ music is evocative of old Hollywood glamour and silent movies, but has long been absent from British cinemas, until now.
The only Wurlitzer organ in a working cinema in Europe has made its debut after a painstaking five-year restoration, much to the delight of cinema goers.
Enthusiasts from across the country descended on the Royalty Cinema in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, at the weekend to witness a piece of history.
The organ was originally at a theatre in Ohio but was shipped to the UK in 1934 when ‘talkies’ ended the era of silent films in the USA. It was used occasionally at the Rex cinema in East London until the 1970s.
Mayor of Windermere Allan Winrow cut the ribbon at the weekend to unveil the instrument.
Mark Latimer, who launched the restoration, said: 'At some points I never thought we would get this far, so it’s tremendous to see it playing - it sounds fantastic.
'People have come here from the south coast to Scotland and everywhere in between.'
Visitors were treated to an afternoon concert featuring organists Chris Powell, David Ivory and David Shepherd.
Organs took the place of orchestras in the heyday of silent films, designed to produce many different sounds and timbres using the fewest number of pipes to minimise the space needed.
The restored Wurlitzer has the traditional horse-shoe shaped console and sits in pride of place on the right hand side of the screen at the Royalty cinema.
Describing the opening event as ‘fantastic’, Alan Adams, of Barrow, said: 'I could have listened to the organ for hours.
'It was so good and it’s wonderful to see the organ being used. I am glad I came.'
The celebration continued with an evening showing of silent film Safety Last, accompanied by Mr Ivory on the organ.
He said being involved brought back some memories for him.
'I played this very same organ 40 years ago so it’s nostalgic for me - I used to play it in an East London bingo hall. I’d entertain the ladies before bingo so it’s nice to be playing it again.'
There were also shorter films to start the cinema evening, which included the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton, with Paul Gregson at the keyboard.
One of those chuckling at the comedians, John Simpson, from Lancaster, said: 'This is the first time I have seen a Wurlitzer in action so I was very excited. I’ve heard them on CDs but nothing compares to seeing it live.
'Everyone has been laughing so it must be good, and the organists are so talented.'
Alan Mason, of Barrow, who attended the concert and film show, said: 'The concert was very good and I am surprised at how many people turned up.
'I’ve seen the organ over the years so it’s lovely to come and see it being played, especially in a setting like this because there are not many vintage cinemas about.'
All kudos to them for relocating, restoring and installing the organ, and I must try to get over there to see/hear it (it's only about a two-hour drive from York). But why oh why did they have to show the movie cropped or pixel-stretched to widescreen (see the picture in the article)? This project must have cost at least a five figure and possibly a six-figure sum, but yet they really couldn't afford an aperture plate and lens for 1.33 full gate (or, more likely, to set their DVD or BD player to 4:3 with no cropping mode)?
Sorry to sound like a party pooper, but I find it totally bizarre that you would undertake such a massive, labour of love project like that, and then compromise it with a really simple technical presentation blunder.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chris Mosel
Film Handler
Posts: 74
From: New Braunfels, TX, USA
Registered: Sep 2002
|
posted 09-05-2013 11:01 AM
From a much longer, non related article in the Las Vegas advisor:
quote: Monte L Fullmer was the last to post
Roxy's Pipe Organ: Back in 2009, we wrote in LVA about a new pizzeria that had just opened in the the Spin City casino annex added to the Fiesta (Rancho), back when it was still owned by George Maloof. In addition to the pies, the main draw at Roxy's Pipe Organ Pizzeria -- yep, the name's a bit of a giveaway -- was the massive 16-ton Kimball organ that was featured in live performances nightly. The real McCoy, this awesome instrument was built in 1927 for the 6,000-seat Roxy Theater in Manhattan to provide soundtrack back in the silent-movie days, but was mothballed in the '50s when the Roxy was torn down. It was later rescued by the Maloofs and shipped to Las Vegas in thousands of pieces, which it took 25 craftsmen-organ restorers, cabinet makers, electricians, hydrolics engineers, and artists a full year to put back together.
Even though George subsequently sold the Fiesta to finance building the Palms, the organ's fate was never in doubt, since older Maloof brother Phil is an avid collector of art and antiques and now houses this, along with several other restored organs, in one of the custom-built wings of his Las Vegas residence, known as the "Funhouse." quote: Monte L Fullmer was the last to post
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
|
posted 09-05-2013 02:19 PM
Why has the Mail put a video of a completely different, and much larger, organ on that web page? It's a four manual instrument with four rows of stop tabs, quite unlike the instrument which the story was about.
They managed to get photos of what is presumably the actual instrument, while the organist was there; could they not have got a couple of minutes of video as well?
Ah, the Youtube video says:
"At an organ practice session, Senate Theater in Detroit, MI Jan. 20, 2010. 4/34 Wurlitzer."
At least the caption to the video on the Daily Mail site does say:
"The Billboard March on a Wurlitzer Theatre Organ", but could they really not get some video of the actual organ? Probably too much trouble for the British press.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic