Unknown - Theatre Interior (Photograph (ca. 1995) from the collection of Jim Lewis/Database Manager)
2015-03-07 - This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ. Identified by Jim Lewis, based on personal knowledge of the organ. -- Style 240 specification -Database Manager
2018-04-17 - Information from <i>The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ – An Illustrated History</i> by David L. Junchen (comp. & ed. Jeff Weiler). The American Theatre Organ Society, 2005.<br> Wurlitzer Style 240<br> Factory date: December 23, 1927 -Database Manager
2019-02-02 - Updated by Eric Schmiedeberg, who gave this as the source of the information: I was on the maintenance crew of this organ 1987-1989. <br> <br>My involvement with this instrument began in January of 1987 after meeting Gene Davis and some of the crew after a Los Angeles Theatre Organ Society concert by the late Rob Calcaterra. I became aware of that concert being planned through the \"Gee Dad, It\'s A Wurlitzer!\" radio program that was broadcast over KPCC FM, which is the college radio station run by Pasadena City College. The program ran for around 10 years and was great advertising for the theatre organ art form.<br><br>This instrument was the first theatre pipe organ in a theatre that I had a chance to play. There is a time lag when you are on the far end of the orchestra pit and one of the chambers is some 60 or so feet from the console. During the time I was involved with the Orpheum, the console was on the far left of the orchestra pit, mostly. The organ was somewhat \"house-left-heavy\" as a result. Eight of the (now) 14 ranks are located there; all \"accompaniment\" voices, so to speak. The scissor lift that is being used now in the center of the orchestra pit was squirreled away backstage in my day and would eventually see service c.1990. Once the console was centered--and then later put on a lift--the organ really balanced out \"from the bench\".<br><br>Speaking of \"balance\", the Style 240 is a very well-balanced specification. The \"fire\" is supplied by a Brass Trumpet in this model. The model was intended to (mainly) supply a sonic reinforcement of the orchestra and to do a \"solo spot\", when called upon to do so. The Orpheum Circuit was not a movie-exhibition concern. It was dedicated to live stage performance. The organs reflect this, I think. <br><br>The Orpheum Circuit bought a bunch of these 240\'s from Wurlitzer on a contractual basis; much like Fox-West Coast and their Style 215\'s and Style 216 2/10\'s, and the Publix Corporation\'s Publix #1\'s and #4\'s. If you look at the stoplist, you will see a very nice selection of accompaniment stops. The standard 235, plus Brass Trumpet in the Solo and Horn Diapason in the Main, makes for a good recipe for \"big\" sounds designed to \"perfume the air with music\"; a quote from Gaylord Carter quoting a theatre manager and what he wanted from him. <br><br>The LA Orpheum operated for the first couple of years or so without any organ at all. But, I think the \"status symbol\" presented by the presence of a Wurlitzer in the theatre, the Wurlitzers surrounding the Orpheum on Broadway and Hill Streets--and the fact that the Wurlitzer Store for all of Southern California was just a couple of blocks down the street (!) made for a hopeless situation. \"Get a Wurlitzer in here! We have to compete! Besides, we got a \"sweet deal\" from them. The Circuit just signed a \"package deal\" for Wurlitzers in all of the Orpheums.....\", I can hear it now.<br><br>The Kinura on the LA organ was very timid and a good candidate for temporary removal in favor of an English Post Horn. This is exactly what happened in June of 1987. LATOS really wanted a Post Horn in the organ. Gene Davis and crew had various opinions about this, but the consensus was that--if it was a good set of pipes--the organ wouldn\'t suffer. LATOS member Ken Peterson donated a re-voiced Kimball Oboe Horn to plant atop the Kinura chest. I was honored with the duty of reaming the holes into the new rack board for the new pipes--with a good, old fashioned set of Forstner-type bits and a hand-cranked brace. On the Solo Chamber floor. On my knees. Gee! Just like in the old days. Please note, I did not say GOOD old days! Being 20 years old and 225 pounds, all eyes turned to me.....that would not be the first time! I must admit that Ken Kukkuk DID bore a few holes himself as I \"shook off\" the protestations of this mortal coil. I am a woodworker and cabinetmaker by trade and I SWEAR BY POWER TOOLS! As it turned out, the Post Horn was PERFECT in the Triple-Fortissimo ensemble of the organ. It added just that nice bit of \"fire and edge\" right at the top with the shades full-open and the organ \"at the top of its lungs\". It is of the semi-bright, orchestral Trumpet type like Wurlitzer used. For accents? Perfect. We were all very happy with the rank and (if I remember correctly) Ken Kukkuk deserved major kudos for voicing it JUST RIGHT on the voicing machine. We never had to have it polished for the organ or the theatre once it was installed. The Kinura would be re-incorporated into the organ a few years later using a three-way toggle switch to select the Kinura, Post Horn, or both in tandem with the original Kinura tabs. Maybe the tabs are in Wurlitzer order now. I don\'t know.<br><br>The Orpheum organ was not a \"stock instrument\" when I encountered it. From 1928 to 1987, a number of things had been changed...and are most likely extant in the organ today. There were (are?) three large toggle switches on the back rail board for Xylophone single-stroke/reiterating-stroke (the original design was \"reiterating only\") and General Combinations which used small electronic relays in console to tie like-numbered thumb pistons together and all of the \"dynamically\" labelled pistons along vertical lines. Just imagine pistons 1-10, not PP/P/MF/F/FF--or whatever. This was incorporated into the console at the request of one of the Orpheum crew\'s all-time favorite organists, Larry Vanucci--The Vanooch! A great Bay Area artist he was. He was also one of those rare theatre organists that could truly be called a \"Jazz Organist\"--Like Dick Hull in Colorado or Don Simmons in Oregon.<br><br>The upper unification of the Flute on the Great manual was changed over to the Tibia Clausa at 2-2/3\' and 2\' pitch. They pulled the top 12 pipes from the Harmonic Tuba rank and planted 12 Tibia treble pipes in their place on the little 12-note offset chest that was attached to the 14-note 16\'Tuba offset chest pair.<br><br>The original Orpheum Tibia was of Solo (15\" wind) scale. It was swapped out ages ago for a standard 10\" wind type. A GOOD CALL. The Orpheum\'s main wind feeds are somewhat under-sized for a wind-hungry Wurlitzer. The speculation was that whoever engineered this situation into the building was either: 1) Anticipating something less \"theatrical\" being installed, perhaps. 2) Screwed up the blueprints. 3) Didn\'t know what they were doing. I lean toward #1. Moller installed a number of their organs in theatres downtown. Maybe this is what was in mind. All of the Mollers were replaced by Wurlitzers eventually. The old Pantages and the State Theatre were two of these. Anyway, the smaller-scaled Tibia made for a better winding situation (drop the pressure to 12\" and close down the toe holes) and a prettier sound. The 10\" Wurlitzer Tibia tends to be more \"chirpy\" on trem than the 15\" types. The 15\" type is a bigger, somewhat \"darker\" sound, but VITAL in auditoriums from about 3,000 seats and up when all those bodies are absorbing sound in the seats. \'Not \"knocking\" them! The bottom 14 notes of the Orpheum Tibia are still the 15\" pressure type. They are amazingly powerful. <br><br>In fact, the whole organ is very \"open-throated\' with triangular concrete, plastered chambers and big grilles with double-stacked swell shutters. Almost the whole front walls of the chambers open up when the shutters are thrown open. The 16\' octave of the Flute is set on the back corner of the Main and literally cause the walls, floors and ceilings to quiver in the lounge under the lobby. Behold The Mighty Wurlitzer. <br><br>I got to witness real history while I was getting my hands dirty at the Orpheum. Gaylord Carter was a veteran from the Golden Age of the theatre organ in LA. He came in one Saturday morning (our day to wrangle the Wurlitzer) to have us set pins for him for his pistons that would be used for his concert/silent movie presentation that was coming up. This being part of The Last Remaining Seats series of performances put on by the Los Angeles Theatre Conservancy at various Broadway Theatre District (and other??) houses. Someone mentioned that they thought that of all of the larger Wurlitzers in LA, Gaylord had never played the one at the Orpheum. He said, \"Yep. \'Never played this one. \'Played all the others, but not this one.\" We had a milk crate in the pit that we used to sit on to work on the back of the console. That crate became a seat where I could observe some really great players--from about three feet away from the bench. My eyes never left Carter\'s hands or feet. He came shuffling down the aisle at the theatre at the age of 83, slid onto the organ bench and some 60 years disappeared as he made the organ play dead, roll over, sit up pretty, etc. etc. We set pistons for him, but he didn\'t really need them. Nope. I have always been a fan of Gaylord\'s and got to know him a bit over the years I was in LA. A beautiful human being and a true stylist he was. <br><br>What does this have to do with the organ, you may ask? The Orpheum instrument, like Gaylord, is a \"get it done\" instrument of music. No frills. Just solid, straight-forward ability and a style all their own.<br><br>A style all their own.....Dan Bellomy playing Be-Bop Jazz at a smoking-fast tempo one Saturday morning in preparation for a concert. Literally. Be-Bop with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth! Outta sight! I had to comment on his Pedal work. Amazing! How do you DO that? I asked. Oh, that\'s my bionic left leg, he said! Ah, the Orpheum. Yeah. -Database Manager
Original document from Eric Schmiedeberg. Source: 1928 stoplist copied from stoplist provided by Gene Davis who was Organ Crew Chief at the Orpheum from c. 1978-1988. Changes noted by myself as I know the organ first-hand. 2019-01-21
Los Angeles, CA
Orpheum Theatre
Organ by The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. Opus 1821 Shipped 12/23/1928 Std. Style 240
3 Manuals, 13 Ranks--As built, w/ changes in parenthetical "ALL CAP'S"
PEDAL GREAT
16' Tuba Profunda 16' Tuba Profunda
16' Diaphone 16' Diaphone
16' Bourdon 16' Contra Viol TC (16'TIBIA TC)
8' Harmonic Tuba 16' Bourdon
8' Diaphonic Diapason 8' Trumpet
8' Tibia Clausa 8' Harmonic Tuba
8' Clarinet 8' Diaphonic Diapason
8' Cello (Viol d' Orchestre & Viol Celeste) 8' Horn Diapason
8' Flute 8' Tibia Clausa
4' Octave (Diaphonic Diapason) 8' Clarinet
Bass Drum 8' Kinura (OR POST HORN)
Kettle Drum (Bass Drum roll) 8' Orchestral Oboe
Crash Cymbal 8' Viol d' Orchestre
Cymbal 8' Viol Celeste
Great to Pedal 8' Salicional
8' Concert Flute
8' Vox Humana
4' Harmonic Clarion
ACCOMPANIMENT 4' Octave (Diaphonic Diapason)
4' Piccolo
16' Contra Viol TC (NOW 16'BOURDON) 4' Viol
16' Bourdon (NOW 8'TRUMPET) 4' Octave Celeste
8' Harmonic Tuba 4' Salicet
8' Diaphonic Diapason 4' Flute
8' Horn Diapason 2-2/3' Twelfth (Flute) (TIBIA)
8' Tibia Clausa 2' Fifteenth (Viol'd Orchestre)
8' Clarinet 2' Piccolo (Flute)
8' Kinura (SWITCHABLE TO 8' POST HORN) 1-3/5' Tierce (Flute) (TIBIA)
8' Orchestral Oboe Marimba
8' Viol d' Orchestre Harp
8' Viol Celeste Cathedral Chimes
8' Salicional Sleigh Bells (tuned)
8' Concert Flute Xylophone
8' Vox Humana Glockenspiel
4' Piccolo Bells (reiterating Glock.)
4' Viol Chrysoglott
4' Viol Celeste Solo to Great(GREAT SUB OCTAVE-1T.)
4' Octave Celeste
4' Salicet
4' Flute
4' Vox Humana SOLO
2-2/3' Twelfth (Flute)
2' Piccolo (Flute) 16' Tuba Profunda
Marimba (reiterating Harp) 8' Trumpet
Harp 8' Harmonic Tuba
Chrysoglott 8' Diaphonic Diapason
Snare Drum 8' Tibia Clausa
Tambourine 8' Clarinet
Castanets 8' Kinura (OR POST HORN)
Chinese Block 8' Orchestral Oboe
Solo to Accompaniment (ACC. OCTAVE--1st TOUCH) 4' Harmonic Clarion
4' Octave (Diaph. Diap.)(4'PICCOLO)
Cathedral Chimes
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Bells (reit. Glock.)
BACK RAIL
ACCOMPANIMENT FIRST TOUCHES GREAT SECOND TOUCHES
8' Harmonic Tuba 16' Tuba Profunda
8' Tibia Clausa 8' Tibia Clausa
8' Clarinet Solo to Great (GREAT OCTAVE--1st T.)
Cathedral Chimes
Sleigh Bells (tuned)
Xylophone
Triangle
Solo to Accompaniment TREMULANTS
Main
Solo
Vox Humana
Diaphone/Tuba (just Tuba--Wrong tab for 240!)
Tibia
KEY CHEEK PUSH BUTTONS
Bird (oil-filled whistle)
Surf (slow build-and-subside air leak blown across the edge of a thin metal plate)
Door Bell (miniature fire bell type)
Klaxon (a loud, sick duck)
COMBINATION ACTION
Pedal (toe studs 1-3--left to right--left side of pedal clavier)
Accompaniment--PP/P/MF/F/FF & 1-5 (Acc. PP-MF fires Pedal 1-3--Stock Wurlitzer wiring)
Great--PP/P/MF/F/FF & 1-5
Solo--1-6
TOE STUDS--Left end of Pedal clavier
Pedal Combinations 1-3
Bird
Steamboat Whistle (three small wooden pipes blown together)
Pistol Shot (single-stroke Snare Drum w/ snare muted)
Fire Gong (reiterating) (a brass plate struck with a maple-headed mallet)
SWELL PEDALS
Main
Solo/Master
Crescendo (affects Pedal and Great only)
PIANO-STYLE PEDALS--Right end of kick board--Left to right
1st T.--Snare Drum roll/2nd T.--Bass Drum & Cymbal
1st T.--Sfortzando--Pedal & Great only--all ranks/2nd T. adds all tuned percussions
GENERAL--Back rail--Single-throw toggle switches added over the years
--General Combinations--2 switches--These activate electronic relays in the console that couple the Great pistons to their corresponding divisionals on the Pedal, Acc. & Solo.
Great PP fires Pedal piston #1, Acc. PP piston & Solo #1 piston and so on.
--Xylophone single-stroke/reiterating-stroke
--Rank Selector--Kinura/Post Horn--Kinura tabs control both on stop rails
--Main to Solo/Master swell
CHAMBER ANALYSIS--Ranks ordered front-to-back on the "manual" chests
MAIN--All ranks on 10" wind pressure unless otherwise noted
8' Vox Humana--61 pipes--6" wind (RAISED TO APPROX. 8")
16' Flute--97 pipes
8' Salicional--73 pipes
8' Horn Diapason--61 pipes
8' Clarinet--61 pipes
8' Viol Celeste--73 pipes
8 Viol d' Orchestre--85 pipes
16' Diaphonic Diapason--85 pipes (16' octave=metal Diaphones)
Chrysoglott--49 notes--12" wind pressure--
Relays and Switching--12" wind presssure--THESE THREE COMPONENT AREAS--12" NOW????
Swell Shutters--12" wind pressure---------
SOLO--All ranks on 10" wind pressure unless otherwise noted
8' Kinura--61 pipes
8' ENGLISH POST HORN (Kimball Oboe Horn pipes w/ new voicing)--61 pipes
8' TIBIA CLAUSA--73 pipes--15" wind pressure--NOW SMALL-SCALE WURLITZER 10" WIND
PRESSURE FROM 8'GG TO TOP OF 2' OCTAVE ON APPROX. 12" WIND W/ TOES CLOSED DOWN--
Bottom 14 notes of rank are still 15" "Solo Scale" Tibia pipes. NEW RANK PIPE
COUNT: 85
8' Trumpet (brass resonators)--61 pipes
16' Harmonic Tuba--85 pipes--4' OCTAVE REMOVED FROM TUBA OFFSET CHEST AND REPLACED BY
2' TIBIA PIPES--REWINDED CHEST TO APPROX. 12" PRESSURE
8' Orchestral Oboe--61 pipes
Marimba/Harp--49 notes
Cathedral Chimes--25 notes
Sleigh Bells--25 notes --All shutters, percussions and sound effects--12" wind
Glockenspiel/Bells--37 notes originally--NOW???
Xylophone--37 notes
All Non-Tuned Percussions
Sound Effects
BLOWER
7-1/2 Horsepower--Spencer Turbine Co.--Located below Solo Chamber in basement
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