California Wurlitzer

last remaining original installation of a Style 216

last update:

15 June 2008

Wurlitzer Style 216:

The Biggest Little Wurlitzer

by Jim Henry

Eighty percent of the organs Wurlitzer produced had 2 manual or piano consoles. These little workhorses were the bread and butter for Wurlitzer and for the theatres where they toiled at their role of providing a soundtrack for silent films. Intended to accompany in the shadows rather than solo in the spotlight, the two consoles were often dark wood that literally disappeared in the corner of the orchestra pit.

Interior of the California Theatre in San Bernardino, its Wurlitzer organ is there but it is a dark wood console in a dark pit

These little Wurlitzers had as few as three ranks—typically a Flute, Salicional, and Vox Humana—or as many as ten ranks in the biggest of the two manual instruments. These Mighty Mite Wurlitzers fit theatre spaces and budgets very nicely. They can also give us a glimpse into the business of running movie theatres during the silent film era. This is the story of the evolution of the 2/10 Wurlitzer Style 216 and the West Coast Theatre chain.

Throughout the 1920’s, West Coast Theaters, a company operating under the aegis of William Fox of Fox Film Corporation, assembled a chain of movie theatres in many states and the construction of Fox theaters was rapidly taking place nationwide. The chain eventually grew to 305 theatres nationwide. This made West Coast Theaters an important customer for Wurlitzer.

Fox Colorado in Pasadena, home of Wurlitzer Style 215 Opus 1017

The Southern California Division of West Coast Theatres included many large neighborhood houses seating between one- and two-thousand people. The size of the theatres demanded a good-sized organ but the theatres also were built and operated with a close watch on expenses. A study of the Wurlitzer Opus lists reveals that the 2/10 Style 215 Wurlitzer was used exclusively by West Coast Theatres: 

Style 215 Wurlitzers
Opus	Theatre	City	Year
697	Bard's Hollywood	Hollywood, CA	1923
711	California	Pomona, CA	1923
728	Dodson	San Pedro, CA	1923
757	Criterion	Santa Monica, CA	1923
890	Carmel	Hollywood, CA	1924
927	Highland	Highland Park, CA	1924
951	Quinlan	Beverly Hills, CA	1924
1013	West Coast	San Bernardino, CA	1925
1014	Mission	Monterey Park, CA	1925
1017	Bard's Colorado	Pasadena, CA	1925
1050	Alex	Glendale, CA	1925
1208	Uptown	Los Angeles, CA	1925
1214	Manchester	Los Angeles, CA	1925
1558	Mt. Baker	Bellingham, WA	1927

Further study also reveals that there appears to be no West Coast Theatre that received the more fully unified 2/10 Wurlitzer Style H. The Style H had a list price of $22,500 Style 205, also a 2/10, had a list price of $20,500. We can assume that the list price of a 215 would be similar to that of the 205 although the specification of the 205 seems to be unknown. Thus we conclude that saving about 10% on the cost of these organs was important to West Coast and selling 14 organs was important enough to Wurlitzer that they would adjust the specification to reduce the cost by 10%.

L.A. Criterion in Santa Monica, home of Style 215 Opus 757

Saving 10% on their organs undoubtedly made the West Coast accountants happy. The West Coast organists were probably less impressed by this. One organist in particular was not happy with the Style 215. Frank Lanterman was the organist at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California. Frank felt the Style 215 lacked the "crack" to be satisfactory in the chain's new theatres under construction or in planning.

Fox West Coast organist Frank Lanterman

He developed a specification that replaced the Style 215's Kinura with an English Horn, and added couplers and a crescendo, features rarely found in two-manual Wurlitzers, thus creating the Style 216. Hoping to sell West Coast something pricier, Wurlitzer at first balked at building the Style 216. When Robert Morton expressed interest in filling the order, Wurlitzer gave in. Eventually twelve Style 216 Wurlitzer were installed in West Coast Theatres:

Style 216 Wurlitzers
Opus	Theatre	City	Year
1142	Rialto	South Pasadena, CA	1925
1149	California	Huntington Park, CA	1925
1164	Fox Belmont	Los Angeles, CA	1925
1220SP	Maclay	San Fernando, CA	1925
1276	Hippodrome	Taft, CA	1926
1294	Westlake	Los Angeles, CA	1926
1320	Senator	Oakland, CA	1926
1620	Tower	Los Angeles, CA	1927
relocated	Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	1930
1636	California	San Diego, CA	1927
1850	California	San Bernardino, CA	1928
1973	Fox	Redlands, CA	1928
1998	Fox	Riverside, CA	1928

At least that is the way the story as told by Frank Lanterman has been passed along. Some who have heard the story find it odd that Wurlitzer, a company that seemingly made more special organs than standard models, would hesitate to make what was a relatively simple change in specification that used off-the-shelf parts. There is also some question about just how much credit Lanterman deserves for the specification.

L.A. Fox Belmont, home of Style 216 Opus 1164

My hypothesis is that Lanterman wanted the much more capable Style 216 which probably would have had a list price at least as high as the Style H at something close to the same price as the Style 215. I will point out that the Lanterman family were very successful real estate speculators and that Frank Lanterman went on to a long and highly successful career as a California State Senator. We can guess that Lanterman was persuasive when he sat down at the bargaining table because in 1925 West Coast began installing Style 216s rather than 215s when a 2/10 Wurlitzer was needed. The only Style 215 installed after 1925 went to the Mt. Baker  Theatre in Bellingham, Washington in 1927. The Mt. Baker was a West Coast Theatre but not in the Southern California Division.

California Theatre in Huntington Park, home of Style 216 Opus 1149

While Lanterman is credited with replacing the 215's Kinura with the 216's Post Horn, this was not the first time a Post Horn was put on a two manual organ. Opus 433, a 210SP added a Post Horn, Kinura, and Marimba to make a 2/11 instrument. Opus 433 was installed in the Palace Grand Theatre in (drum roll) Glendale, California. 

Glendale Palace Grand, home of Wurlitzer Style 210SP Opus 433, inspiration for the Style 216

This early Glendale theatre was built by Henry C. Jensen, who would later build the more palatial Raymond Theatre in Pasadena. Construction of the neo-classical building began in August, 1914. After being operated by Jensen for several years, it was renamed the T D & L Theatre and was operated by the Turner, Dahnken and Langley Company, which became the basis of the Fox-West Coast circuit. Undoubtedly Lanterman was familiar with Opus 433. The accompanying stop list shows the stops of the 210 with the likely additions for Opus 433. The basis for the Style 216 specification is evident.

While couplers were certainly not a new idea, the addition of couplers to an instrument of this size may well be the addition that did the most for the versatility of the Style 216. A 2/10 organ with a single bolster puts space for stops at a premium. The couplers make up for unification that has to be omitted due to lack of space. For example, while the Solo only provides three 16' stops, the Solo Subcoupler allows every rank to be used at the 16' pitch. Regardless of the influences, the resulting organ is one that many consider to be the most concert worthy 2 manual organ ever produced by Wurlitzer.

The most famous of the Style 216s is the very first one, Opus 1142. This instrument was installed in the Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena, California. After a restoration in the early 1960s by John Curry, George Wright held a series of monthly concerts on the 216 which packed the theatre's 1200 seats.

George Wright at the console of the South Pasadena Rialto Style 216

While the Style 216 was quite an advanced specification for its time, it is lacking in Tibia unification by modern standards. This was rectified in Opus 1142 by repurposing the Solo's 16' Bourdon, 2 2/3 Twelfth, 2' Piccolo, and 1 3/5 Tierce to control the Tibia rather than the Concert Flute. A 2 CD set of recordings made by Wright on the Rialto 216 remain available as a testament to the possibilities of this instrument in the hands of a master.

Console of Style 216 Opus 1142 from the South Pasadena Rialto

The Rialto concerts came to an abrupt end when the Solo chamber was destroyed by fire. Thereafter the parts were dispersed. Plans are now being made for the renovation of the Rialto Theatre. The original Rialto console has been located and acquired by the group planning the renovation. No plans have yet been made as to how the console will be used. It is presently on display in the South Pasadena Historical Museum at the Meridian Iron Works.

The Hippodrome in Taft has the distinction of having the most sensational lore associated with it. Story has it that an organist was shot and killed one evening while at the organ. It seems the audience tended to consist of rowdy oil riggers. This rowdiness was made worse if someone was "in-the-tank". It seems the organ was so loud, it would drown-out the "conversations" prior to the show and thus the poor organist was shot. A fellow took his place and merely draped horse blankets over the swell shutters and "tamed" the organ--and did not follow in the footsteps of the previous Hippodrome organist. So perhaps Jesse Crawford's omission of a Post Horn “to protect the audience from the organist” also extends to protecting the organist from the audience.

Investigation reveals that the organist had NOT been shot, but WAS regularly clobbered with flying debris tossed by the rowdies. Not quite as dramatic but we are glad to report that the organist did not meet an untimely end. The replacement organist was Arthur Crowell, who was just 17 or 18 at the time he assumed his duties in Taft. He was suggested for the job by Frank Lanterman. It was not reported whether Lanterman made the suggestion out of liking or disliking for the boy.

The Hippodrome console was destroyed in a fire but the pipework survives with the main chest going to the Granada Theatre in Bakersfield, California. The solo chest is now part of a “composite” Style 216 installed in the Hanford Fox Theatre in Hanford, California thanks in part to contributions by Dr. Ruth Villemin Dresser. Fittingly the console is from Opus 433, the Style 210SP that was the likely inspiration for the Style 216. 

Opus 1320 from the Senator Theatre in Oakland, California is intact and in storage. Reportedly this instrument will be restored and installed in the lobby of the recently restored San Jose Fox Theatre in San Jose, California.

Historical exterior of California Theatre in San Bernardino

The only Style 216 that remains in its original installation is Opus 1850 at the California Theatre in San Bernardino, California. The theatre was restored some years ago. The organ has been maintained but it now needs rebuilding. The California Theatre recently was transferred to the city's Economic Development Agency and the recently formed Inland Empire Theatre Organ Society is in dicussions with the Agency to oversee restoration of the organ.

San Bernardino's California Theatre today

While it is unfortunate that so many of the few Style 216s produced are gone, it is heartening that at least two survive. The Style 216 is a remarkable instrument that demonstrates the potential of a smaller theatre organ. It is surprising that an instrument produced in such small numbers and so geographically limited would have the impact and recognition that the Style 216 enjoys to this day.

Console of Opus 1850 in San Bernardino's California Theatre

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