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Pittsburgh Area Theatre Organ Society, Inc. |
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Pittsburgh Theatres |
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By Jay Smith |
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Pittsburgh had some marvelous movie palaces with wonderful organs
South Hills Harris Theatre in Dormont—WurliTzer 2/6 Opus 1862. This was the first organ formally used in a PATOS concert following a complete restoration effort by PATOS in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, that restoration used perflex to replace the leather on all the pneumatics. While in the theatre, a hydraulic console lift was installed capale of raising the console several feet above stage level. The organ was eventually sold to an individual in the late 1980s and placed in storage near Pittsburgh and was sold again about 20 years later to an individual in New Jersey who is in the process of rebuilding the organ with leather. A move to New York will provide a better sonic space for the organ. The first picture above shows the outside of the building and also the console placed center stage. The theatre was demolished in 2010 to make way for another drug store—just what we need!
Loews Aldine Theatre in Pittsburgh. This theatre had its name changed in later years to Nixon. The WurliTzer organ was OPUS 0685 shipped from the factory on August 21, 1923 as a Style 235, 3 manual, 11 rank organ. Like all other downtown theatres, the console was lost in the 1936 flood and was not replaced. In the 1970s a very few parts remained and some were incorporated Into the PATOS Wurlitzer. The second illustration above is a scan of the shipment tag that was found at that time affixed to a piece of lumber in the chamber.
Leona Theatre in Homestead—Kimball 3/9. This organ was worked on in the 1960s by people that later would form the nucleus of PATOS. The organ was sold in 1975 to an individual who has installed it in his home in Omaha, Nebraska. It has since been enlarged. The third photo above shows the console in the orchestra pit in 1967. At the bottom of this page are three pictures of this organ Taken in the mid-1960s.
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Loews Penn Theatre in Pittsburgh—Robert Morton 4/22. The console was lost in the 1936 flood and much of the pipework was removed in the 1960s to a home in New Jersey (I think). The swell shades in the Main Chamber of the PATOS WurliTzer came from the Penn Theatre. Photo ->
Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh—3/27 WurliTzer 260 SP OPUS 1788. The console was lost in the 1936 flood. The organ (sans console) was removed in the 1960s(?) and taken out of state.
Enright Theatre in East Liberty—Kimball 3/11.
Manos Theatre in Indiana, PA– Robert Morton 3/9.
Liberty Theatre in East Liberty—organ?.
Sheridan Square Theatre in East Liberty—WurliTzer.
Regent Theatre in East Liberty—2 manual Moller.
Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks—2/6 Wurlitzer.
Plaza Theatre in Brownsville, PA—Robert Morton 2/4 - - -current photo ————->
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