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The Fabulous Fox Theater Mighty Wurlitzer!
Mighty is an apt description, because it represents the pinnacle of Wurlitzer’s output. It represents the largest original theater organ design in regular production at the time it was created. These are the model of theater organ referred to as the “Fox Specials.” The first and most famous of these instruments was built for the Paramount Theater in New York City and was often played by the rock star of the phonograph era, Jessie Crawford. It now lives in the Century II Center in Wichita, Kansas, which is considered to be the “Carnegie Hall” of the Theater Organ. The other locations of the Fox Specials include the nearly identical twin Fox Theaters of Detroit and St. Louis, and the Fox theaters in Brooklyn and San Francisco. Only seven were built.
The Fox Special has 36 ranks, or sets of pipes, most of which are on very high pressure. This doesn’t seem like much compared to classical organs, but on a theater organ, everything is unified, so every rank is available on every keyboard, often at several pitch levels. This means that the fox organs have nearly 300 stops! It also boasts 13 sets of tuned percussion which include 3 xylophones, 2 marimbas, 2 sets of chimes, 2 chrysoglotts, (celestas) and many others. It also has a veritable laundry list of traps and sounds effects to fulfill the needs of any film.
If the movie palace is the “cathedral” of the motion picture, then the Detroit Fox is the “Notre Dame!” The sound of the organ is a part of the architecture. Its energy seems to set the eyes of the various creatures in the walls and ceiling aglow. Its power challenges the strength of the mighty blood-red columns which flank the proscenium. This power actually originates from one of a pair of 50-Horse Power blowers in the basement. In comparison, Jefferson Avenue’s Skinner has a 15 H.P. blower! After the blower refused to start on the opening night of the Paramount, Mr. Fox decided he would purchase two blowers for every remaining fox special so that the organs would always work!
The instrument is a force of nature and like any real force in nature it is astounding in its contrast of subtlety, beauty, and sudden violent potential.
St. Louis Theatre Organ Society:
Wurlitzer Specification
Brooklyn Fox Theatre:
San Francisco Fox Theatre
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