United Artists Theatre

[56packman]

The UA Wurlitzer was a model 260 special, The "special" part being that it had optional brass trumpet and brass saxophone ranks and the "economy" 6 note 32' diaphone pipes with the flapper door to tune them. 6 pipes did the work of 12, there was a flapper door at the top of each pipe that opened pneumatically when the shorter note was played, C became C# etc.
I helped move those pipes from a strorage facility in Troy in 1977, they are now on the built-up instrument in the Berkley Community auditorium in California.
I saw the UA Wurlitzer in place in 1975, before it was removed. Except for the two brass ranks that were stolen it was in pristine untouched condition. It was restored at a shop in Troy by a friend of mine and was installed in the "Pied Piper Pizza Peddler" at the Universal Mall, Warren, in the early 70s. After that restaurant tanked it was acquired by the Long Center in Layafette.
I have recordings of Edward Kassow playing the UA in 1952 and Ed Gress playing it in 1954, it got out well, and sounded good.
The organ in Ford Auditorium is not a theatre organ, it is a classical/concert organ that happens to be located in a theater. It is going to be a hardship case wherever it goes next, given the trouble they had at Ford auditorium and what they had to do to make it be heard in that mid-century acoustical deathtrap. We'll see what happens after WCF leaves this mortal coil.