3/15 Wurlitzer - Dendy Cinema
Chapter
Australia FelixOrgan
Location
In 1924 a 3/15 Opus 637 Style 260 Wurlitzer was installed in the “Capitol” (Theatre Magnificent) in Swanston Street, Melbourne. This was the largest organ to be installed in Australia at that time, the first with 32’ pipes and was also the first to be on a lift. It was opened in November of that year by Horace Weber.
In the early 1960’s plans were afoot for the Capitol theatre to be re-invented. The stalls (orchestra) seats area were destined to become an arcade and only the circle was to remain as a cinema. The organ had ceased regular use by 1958 and by that time the console had been painted white over the original mahogany and moved from its stage position off the lift to a floor level position in front of and to the left of the stage. In 1963 it was sold to the fledgling Theatre Organ Society of Australia – Victorian Division.
An agreement was reached with Bert Ward, owner of the suburban Dendy Theatre, in Church Street, Brighton and the organ was re-installed in this cinema with the console – restored to its original mahogany casing, on a lift to the left of the stage. The opening occurred in 1968 with a concert featuring Horace Weber who had opened it originally at the Capitol in 1924 – and George Blackmore from the U.K.
For the next decade the “Dendy” organ (Eliza) was an extremely popular attraction and was in near constant use. The house organist for many years was David Johnston.
In 1982 the organ ceased playing as the Dendy Theatre was to be turned into a “cinema complex” with a shopping arcade.
In 1988 the organ was re-opened in Cinema One of the newly built “Brighton Village Twin”. The organ chambers are located on the stage, containing the same fifteen ranks of pipes as in the Dendy (and Capitol), with the console now on the right, not on a lift, but sliding out from the wall. The re-opening concert featured Tony Fenelon assisted by David Johnston and John Atwell.
Wurlitzer - Style 260
3 Manuals - 15 Ranks - 7 Tuned Percussions - 14 Traps - Curved Console - As installed at the Dendy Theatre Brighton, Melbourne Australia
Trumpet 8' 61 pipes
Tuba Horn 16' 85 pipes
Diaphonic Diapason 32' 97 pipes
Tibia Clausa 16' 85 pipes
Clarinet 8' 61 pipes
Orchestral Oboe 8' 61 pipes
Kinura 8' 61 pipes
Saxophone 8' 61 pipes
String 8' 61 pipes
Viol d'Orchestre 8' 85 pipes
Viol Celeste 8' 73 pipes
Concert Flute 16' 97 pipes
Vox Humana 8' 61 pipes
Oboe Horn 8' 61 pipes
Quintadena 8' 61 pipes
Piano 85 notes
Marimba 49 notes
Cathedral Chimes 25 notes
Xylophone 37 notes
Glockenspiel 37 notes
Sleigh Bells 25 notes
Chrysoglott 49 notes
PEDAL
32' Diaphone
16' Ophicleide
16' Diaphone
16' Tibia Clausa
16' Bourdon
8' Tuba Horn
8' Octave
8' Tibia Clausa
8' Clarinet
8' Saxophone
8' String
8' Cello
8' Flute
4' Flute
16' Piano
Bass Drum
Kettle Drum/Cymbal Roll
Snare Drum
Crash Cymbal
Cymbal
Great to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
Pedal Second Touch
32' Diaphone
16' Ophicleide - Pizzicato
1st & 2nd Touch Traps Switch
5 Combination Toe Pistons
ACCOMPANIMENT
16' Contra Viol (TC)
16' Bourdon
16' Vox Humana (TC)
8' Tuba Horn
8' Diaphonic Diapason
8' Tibia Clausa
8' Clarinet
8' Saxophone
8' Viol d'Orchestre
8' Viol Celeste
8' String
8' Oboe Horn
8' Quintadena
8' Flute
8' Vox Humana
4' Octave
4' Piccolo
4' Viol
4' Octave Celeste
4' Flute
4' Vox Humana
2 2/3' Twelfth
2' Piccolo
8' Piano
4' Piano
Mandolin
Harp
Chrysoglott
Snare Drum
Tambourine
Castanets
Chinese Block
Tom Tom
Solo to Accompaniment
Accomp Second Touch
8' Tuba Horn
8' Tibia Clausa
Cathedral Chimes
Sleigh Bells
Xylophone
Triangle
Solo to Accompaniment
Solo to Accompaniment - Pizzicato
10 Double Touch Adjustable Combination Pistons
GREAT
16' Ophicleide
16' Trumpet (TC)
16' Tibia Clausa
16' Clarinet (TC)
16' Saxophone (TC)
16' Contra Viol (TC)
16' Bourdon
8' Trumpet
8' Tuba Horn
8' Diaphonic Diapason
8' Tibia Clausa
8' Clarinet
8' Orchestral Oboe
8' Kinura
8' Saxophone
8' Viol d'Orchestre
8' Viol Celeste
8' String
8' Flute
8' Vox Humana
4' Clarion
4' Piccolo
4' Viol
4' Octave Celeste
4' Flute
2 2/3' Twelfth (tibia)
2 2/3' Twelfth (flute)
2' Fifteenth
2' Piccolo (tibia)
2' Piccolo (flute)
1 3/5' Tierce (flute)
16' Piano
8' Piano
4' Piano
Marimba (re-it)
Harp
Cathedral Chimes
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Orchestra Bells (re-it)
Sleigh Bells
Chrysoglott
Sub Octave Coupler
Octave Coupler
Solo to Great
Great Second Touch
16' Ophicleide
8' Tibia Clausa
Octave
Solo to Great
Solo to Great - Pizzicato
10 Double Touch Adjustable Combination Pistons
SOLO
16' Tibia Clausa
16' Diaphone
16' Ophicleide
8' Trumpet
8' Tuba Horn
8' Diaphonic Diapason
8' Tibia Clausa
8' Clarinet
8' Orchestral Oboe
8' Kinura
8' Saxophone
8' String
8' Oboe Horn
8' Quintadena
4' Clarion
4' Piccolo
Cathedral Chimes
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Ochestral Bells (re-it)
10 Double Touch Adjustable Combination Pistons
TREMULANTS (5)
Main
Solo
Vox Humana
Tibia Clausa
Tuba - Diaphone
GENERAL
Two Expression Pedals with Indicating Keys
One Balanced Crescendo Pedal
Thunder Pedal (Diaphone) - Piano Pedal
Thunder Pedal (Reed) - Piano Pedal
One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal - Piano Pedal
- 1st Touch, Full Stops (wind)
- 2nd Touch, Everything
One Double Touch Sforzando Pedal - Piano Pedal
- 1st Touch, Snare Drum
- 2nd Touch, Bass Drum and Cymbal
CHEEK BUTTONS
Auto Horn
Steamboat Whistle
Two Birds, One in each Expression Box
Fire Gong
Horse Hoofs
