Organizer, The Wurlitzer is still in place and I think somewhat playable. The NY Theater Organ Society is trying to negotiate access to the instrument with the new operators for repair, maintainence, and hopefully to eventually have the instrument played somewhat regularly. I played the wurlitzer back in ‘71 and it has a wonderful unique sound that would be a shame to lose in it’s orignal theater. It would not sound the same anyplace else. Oh, BTW, the organ had work done before I played it and the delay in sounding was reduced considerably.
Thanks. I remember ‘that’ one now. Being north of Main St., it didn’t draw as much attention. Do you know how large it was and when it actually came down? I do know it had an 8 rank wurlitzer installed, so it must have been over 800-1000 seats?
Roger, Thanks for filling in some of the blanks. I knew of this theater just before it closed, but never did visit it. When you live in the area, some things just don’t seem important.
Did this theater also go under the name “Rockland Theater”?
Phil
commented about
Cinema 4on
Jan 26, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Is there a chance any pictures of the original auditorium exist?
Phil
commented about
Cinema 4on
Jan 26, 2006 at 5:51 am
Could this have been originally the “South Hills” theater in Dormont, Circa 1927-8?
The Bergen Theater had a WurliTzer Stlye B, 2 manual, 4 rank theater organ installed August 12th, 1926. During the war effort, all the metal pipework was removed. The console, blower, and relay, entombed under the covered orchestra pit and in the basement crawlspace, were destroyed by repeated basement flooding. The remains of the organ were sold “as-is” in the early 1970’s.
Organizer, The Wurlitzer is still in place and I think somewhat playable. The NY Theater Organ Society is trying to negotiate access to the instrument with the new operators for repair, maintainence, and hopefully to eventually have the instrument played somewhat regularly. I played the wurlitzer back in ‘71 and it has a wonderful unique sound that would be a shame to lose in it’s orignal theater. It would not sound the same anyplace else. Oh, BTW, the organ had work done before I played it and the delay in sounding was reduced considerably.
Thanks. I remember ‘that’ one now. Being north of Main St., it didn’t draw as much attention. Do you know how large it was and when it actually came down? I do know it had an 8 rank wurlitzer installed, so it must have been over 800-1000 seats?
Roger, Thanks for filling in some of the blanks. I knew of this theater just before it closed, but never did visit it. When you live in the area, some things just don’t seem important.
Did this theater also go under the name “Rockland Theater”?
Is there a chance any pictures of the original auditorium exist?
Could this have been originally the “South Hills” theater in Dormont, Circa 1927-8?
The Bergen Theater had a WurliTzer Stlye B, 2 manual, 4 rank theater organ installed August 12th, 1926. During the war effort, all the metal pipework was removed. The console, blower, and relay, entombed under the covered orchestra pit and in the basement crawlspace, were destroyed by repeated basement flooding. The remains of the organ were sold “as-is” in the early 1970’s.