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While the plaque mainly contains facts about the historical background and importance of the instrument, it also pays tribute to the efforts of CATOE, which resulted in the 1975 re-premiere of the organ after it had been abandoned for nearly 25 years. All CATOE members should be extremely proud of the part that we have played in saving this extraordinary example of the theater pipe organ and should be equally enthused about the ongoing efforts that we will be undertaking to have the instrument professionally rebuilt. As the plaque points out, the Chicago Wurlitzer, under the direction of its 1st organist, the incomparable Jesse Crawford, was extensively altered and enhanced from the way it was shipped from the factory. It is worth restating for those newer members, just why the Chicago Theater sound is so historically important.
When purchased by the fledgling firm of Balaban and Katz for their flagship Capitol Theater, (a small name change occurred before the upright was installed), opus 434 was to be a model 285 special of 4 manuals and 32 ranks which included a never installed 3 rank echo division. John Landon points out in his book on Jesse Crawford, that the Chicago Wurlitzer was probably 22 ranks on opening day. From that day on the organ and the sounds it produced were a continuos experiment by Crawford and the Wurlitzer factory, eventually leading to the addition of the solo Tibia and its mutation stops (1 3/5 2 2/3 etc) along with 6 other ranks. These Tibia sounds along with the other changes and additions became wildly popular and at Crawford's suggestion, Wurlitzer began to design its remaining instrument around the Chicago Theater's sound. Because of Jesse Crawford's popularity at the Chicago Theater, his unique ballad style and the marketing savvy of the Wurlitzer company (gee dad, it's a Wurlitzer) the Chicago Theater sound became THE theater organ sound to be copied and Wurlitzer replaced many of its competitors' fine instruments over the next few years.
As Movie going gained in popularity, so did the theater organ. Jesse Crawford eventually married the young organist from across State Street at the Roosevelt Theater, Helen Anderson. Wurlitzer added a second console in 1923 and the Crawford's duet performances were another national first for the theater. The theater organ was on its way to becoming a solo instrument, no longer tied to the orchestral voicing needed to fill in for the orchestra. Later Wurlitzers became brighter and more brassy, like CATOE's Oriental Theater Wurlitzer. While many of these sister Wurlitzer (and even some cousin organs) went on to achieve fame on their own, such as the Oriental Wurlitzer or the New York City Time Square Paramount, affectionately known as the Dowager Empress, it is the Chicago Theater Wurlitzer that is the mother of these great instruments. As an early Wurlitzer, built before there was even a hint of talking films, the Chicago's organ was built specifically to support and augment the large pit orchestra that a deluxe house employed. It did double duty by allowing the orchestra to take a break while continuing to fill the auditorium with the lush sounds the audience expected. This was the flagship of the B & K theater chain and it had to be the best. (continued in next column)
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