OPUS 525 THE MILLER WURLITZER at the LITTLE RIVER STUDIO

NOTE: The small console in the room and the 3 ranks of pipes from the Grand Theatre in Beloit, KS. made up Mike Coup's first organ installation project, installed in 1965 in his parents' Wichita home at 12th St. and Waco Avenue and later, in 1967, in a mobile home, the "50th Street Paramount," not far from the current installation.) The console, which is not connected tothe organ and currently is not scheduled to be, is from the Fall City, Nebraska Rivoli Theatre.

The Miller Theatre opened inWichita in May, 1922, as surely the grandest theatre in the state. Designed by the Chicago architectural firm of C.W. and George Rapp in the opera house manner for which that firm became justly famous, the color scheme was deep red, white, gold, and green. For the accompaniment of silent films as well as musical presentations (both solo and with the Miller Orchestra), a Wurlitzer organ was specified for the new 1,974 seat house. It was Opus 515 of 2,238 and was of medium size, 3 manuals and 11 ranks of pipes, 96 stops, and numerous percussion instruments. It was installed in two chambers high up on both sides of the proscenium. With, a high installation with plaster grills in front of the chambers, it was about all 11 ranks could do to fill the room with sound. In the back of the orchestra floor, with the chambers well above balcony height, the organ sound was ”out in the lobby.”

Originally, the then-mahogany console sat in the middle of the orchestra pit, but was never on an elevator as was common particularly later. Sometime after talking pictures became common, the console was moved to the left corner of the pit and painted white and gold. Pipe chambers were located about 3 stories above the main floor, behind decorative grills. The opening player at the Miller was P. Hans Flath, who went on, after several years, to Kansas City, where he was the symphony conductor and music director at KMOX Radio, which had a Robert Morton organ. No recordings of Flath at the Miller exist, but he was known to favor orchestral selections. Probably the best known organist at the Miller was Raymond Shelley, a native Wichitan. In the early 1960’s, Raymond made a famous recording for Columbia Records on the Detroit Fox Wurlitzer. The Miller organ under Shelley was used for many solo presentations and radio broadcasts right up to his untimely death in 1965. From that time until the theatre was closed and demolished, the group that ultimately became Wichita Theatre Organ, Inc. (WTO) used the organ every weekend for intermission presentations with the feature film. The theatre and organ were well maintained right to the end and the Miller was always a profitable operation. The bank across the street simply wanted a parking garage more than National General Corporation wanted a downtown theatre.

On March 27, 1970, with a blizzard raging outside, Gaylord Carter gave the final performance of both the Theatre and the organ with the Harold Lloyd classic Safety Last. The WTO crew began removal of the organ the next day. It was then stored, awaiting a new home. In 1981, (WTO president) Michael and Karen Coup offered WTO a home for the Miller organ, and plans were made to add on a proper music room to their house. Restoration and installation work was started on the organ at that time. The organ has now been enlarged to almost twice its original size, 19 ranks and 212 stops. The black console is the original console in its third color configuration. To create a studio organ of all the essentials but not very much excess, the great New York Paramount Theatre Wurlitzer was used as a model for the Miller. The Style 235 pretty basic, providing the Wurlitzer ensemble and some color, but not the really characteristic color and solo sounds of the Brass Trumpet, Brass Saxophone, and Post Horn. Those ranks were added. All “small” organs were limited in their accompanimental sounds, as was very apparent with the wonderful variety on the Paramount Organ. A pair of Dulcianas were specified for the Miller, as were a Horn Diapason and Quintadena. To fill out the ensemble, a celeste was added to the Salicional and a second vox was included. Now, that should make 20 ranks, but with room being at a premium, the Kinura was left out. Organ Specifications (ranks and stoplist): Michael C. Coup Installation, winding & Uniflex relay installation: Ed Zollman Tonal finishing Console: Michael C. Coup Chamber: Ed Zollman.

Thanks to Karen Coup for this information.

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