We refer to early theatrical movies as silent films, but they were never presented silently in theaters. In high-class theaters movies were accompanied by an orchestra, and in small towns a piano player provided music and maybe some sound effects. Then Robert Hope-Jones developed the theater organ by electrifying and expanding a church pipe organ to include percussion and sound effects pipes. With a theater organ, a single organist could provide the music of an orchestra plus sound effects for movies! Hope-Jones wasn't much of a businessman, but Rudolph Wurlitzer, who bought the company, was. In the early 1920s, organs were rapidly being installed in theaters across the US. Seeing the latest Hollywood film with a skilled organist providing the soundtrack live on an instrument that may have thousands of pipes was a magical experience, but it didn't last long. The first "talkie" came out in 1927, and theater organ sales ground to a halt.
However, today there are still around a hundred musicians who are skilled in playing a theater organ, but only a handful who make a living doing so. The American Theater Organ Society (ATOS) would like you to experience cinema the way it was presented in the early 20th century, and works to preserve existing theater organs and promote their use. Smithsonian explains what makes a theater organ so special, and has a rundown of eight places where you can still enjoy old movies accompanied by a live organ performance. This would be well worth a road trip this summer.
(Image credit: Andypiper)