Historic Orinda Theatre Completes Restoration of 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ Ahead of Classic Film Series

Master pipe-organ technicians from the Northern California Theatre Organ Society and preservation stewards at the historic Orinda Theatre completed a six-month pneumatic and acoustic restoration of the venue's three-manual, sixteen-rank 1928 "Mighty Wurlitzer" theatre pipe organ on Friday afternoon inside Auditorium 1 at 4 Orinda Theatre Square. Originally built in North Tonawanda, New York during the golden age of silent cinema and installed in the 700-seat Art Deco landmark alongside Alexander Aimwell Cantin's iconic neon marquee and murals, the instrument had suffered air-pressure leaks in its leather windchest reservoirs and aging relay wiring. Over the summer and early autumn, volunteer artisans releathered 450 pneumatic pouches, regulated the 10-horsepower turbine blower in the basement chamber, and hand-voiced more than 1,100 wood and metal pipes.

In addition to traditional cathedral diapason, tibial flute, and brass trumpet pipe ranks housed behind the gilded proscenium grilles, the restored Wurlitzer controls authentic mechanical theatre percussion instruments—including a marimba harp, chrysoglott vibraphone, xylophone, sleigh bells, bass drums, and vintage silent-movie sound-effect traps. Technicians also upgraded the horseshoe console with a solid-state MIDI capture relay that lets visiting concert organists record and play back complex registration presets.

To celebrate the organ's return to full concert voice, the Orinda Theatre and the Lamorinda Arts Council will launch a monthly Sunday matinee "Pipes and Classics" series starting Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 PM. Each screening opens with a thirty-minute live Wurlitzer concert and sing-along before accompanying a restored 4K silent comedy or classic Hollywood Technicolor musical on the big screen.

The $82,000 restoration was funded through private community donations to the Friends of the Orinda Theatre Organ fund and technical grants from the American Theatre Organ Society. Moviegoing families can view the November concert and classic film calendar or reserve matinee tickets on the Orinda Theatre Official Box Office Portal.