”It was great fun, and those Friday and Saturday nights when the place was packed, it was amazing to feel the audience reaction,” he said. Double credits Paramount music director John Ferguson as one of the greatest teachers of theater organ style.ĭouble started at Paramount in 1979 and continued to perform during his stints as a sportscaster for WISH-8 and WRTV-6. Donna Parker, Bill Vlasak, Dwight Thomas, Patti Davidson and Ken Double had their turns at the Wurlitzer and signed autographs after their performances. Musicians enjoyed rock-star-like status at the Paramount. The pizza and pasta were fairly pedestrian, but the food was secondary to “the show.” The house lights would dim, colored lights would glow and the gold and ebony console would rise up in a slow rotation to reveal the sheer athleticism of the organist - every limb in constant motion, the organ belting out rich cathedral-like sounds while belching soap bubbles. 4,000 organ pipes were installed behind vertical glass louvers, which controlled the swell of the sound. Since the Wurlitzer was one of the largest theater organs in the nation, the 500-seat pizza restaurant had to be built around the massive organ. Whatever happened to: Riverside Amusement Park, the summer resort within city limits Whatever happened to: Longacre swimming pool It was powered by a 15 horsepower blower, which also supplied wind for the percussion instruments mounted on the walls. After the redesign, the organ had 42 ranks.
#THE MIGHTY WURLITZER ORGAN MANUALS#
The original organ had four manuals and 20 ranks (sets) of pipes. purchased the organ and had it rebuilt, enlarged and installed by the Crome Organ Co. Edward and Steve Restivo purchased the organ in 1960 for Ken’s Melody Inn in Los Altos, Calif. Originally installed in the Paramount Theater in Oakland, Calif., in 1931, the Opus 2164, was sold and placed in storage in the 1950s. When the “talkies” took over, the organs were sold or put into storage.
#THE MIGHTY WURLITZER ORGAN MOVIE#
There was a time when nearly 30 Indianapolis vaudeville or silent movie theaters used organs to add drama to Chaplin, comedy to Keaton or romance to Garbo. The music selection ranged from schmaltzy to "Star Wars" and visitors ate it up. The marimbas made you dance in your seat like Carmen Miranda and the locomotive sound made your heart pound.
Since the organ was capable of transforming into so many different instruments, you physically felt the music. The showpiece of the restaurant was the Paramount Publix I (Opus 2164), better known as the “Mighty Wurlitzer.” Located 7560 Old Trails Road (East Washington Street near I-465), Paramount Music Palace operated from 1978 to 1995. In its first two weeks of operation, nearly 25,000 people had experienced the Paramount Music Palace and lines snaked out the door and around the building. It was the spot for holiday, office and countless birthday parties.
The Paramount Music Palace is a popular topic on various Indianapolis "remember when" Facebook pages.