The Wurlitzer is a large organ, with pipes that fill an entire room. It has several layers of keys, and enough stops across the top to confuse just about anybody. And from that organ, the organist controls drums, cymbals, xylophones, sound effects, strings, horns, woodwinds, and a whole plethora of sounds. Back in the late nineteen- twenties, movies didn’t have sound, so audiences would get moving pictures with the dialog written in, and the organist would provide music to go behind the movie, complete with sound effects.

Well, those days are gone, but not for everyone. At Hokum Hall, a theater in Seattle, Washington, they’re reviving the old silent pictures, right down to the Wurlitzer organ. For the small price of twelve dollars, anyone off the street can walk in and watch such classics as the 1925 version of "The Wizard of Oz," which starred Stan Laurel (this is the pre-Victor Flemming classic, which starred Judy Garland).

Every night, the owner of Hokum Hall gets up in front of his audience and explains the movie coming up, giving all kinds of trivia and background information on the film. Then he explains the intricacies of the Wurlitzer organ and its importance to the silent film era. When he’s done, using an X10 Palm Pad Remote, he dims the lights and saunters off stage while finishing his informational monologue.

Once the lights are dimmed, the screen comes down, the organist takes his seat, and the movie begins.

No longer will you be interrupted by the guy next to you asking... "What did he say?"

"He said shhh. It’s a silent film."

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