I’m at the Venango Museum of Art, Science and Industry and I’m admiring a 1928 Wurlitzer organ. The organ was brought to Oil City in 1929. That was the year the Latonia Theater opened. The organ was used to accompany the silent movies shown at the theater. Brandon Boocks, the executive director at the museum, explains how things worked back in those days.
“The organ would have live accompaniment,” he says. “There would be an organist who would accompany the films live. They would play all the sound effects and all the scores for the movies.”
The Silent Movie Era soon ended. The organ was not needed anymore. The Latonia closed in 1969. The beautiful instrument was acquired by local resident George Shaw. However, he stored it in his barn. It fell into disrepair. Mr. Shaw then donated it to the museum in 1988. The museum is now in the midst of a $60,000 organ restoration project which is three-quarters complete.
“The restoration we’re doing is to make the organ look and sound exactly like it once did whenever the theater first opened in 1929,”says Brandon.
The museum is having fun with its fundraising effort for the organ. It hosts Movie Nights featuring authentic silent films accompanied by the beloved Latonia Theater organ. Eric Cook is one of the organists who plays during the films.
“It’s great fun,” he exclaims. “In fact, of all the musical things I get to do, it’s the most fun to play for silent films. I love it.”
Eric takes the audience through the twists and turns of the silent movie. Lively music. Dramatic music. Suspenseful music. All created by this organ. It also provides special effects such as a doorbell, a railroad whistle, and horse hooves. It also has sound effects from a xylophone, a kettle drum, and a bass drum.
“Whatever is on the screen, my job is to supply the emotional cues and the emotional background to guide the audience through the movie,” says Eric.
It’s just like being at the Latonia Theater in 1929. The museum even has the golden peacocks that decorated the theater during those glory days of the Wurlitzer organ.
The Silent Film Nights at the museum are very popular. All five of them this year have been sold out. However, a new slate of movies will be presented in 2026. The schedule will be posted on the museum’s website and social media outlets in late winter or early spring.