MILWAUKEE — For a What’s On Tap interview, WTMJ’s Sandy Maxx visited the historic Oriental Theatre to enjoy the sounds of the restored 1925 Wurlitzer organ in the main screening room. World-renowned theatre organist, Richard Hills of London, is in Milwaukee to make movie magic by performing on the Wurlitzer to musically accompany the 1927 silent film, “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog”. The movie is the third directed by Alfred Hitchcock and is part of Milwaukee Film’s current Hitchcock retrospective series.
Sandy visited with Hills to learn what his process is to prepare for playing live along to a film with a live audience, plus what attracts him to such a complicated instrument.
“When you really get into it, you forget about the keys and the stops and things and you really just think of the music and let it flow,” says Hills.
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This is a one-night only special cinema experience. The building, the film and the organ are all nearly a century old, so it is an interesting way to step back in time and be surrounded by the sights and sounds of the 1920s.
An update from Milwaukee Film says that there are still tickets available for “The Lodger” accompanied screening.
Enjoy the full conversation with Richard Hills when you watch the interview video on Facebook.
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