 After sunset on February 13, 2026, members of the Dairyland Theatre Organ Society gathered at the Jonas home for a special event: a silent film accompanied by live organ music in a private residence. Jelani Eddington brought the 1925 comedy The Freshman to life on the home's historic theatre pipe organ, with sound resonating through the floor from the pipes below. This event brought together people from the Dairyland Theatre Organ Society and the Preserve Music Foundation. Ryan, our club president, and his wife are also part of the Preserve Music Foundation. Together, we had a great time! We walked into the home that smelled of popcorn, a great way to get in the movie mood. Before the event, we enjoyed popcorn, sweet treats, and good conversation. We want to thank our hosts, the Jonas family, for opening their home and sharing their hospitality with us. Jelani played a number to get us in the mood, then chatted about the film before heading right into it. He did a great job bringing this wonderful comedy to life. The organ, in capable hands, can draw people into the movie without stealing the show, and Jelani did that for those in attendance. About the Organ  Looking into Jonas' music room at the organ and piano. The Wurlitzer Style 230 SP is a 3-manual, 12-rank organ that began its remarkable journey as Opus 1871. It was shipped on April 20, 1928, and installed in San Francisco's El Capitan Theatre for the grand opening on June 29, 1928. There, it accompanied silent films and vaudeville acts in the 3,100-seat venue. After the theatre closed in 1957, the organ passed through several residences and theatres in California before being placed in storage in Indiana in 2005. The organ found its permanent home in rural Wisconsin in October 2021, when the Jonases installed it in a house built specifically for it. The instrument features 12 ranks of pipes totaling 888 pipes, seven percussion instruments (including xylophone, glockenspiel, and marimba), and 23 sound effects, ranging from a bird whistle to tuned beer bottles. The sound rises from the chamber below through brass grills salvaged from a historic Chicago Stop & Shop store, filling the music room with the rich tones that once entertained San Francisco moviegoers nearly a century ago. You can learn more about the organ's fascinating history and full specifications at jonaswurlitzer.com. About the Movie  The Freshman (1925) is a silent comedy starring Harold Lloyd as Harold Lamb, an earnest young man who heads to Tate University dreaming of campus popularity. Inspired by a movie character, he adopts the nickname "Speedy" and a signature greeting jig, convinced it will win friends. The "College Cad" makes Harold the butt of campus-wide pranks while Harold remains blissfully oblivious, with Peggy, his landlady's daughter, as his only real friend. Harold becomes the football team's water boy, believing he's actually on the squad. The film's most famous sequence features the Fall Frolic dance, in which Harold's suit—held together only by basting stitches—gradually falls apart as a tailor frantically repairs it from a side room. Harold ultimately finds redemption in the championship football game, scoring the winning touchdown and earning genuine popularity and Peggy's heart. Lloyd's biggest box-office hit of the 1920s, the film helped spark a wave of college comedies and was selected for the National Film Registry in 1990. About the Artist  Jelani is sharing with us information about the film and the upcoming experience. R. Jelani Eddington is a renowned concert organist and pianist celebrated for his performances on the theatre pipe organ. At 13, he became the youngest winner of the American Theatre Organ Society's Young Theatre Organist Competition. Eddington has produced over 30 albums and performed at numerous ATOS conventions. His rendition of John Williams' Star Wars Symphonic Suite has garnered over 3.4 million views on YouTube. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Indiana University. He earned a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, and currently practices law in Wisconsin while continuing to perform and teach theatre organ worldwide.  Jelani Eddington dazzled the crowd with his outstanding film accompaniment. A few more photosAre you a member? The Dairyland Theatre Organ Society enjoys sharing the theatre organ with others, but a benefit of membership is attending special events like this one! Nothing compares to participating in these smaller gatherings.
Thank you for being a member! We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. If you're not yet a member, you can join! You don't need to own or even play the organ to join our ranks. We don't even have a special handshake! All that's required is a love of these instruments, completing a form, and paying the membership fee. Join us online here / Discover more about membership options.
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 We are excited to invite you to a special afternoon at Carma Labs (the Carmex Warehouse) in Franklin, Wisconsin. Join us as organist and club member Michael Jacklin performs alongside the iconic 1927 silent film "King of Kings," directed by Cecil B. DeMille, on the world’s largest Symphonic Theatre Organ. March 29, 2026 | 3:00 PM | Free and open to the public - More details below. A Film Classic Meets Musical ArtistryDeMille's *King of Kings* portrays the life, death, and resurrection of Christ through breathtaking visual storytelling that captivated audiences nearly a century ago. Featuring over 2,000 extras in the crowd scenes alone, this film stands as a masterpiece of silent cinema. Experiencing it with live organ accompaniment is truly how it was meant to be enjoyed. Mike Jacklin expertly combines technical mastery with a deep sensitivity to music in this performance. He draws from the original score while also incorporating his own compositions, promising "a musical palette that utilizes nearly all the resources" of our renowned 4/90 Symphonic theatre organ at Carma Labs. The organ boasts an impressive 90 ranks and hundreds of stops, including a variety of sound effects and percussion instruments that organists can access from the console. This remarkable instrument can generate a wide range of sounds, from powerful pedal ranks that resonate throughout the room to delicate stops that are barely audible. Mike will showcase these capabilities during the performance.  About Michael Jacklin
King of Kings DetailsWhen: Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 3:00 PM
Where: Carmex Warehouse, 9750 South Franklin Drive, Franklin, WI 53132 Admission: FREE and open to the public Parking: On-site parking is available; however, if the event draws a large crowd, street parking may be required. Seating: Seating is limited, but there is plenty of available space. We suggest bringing a comfortable chair. If you are a long-time fan of theatre organ music or simply curious about this unique art form, now is your chance to experience the magic of silent film as audiences did during the golden age of cinema. Enjoy live music that brings every scene to life! We hope to see you there! |
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