“Over 7,700 Sparkling Lights!”

“Guess What’s Coming” – Those were the words on the new sign outside the first Organ Grinder restaurant, located in Portland, Oregon, as it was nearing completion in 1973.

Pipe Dreams and Pizza Crusts is a new documentary about the weird and wonderful (and loud!) Organ Grinder restaurants in Portland and Denver.

The much-beloved establishments featured gigantic Wurlitzer pipe organs, monkeys, mascots, arcade games, and more!

The Organ Grinder elevated the “pipe organ and pizza” concept to heights not seen before or since, drawing thousands of patrons, with lines around the block.

But today, the Organ Grinder, and many places like it, are gone. What happened?

This film will chronicle the rise and fall of the restaurants in Portland and Denver, the organs, and all the people (and other primates) involved.

Fifty years later, the original co-founder and several others who were there at the beginning have shared their compelling stories on-camera, and a wide of array of archival materials have been made available to the project. Fans and staff have also been interviewed. There is MUCH to this story that the public has never heard before.

Have a Peek

Here’s the first teaser trailer, based on just what’s been gathered so far. It gives a taste not only of the excitement and joy that the Organ Grinder provided, but also of the colorful back-story, drama, and hardships.

Pipe Dreams and Pizza Crusts – Teaser Trailer #1

What’s Needed

The Road Trips

I have roughed out plans for trips to to multiple locations that are relevant to the story, divided into five journeys:

West Coast

• Northern Washington – The original sign for the Organ Grinder miraculously still exists and is outside a defunct cafe in a small town. I have permission from the current owners to film it.
• Gig Harbor, WA – A large pipe organ in contemporary residence known as “Wurlitzer Manor” is maintained by two key individuals from the Organ Grinder, who have agreed to be interviewed.
• Southern Oregon Coast – One of the original Organ Grinder performers, who was there from opening day all the way through the final closing night, and is still playing the organ today.
• Bay Area, CA – Picking up shots of the locations of the first generation of “pizza & pipe organ” restaurants that inspired the Organ Grinder, as well as “Then & Now” shots of where a historic theater that is involved in the Organ Grinder story once stood.
• Los Angeles, CA – An Organ Grinder performer from the Denver location with interesting stories to tell, who is now regularly playing at Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A. There is also the Bandrika Studios Barr-Fox Wurlitzer, which is used in many big Hollywood films today.
• Palm Springs, CA – There is an optional opportunity to interview a well-known television celebrity who used to attend the Organ Grinder regularly back in the day.

Southwest & Rockies

• Las Vegas, NV – A private estate where portions of the Organ Grinder, including the console from Denver, now reside.
• Mesa, AZ – Organ Stop Pizza – an establishment that is still operating today, and which acquired some noteworthy components from the Organ Grinder, including the colorful 32′ tall “diaphone” pipes that gave the organ its rumbling, neighborhood-rattling bass. Organ Stop is one of only two remaining “pizza & pipe organ” restaurants in the United States.
• Denver, CO – An interview with one of the original (and possibly the youngest) Organ Grinder performers. Interviews with Denver fans/patrons, and research local TV and newspaper archives. “Then & Now” shot of the Denver Organ Grinder location.

Midwest

• Greenfield, WI – Organ Piper Pizza is another of the two remaining “pizza & pipe organ” establishments. Organist Nick Frame performs there and we hope to get his views on the future of the instrument, and of the restaurant format.
• Franklin, WI – Carma Labs. Did you know that the Carmex factory is home to one of the largest Wurlitzer pipe organs in the world? This location is an example of what people are doing today to keep theatre organs alive, in a most unusual venue.
• Barrington, IL – Sanfilippo Foundation. This magnificent estate houses an amazing collection of musical instruments including all kinds of mechanical organs & music boxes, as well as a gigantic theatre organ. Numerous performers make the pilgrimage, including some with connections to the Organ Grinder.
• Central Michigan – For our chapter on those who collect and restore pipe organs personally, there is a private residence which is filled on 3 stories with a Wurlitzer pipe organ. The owner’s story will shed light on what motivates people to restore and care for these instruments – at great personal expense.
• Indianapolis, IN – “Then & Now” shot of the location of the Paramount Music Palace, a beloved venue run by two people who went on to be key Organ Grinder performers and staff.

Northeast

• Atlantic City, NJ – The Boardwalk Hall Organ, arguably the largest pipe organ of any kind in the world, which has been in a continuous process of restoration and maintenance for decades. See what it takes to maintain this beast.
• Philadelphia, PA – The Wanamaker Organ in Macy’s Department Store. Also one of the very largest in the world, in this unique venue the organ fills multiple floors of the building, and has been seen in multiple feature films.
• Boston, MA – “Then & Now” shots of two locations critical to the early Organ Grinder story. The Metropolitan Theatre (now the Wang Theatre), where an instrument was rescued to be used in the Organ Grinder, and the Ritz Carlton around the corner, where an Organ Grinder co-founder and his assistant were kicked out for being grungy.
• Groton, MA – Shanklin Music Hall – The console and some of the pipes from the Portland Organ Grinder now reside here and can be enjoyed by the public at concerts and events.

Hawaii (Yes, Hawaii!)

• Honolulu – One of the co-founders of the Organ Grinder now lives in the Honolulu area and has stories to tell about the early beginnings and about the fate of the Denver location.
• Another Organ Grinder co-founder once owned a fabulous ocean-front home where Organ Grinder employees were taken on trips, and celebrities mingled. We are attempting to get in touch with the current owner for filming.
• Maui – A Hollywood celebrity was a close friend and neighbor of an Organ Grinder co-founder. That person’s surviving partner lives on Maui and has Organ Grinder experiences to share from both locations.

The Hawaii trip is already partially funded, thanks to a very good friend who is contributing her frequent flyer miles for the main journey, and has arranged a place to stay on Maui at a friend’s house. However, this trip will require island hopping, rental cars, and rental of a venue to film the main interview. Thus, your support is needed.

(Notes: While these are the trip plans, not everyone has yet agreed to an interview, and specific locations may not be available at times or may have filming restrictions. Some trips could be combined to save on expenses, although it’s difficult to be away from home more than 2 weeks at a time.)

Additional Needs

There are further needs to complete the production in the areas of storage media, equipment, and software, as well as a remote interview which will be conducted by a small crew in the United Kingdom.

First, there is the issue of music. I want to feature as much Organ Grinder music in the film as possible, and I’ve been given access to a large archive of recordings. However, one of the things that made the Organ Grinder special is that they played contemporary music – pop songs and movie themes – and these are subject to copyright.

Licenses are required to use music in the film, and they aren’t cheap. I am in contact with a firm that specializes in negotiating licenses for films, which will help manage the process and help keep the prices under control, but there is only so much they can do.

Speaking of music, someone who was inspired by the Organ Grinder and who is now a film composer, has made a generous offer to score and perform incidental music for the film at a very low cost-per-minute. You can hear their music in the trailer, above, which is a blend of Organ Grinder recordings and his new music, made custom for the trailer.

Next, there is a goal of constructing a small standing set which will resemble a table and surrounding walls from the Organ Grinder. There are dozens of fans with short anecdotes to share, and it isn’t practical to schedule formal shoots at varying locations just to grab a few words. (Plus, people don’t always want a camera crew coming to their home or workplace.) With a standing set, people can come in at their leisure, with everything all set up to record them, and be in and out in a few minutes. Think of it like the “confession booth” on a reality TV show.

Finally, there are the needs for premiering the film for backers and at festivals, including renting a venue, and paying the aforementioned music licenses.

The Budget

Here is the total estimated budget to finish the film. In the interest of brevity, I won’t present every line item here, but in the interest of transparency, a more thorough listing is available on the project web site:

https://www.pipedreamsfilm.com/transparency/

Again, please check the web site for more budget detail. A lot of planning has gone in to minimizing cost, and keeping what’s most critical, interesting and entertaining in mind. There are also fallback plans in case the fundraising goal isn’t reached, prioritizing the core story.

The Perks!

Now for the fun stuff… A variety of fun perks have been created to give backers something they can enjoy and show off with pride, from posters to CDs, your name or even the logo of your business appearing in the film’s credits.

First and foremost…

“At the Organ Grinder” 3 1/2 Volume CD Collection!

I am so excited to announce this “special backer edition” CD collection. This, in my opinion, is the best perk for any Organ Grinder fan.

Multiple albums were recorded over the years at both the Portland and Denver locations. These albums were released on vinyl (and later on cassette) and were much beloved by patrons. Out-of-print for decades, most people’s well-loved copies of these albums have worn out or have been lost. Now, the original recording engineer, Dennis Hedberg, has made CD masters for the original two Portland albums and the Denver album. Plus, Dennis has unearthed 16 minutes of previously unreleased tracks from Denver, which are included in this set.

You get an attractive folding Digipak storage case, and a commemorative 10-page color booklet with photos, bios, and track listings.

For full details about the CDs, including a track listing, visit the project web site.

But that’s not all – the original performers featured on the album have agreed to forego royalties and instead have a portion of the proceeds go to fund various youth programs sponsored by the American Theatre Organ Society. When you back the film by selecting this perk, 20% of the net proceeds will go directly to training and supporting the next generation of theatre organists!

Posters and Postcards

Many of you may remember the iconic “Console on the Lake” poster from the Portland location. Not only do we have a beautiful update of that poster with a crisp new photo of Trillium Lake, there is now the poster that Denver never had, featuring Denver’s console in Rocky Mountain National Park. The posters are 18″ x 24″, which is a common size found today for ready-made frames. Optionally, you can select to have the filmmaker’s autograph near the bottom of the poster.

The Postcard Pack features 10 full-color cards, 2 each of 5 designs. Keep one of each for yourself, and mail a note to a friend!

More Perks

Beyond physical merchandise, you can have a signed certificate-of-thanks, in a presentation certificate holder, all the way up to sponsorships featuring your logo in the closing credits and on the web site.

There are opportunities to be listed as a producer in the credits, including getting your own IMDB listing. (Subject to IMDB rules – there’s always rules!) Some of the producer packages entitle you to participate in a live stream of a prerelease version of the film and give your feedback.

There’s even one spot for a “Big (Monkey) Business Sponsor” who will have their logo displayed full-screen at the start of the film, just like a Hollywood releasing company.

Perk Bundling

All of the perks at $50 and above feature screen credit in the film. If you select multiple smaller perks that total $50 or more, you will also get a screen credit. And there are bundle packages that offer savings over selecting perks individually.

The Premiere

Backers who contribute $100 or more will be invited to attend a premiere screening in the Portland metro area. (Assuming the music licensing terms permit a formal screening, which is the goal.)

Risks & Challenges

As with any film production, there are risks. I’ve tried to consider as many angles as possible to mitigate risk, but risk cannot be completely eliminated.

• Something could happen to me. That goes with being a solo filmmaker. I have given instructions to my spouse that in the event I am physically unable to work on the film, that a qualified filmmaker with a similar passion be given the materials so that the project can be completed.
• Something could happen to my spouse. My husband has a good, steady job, and that’s what’s been keeping our household afloat while I chase this dream. If for some reason he can’t work full-time, then I will have to resume my regular business to make up for the lost income. This doesn’t mean the film won’t get completed, but it does mean that the process will take much longer, since I will have to squeeze in production on weekends.
• Something could happen to the footage. I have been keeping three separate backup copies of everything. As a set of 3 drives fills up, one is taken to off-site storage, to mitigate the risk of fire or theft. Nonetheless, an earthquake or nuclear blast in the vicinity might cause problems!
• People who have not yet been interviewed may become unavailable due to health reasons. Already during this production, four separate individuals have been in the hospital (not due to the production!) The Organ Grinder was founded 50 years ago and many of the principal subjects have gotten older along with the rest of us, and that comes with greater health risks.
• People may back out at the last minute. I may travel all the way to another state, only to discover that someone no longer wishes to participate (as is their right). While the number of nights stayed in a particular area will decrease, the expenses of getting to-and-from will still be incurred.
• As mentioned earlier, it is necessary to negotiate and secure licenses to use copyrighted music which was performed at the Organ Grinder. If a major publisher decides to say “no”, then the amount of genuine Organ Grinder music in the film will be limited, and substitute music will have to be purchased or commissioned.
• There could be legal challenges. Although it is not anticipated – I’ve been very careful about licensing and release forms, it is possible that a person or entity may contest what is depicted in the film. Additionally, some old footage and clippings are being used under a “fair use” context, as provided for in the copyright law. However, “fair use” can be contested, and even if I am in the right, the cost of a lawsuit could sink the production.
• The crowdfunding campaign fails to reach its goal. I have contingency plans to cut various aspects of the production, and get something out with just the core story. However, it won’t be the best film it can be. The goal set in this campaign represents a realistic middle ground – not extravagant, not dull.

Get involved!