The Robert-Morton organ which was installed in the Hollywood Hills mansion of actor/comedian Charles Chaplin was produced in 1923, during a period of financial upheaval for the Van Nuys firm.  At this time, for several months, the company actually changed its name to the American Photoplayer Company (after its Berkeley, California subsidiary operation).  The factory was even shut down for a few months.

Still, although it was a small instrument, it was apparent that this was a prestige job for Robert Morton, and there are indications that the organ was assembled hastily.  The lowest note of one set of string pipes bears the typical Morton paper label identifying the job it was made for; in this case. Piedmont High School.  That name was scratched out and replaced with "Charles Chaplin", suggesting that the rank was "swiped" from the Piedmont job to allow the Chaplin job to be finished quickly.

The Chaplin mansion was called "Breakaway House" by Chaplin's friends, because it began falling apart almost as soon as it was finished.  Chaplin, a notorious penny-pincher (not surprising given his impoverished childhood), had his studio carpenters and journeymen build the house for him, as a means of saving money.

The chamber space provided for the organ was obviously tight.  It had two swell openings (visible in the photograph of the room), and it seems that one reservoir served the needs of the entire organ.  The existence of a second reservoir is possible, but not apparent from an examination of the extant winding.  The Dulciana offset octave was mitered at its two lowest notes,  and almost the entire bottom octave of the Salicional was mitered in half, because it had to sit on the manual chest!  The Bourdon is also very crowded onto its chest, in a somewhat haphazard-appearing but obviously original arrangement.  You can see this in the photos of the Solo organ elsewhere on this site.

The original Morton console, now gone, appears to have a had a roll player.  Note the inset portion of the stoprails which is just visible in the photos below.  This suggests that the unification of the organ was limited, since it allowed room for fewer stops.

The resources of the organ were:

Open Diapason 8    //    Melodia 8    //    Stopped Diapason 16 (down to the Bass Flute)    //    Tibia Clausa 4?   //   Dulciana 8    //    Salcicional 8    //    Vox Humana 8    //    Oboe Horn 8

The Chaplin organ probably left the mansion around 1952, when Chaplin's daughter came back to the United States to liquidate the exiled Chaplin's stateside assets.  At that time, the mansion was sold to another actor (Burt Lancaster?), and shortly thereafter, it is likely that the organ was removed.  It found its way to the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, in Lodi, California, probably with a new console, and less the Tibia Clausa.   From Emmanuel, it went into storage and ultimately was sold to Manuel Rosales, from whom I acquired it.