Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Thomas G. Moses worked with Chas. H. Miles from 1908 to 1917, designing and delivering scenery to many of his theaters across the country. We know for certain that in 1910, 1913 and 1915, Sosman & Landis delivered scenery to the Miles Theater in Detroit. During 1917 Moses wrote, “Went to Cleveland June 21st [1917) to see Miles regarding a picture set for the Miles Theatre.” By August, Moses met with Miles in Detroit, receiving a contract for the Regent Theatre. Two weeks after the Regent contract, Moses was back to Cleveland to meet with Miles concerning more scenery for the Grand Theatre. Each of these projects was a sizable contract, ranging between $2,800 and $2,90. That’s today’s equivalent of $58,000 per project.
Later in 1911 Moses recorded, “Inspected the New Grand and it is very good indeed. Miles is very proud of it, and I don’t blame him.” Miles’ was a mover and shaker, opening one theater after another during the early twentieth century. For quite a while, Thomas G. Moses of Sosman & Landis Studio, was the preferred source for theater scenery in venues owned and operated by Charles H. Miles.
Newspapers reported that Miles’ success was based on “Planning for everybody,” in other words, constructing combination houses with continuous vaudeville presenting both live theatre and movies. The “Pittsburgh Press” reported, “And this is how Mr. Miles went about his unique policy. First he planned for the business of boy and girl downtown who had contracted the ‘movie’ habit, and all of whom dearly love to patronize picture houses during their ‘hour-off’ at noon. Then he took into consideration the housewife on her almost daily shopping and marketing tour – the woman who has time to see a film or two, or perhaps, two or there acts of vaudeville. Then came the children on their way home from school, who have their nickels and dimes for a little fun. And finally, the grown-up people who have some special vaudeville favorite they wish to see, and those who come to witness the entire bill. Here we, indeed, have all sorts and conditions of pleasure-seekers. To adequately provide for each and all of them was not a very easy task. Mr. Miles’ solution of the problem resulted in the invention of a schedule that straightway revolutionized vaudeville. Here is an outline of the workings of this schedule, which will be put into effect in the new Miles Theater in Pittsburgh tomorrow evening. All daily performances commence with a continuous matinee from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. This matinee consists of pictures from 12:30 to 2:30 with an admission price of 10 cents, and of vaudeville and pictures from 2:30 to 5:30, for admission of 10 and 20 cents. The house extends an invitation to those who wish to come at 12:30 to sit through the entire matinee until 5:30p.m. – a five hour show for 10 cents and 20 cents! In the evening there will be two complete vaudeville and picture shows, from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., with an admission price of 10, 20 and 30 cents” (18 Oct. 1914 page 39). Today’s equivalent of 10 to 30 cents prices are $2.54 to $7.63, a very affordable entertainment, much more so than seeing a movie today. They were making money based on volume of sales.
In 1914, newspapers across the country featured Miles and his new Pittsburgh theater “The Pittsburgh Press” reported, “Mr. Miles is first, last and all the time, a man of action. Discommoded beyond endurance during one of his visits to Hibbing, he acquired a hotel site, appointed a manager and straightway made all arrangements for a comfortable hotel before he left town. To increase the patronage of this hotel, when was named for him, Mr. Miles started a small vaudeville house next to it. The little theater first revealed to him the possibilities of the show business, since it earned between $200 and $500 weekly. Unfortunately, the combined venture ended disastrously after a few years, the entire structure – hotel and theater – being gutted by fire. By this time, Mr. Miles had learned what profit was in the theatrical business, and 13 years ago [1901] he took over the Majestic Theater in St. Paul – one of the original vaudeville houses in that city –a show in connection with a beer garden. He turned it into a first-class vaudeville house, catering especially to women and children, a policy, which is especially characteristic of all the Mile houses. This venture in St. Paul gave birth to he present-day circuit of Miles theaters throughout the west. Mr. Miles now owns theaters in almost every city in the west. Among the most celebrated houses I his chain are the Miles theater in Detroit, the Hippodrome in Minneapolis, the Crystal theater in Milwaukee, the Hippodrome in St. Louis, the Garden in Kansas City and the Miles theater in Cleveland. “ Of the Miles theatre circuit, the article noted, “It goes without saying that the vaudeville acts that will be put on at the Miles Theater this winter are all of the highest class. They will be booked through the largest agency in New York and Chicago, and branches, agents and managers all over the world who are trained to be on the lookout day and night for acts that are considerably out of the ordinary. Thus Miles representatives are enabled to secure absolutely the best and most expensive acts, since Mr. Miles and his affiliations control over 100 houses, and can assure performers steady work for an almost indefinite length of time. For that matter, Mr. Miles is today recognized as the most expert vaudeville connoisseur in America; and it is his personal selection of most acts that he books that has lifted his entertainment far ways and above the average run of variety” (Pittsburgh Press, 18 Oct. 1914 page 39).
To be continued…
