Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Did a drop curtain and two gardens for Shay’s Theatre, Buffalo. “ In 1914, Buffalo was home to Shea’s Theatre and Shea’s Hippodrome. Shea’s Hippodrome on Main Street in Buffalo, a venue that opened in 1914. It is likely that the drop curtain and two garden settings were for Shea’s Hippodrome, as garden scenes were frequently used as a setting to frame a projections screen. Shea’s Hippodrome is not to be confused with the 1926 Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, a 4000-seat venue that is now known as Shea’s Performing Arts Center and features touring Broadway musicals. Shea’s Theatre hosted vaudeville acts and kinetograph pictures. Shea’s hippodrome opened in 1914 and is the focus of today’s post. The namesake for both venues, however, was an interesting man in his own right.
Michael “Mickey” Shea was born on April 17, 1859 to Daniel and Mary (Griffin) Shea. After graduating from public schools, Shea first worked on the docks as a labor. He soon found employment as a structural ironworker at the Union Iron Works before trying his hand at entertainment. It was not until 1884 that Shea started his own business, opening a saloon at 535 Elk Street in Buffalo. By 1892, he opened the Shea’s Music Hall at 11 Clinton Street in the Arcade building. Unfortunately, fire destroyed the complex the following year. This did not deter him from continuing in the entertainment business, and in 1898 he opened Buffalo’s first vaudeville theater, Shea’s Garden Theatre. By 1905, he opened another venue called Shea’s Vaudeville House on Court Street, advertising as “Shea’s – Devoted to the Highest Class of Exclusive Vaudeville Attractions.”
In 1914, Shea opened Shea’s Hippodrome on Main Street near Chippewa in Buffalo, New York. He purchased the property from B. F. Keith, who had abandoned it as a theater site some years before. The “Buffalo Courier” reported, “As soon as Mr. Shea came into possession immediate plans were made for the erection of a theater, although the policy of this house was not decided upon until the present season. (Buffalo Courier, 30 Aug, 1914, page 8). The article continued, “The photo play is attracting world-wide attention at present and Manager Shea, ever abreast of the times, has secured for his Buffalo patrons for Shea’s Hippodrome the exclusive rights to screen the dramas of the famous players.”
This was during a time when Shea expanded from vaudeville into motion pictures. When it opened, Shea’s new venue was considered one of the finest picture houses between New York City and Chicago. Theaters opened after this one by Shea included Shea’s North Park Theatre on Hertel Avenue, the Great Lakes Theatre, the Seneca Theatre, the Century Theatre, the Community Theatre, the Park Theatre, the Bailey Theatre and the Riviera Theatre in Tonawanda.
Shea’s Hippodrome opened its doors on August 31, 1914, and was advertised as “the handsomest and most complete photo-play house in America” (The Buffalo Times, 30 August 1914, page 47). The “Buffalo Times” reported, “Manager Shea has always given his patrons the best and the latest in the field of amusement that money could procure, and he is now placing in this magnificent theater the great photo-plays from the world’s greatest producers. Within the few years that the screen drama has been attracting attention of theater-goers that form of amusement has undergone a great change and that rapidly growing business is now placed on the high plane its merit deserved. Manager Shea has secured for Shea’s Hippodrome patrons the output of the Paramount Picture Corporation, which represents the best element of the various interests involved in photo-play production, Through this corporation the public is promised the best plays and the best stories, interpreted by the best talent; presented in the best theaters for the entertainment of the best people. The famous plays to be seen at Shea’s Hippodrome have been produced by such master artists as David Belasco, Daniel Frohman, Charles Frohman, Henry W. Savage, Jesse L. Lasky and Hobart Bosworth; famous stories from the pens of such popular writers as Jack London, George Barr McCutcheon, Hall Caine, Anthony Hope, Thomas Hardy, Harold McGrath and others of equal note. Those attractions from the Paramount Corporation will only be seen in Buffalo – Shea’s Hippodrome – and after their production here will not be shown at any time in any other house in the city; and for this service and privilege of exclusive use, Manager Shea is paying the sum that has that has made this same service prohibitive in any other theater in the city. The great seating capacity of Shea’s Hippodrome makes the use of this service possible, as patrons will see these great productions for the low price of admission of 10, 15 and 25 cents.”
Shea’s Hippodrome was under the management of A. R. Sherry and George Bouchard. Among the great features was the $25,000 orchestral organ that played at every performance.
To be continued…
