Hicks used his fortune from these shows to commission the building of the Aldwych Theatre in 1905 and the Hicks Theatre in 1906, opening the latter with a new hit show, "The Beauty of Bath". His stage performances were less successful in later years, and he opted instead to star in music hall tours, including "Pebbles on the Beach" (1912). He continued to write light comedies, the most popular of which was "The Happy Day" (1916). On film, he first appeared in "Scrooge" and "David Garrick" both from 1913. Later notable films included "The Lambeth Walk" (1939) and "Busman's Honeymoon" (1940), and his last film was in the year of his death, 1949.