The Haunted Theatre Of Boblo Island
If you haven’t heard of Smiley the magician from Boblo Island, then strap in. This one gets weird and is just in time for Halloween.
Smiley Smilovich Magician extraordinaire performed in the Boblo Theatre magic show in the late 1930s/early 1940s. His claim to fame was that he had attended Harry Houdini’s private classes and operated his backstage performances in the late 1920s. His new claim to fame may be that he still haunts the theatre to this day.
Here is the story.
The tale is that Smiley still haunts the theatre and for those brave enough to enter may just run into him like others have in the past. The story goes, Smiley was performing one of his escape trips when things went wrong. Smiley didn’t make it through the stunt. The trick he was trying was referred to as the metamorphosis trick. Smiley would get in a box, light in on fire and have to escape in the nick of time. Unfortunately, in his older age the trick didn’t work and Smiley lost his life. He was a bigger man at this time, and when he climbed into the chest, he had a heart attack and died right there.
After the death of the magician, the theatre closed for some years. Once opened again people began to see Smiley. Show goers would say from time to time Smiley would show up.
It has been rumored that people who go back and visit the theatre may have a run in with the man himself. Smiley the Magician continues to live on through ghost stories and former accounts from people who were able to gain access to the theatre.
In the video below you can see and hear an account of 3 buddies who broke in and had a run in with Smiley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8hLxkTSdrE&t=95s
There are a few different stories from Boblo Island and run ins with Smiley, Here is a longer read but a great history of what had happened.
https://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=20963
This really makes me want to go and see if I can find Smiley, I need to get some of my ghost buddies on this right away!
Remember when Ryan went to Bruce Mansion last year? Here is the video on what happened.
https://wcsx.com/2021/11/04/bruce-mansion/