Louis Nikola(1878-1936)
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Louis Nikola, born as Walter James Obree Smith, in 1878, Southampton, UK, was a British magician, shadowist, actor, writer and director. He published some magic in Volume XXI of The Boy's Own Paper in 1898-99 with a series titled The "B.O.P." Magician', the first of a number of magical contributions to that journal. Walter Smith became a professional magician in 1901, using the stage name Louis Nikola, a persona he found in the Guy Boothby's Dr Nikola books. He performed around the world and was known for his many inventions. Among his magical highlights he performed the best Card Castle. After spreading the cards on the tray, he'd cover it with a silk....the silk would rise slowly and when at its zenith, Nikola would carefully remove the silk to reveal the card castle. As he walked away he would deliberately bump the tray and the castle would collapse, giving evidence to its delicate construction. The film industry in Britain discovered him in 1913 and cast him as magician and spiritualist. Walter James Obree Smith died in South Harrow, London on Nov. 11, 1936.