HAUNTED MICHIGAN: Projectionist Haunts Allegan’s Regent Theater
The old Regent movie house in Allegan has a long history of hauntings.
The spirit who is responsible for most of the hauntings is called "Falky". Francis Falk was an orphan who lived with his aunt in Allegan. When he was only ten years old, Falk's aunt put him to work, nabbing him a job at the local movie house, the Star Theatre. When it closed in 1919, he found a job at the Regent.
He did everything from run concessions, cleanup, maintenance, ticket-taker and the job he did the longest, running the projectors.
Still working eighty years later in 1999, Falk passed away. The day following his funeral, another projectionist and the theater manager were leaving and looked up at the projectionist booth window; there, was the image of Falk, looking down at them, clear as day.
To this day, unexplainable occurrences continue to happen. The marquee will turn itself off, footsteps are heard walking the creaky wood floors upstairs, and an unseen hand has been felt on the shoulders of customers, as well as warm breath on the back of their necks. Employees have had an unseen presence touch/flick their hair in the same manner that Falk used to do when he was alive.
One creepy incident was experienced by a woman visiting the Regent for the first time. As she entered the theater auditorium with her friends, she saw a group of people onstage wearing clothes that resembled the fashions of the 1800's. When she asked the others what the people onstage were doing, they looked and saw no one. From then on, the woman refused to ever enter the Regent again.
Spirits of long-ago actors who aren't ready to move on? Old friends of Falks? Let's face it...we'll never know. But you can still check out the theater and maybe you'll see what scared that woman years ago.....or maybe you'll be paid a visit by Mr. Falk.
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