Chucky and Child’s Play is getting a remake this summer. Annabelle’s coming home as well in a new movie of her own. Haunted dolls are no stranger to horror movies, but they’re just fiction, right? Maybe… Maybe not.
One doll, Robert the doll, has been a source of curiosity and perhaps even a little fear, for more than 100 years. An innocent looking figure in a sailor’s outfit, Robert was given to Robert Eugene Otto by his grandfather when he was just a little boy. The human Robert was said to have been a strange man, and artist by trade. He held onto his doll until his death in 1974.
Over the years, supernatural occurrences were often reported around Robert the doll. Reportedly, Robert could move on his own, even changing his facial expression. In quiet rooms, giggling is sometimes heard, seemingly emanating from Robert. Those that get too close to Robert are said to meet misfortune soon after.
Why and how Robert the doll became haunted is a mystery. Some stories claim the doll was tied to voodoo and cursed. Another legend says that, as a boy, the human Robert was always blaming his doll for his mistakes. It seems that human Robert pulled this trick one time too many and Robert the doll was angered and began lashing out.
Whatever the truth, Robert the doll remains a figure of fascination. You can visit him at the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida. If you do, I wouldn’t worry too much. You’ll probably be alright.