Grover George (1887-1958) was an American stage magician who spent much of his career touring South and Central America during the early 20th century. Born in Zanesville, Ohio, he became fascinated with magic at a young age and supported himself through college by performing. In the 1920s he expanded his show by acquiring the rights to William “Doc” Nixon’s illusion act Hong Kong Mysteries, forming the Mysteries Production Company and touring larger theaters.
During the era when Howard Thurston dominated the American magic scene, George reportedly struggled to secure bookings in the United States. Magic lore holds that Thurston spoke negatively about him to theater managers, which made it difficult for George to play major venues. Facing limited opportunities at home, George took his show abroad and toured extensively through South and Central America, where his large illusion program found strong audiences.
A young Paul Rosini worked with George during this period, gaining experience before later becoming one of the most celebrated sleight-of-hand magicians of his era. Later in life George returned to the United States and performed in smaller venues before eventually returning to South America, where he continued entertaining audiences until the end of his career.