On Halloween night in 1936, the tiny, white-haired widow of Harry Houdini made her final attempt to contact him from beyond the grave.
Beatrice "Bess" Houdini fell had in love with the escapologist and stuntman while she was working as a Coney Island dancer at just 18 years of age.
Now 60 and widowed for a decade, she took to the stage on the rooftop of Hollywood's Knickerbocker Hotel.
Before her were celebrities, a Supreme Court judge, reporters, magicians, a psychic researcher and 300 Houdini fans.
Behind her, the HOLLYWOODLAND sign — which today reads just HOLLYWOOD — lit up the skyline.
On a stand nearby were handcuffs, a pistol, writing tools and other items meant to be used by the spirits in the room.
At 8:30pm, her companion, Edward Saint, implored Houdini to make his appearan

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