I will forever be indebted to the many people who helped in the preparation of this book. First and foremost, I must thank my dear wife, Kathy, and my son, Philip, for their support and patience with me, especially in the last few months as my deadline seemed to stretch further and further.
I am also grateful to Dan Van Neste for his help with my research on Glenda Farrell, as well as our long telephone conversations on our mutual love of Warner Bros. movies. Michael Cohen likewise was of tremendous assistance in supplying me with numerous articles about and interviews with Ruby Keeler. Susan Caputo was also a great help in providing me with access to her vast collection of early Kay Francis films.
Several organizations were instrumental in completing this book. Most helpful was the Actors Fund Retirement Home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey—in particular, Rose Aster, who arranged my meetings with Nancy Coleman. And Howard and Ron Mandelbaum of Photofest for their assistance in selecting portraits shots of each actress and John A. Johns for donating snapshots from Ann Sheridan’s USO tour.
Naturally, this book would have been impossible without the gracious cooperation of the following people who agreed to be interviewed or responded to my queries: Henry Beckman, Rand Brooks, Ken Easdon, Tommy Farrell, Sally Forrest, Coleen Gray, Joseph Howard, Kim Hunter, Sybil Jason, Anne Jeffreys, John A. Johns, Evelyn Keyes, Jimmy Lydon, Karl Malden, Nancy Marlow-Trump, Bob Neese, Robert Osborne, Paul Picerni, Mala Powers, Frances Rafferty, Vincent Sherman, Stephen Talbot, Audrey Totter, Lieutenant James M. White, Robert Wise and Jane Withers.
Finally, there are six special people who will always have a warm place in my heart: Jane Wyman for her critical feedback and clarification of key points in her life; Olivia de Havilland for the extensive notes she provided and for answering my questions and clearing up many incidents that had previously been reported incorrectly; Andrea King and Joan Leslie, who both consented to lengthy interviews on their lives and careers; Craig Stevens, who shared many wonderful memories of his courtship and marriage to lovely Alexis Smith; and Nancy Coleman, with whom I spent many delightful hours in rapt discussion. My one regret with this project is that both she and Craig Stevens did not live long enough to see its completion, but their spirit is found throughout its pages.