I am drawn to think of the early scene in Vertigo when Madeleine goes for a drive with Scottie out to the California coast and visits the redwood forest. She points to the rings in a cross-section of a huge redwood trunk on display and asks if she has lived before, or not. Trying to fix in time all the layers that have made up this book, the product of about two decades, and all the encounters that have marked it, as well as the personal vicissitudes, is as difficult and at times troubling as Madeleine’s memory of history implies. It is hard to connect each ring to a specific event or path suggested in the romantic mystery of a book’s creation. Any omissions here are entirely due to my own uncertain perceptions, and not to the lack of significance of any contribution.
Without the encouragement of Marvin D’Lugo and Marsha Kinder, whose joint seminar on Spanish Film at Clark University set me on a journey to interpret film as film, I would never have begun to teach or publish on cinema. Marvin has been a steadfast mentor. I remain ever grateful for his counsel and encouragement. At that initial seminar I also met Kathleen Vernon, Susan Martin-Márquez and Nancy Membrez, friends and models in the field of Hispanic cinemas from whom I continue to learn.
My academic life has likewise been immeasurably enriched by exchanges that have occurred during conferences, the multiple cycles of Cine-Lit in Portland, Oregon, the many panels at SCS, then SCMS, as well as LASA, not to mention more recently, Facebook. For their inspiration and support, I want to thank Guy Wood, Jaume Martí-Olivella, Malcolm Compitello, Robert Lang, Catherine Benamou, Tamara Falicov, Jeff Middents, João Vieira, Gilberto Blasini, Yeidy Rivero, Nuría Triana Toribio, Verena Berger, Deborah Shaw and Rielle Navitski.
During regular trips to Madrid, I have felt at home, and well guided, at the Spanish Film Archives. From its generations of dedicated archivists and scholars I would like to thank Dolores Devesa, Alicia Potes, Javier Herrero, Miguel Valle Inclán and Margarita Lobo. To the Ocho y Medio Bookstore, and its owners María Silveyro and the late Jesús Robles, who was already talking of translating this book when it was in its early stages, I owe a great debt for their cinematographic publications and selections, as well as for their advice and unforgettable welcome. In Spain I would also like to thank Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, with whom interviews became an ongoing conversation, the organisers of the San Sebastián Film Festival for granting me cultural credentials, and my Basque ‘family’ in Bilbao and Donostia for sharing their lives with me.
In the US I have benefited from the guidance of, and papers provided by, Jenny Romero of the USC Warner Archives, as well as from the assistance from librarians at the Widener Library, and at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. My home institution, Assumption College, has supported me through sabbaticals and Faculty Development grants for research. At Assumption I owe a special debt of gratitude to Tom Begley, who sadly passed away in 2014, for commenting on the early chapters of this book, as well as for sharing his joy in and immense knowledge of Spain and its cultural history with me over the years. For putting his faith in my project and supporting it through major pauses, I must thank Yoram Allon, Commissioning Editor at Wallflower Press.
To Elliot and Alisha, my son and daughter, whose intellects never cease to amaze me, I will always remember and cherish our times on research trips together in Madrid, Sevilla, Buenos Aires, Bogotá and Hitchcock’s San Francisco. Finally, to my husband Norman, mi Alma, who – like Hitchcock’s Alma – is the unsung but true judge and editor, who has inspired and supported me always, all my love.