I am pleased and very proud to pay taxes to support the public libraries that make a book like this possible. Those libraries include the Beverly Hills Public Library, Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Los Angeles Public Library, New York City Public Library, and West Hollywood Public Library. Also essential to my research were such private institutions as the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the One Institute at the University of Southern California. Their librarians are my saviors.
I’m indebted to all the people whom I interviewed for this book, especially Michael Childers, who shared not only his memories but his magnificent photographs.
Peter Bloch, Holly Millea, and Stephen M. Silverman were early supporters who made invaluable suggestions regarding what I wrote. And Denise Smaldino designed a mock-up book cover that aided immensely in helping to find a publisher.
Above all, this book would not be a book without my agent, Eric Myers at the Spieler Agency; my editors, Cal Morgan and Denise Oswald at HarperCollins; and my photo guru, Howard Mandelbaum at Photofest.