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Preface and Acknowledgments
- The University Press of Kentucky
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Richard Fleischer xi PrefaceandAcknowledgments The phone in my office in Los Angeles got out no more than two rings before I answered. “Hello,” I squeaked, pretending to be wide awake. The phone responded with: “Can you tell me if . . .” “MAX WILK,” I shouted. “It’s MAX WILK!” “How did you know that?” Wilk asked in genuine astonishment. “That’s easy,” I replied. “All you have to do is listen to that drawling ‘New York–ese’ for a couple of minutes. You’ll never wash it out of your ears.” To make sense out of this conversation, you have to know that Max Wilk and I attended the Yale School of Drama together for three years. We became good, lifelong friends. Sometimes years go by with no contact, but when we meet again, we always pick up where we left off—with lots of laughs since Max Wilk became, and remains, one of this country’s most prolific and wittiest writers, with many best sellers to his name. Anyhow, Wilk jumped into the reason for his call. He’d heard through the grapevine that I had written a book about my father, and he’d love to get a glimpse. It didn’t take much urging. An express package was on its way that evening. A day xii Foreword or two later Wilk phoned again. He’d like to have some more friends read it too. Another couple of days went by, and I received calls from some well-connected friends of Wilk’s. A few more weeks went by, and Larry Mirisch, a young man whom I’ve known since he was a boy and who is now one of the most successful agents in Hollywood, contacted me. Could he send a manuscript to a person I’d never met? Finally, I found myself talking on the phone about my book to a lady named Leila Salisbury, the marketing manager of the University Press of Kentucky, and her film acquisition assistant, John Hussey. And after that it was a hop, skip, and jump to contract signing. I use this long-winded summary to demonstrate how dedicated people can move things right along, so a loud and long thank-you for your dedication to this book to Max Wilk, Stanley Handman (a partner and whiz of a lawyer), Larry Mirisch, and Sarah Stanick (assistant extraordinaire who knows where everything is and how to use it); as well as Leila Salisbury, John Hussey, Ira Skutch (for his moral support), and Ann Berns (for her cheerful encouragement); and, finally, Mark Fleischer (son and lawyer extraordinaire), Bruce Fleischer and Jane Reid (lawyers and son and daughter extraordinaire), my wife, Mickey (for urging me on), and, of course, the one and only Max Fleischer. xii Preface and Acknowledgments [54.234.146.26] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 16:44 GMT) Richard Fleischer xiii Out of the Inkwell xiv Foreword ...