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aCknowledgments ...................................................................................... Without the constant support, encouragement, and advice of Lea Jacobs, this book would never have been written. Her suggestions were always excellent ones, and the finished product is far better as a result of her contributions. I also wish to thank David Bordwell,Vance Kepley, Patrick Rumble, and Ben Singer, all of whom made invaluable contributions that strengthened the project immeasurably. Kelley Conway and Malcolm Turvey offered astute comments and assistance. Special thanks to Keith Cohen, whose early criticisms and suggestions were enormously encouraging. I owe a tremendous debt to Howard Prouty, Acquisitions Archivist at the Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills, who, long before I ever embarked on this project, meticulously catalogued the contents of the Frank Tashlin Collection. Howard was extremely generous in granting me access to the entire collection, and was unfailingly friendlyand helpful , to boot. Also at the Margaret Herrick Library, Barbara Hall, Jenny Romero, and Heather von Rohr helped me a great deal. Archivists all over Los Angeles were very kind in their assistance: Ned Comstock at uSc’s Doheny Memorial Library Cinema-Television Archive; Randi Hokett and Jennifer Prindiville at uSc’sWarner Bros. Archive; and Steve Ricci, Mark Quigley, and Yvonne Behrens at the ucLa Film & Television Archive. More than once, and on short notice, Schawn Belston at Twentieth Century-Fox generously provided hard-to-find research materials . At the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theatre Research, my friends Maxine Fleckner-Ducey and Dorinda Hartmann made my research fun and easy. The staffs of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Memorial Library, Gettysburg College’s Musselman Library, and Hofstra University ’s office of Faculty Computing Services provided valuable research and technical assistance. Dewey McGuire contributed ideas, suggestions, articles, and many bad puns to this project. Jerry Beck and Mark Kausler, two of the greatest friends and advocates Hollywood animation will ever have, went out of their way to arrange for me to see several rare Tashlin cartoons; without their help, my work would be seriously incomplete. xvi : a C k n o w l e d g m e n t s Joe Dante lent me his time and shared with me his vast knowledge of Tashlin and Hollywood comedy. My interview with Tony Randall took place less than a year before his death, and I was fortunate to glean some of the insights of this great actor. Roger Garcia shared his expert thoughts on Tashlin with me; Donald Crafton kindly sent me a copy of an unpublished article; Henry Jenkins helped me focus my thoughts on vaudeville comedy; and Christine Becker sent me a copy of her essay on Tashlin, which suggested numerous avenues of inquiry. Charlie Keil and Daniel Goldmark, in editing for publication an excerpt of the chapter on Tashlin’s animation, helped me bring my arguments into focus. My research trips would not have been anywhere near as enjoyable or successful without my group of terrific friends in Los Angeles. In particular , I want to thank, for their hospitality and support, Ed Lee; Bill Wolkoff; David Goodman, Tanya Ward Goodman, Theo Goodman, and the not-quite-born-by-that-point Sadie Goodman; Danielle Langston, Carl Grodach, and Otto Grodach; Martha Simmons and Carlos Jean; Henry Myers; Ari Chaet; and Bill Macomber. In Madison, Andrew Yonda, Paddy Rourke, Erik Gunneson, and Kevin French lent me their technical expertise; Linda Henzl, Kim Bjarkman , Philip Sewell, Brian Block, Dave Resha, Carlee P. Ragsdale, and Lauren R. Robinson were very generous in their support. One could not ask for a better study partner than Katherine Spring, whose intelligence is outweighed only by her kindness. Tom Yoshikami has been a great and loyal friend for years, and was always available when I needed assistance and advice. Lisa Jarvinen never failed to offer encouragement from the trenches of academic warfare. Paul Ramaeker, our man in the antipodes, has given all kinds of advice on writing, researching , and the maintenance of morale. Though Eric Levy has since moved on from Wesleyan University Press, it was his interest in my research that brought this book about, and his unflagging enthusiasm for it that helped me to get it done. Also at Wes Press, Parker Smathers and Suzanna Tamminen provided frequent and invaluable editorial assistance. I thank Amanda Dupuis and Ann Klefstad for making the book far more readable and easier on the eyes. Jay Herman has earned the rank of Wizard of Photoshop: without his help, the images for this book, so important in discussing cinematic style...

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