ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This dissertation would not have been possible without the help, patience, indulgence, and mentoring of my committee: Prof. Nancy Blake, my committee chair; Prof. John Frayne, for whom I served as a teaching assistant for English 273: Intermediate Film Studies; and Prof. Emily Watts, who also directed my senior honors dissertation in English in 1975-76, which examined the first three novels of William Maxwell, my friend, mentor, and favorite writer. I also received significant support and mentoring from Prof. Robert L. Carringer, for whom I was the final research and editing assistant for his book The Making of Citizen Kane. Accordingly, I know a great deal about Citizen Kane. Spontaneous lectures on Citizen Kane and other films are available whenever you want and sometimes even when you do not. I also received significant support, encouragement, and patient indulgence from Prof. Janet Smarr and Prof. Michael Palencia-Roth.

Over the years, many people have provided support, assistance, encouragement, and other forms of help. Even an occasional "Hi! How's it going?" and "So, when are you finally going to finish?" provided far more help than they will ever know. In no particular order: Phil Brewer and Jackie Land Brewer, Debe Williams, Stephanie Byram, Tom Schafer, Jason Verduzco, Steven Mueller, Chris Smith, Jennifer Larsen, Julia Sisson, Jeff Sisson, Joe Sisson, Cate Dixon Brewer, Lori Lange Ortman, Julie Garrard, Lisa Hott Powell, Holly Gerberding, Kathy Davison, Jane Myers, Bonnie Blythe, Julie McNeil, Dorothea Haken, Michelle Landis, Mark Fortman, Mike and Tammy Welcome, Jim and Lorinda Peterson, Hartmut Heep, Dave Whetstone, John R. Rapasky III, Stewart and Gina Freeman, Mark Osadjan, Mike Downey, Joe Vasich, Greg Taylor, Scott Stawarz, Jeff Remotigue, Steve Zizzo, Jack Merrill, Ralph Burns, Dan Babb, Larry Spees, Jim Goodrich, Russ Norwood, Mark Edwards, Dave Gatzke, Gary Ward, Grant Haab, Jim Ackman, Kevin Baughman, Vera Vogel, Davida Bluhm, Thomas Cunningham and Lynn Trevarthen, Sue Coleman, Bruce Zimmerman, Warren Hapke, Cilla McMillen, Rita Cognion, Vida Morkunas, Mary Fuka, Jim Puckett, and all my sisters and brothers in the Dead Runners Society, which is a virtual running club wherein the running is real and the club is virtual.