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By Root 3470 0

of doing a subject as notoriously difficult and complex as Tracy, and how I would propose to go about it. I also learned the situation was complicated on a variety of levels, and that it would take time to clear the way for me to begin, were all the elements to fall into place. Well, it did take time—nearly two years passed before I was formally able to assume the task of researching and writing the book. Susie made everything in her possession—datebooks, scrapbooks, letters, and manuscripts—available for my use, and cleared the way for my work at John Tracy Clinic. I also began the task of interviewing Tracy’s friends, family members, and coworkers, some of whom agreed to talk with me only because I had Susie’s approval.

It should be stressed that at no time did Susie Tracy attempt to influence content or act in any way as a barrier to primary materials. She always cheerfully and without reservation signed any forms necessary to release confidential records—medical records, school records, business records. Nor at any time during the many hours of talks we had did she ever duck a question or stonewall on a answer. I found that, like her mother, she was incapable of lying or coloring the truth to suit a predetermined outcome. Unlike her mother, she declared no subjects off limits and plumbed the depths of her memory for whatever shards of detail she could muster. At length, I learned her motivation was surprisingly simple: She had missed great portions of her father’s life, had known Katharine Hepburn only after his death. There was much she wanted—needed—to understand, and the only way she could do so was to see his life documented as thoroughly and as truthfully as possible.

Toward that goal, I could benefit from no greater resource than Selden West, who in 1977 began interviewing people who had known and worked with Spencer Tracy, and who, over the course of twenty-five years, amassed the single greatest archive of materials relating to Tracy and his life. The extreme value of her work was most vividly apparent in her interviews with figures long since dead—Lorraine Foat, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Dore Schary, and publicist Eddie Lawrence being just a few. Moreover, Selden had gained access to the M-G-M archives in Atlanta, held by the Turner organization and, alas, unavailable during the period in which I found myself researching the Tracy story. Her notes from Atlanta proved invaluable, as did her frequent and generous takes on numerous aspects of Tracy’s life and work. Her reactions were always vibrant and splendidly lucid. It must be emphasized, however, that her help and cooperation came with no strings attached, and in no way should one presume her endorsement of this book or the conclusions contained herein. She has, nevertheless, influenced its quality immeasurably, and I owe her a debt of gratitude I can never adequately repay.

I owe a similar debt of gratitude to Katharine Houghton, whom I met through Susie Tracy and who has always been forthcoming in matters regarding her aunt, Katharine Hepburn. Katharine’s spirited input has been critical in shaping my understanding of the woman millions have come to know as Kate, yet at no time have I found her to be defensive or overly protective of the Hepburn image. Indeed, her knowledge of family history is formidable, and she has consistently proven herself a fierce advocate of the truth, no matter where it may lead. Her help has been one of the best breaks I have had in tackling this decidedly difficult subject, and my appreciation to her is boundless.

My understanding of the Tracy family, and particularly of John and Carrie Tracy, was helped immensely by my talks with the late Jane Feely Desmond, who was the last remaining family member of Spencer Tracy’s generation. Jane’s remarkable memory and her wry insights gave me a vivid and unanticipated window on the world of Spencer and Louise Tracy and the forces that shaped their relationship. In Freeport, Bertha Calhoun provided valuable memories of Carroll and Dorothy Tracy, and of Emma Brown, Carroll and Spencer’s venerable