Preface

It was my good fortune to know the late Agnes Moorehead for quite a few years. We held many conversations in her beautiful home, mainly about religion and Americanism. Whenever I was in Los Angeles on business and her work schedule prevented us from meeting, we held long visits on the phone.

This book is not a definitive biography. It is a selective biography. Through the years as I came to know her better, I realized what a very private person Agnes was. Because our relationship was along idea lines, it has been an adventure to discover how broad her entertainment outreach was.

The cooperation of everyone as I researched the parts of her life I was unfamiliar with has been an inspiration. People who didn't even know me often came some distances to meet with me for discussion. Others generously allowed me to penetrate their busy schedules.

It has been a labor of love throughout the long researching, whether on East or West Coast. My motive was well expressed by Fred Carmichael of Vermont and New York: "If you can catch an iota of the inspiration Agnes was to all of us who worked with her, then you have done a Herculean feat."

My thanks to everyone for being so kind and helpful in the preparation of this book. I sincerely hope as we explore her tremendous versatility in the broad fields of the entertainment media that we will come to better understand the philosophy of her craftsmanship, her personal faith, and her dedicated Americanism. My reason for keeping this book selective is because I have tried to bring the reader as broad a picture as possible without revealing Agnes definitively. Why? I wish to respect her private life because she was a very private person.

Castle Hot Springs, Arizona
December, 1975

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