Campus News
Which one of these things is not like the others: the Oscars, celebrities, films, Hollywood, Bruce Davis ’65, and Juniata College? It’s a trick question: all of them are related. You might be thinking, “How in the world could small-town Juniata have anything to do with Hollywood?” Here’s the key: Bruce Davis. He went here, taught here and left here—to go to Hollywood to write screenplays. He’s also the former executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the nonprofit that puts on the Oscars. Davis spent a week at Juniata in October, guest lecturing, catching up with colleagues, and soaking in the familiar community atmosphere. He even went to the movies.
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Jack Barlow’s “Politics in Film” class took a trip to the Clifton 5 movie theatre in town to watch The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Davis was there to comment on the film, actors, Hollywood, and even a little bit of history. At a guest lecture he was asked the “What’s your favorite movie of all time” question. As expected, the film connoisseur couldn’t commit. Instead, he formed a bucket list. “You should see Citizen Kane, but just wait until you can see it on the big screen: there are some films that demand that type of viewing. Also, Lawrence of Arabia and To Kill A Mockingbird are musts.” “I was a little starstruck by Bruce Davis’ history with the Academy,” says Jessica Matlack ’14, of Newtown Square, Pa., “I enjoyed listening to him speak about how his experiences with the Academy shaped his personality in and out of the workplace.” Then Davis got into the nitty-gritty: the ins and outs of the Academy that are unknown to the general public. What’s most peculiar? That the Academy is a nonprofit organization. “We don’t have to do any fundraising of any kind. Most nonprofits have to worry about how to pay for next month, and funding is a constant problem. We have one of the best-specialized libraries and film archives. This is because the Oscars bring in so much money.” “His lecture was more like having a conversation with a family member,” says Erin Bean ’12, of Clarion, Pa. “His stories about the chaos that is the Academy made me feel like I was right in the middle of the action.” As a kid, Davis had always been interested in movies, their production process, and film as an art form. In choosing Juniata, Davis decided to forego his passion for film and instead focus on science: he wanted to become a doctor and had heard Juniata was the place to start. A few science classes in, he decided to study film. Later, as a professor at the College, Davis began screenwriting in his spare time. “I was lobbing scripts out to an agent, and he said that a career in Hollywood was worth pursuing. So I tossed in my tenure and nothing happened for a while. “In the middle of writing and waiting, someone said there’s an interesting job open at the Academy,” he adds. “The guy who hired me left after six months, and pretty soon I was having too much fun to be writing scripts,” he said.
Juniata
—Ellen Santa Maria ’12 is a Juniata Associate from Wallingford, Pa.
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Photo (left): Janice Jackson ’14; (right) J.D. Cavrich
Hollywood Homecoming: Bruce Davis’ Take Two