A Postcard from Hollywood
[This appeared in Notre Dame Today magazine.]
My perspective on the film industry was enriched recently when I spent six weeks in Hollywood speaking with a number of film personnel.
During my spring 2001 faculty leave, I visited both Hollywood and New York City – world communication and culture hubs. This contributes to a ‘real world’ view for my communication students.
For example, I spent one evening with a former Vice-President of Universal Studios. He and his son cooked dinner for me in their lovely condo near Malibu beach. Ralph Sariego now heads the organization Catholics in Media (CIM) and his son is a blossoming screenwriter. They gave me a fascinating view of how Hollywood functions and how people of faith can enrich a culture that is commercially driven.
Another young man, a former student, gave me an insider’s view. Joe Guay was a student of mine the year I was a Visiting Professor of Communication at John Carroll and he has stayed in touch ever since. He is now a struggling Hollywood actor and appears regularly in shows in Hollywood and out of town. Joe drove me around the Hollywood community, giving me many insights into how the town works.
A husband-and-wife team, with many credits to their name, provided many other insights. Jack and Patt Shea have been described as “one of Hollywood’s leading Catholic couples.” At lunch, the Sheas spoke to me about their work.
Jack, a director, has worked on many classic TV series – “Designing Women,” “The Waltons,” among others, and received an Emmy nomination for his work on Bob Hope’s Christmas shows. He has recently served as president of the Directors Guild of America. Patt, a writer, wrote the final “All in the Family” episode, along with writing for “Happy Days,” “Cagney and Lacey,” and “In the Heat of the Night.”
I recall a visit to the Fox TV studios where both “The Simpsons” and “NYPD Blue” were produced. As I walked around seeing two popular icons up close, I could almost feel the power of media in our culture. I tried to integrate these experiences into my teaching so my students benefit from my Hollywood interviews.