New Horizons Omaha native is a cinema PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389
A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
November 2024 | Vol. 49 | No. 11
star in the film scholar world N
By Leo Adam Biga ebraskans’ contributions to the film industry encompass luminaries of past (Harold Lloyd, Darryl F. Zanuck, Fred Astaire, Henry Fonda, Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, William Dozier) and present (Nick Nolte, Alexander Payne, Gabrielle Union). Despite a distinguished career of his own, Omaha native Thomas Schatz is largely unknown among Nebraskans in cinema because his work as a film scholar happens far from movie sets, though the retired educator has produced four featurelength motion pictures. This University of Texas at Austin Department of Radio, Television and Film emeritus chair is the author of books widely used in college film studies courses – Hollywood Genres: Formulas, Filmmaking and The Studio System (1981); and The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era (1988). The latter placed 17th in The Hollywood Reporter’s compilation of the 100 best film books of all-time. “I’m very proud of that. I’m in some very good company in that list,” Schatz said in an understatement given that his fellow authors include legendary critics (Andrew
County District judge. A younger sister, Ann Schatz, is a pioneering female sports journalist.
COURTESY PHOTO Sarris, Pauline Kael), filmmakers (Frank Capra, Francois Truffaut, Elia Kazan) and writers (Nathanael West, James Agee, Joan Didion, William Goldman). Schatz is working on new books, including a history of Universal Pictures for the Rutledge Hollywood Centenary project, which he toiled away at from his Lake Okoboji
summer home. In addition to his books, he provides expert commentary for film documentaries and publishes articles. Schatz, 76, grew up in a large Catholic family. His attorney father, Albert Schatz, became a U.S. District Court Judge. Older brother Gregory Schatz served as a Douglas
UNDER THE INFLUENCE “I was definitely the cinephile of the group – to the point where I went to the movies a lot as a kid. My siblings had other interests,” said Tom. When not seeing pictures at his neighborhood movie-house, the Dundee Theatre, he frequented Omaha’s downtown movie palaces. “Omaha was a movie town and my mom was sufficiently supportive of my cinephilia that she would drop me off downtown.” When drive-in movies became a fad in the ‘60s he joined “the gang” for the latest exploitation flicks. But it was at the Dundee Theatre the first seeds were planted for his eventual life in film. It’s served the same role for generations of Omahans who went on to screen careers (Joan Micklin Silver, Mike Hill, Alexander Payne, Dan Mirvish, Rachel Jacobsen). “The Dundee was pretty important,” he said. “As a little kid I went there for Saturday morning matinees. I saw a lot of B Westerns.” Later it was his portal to art films. --Schatz continued on page 14.
Finding peace amidst chaos of uncertainty powered by SHARE Omaha
DEC 3
T
By Ron Petersen hree years ago, 13 American service members were killed in a bomb attack in Kabul. Two years ago, Russia invaded the Ukraine, and then a year later Hamas launched an attack on Israel. Through the media, people in the United States have witnessed violence happening around the world at an all-time high. And peace is nowhere to be seen. But locals disagree. “During a time when the world is on fire, the older adults around the area give us hope,” Professor and Terry Haney Chair of Gerontology, Dr. Julie Masters said. During a time of turmoil,
Dr. Julie Masters and Graduate Teaching Assistant Coordinator, Communication Studies Division Coordinator, Dr. Page Toller came together and wanted to work on a project about peace. Utilizing the connection with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s (ENOA) Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program, during a table discussion, Dr. Masters and Dr. Toller asked the two groups, ‘What does peace mean to older adults in a time of uncertainty.’ And the answers were focused around faith. “Faith means everything, in particular to this group,” Dr. Page --Peace continued on page 9.