Nick Davis (television and movie producer)
Nick Davis | |
---|---|
Born | 1965 (age 58–59) |
Alma mater | Harvard University |
Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter, film producer |
Family | Mankiewicz (maternal) |
Nick Davis (born 1965) is an American writer, director, and producer.
He is the son of film director Peter Davis and the late Johanna Mankiewicz Davis. His paternal grandparents were the novelist and screenwriter Tess Slesinger and the screenwriter Frank Davis. His maternal grandfather was the screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz. His brother, Tim, is a television writer and his cousins include screenwriter John Mankiewicz, screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz, TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and TV journalist Josh Mankiewicz. Davis lives in New York City with his wife, novelist Jane Mendelsohn, and their two daughters, Lily and Grace.
After graduating from
Early in his career, Davis co-produced The Language of Life with Bill Moyers for PBS and produced Money and Power: The History of Business for CNBC. Davis also directed the
In 1998 he wrote and directed 1999, an independent feature film starring Jennifer Garner, Dan Futterman, and Amanda Peet, which aired on the Sundance Channel.[5]
In 2001, he founded Nick Davis Productions. Since then, the company has produced over 75 hours of television. Production highlights include, a Bravo Profile of actor Gene Wilder, A&E’s New York at the Movies, hosted by Meryl Streep[1] and the Hugo Award-winning series, Stories of the Innocence Project, which explored the role of DNA testing in exonerating the wrongfully imprisoned. Stories of the Innocence Project aired on Court TV from 2004 to 2006. The company has also produced over 250 short films and videos for companies, non-profits, and private individuals. The Wall Street Journal has described the short films that Davis produces for individuals as "a sub-genre that stands at the confluence of current Gilded Age wealth and power."[6]
In 2007, Davis wrote an episode of the ESPN Miniseries
Davis followed that up with a non fiction television series Making News: Texas Style. Texas Monthly described it as "one of our best reality shows yet," offering a "witty insightful, and even touching look at a television station that's probably not much bigger than your average high school AV club...Making News serves up a distinct regional snapshot without ever losing sight of its larger mission, which is to show us the nuts and bolts of how TV news gets produced."[7] The following year, Davis created Making News: Savannah Style following the same premise, but taking place in Savannah, Georgia.
In 2009, he directed the film Blood, Sweat + Gears, about the 2008 season of Team Slipstream, a cycling team devoted to riding clean and succeeding at the highest level of the sport. The film aired on the Sundance Channel.[8]
In 2018, he produced and directed a film for PBS' American Masters program, Ted Williams: "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived," narrated by Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Jon Hamm.[9] The film explores the legendary player's career, relationships, and impact on the game of baseball. The Boston Globe wrote, "The documentary captures everything compelling about Williams — but nothing more so than the satisfying aesthetics of his impossibly picturesque swing.... The film is illuminating and insightful on its subject...Davis does a remarkable job of telling — and showing, mesmerizingly — the full Ted Williams story."[10] The Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "well told.... It had me in tears."[11]
In 2021, Davis produced and directed Leaving Tracks, a feature-length documentary that tells the life story of Robert Haas, otherwise known as Bobby Haas, the founder of the Haas Moto Museum. Leaving Tracks has appeared at over 15 film festivals worldwide, including Docufest, Montreal Independent Film Festival, New York International Film Festival, and Oniros, where it won Best Documentary Feature.
Davis directed a four-part "
Davis' book, Competing With Idiots, a dual portrait of his grandfather
References
- ^ a b Cincotti, Joseph A. (September 30, 1990). "Co-Authors Invent an Autobiographer". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ Alfred, Corn (August 5, 1990). "A Stand-Up Genius". The New York Times.
- ^ Finn, Robin (March 5, 2002). "Public Lives; He Has the Third-Generation Genes for His Genres". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ Koehler, Robert. "TV REVIEW: CBS' 'Jack' an Irreverent Living Photo Album of J.F.K." The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Nick Davis". Nick Davis Productions.
- ^ Gardner Jr., Ralph (March 23, 2016). "My Own Private Cinéma Vérité". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Kelly, Christopher. "This Just In: Making News: Texas Style is one of our best reality shows yet". Texas Monthly.
- ^ "Sundancechannel.com". Archived from the original on August 9, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
- ^ "American Masters - Ted Williams: "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived"". PBS.org. WNET. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
- ^ Finn, Chad. "The new Ted Williams documentary is mesmerizing". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Lloyd, Robert. "Review: PBS spotlights documentaries on baseball legend Ted Williams and top Pakistani squash player Maria Toorpakai". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b Hayes, Dade (September 14, 2021). "Nick Davis Pulls Off Rare Doubleheader, Directing ESPN's 'Once Upon A Time In Queens' And Publishing Dual Biography Of Ancestors Joseph And Herman Mankiewicz". Deadline. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ Lopez, Isabelle (July 9, 2020). "ESPN Films Planning Multi-Part 30 for 30 on '86 Mets". ESPN Press Room.
- ^ Casselberry, Ian (September 14, 2021). "ESPN's 'Once Upon a Time in Queens' a rollicking tribute to the unforgettable 1986 New York Mets". Awful Announcing.
- ^ a b Anderson, John (September 13, 2021). "'Once Upon a Time in Queens' Review: Meet the Mets". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Robertson, Matthew (September 13, 2021). "ESPN doc on 1986 Mets, 'Once Upon a Time in Queens,' for more than just fans says director". New York Daily News.
- ^ Carbone, Grace (September 17, 2021). ""Once Upon a Time in Queens" is a thrilling recollection of Mets glory". SB Nation.
- ^ Miller, Stuart (September 15, 2021). "A dual portrait of Herman and Joe Mankiewicz offers an intimate look at the Hollywood brothers". The Washington Post.
- ^ Vognar, Chris (September 15, 2021). "Mank's grandson tells all: A tragic portrait of the screenwriting brothers Mankiewicz". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Marin, Rick (August 2021). "Cain and Abelowicz: Review of 'Competing with Idiots' by Nick Davis". Commentary.
External links
- Nick Davis at IMDb
- Nick Davis in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Nick Davis Productions