David J. Eagle
Encyclopedia
David J. Eagle is an award-winning television
director
, producer
and screenwriter
, best known for his direction of 13 episodes of the science fiction
series, Babylon 5
including "Severed Dreams
", which won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
, and the CBS Schoolbreak Special
, "Kids Killing Kids" for which he received the Outstanding Children's Program Emmy Award
as writer, director and producer.
to war. On several occasions, he actually boarded the buses that took young men to their Army inductions in Hackensack and provided last minute draft counseling. Several young men took his advice and when the buses arrived at the induction center, they left with David who assisted them with deferments and other advice that relieved them of their draft obligations. Once discovered by the authorities, he was banned from the buses. During those years, David also led several student protests and walk-outs from school and organized bus trips to major anti-war demonstrations in New York City and Washington, DC in 1969 and 1970.
During Spring Break from Dwight Morrow High School in 1972, 18 year old David explored running for the office of Bergen County Sheriff. His dad, then a Democratic county committeeman, returned from a meeting in which the long time conservative, but democratic party member, Sheriff Joe Job announced he was switching parties because he didn't want to be associated with the liberal, anti-war democratic candidate for President, George McGovern. David's dad suggested that David run to help get out the youth vote for McGovern. (The voting age had just been changed to 18 in 1972) Thinking it was a great idea, David called Danny Bennett who immediately joined on as David's campaign manager. The two young men, along with a developing entourage, traveled around the county to high schools and colleges to asses the interest and support David could get from new, young voters. After about 9 days of "campaigning" and gathering the needed signatures on the paper work to file for his candidacy with the county clerk, David received a chilling phone call from the Chairman of the New Jersey McGovern Campaign. The Chairman told David that they were concerned that if he ran against the very popular Sheriff Joe Job, they were afraid that many conservative voters, who normally wouldn't bother to come out to vote because they were used to Job wining year after year, that they would now come out to vote for him and while they were in the voting booth, they would vote against McGovern. He told David that if McGovern lost in New Jersey, that loss would be on David's head! David conferred with Danny and the entourage of friends and he decided that he couldn't have that responsibility held over him if McGovern lost in New Jersey, so he decided not to file his candidacy papers and petitions. Needless to say, McGovern lost in New Jersey even though David didn't run. Perhaps McGovern might have received many more youth votes if David had run, or he might even have won New Jersey.
He attended SUNY at Stony Brook in the fall of 1972 (now Stony Brook University), graduating with honors in history and film production in 1977. It was there that he met local NY children's TV host, Sonny Fox and became his "assistant" when Sonny taught a few courses on Television at Stony Brook. Shortly thereafter, he drove out to Los Angeles and with the help of Mr. Fox, got his first job in the TV and Film industry with Alan Landsberg Productions. He was first hired as the researcher on the syndicated documentary TV series called Between The Wars with Eric Sevaried. After traveling around the country, researching rare photos and film for the series, he quickly worked his way up to Assistant to Producer Tony Potter and then Series Associate Producer. After that, David worked on National Geographic Specials and NBC White Paper Specials, also with Tony Potter. Then in 1979, his old friend, Sonny Fox, moved out to California and created his own production company. Sonny needed someone to help create and develop projects so he hired David as his director of development and production.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, best known for his direction of 13 episodes of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series, Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
including "Severed Dreams
Severed Dreams
"Severed Dreams" is an episode from the third season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. It won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.-Synopsis:...
", which won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
, and the CBS Schoolbreak Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special is an American anthology series for teenagers that aired on CBS from April 1980 to January 1996. The series originally premiered under the title CBS Afternoon Playhouse, and was later changed during the 1984 - 85 season...
, "Kids Killing Kids" for which he received the Outstanding Children's Program Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
as writer, director and producer.
Childhood
Born in Staten Island, New York on January 31, 1954, Eagle grew up first in Elizabeth, New Jersey (1954–1959), then moved to Edgewater, New Jersey (1959–1963) when his dad, Norman Eagle, became the school psychologist for the Fort Lee Public Schools. His mom, Betty Eagle, was at that time an elementary school teacher in Rutherford, NJ. In 1963, the family (brothers Jeremy born 1955 and Harry born 1957) moved to Englewood, New Jersey after it was announced that the public schools were going to be integrated. David's parents thought it would be a good idea for their children to grow up in a town that was ethnically and culturally diverse. David and his brothers spent most of their formative years there in Englewood.Student life
Moved and inspired by the civil rights and peace movements, David became a student activist during the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s. He volunteered as a youth coordinator for Eugene McCarthy's bid for President in 1968. A few years later, as a high school Draft Counselor, he worked with young draft age men at Dwight Morrow High School as well as at other nearby schools and after school and weekends at a non-profit organization in Teaneck, NJ called The Peace Center (he later served on the board of that organization along with actor Alan Alda), providing information and counsel about the draft and conscientious objectionConscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
to war. On several occasions, he actually boarded the buses that took young men to their Army inductions in Hackensack and provided last minute draft counseling. Several young men took his advice and when the buses arrived at the induction center, they left with David who assisted them with deferments and other advice that relieved them of their draft obligations. Once discovered by the authorities, he was banned from the buses. During those years, David also led several student protests and walk-outs from school and organized bus trips to major anti-war demonstrations in New York City and Washington, DC in 1969 and 1970.
Campaigning
It was in 1970 that David met Danny Bennett, the oldest son of singer Tony Bennett. The two hit it off from the start. They had everything in common - interested in the same music, big Beatles fans, intellectual equals, a strong feeling about peace activism...and their birthdays were just a few days apart. Before long, they were both organizing peace rallies and related activities.During Spring Break from Dwight Morrow High School in 1972, 18 year old David explored running for the office of Bergen County Sheriff. His dad, then a Democratic county committeeman, returned from a meeting in which the long time conservative, but democratic party member, Sheriff Joe Job announced he was switching parties because he didn't want to be associated with the liberal, anti-war democratic candidate for President, George McGovern. David's dad suggested that David run to help get out the youth vote for McGovern. (The voting age had just been changed to 18 in 1972) Thinking it was a great idea, David called Danny Bennett who immediately joined on as David's campaign manager. The two young men, along with a developing entourage, traveled around the county to high schools and colleges to asses the interest and support David could get from new, young voters. After about 9 days of "campaigning" and gathering the needed signatures on the paper work to file for his candidacy with the county clerk, David received a chilling phone call from the Chairman of the New Jersey McGovern Campaign. The Chairman told David that they were concerned that if he ran against the very popular Sheriff Joe Job, they were afraid that many conservative voters, who normally wouldn't bother to come out to vote because they were used to Job wining year after year, that they would now come out to vote for him and while they were in the voting booth, they would vote against McGovern. He told David that if McGovern lost in New Jersey, that loss would be on David's head! David conferred with Danny and the entourage of friends and he decided that he couldn't have that responsibility held over him if McGovern lost in New Jersey, so he decided not to file his candidacy papers and petitions. Needless to say, McGovern lost in New Jersey even though David didn't run. Perhaps McGovern might have received many more youth votes if David had run, or he might even have won New Jersey.
Graduation and employment
David graduated with honors from Dwight Morrow High School in June of 1972 and was awarded the Peace Award from the Englewood Peace Committee.He attended SUNY at Stony Brook in the fall of 1972 (now Stony Brook University), graduating with honors in history and film production in 1977. It was there that he met local NY children's TV host, Sonny Fox and became his "assistant" when Sonny taught a few courses on Television at Stony Brook. Shortly thereafter, he drove out to Los Angeles and with the help of Mr. Fox, got his first job in the TV and Film industry with Alan Landsberg Productions. He was first hired as the researcher on the syndicated documentary TV series called Between The Wars with Eric Sevaried. After traveling around the country, researching rare photos and film for the series, he quickly worked his way up to Assistant to Producer Tony Potter and then Series Associate Producer. After that, David worked on National Geographic Specials and NBC White Paper Specials, also with Tony Potter. Then in 1979, his old friend, Sonny Fox, moved out to California and created his own production company. Sonny needed someone to help create and develop projects so he hired David as his director of development and production.