46 April 25 • 2019
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arts&life

before stories became tied together 
were sports celebrities, such as Isiah 
Thomas and Joe Dumars, who were 
part of the championship-winning 
Pistons Bad Boys, who celebrate their 
30th anniversary this year. Many 
of the players attended a March 31 
premiere of the film at the Detroit 
Institute of Arts. 
“My father really loved puzzles,” 
recalls Ethan, who 
worked on the final 
edits with director 
Deb Agolli of Push 
Media and her team. 
“I had never done 
puzzles, but I felt like 
my father putting a 
puzzle together.”
That puzzle unfolds 
in part by showing 
the way Bill Davidson 
used parenting skills 
to become a father 
figure for players on 
the sports teams he owned.
“The most important aspect of 
his personality was that he was very 
steady,” Ethan says. “I always looked 
up to my dad and loved my dad. 
My parents divorced when I was 
very young, and I lived with my dad 
through my teenage years. He was 
sort of my only parent at that time, so 
I was attached to him.
“My father sent me to Hillel Day 
School, which was a great experience 
for me. He was also the president 
of Shaarey Zedek. I like to travel 

throughout the Jewish community. 
During the week, I may go to an 
ultra-Orthodox place or Shaarey 
Zedek. On Sundays, I take the kids to 
Temple Beth El.”
When Ethan became part of the 
foundation, he resigned from other 
boards so he would be removed from 
any perception of conflict. He is glad 
the family remains close and partic-
ipates in foundation 
governance.
“When my dad 
called me back here to 
help out with the foun-
dation, a big part was 
organizing a business,” 
Ethan says. “I was able 
to do that with my rel-
atives, Ralph Gerson, 
particularly, and Eli 
Saulson as well as my 
stepmother.
“I learned a lot 
about how to organize 
a business and the kinds of things 
you have to do to make these organi-
zations run as efficiently as you can 
so they can have the largest possible 
impact for the greatest number of 
people. It ended up sort of being like 
a mini MBA degree.
“I had some of the experience of 
my father, but I’
m still a different per-
son than he was, and I should be.”
That difference can be particularly 
noted in the credits, where Ethan 
is listed as composer for the film’
s 
music. ■

Karen and Bill Davidson in Israel

DAVIDSON FAMILY

Bill Davidson with sister 

Dorothy Gerson

details 
The Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival runs May 5-15 at the Jewish 
Community Center with Call Me Bill: The William Davidson Story being shown 
free at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 2. Film fest prices: $11, JCC members, $13, 
nonmembers. 
(248) 661-1900. detroitjewishfilmfestival.com.

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