Gene Shalit, ‘Today’ critic, dies at 100

Gene Shalit, the legendary film critic best known for his long run on NBC’s “Today” show died Friday, June 12, NBC reported. He was 100 years old.

Shalit became a beloved figure in American media thanks to his distinctive, pun-filled takes on American film — and also his on-air persona, including his handle-bar mustache, glasses and bow ties.

His career started in print journalism, at publications like Ladies Home Journal and The New York Times. He joined the Today show as a contributor in 1970 before becoming a full-time book and film critic three years later — and remained in the role for more than thirty years.

When he turned 100 on March 25, Today marked the occasion with his photo on a Smuckers jam jar, a longtime network tradition, with Al Roker sending birthday wishes to their former colleague.

Shalit, with his endearing Muppet face, extravagant hair, bowties, and enormous mustache, looked too nice to be a critic.

And some people thought he was too nice to be a critic.

The film reviewer for NBC’s Today Show from 1973 to 2010, sometimes drew criticism from other critics, who questioned his favorable reviews of films like Spaceballs. But he also was loved by a large TV audience, at a time when movie reviewing was considered a craft for professionals, not a pastime of social media posters.

As the go-to movie critic on Today, Shalit took an approach that was much different than competitors like Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. Where their reviews could be scathing, Shalit often gave fun and pun-filled takes from his “Critic’s Corner,” sometimes while smoking a cigar. Viewers loved his generous approach, but others said he lacked a critical eye.

Even more than a critic, Shalit was a media personality. And, said fellow critic Leonard Maltin, a good one.

“He was a naturally funny guy,” said Maltin, originally from Teaneck. “I think sometimes he was more interested in the wisecracks than in the sober judgement of the movie. Which is probably what his producer wanted.”

While he approached the job with wit and humor and was a true movie fan, Shalit didn’t hold back negative reviews. “Two words, Ishtar ish horrible,” he said of the 1987 flop starring Dustin Hoffman.

And his review of Brokeback Mountain sparked controversy when he described Jack Twist (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) as a “sexual predator” toward Ennis (played by Heath Ledger). GLAAD spoke out against the review as “ignorant and irresponsible,” and Shalit apologized, adding that he regretted “any emotional hurt” he had caused.

Shalit, born in New York, was raised in Newark and Morristown. He was himself a long-time Leonia resident. His father Isidore founded Shalit’s Drugs in Morristown, a fixture in the town until 1998. At Morristown High School, he created the first school paper, The Spotlight.

Shalit graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and began his career as a press agent (for Dick Clark among others) and later wrote for Looks, Ladies’ Home Journal, TV Guide, Seventeen, and The New York Times.

“He was a guy who was known as being funny around the office,” Maltin said. “And somebody said, you’re too funny to be doing public relations work. I’m gonna put you on the air.”

From 1970 to 1982, he appeared on NBC radio, and from 1973 on TV, where he reviewed books and films and also interviewed entertainment personalities. One of them, in the early days, was Maltin — who at the time was a young critic who had written several books, including  the well-known Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide (first published in 1969 as TV Movies) but then had no broadcast experience.

“He’s responsible for my career in television,” Maltin said. “Very specifically, I was booked on the Today show when I was an author, when I was younger. They always do a pre-interview with you. And he came into the green room with me prior [to the on-air interview] and said, ‘Do I have to stick to the list?’ And I said no, ask anything you want.’ And we had a very lovely conversation.”

In addition to his critical takes, Shalit interviewed many of Hollywood’s greats, from the then-little known stars of “Star Wars” (“the only actor named after two presidents,” he called Harrison Ford) to Oprah Winfrey following her Oscar nomination for “The Color Purple.”

He was married to Nancy Lewis for 28 years before her death from cancer in 1978. They had six children, including Willa Shalit.

His persona inspired parodies, including on Saturday Night Live and as a fish food critic named “Gene Scallop” in SpongeBob SquarePants. But he was as funny offscreen as on, Maltin said.

“How do I know this? My wife and I were at a screening of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, “ Maltin said. “And my wife leaned over and made a wisecrack to me about how bad the film was. And sitting behind us was Gene Shalit. He said: ‘Would you mind sitting up straight and blocking my view again?” – Rappler.com