NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Gene Shalit, a and arts reporter for the 鈥淭oday鈥� show over four decades who was known for his puffy hair, oversized handlebar mustache and affection for groan-inducing puns, has died. He was 100.
Shalit’s family announced the death Friday to NBC 海角社区app, saying in a statement that he 鈥減assed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life.鈥�
Shalit joined 鈥淭oday鈥� as a contributor in 1970 and became arts editor in 1973, later settling in for his segment, 鈥淐ritic鈥檚 Corner.鈥� When he left the show in 2010, he was one of the last high-profile film critics on a major network.
鈥淲hat resonated above his unusual appearance was his incredible wit, his remarkable intelligence. But he didn鈥檛 pound you over the head with it. He amused you. He enlightened and amused whatever subject he was on,鈥� Guy Ludwig, Shalit鈥檚 producer for more than 20 years, wrote in an essay at the time of Shalit’s retirement.
It was no coincidence that Chicago critics and Gene Siskel鈥檚 local 鈥渢humbs-up, thumbs-down鈥� movie-review program, 鈥淪neak Previews,鈥� went national on PBS in the late 1970s and that 鈥淭oday鈥� show’s ABC rival, 鈥淕ood Morning America,鈥� hired Joel Siegel to be its movie critic in 1981.
鈥淪halit was instrumental in changing the balance of critical power in America. When he began his 鈥楾oday鈥� tenure, newspapers and magazines were the primary sources for movie reviews. That鈥檚 where cinematic opinion was sparked and shaped,鈥� The Plain Dealer wrote in 2010, calling Shalit 鈥淒aniel Boone in a bow tie and Groucho glasses.鈥�
Magazine work led to NBC offer
Shalit started as an entertainment columnist for McCall鈥檚 magazine, eventually becoming senior film critic for Look magazine in 1968 and writing for Ladies鈥� Home Journal. His popularity in magazines led to an offer from NBC.
鈥淣o one at NBC had seen him. They鈥檇 only read his stuff. So he walked into this executive鈥檚 office and the executive took one look at him and said, 鈥楳r. Shalit, have you ever thought of radio?鈥欌�� wrote Ludwig. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 know how the public would react to someone who looked so different from people who were typically on TV in 1967.鈥�
On the air, Shalit was a middle-of-the-road critic. Of he said it was different from other movies about youth 鈥渂ecause of instead of grossing you out, 鈥楽tand by You鈥� is engrossing.鈥�
鈥淢any critics will give so much of the plot of a movie away that they destroy the movie for the viewer. … I just don鈥檛 give away the story,鈥� he told The Associated Press in 1993.
Highlights in words
He liked 鈥淓nemy at the Gates,鈥� starring Jude Law, calling it 鈥渁 vivid dramatization of one of history鈥檚 titanic turning points.鈥� But he called 鈥淏rokeback Mountain 鈥渨ildly overpraised, but not by me鈥� and drew condemnation from GLAAD for calling Jake Gyllenhaal鈥檚 character, Jack, a 鈥渟exual predator.鈥� Shalit apologized.
He called 鈥淔rozen鈥� 鈥渧ery cool.鈥� He said the oddball title of 鈥淭he Men Who Stare at Goats鈥� was 鈥渉eard to bleat,鈥� and his review of 鈥淭he Lovely Bones鈥� read in part: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no bones about it.鈥�
He began reviewing on air the year of 鈥淧atton鈥� and 鈥淟ove Story鈥� and ended his run with a critique of 鈥淪hrek Forever After,鈥� of which he noted that the 鈥渂ellow fellow is now a mellow fellow.鈥� One highlight of this tenure was his while interviewing Carol Channing.
He called a remake of 鈥淜ing Kong鈥� so 鈥済argantuan that I must create new words to describe it: fabularious 鈥� a brilliantological humongousness of marvelosity.鈥� His take on Steven Spielberg鈥檚 adaptation of Alice Walker鈥檚 鈥淭he Color Purple鈥�: 鈥淚t should be against the law not to see it.鈥�
In a Belushi said Shalit鈥檚 hair looked like 鈥渁n ant farm on fire.鈥� Nevertheless, he peppered his guest with so many questions about their daily life that it felt like therapy. He asked both comedians what their last meals would be. 鈥淲hat do you want to be doing 10 years from now, John Belushi?鈥� Shalit asked. 鈥淔iddler on the Roof鈥� Belushi replied.
During his tenure, he traded quips with anchors ranging from Edwin Newman, Barbara Walters and Jane Pauley to Tom Brokaw, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, Al Roker and Meredith Vieira.
Gumbel was not always a fan, once saying Shalit鈥檚 reviews 鈥渁re often late and his interviews aren鈥檛 very good.鈥� The critique came in what was supposed to be a confidential memo to Marty Ryan, the show鈥檚 executive producer at the time.
In 1994, while in St. Pete Beach, Florida, to cover Major League Baseball spring training, a car hit Shalit as he was crossing a street and broke his leg. After that, 鈥淭oday鈥� began recording his movie reviews in his home studio.
Early life
He was born in New York and grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, starting his grammar school鈥檚 first newspaper before writing a humor column for the newspaper while a student at Morristown High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1949.
Shalit played the bassoon, but he said he started out on the clarinet.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 practice for a few weeks and the teacher got furious,鈥� he recalled in 1988, before playing bassoon in a New York City fundraiser. 鈥淗e took away my clarinet and as punishment he said, 鈥楩rom now on, you鈥檙e gonna play THIS.鈥欌��
In 1987, he edited a book called 鈥淟aughing Matters: A Celebration of American Humor,鈥� saying he wanted to introduce and reintroduce such old and new masters of American humor as Mark Twain, James Thurber and Russell Baker.
Shalit was regularly mocked on 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� by cast member Horatio Sanz, who would appear on the 鈥淲eekend Update鈥� desk dressed as Shalit and go on extended, barely coherent rants that punned the title of every movie he reviewed. Shalit also made cameos on 鈥淪esame Street,鈥� 鈥淔amily Guy鈥� and 鈥淪pongeBob SquarePants.鈥�
Shalit was predeceased in 1978 by his wife, Nancy Lewis, and had six children.
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This story has been corrected to show that a movie Shalit liked was 鈥淓nemy at the Gates,鈥� not 鈥淒efiance.鈥� It also removes a reference to Daniel Craig, who was in 鈥淒efiance鈥� but not 鈥淓nemy at the Gates.鈥�
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