Gene Shalit, iconic 'Today' show critic, dies at 100
Gene Shalit, the distinctive film and book critic who appeared on NBC's "Today" show from 1970 to 2010, died on Friday, February 14, 2025, at the age of 100. His family confirmed his death, stating he "passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life."
Career at NBC
Shalit joined "Today" as a part-time contributor in 1970. He became a full-time arts editor in 1973, hosting a segment called "Critic's Corner" where he reviewed films and books. He retired on November 11, 2010, concluding his tenure with a review of "Shrek Forever After."
During his four-decade career, Shalit reviewed thousands of films and conducted interviews with figures including Steven Spielberg, the Grateful Dead, Helen Hayes, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd.
He was known for his distinctive appearance, which included a handlebar mustache, large glasses, and colorful bow ties, as well as his use of puns in reviews. He described his critical approach as avoiding plot spoilers.
Career Before Television
Prior to joining NBC, Shalit worked as a press agent for Dick Clark, a position that ended during a Congressional investigation into payola. He wrote about entertainment in the late 1960s for publications including Look (as senior film critic), Ladies' Home Journal, McCall's, Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, and The New York Times. He also authored four books of humor and edited Laughing Matters: A Celebration of American Humor (1987).
From 1970 to 1982, he broadcast daily essays titled "Man About Anything" on the NBC Radio Network.
Notable Reviews and Incidents
Shalit's reviews included a range of reactions:
- Praised Stand By Me (1986) as "engrossing."
- Described Enemy at the Gates as "a vivid dramatization of one of history's titanic turning points."
- Called Frozen "very cool."
- Said of The Color Purple, "It should be against the law not to see it."
- Described Brokeback Mountain as "wildly overpraised" and referred to a character as a "sexual predator," for which he later apologized to GLAAD.
- His review of The Shining (1980) was a negative outlier, panning the film.
In 1994, Shalit was hit by a car and broke his leg while covering baseball spring training in Florida. Following this, he recorded his reviews from a home studio.
Cultural References
Shalit was parodied or referenced in multiple television programs:
- Voiced a character named Gene Scallop on SpongeBob SquarePants.
- Parodied in four episodes of Family Guy.
- Voiced a character playing himself on The Critic.
- Portrayed by Horatio Sanz on Saturday Night Live.
- Portrayed by Eugene Levy on Second City Television.
- Made cameo appearances on Sesame Street.
Personal Life and Background
Shalit was born on March 25, 1926, in New York City. He was raised in Morristown, New Jersey, and later lived in Newark. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1949, where he wrote for the Daily Illini newspaper. He played the bassoon.
His wife, Nancy Lewis, died in 1978. He is survived by six children, including his daughter Willa Shalit.