GENE SISKEL

'Eugene "Gene" Kal Siskel' (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was one of the world's most successful film critics. Along with on-screen partner Roger Ebert, they pioneered the popular weekly movie review TV show ''Siskel & Ebert'' until Siskel's death at age 53.

Contents

Biography

Quotes

Notes

See also

References

External links

Biography

Born in Chicago, Siskel attended Culver Academies, graduated from Yale University in 1967 and began working for the ''Chicago Tribune'' in 1969. In 1975, Siskel teamed up with Roger Ebert, film reviewer for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', to host a show on the local Chicago PBS station WTTW which eventually became ''Sneak Previews''. Their "thumbs-up, thumbs-down" system soon became an easily recognizable trademark, popular enough to be parodied on comedy shows such as ''In Living Color'' and in movies such as ''Hollywood Shuffle'' and ''Godzilla''. ''Sneak Previews'' gained a nationwide audience in 1978 when it was carried on PBS.
Siskel and Ebert left WTTW and PBS in 1982 for syndication. Their new show, ''At the Movies'' was produced and distributed by Tribune Broadcasting, the parent company that owned the ''Chicago Tribune'' and WGN-TV. ''Sneak Previews'' continued on PBS a few more years with other hosts.
In 1986, Siskel and Ebert left Tribune Broadcasting to have their show produced by the syndication arm of The Walt Disney Company. The new incarnation of the show was originally titled ''Siskel & Ebert and the Movies'', but later shortened to simply ''Siskel & Ebert''. ''At the Movies'' also continued a few more years with other hosts.
In 1998, Siskel underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. He announced on February 3, 1999 that he was taking a leave of absence but that he expected to be back by the fall, writing ''"I'm in a hurry to get well because I don't want Roger to get more screen time than I."'' The last film he reviewed was the Sarah Michelle Gellar romantic comedy ''Simply Irresistible''.
He died from complications of the surgery two weeks later, at the age of 53. After Siskel's death, the producers of "Siskel & Ebert" hired other film critics and began using them on a rotating basis as an audition for a permanent successor. Ultimately, Ebert's ''Chicago Sun-Times'' colleague Richard Roeper was hired and the show was renamed ''Ebert & Roeper''.
"The Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago" which presents world-class independent, international, and classic cinema was renamed "The Gene Siskel Film Center" in honor of him in 2000.
Siskel championed the Film Center from its very inception, as did Ebert. When asked by a journalist to list his three favorite things about Chicago, Siskel named Michael Jordan, Mayor Daley, and the Film Center. Gene was a member of the Film Center's Advisory Committee and a strong supporter of the Film Center mission. Gene wrote hundreds of articles applauding the Film Center's distinctive programming and he lent the power of his position as one of the world's most respected film critics to urge public funding and audience support.
Siskel is survived by his wife, Marlene, and their children, Kate, Callie, and Will.

Quotes

★ "I always ask myself, 'Is the movie that I am watching as interesting as a documentary of the same actors having lunch together?'"
:—Oft-cited question used by Siskel as a yardstick by which one could gauge a movie's quality.

Notes

★ Siskel's favorite film was ''Saturday Night Fever'', which he claimed to have seen 17 times. He liked the movie so much, he bought the famous white disco suit (worn by John Travolta in the movie) at a charity auction.

★ Walked out on the 1996 Chris Farley film ''Black Sheep''. It was the first film Siskel walked out on in 25 years. The first film he ever walked out on was the 1971 comedy ''The Million Dollar Duck'' staring Dean Jones.^[1]

★ Siskel hated nothing more than to have a baby crying while trying to view a movie. He said he would pay any usher $10 to remove the baby and its parent from the theater.

★ Siskel was a die-hard Chicago sports fan, especially of the NBA's Bulls, and would cover locker-room celebrations for local Chicago TV news broadcasts following Bulls championships in the 1990s.

★ Gave ''The Silence of the Lambs'' and ''Unforgiven'' negative reviews. Both films went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.^[2][3]

★ He gave away the ending of ''The Crying Game'' on air during Siskel and Ebert's annual ''Memo to the Academy'' program, before most audiences had seen the film.

★ Revealed during his review for ''Casualties of War'' that he once testified at a military court-martial.^[4]

★ Gene, along with colleague Roger Ebert, guest stared on an episode of the animated TV series ''The Critic''. In the episode, Siskel and Ebert split and each wants Jay as his new partner. The episode is a parody of the film ''Sleepless in Seattle''.^[5]

See also

★ List of notable brain tumor patients

References

1. Review: ''Black Sheep''
2. Review: ''Silence of the Lambs''
3. Review: ''Unforgiven''
4. Review: ''Casualties of War''
5. TV.com Episode summary: ''The Critic'' - "Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice"

External links

★ Gene Siskel at NNDB

★

★ Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, named in memoriam

★ Ebert & Roeper site: includes archive of Siskel & Ebert television programs