Gene Shalit, the bow-tie-wearing, mustachioed film critic who spent four decades reviewing movies and books on NBC's Today show, died Friday. He was 100. His family told NBC News he "passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life."
Shalit joined the Today show in 1970 as a book reviewer, according to Variety, and went on to replace Joe Garagiola at the desk three years later. He remained a fixture on the program until his retirement in November 2010, working alongside Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters, Bryant Gumbel, Jane Pauley, Matt Lauer, and Katie Couric across his tenure.
His segment, called Critic's Corner, became appointment viewing for millions. Shalit was known for weaving puns into his reviews at every opportunity. His 1987 review of Ishtar was reduced to five words: "Two words, Ishtar ish horrible." For the 1992 Oscar best picture winner, he wrote, "The Silence of the Lambs may be all wool, and a yard wide, but it makes a terrific yarn." Of the action film Face/Off, he said, "Now, if wild improbabilities are your cup of tea, let's face it, you'll find Face/Off a compelling acted, totally absurd, unbelievable, thoroughly entertaining movie."
Beyond the puns, Shalit was regarded as a skilled interviewer. He had a talent for putting celebrities at ease. When Richard Burton appeared, Shalit had him read names from a phone book to show off his Shakespearean voice. Carol Channing once reduced Shalit to tears of laughter with an impression at a dinner party. His guests over the years included Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, Robin Williams, Steven Spielberg, Mel Brooks, Burt Reynolds, and many others. He even interviewed Drew Barrymore and Christian Bale when they were children.
"It was always magical for me to see Gene on the screen," Katie Couric said upon his retirement in 2010. "I think Gene was a master at doing celebrity interviews. He interviewed Sophia Loren and you could tell he was completed mesmerized by her."
His fame extended beyond the morning show. He was parodied on Saturday Night Live by Jon Lovitz and later Horatio Sanz. Eugene Levy played him as a recurring character on Second City Television. Animated versions of Shalit appeared on The Critic and SpongeBob SquarePants, both voiced by Shalit himself. He was also parodied across four episodes of Family Guy. The Hollywood Reporter noted that even The Muppets created a felt version of him, complete with oversized hair and mustache.
Shalit was born in New York City on March 25, 1926, and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he wrote for the Daily Illini, the same student newspaper that later produced critic Roger Ebert. Early in his career he worked as a press agent for Dick Clark, a job that ended during a Congressional investigation into payola. He later wrote about entertainment for Look, Ladies' Home Journal, TV Guide, and The New York Times. He authored four books of humor and broadcast daily radio essays on the NBC Radio Network from 1970 to 1982.
Meredith Vieira, during a 2011 tribute following his retirement announcement, said simply, "He is the Today show."
Shalit is survived by a son and a daughter. Another daughter and his wife, Nancy Lewis, preceded him in death.
