Film critic Gene Shalit, who became a staple of Today thanks to his bubbly personality, walrus mustache, and love for wordplay, died on Friday, June 12. In a statement given to NBC News by his family, the beloved TV personality “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life.”
A fixture on Today for four decades, Shalit began his career at NBC as a contributor in 1970 before joining the program full-time three years later. His upbeat personality and distinctive style helped him stand out from other television film critics of the era, quickly making him a household name as The Today Show‘s lead movie reviewer. Through the show’s “Critics Corner” segment, he became known for sharing his love (or disdain) for new movies with a well-placed pun. His reviews entertained audiences for decades and made him one of television’s most recognizable film critics.
Born on March 25, 1926, in New York City, Shalit was a journalist and held the position of senior film critic for Look Magazine, and wrote the “What’s Happening” page for Ladies Home Journal for a dozen years. Over the years, he published articles in The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Seventeen, Glamour, and McCall’s.
During his career, he stood out from other critics thanks to his love of wordplay along with his trademark fuzzy mustache and hair. In his review of Ishtar, he famously quipped, “Ishtar-ish tarrible!” He praised Stand by Me by saying it was different from other Y.A. movies “because instead of grossing you out, Stand by Me is engrossing,” and warned audiences that Hudson Hawk was “awful, spelled o-f-f-a-l.”
Shalit retired from Today in 2010, and in a touching tribute, former co-host Meredith Vieira said, “It’s hard to imagine not having him here. He is the Today show.”
According to his official Today profile, Shalit’s 40-year run on the show was one of the longest continuous tenures by any individual on a daily network television program, making him one of the most enduring personalities in TV history.
Shalit was married to Nancy Lewis for 28 years, from 1950 until her death in 1978.
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