Gene Siskel
Siskel at the 61st Academy Awards Birth name Eugene Kal Siskel Born January 26, 1946(1946-01-26) Chicago, IL Died February 20, 1999 (aged 53) Evanston, IL
Statistics Occupation Television Journalist/Film critic Gender Male Marital status Married Spouse Marlene Iglitzen (1980–1999) Children Kate Callie Will Notable credit(s)' Sneak Previews (1975–1982) At the Movies (1981–1986) Siskel & Ebert (1986–1999) CBS This Morning correspondent (1987–1992) Good Morning America correspondent (1996–1999)

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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 423 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (691 × 979 pixel, file size: 83 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Illinois. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Illinois. ... Incorporated City in 1872. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. ... This article is about the Male sex. ... Sneak Previews was a film review show that first aired aired on WTTW, a PBS television station in Chicago, Illinois, and found national airing as other PBS affiliates added the program to their schedules. ... At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper is a movie review television program featuring film critic Roger Ebert and columnist Richard Roeper, both of the Chicago Sun-Times. ... The Early Show title card The Early Show is a American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City, 7 to 9 a. ... Good Morning America is a weekday morning news show that is broadcast on the ABC television network. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper is a movie review television program featuring film critic Roger Ebert and columnist Richard Roeper, both of the Chicago Sun-Times. ...

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. Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... The Culver Academies are independent college preparatory boarding schools comprised of Culver Military Academy and Culver Girls Academy in Culver, Indiana, USA. Henry Harrison Culver first founded Culver Military Academy in 1894 for the purpose of thoroughly preparing young men for the best colleges, scientific schools and businesses of America. ... Yale redirects here. ... // The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois and owned by the Tribune Company. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago. ... WTTW (Channel 11) is one of three PBS member stations serving the Chicago, Illinois market; the others are WYCC and WYIN. WTTW began broadcasting on March 5, 1955 and is owned and operated by Window to the World Communications Inc. ... Sneak Previews was a film review show that first aired aired on WTTW, a PBS television station in Chicago, Illinois, and found national airing as other PBS affiliates added the program to their schedules. ... In Living Color is a sketch comedy television series which ran on the FOX Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. ... Hollywood Shuffle (1987) is a film depicting the stereotyping of African Americans in film and television. ... Godzilla is an American science fiction film directed by Roland Emmerich and starred Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Michael Lerner and Kevin Dunn. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ...

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 the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Tribune Broadcasting is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

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. Disney redirects here. ...

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. “Surgeon” redirects here. ... A brain tumor is any intracranial tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either in the brain itself (neurons, glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells), lymphatic tissue, blood vessels), in the cranial nerves (myelin-producing Schwann cells), in the brain envelopes (meninges), skull, pituitary and pineal gland, or... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Sarah Michelle Gellar (born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. ... Simply Irresistible is a 1999 20th Century Fox romantic comedy directed by Mark Tarlov and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar in the role of Amanda Shelton. ...

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 at the Movies. Richard Roeper (born October 17, 1959)[1] is a columnist/film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and, since September of 2000, has co-hosted the television series At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper with fellow film critic Roger Ebert. ...

"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. Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... Richard Daley may refer to: Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago (1955-1976), father of Richard M. Daley Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago (1989-present), son of Richard J. Daley Category: ...

Siskel is survived by his wife,Marlene, and their children, Kate, Callie, 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.

• "If this doesn’t turn out to be one of the very worst movies of the year, it’s going to be a very bad year!"

—On the Sylvester Stallone comedy Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.

• "There won’t be a better film than this."

—Commenting on Fargo in March, 1996.

• "Your standards are dropping."

—To Roger Ebert during their review for Predator.

Sylvester Stallone (born Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone on July 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ... Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is a 1992 comedy film starring Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty and JoBeth Williams. ... Fargo is a 1996 American crime-comedy-drama film written, directed and produced by the Coen Brothers. ... Predator is a 1987 science fiction, action and horror film directed by John McTiernan and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura. ...

Trivia

• 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. ^[1]

• Walked out on the 1996 Chris Farley film Black Sheep. It was the first time Siskel walked out on a film in 25 years. The first film he ever walked out on was the 1971 comedy The Million Dollar Duck staring Dean Jones.^[2]

• 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.^{[citation needed]}

• 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.^{[citation needed]}

• Gave The Silence of the Lambs and Unforgiven negative reviews. Both films went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.^[3][4]

• Revealed during his review for Casualties of War that he once testified at a military court-martial.^[5]

• Siskel, along with colleague Roger Ebert, guest starred 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.^[6]

Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 movie starring John Travolta as Tony Manero, a troubled Brooklyn youth whose weekend activities are dominated by visits to a Brooklyn discotheque. ... This article is about the music genre. ... John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor, dancer, and singer. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. ... This article is about the 1996 comedy film. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... The Million Dollar Duck (also titled as The $1,000,000 Duck) is a 1971 Disney comedy film about a scientist who brings an irradiated duck home from his laboratory, only to discover in now lays golden eggs. ... Dean Jones is the name of: Dean Jones, an Australian cricketer. ... USD redirects here. ... The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 Academy Award-winning film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. ... This article is about the 1992 film. ... The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Casualties of War is a 1989 war drama about the Vietnam War, starring Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn. ... For the play by Sheridan, see The Critic (play). ... Sleepless in Seattle is a 1993 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron. ...

See also

• List of notable brain tumor patients

United States Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania (right) is a long-term brain tumor survivor who continues to serve in public office. ...

References

External links

• Gene Siskel at NNDB
• Gene Siskel at the Internet Movie Database
• Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, named in memoriam
• Ebert & Roeper site: includes archive of Siskel & Ebert television programs