Gene Shalit, the longtime “Today” show movie critic and arts reporter whose wild hair, sweeping handlebar mustache and pun-filled reviews made him instantly recognizable, has died at 100.
His family confirmed the news to NBC News on Friday, saying in a statement that he “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life.”
Shalit became a fixture of morning television after joining “Today” as a contributor in 1970. Three years later, he was named arts editor, and he went on to become a familiar presence in his signature segment, “Critic’s Corner.” By the time he left the program in 2010, he stood among the last prominent film critics regularly featured on a major broadcast network.
While his eccentric look often drew attention first, colleagues said his real gift was the way he blended humor with sharp cultural insight. Guy Ludwig, who produced Shalit for more than two decades, reflected on that appeal in an essay, writing, “What resonated above his unusual appearance was his incredible wit, his remarkable intelligence. But he didn’t pound you over the head with it. He amused you. He enlightened and amused whatever subject he was on.”
Shalit’s rise on national television came at a time when film criticism was beginning to move beyond newspapers and magazines, which had long dominated the conversation around movies. His visibility on “Today” helped shift that landscape, bringing reviews directly into millions of homes each morning.
That broader influence could be seen across the industry. In the late 1970s, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s Chicago-based review show “Sneak Previews” expanded nationally on PBS. Not long after, ABC’s rival morning program, “Good Morning America,” brought on Joel Siegel as its movie critic in 1981.
