Gene Shalit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gene Shalit
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Shalit on Today, 1973
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| Born | March 25, 1926 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Morristown High School |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | c. 1960–2010 |
| Television | Today |
| Spouse(s) |
Nancy Lewis
(m. 1950; died 1978) |
| Children | 6, including Willa |
Eugene Shalit (born March 25, 1926) is an American journalist, television personality, and critic. He is known for reviewing movies and books. He worked on NBC's The Today Show for many years.
Gene Shalit is easy to recognize because of his big, fuzzy hair and his cool handlebar moustache. He also often wears colorful bow ties. People remember him for using lots of puns, which are clever word jokes. He retired from television in 2010.
Early Life and School
Gene Shalit was born in New York City on March 25, 1926. He grew up in Newark and Morristown, New Jersey. His family has Jewish roots.
When he was in high school, Gene Shalit wrote a funny column for the school newspaper. This column was called "The Korn Krib."
After high school, Shalit went to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. While he was there, he wrote for the school newspaper, The Daily Illini. He wrote for them from 1945 to 1949.
Gene Shalit's Career
Gene Shalit started reviewing arts and entertainment in 1967. He wrote for many popular magazines. Some of these included Look, Ladies' Home Journal, and Cosmopolitan. He also wrote for TV Guide and The New York Times.
From 1970 to 1982, Shalit had a daily radio show. It was called Man About Anything. This show was broadcast on the NBC Radio Network. It was one of NBC's most popular radio features.
In 1986, Shalit hosted a special video collection. It was called Gene Shalit's Critic's Choice Video. This collection featured classic movies. His reviews were included on the video boxes.
Gene Shalit announced his retirement from The Today Show in 2010. He had worked there for 40 years. He said it was "enough already" when he decided to retire. Since then, he has mostly stayed out of the public eye. He made a rare appearance in 2015 for Willard Scott's retirement from NBC.
Gene Shalit's Family Life
Gene Shalit was married to Nancy Lewis. They got married in 1950. Nancy passed away in 1978. For much of his career, Gene Shalit lived in Leonia, New Jersey. Later, around 2012, he moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Gene and Nancy Shalit had six children. One of their children is Willa Shalit, who is an artist and business owner. Another child is Peter Shalit, who is a doctor. He focuses on men's health.
In 2012, Gene Shalit had a car accident in Lenox, Massachusetts. He accidentally fell asleep while driving. He later agreed to stop driving for a period of time.
