Gene Siskel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gene Siskel
Siskel at the 61st Academy Awards in 1989
Born	Eugene Kal Siskel (1946-01-26)January 26, 1946 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	February 20, 1999(1999-02-20) (aged 53) Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Resting place	Westlawn Cemetery
Alma mater	Yale University
Occupation	Television journalist film critic
Years active	1969–1999
Notable credit(s)	Opening Soon at a Theater Near You (1975–1977) Sneak Previews (1977–1982) At the Movies (1982–1986) Siskel & Ebert (1986–1999) CBS This Morning (1990–1996) Good Morning America (1996–1999)
Spouse(s)	Marlene Iglitzen ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	3

Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was a famous American film critic. He also worked as a journalist for the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

He is best known for hosting TV shows about movies with his friend and colleague, Roger Ebert. They worked together from 1975 until Siskel's death in 1999. Their shows were very popular and changed how many people thought about movies.

Siskel started writing for the Chicago Tribune in 1969. He soon became their main film critic. In 1975, he joined Roger Ebert to host a monthly TV show. It was called Opening Soon at a Theater Near You. This show aired on a local TV station called WTTW in Chicago.

In 1978, their show was renamed Sneak Previews. It became a weekly show and was shown on many TV stations across the United States. In 1982, Siskel and Ebert left Sneak Previews. They started a new show called At the Movies.

Later, in 1986, they moved their show to a different company. The new show was called Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. It was later shortened to Siskel & Ebert. Siskel and Ebert were known for their smart comments and sometimes strong disagreements. They also created the famous "Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down" system for rating movies. This system became very well-known in American pop culture.

Siskel continued to work with Ebert until he passed away on February 20, 1999. He was 53 years old. He died from problems after brain surgery he had in 1998.

Gene Siskel's Early Life

Gene Siskel was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Ida and Nathan Siskel, were immigrants from Russia. Sadly, Gene lost both his parents when he was a child. His aunt and uncle raised him after that. He moved with them when he was nine years old.

He went to Culver Academies for high school. Then, he studied philosophy at Yale University and graduated in 1967. At Yale, he learned writing from a famous author named John Hersey. Hersey helped him get a job at the Chicago Tribune in 1969.

Gene Siskel's Career

Writing About Movies

Gene Siskel's first movie review for the Tribune was for a film called Rascal. This was just one month before he became the official film critic. He didn't like the movie much. He wrote that "most kids will miss the tenderness" because of too many tricks in the film.

Before becoming a critic, he served in the US Army Reserve. He worked as a journalist and public relations officer there.

In 1986, the Chicago Tribune changed Siskel's job. He was no longer a full-time film critic. Instead, he became a freelance writer for the paper. He would write about the film industry for the Sunday paper. He also wrote short movie reviews for the entertainment sections.

This change happened after Siskel and Ebert moved their TV show to The Walt Disney Company. The editor of the Tribune said that Siskel was doing too much. He felt Siskel needed to focus on the newspaper first. Roger Ebert publicly said that the Tribune was punishing Siskel for moving their TV show. Siskel stayed in this freelance role until he died in 1999.

His last review for the Chicago Tribune was for the movie She's All That. It was published on January 29, 1999. He liked the movie and gave it three out of four stars. He praised the actress Rachael Leigh Cook in his review.

Siskel & Ebert on TV

In 1975, Gene Siskel teamed up with Roger Ebert. Ebert was the film reviewer for the Chicago Sun-Times. They started a show on the local Chicago PBS station WTTW. This show later became Sneak Previews.

Their famous "thumbs-up, thumbs-down" rating system quickly became very popular. Other comedy shows and movies even made fun of it because it was so well-known. Sneak Previews started being shown all over the country in 1977.

In 1982, Siskel and Ebert left PBS. They started a new show called At the Movies. It was shown on many different TV channels. Sneak Previews continued on PBS with other hosts until 1996.

In 1986, Siskel and Ebert moved their show again. This time, it was produced by The Walt Disney Company. The new show was first called Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. Later, it was simply called Siskel & Ebert. The old At the Movies show also continued with other hosts for a few more years.

The last five movies Siskel reviewed with Ebert on their show aired in January 1999. These films included At First Sight and The Hi-Lo Country. Siskel gave a "thumbs up" to most of them.

After Siskel's death, Ebert continued the show with different guest hosts. Famous people like Martin Scorsese and other film critics filled in. Eventually, Richard Roeper became Siskel's permanent replacement.

Film and TV Appearances

Siskel and Ebert were often guests on late-night talk shows. They appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman many times. They were also on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In the 1980s, Siskel and Ebert appeared as themselves on Saturday Night Live. They would review the comedy skits from the show.

In 1991, they were on the children's TV show Sesame Street. They taught Oscar the Grouch and Telly Monster how their thumbs-up/thumbs-down system worked. Oscar even tried to get them to argue about a "thumbs sideways" rating!

Siskel also appeared as himself in an episode of The Larry Sanders Show in 1993. In 1995, Siskel and Ebert were guest stars on the cartoon show The Critic. In that episode, they both wanted the main character, Jay Sherman, to be their new partner.

Gene Siskel's Critical Style

Gene Siskel had a very direct way of reviewing movies. He believed his opinions should not be changed by what other people thought. His co-host, Roger Ebert, once said that Gene felt he had to like a whole movie to give it a "thumbs up."

Sometimes, Siskel gave bad reviews to movies that later became very popular. These included films like Scarface and The Terminator. He even gave negative reviews to some movies that won the Oscar for Best Picture, like The Silence of the Lambs.

However, Ebert also said that when Siskel found a movie he truly loved, he was very happy. Ebert remembered that seeing a great movie would make Siskel's spirits high for a whole week. Some of Siskel's most loved movies were My Dinner with Andre and the documentary Hoop Dreams.

Gene Siskel's Preferences

Favorite Films

One of Siskel's all-time favorite movies was Saturday Night Fever. He even bought the famous white disco suit that John Travolta wore in the film! Another favorite was Dr. Strangelove. From his childhood, he often mentioned Dumbo as the first movie that really influenced him.

Best Films of the Year

Siskel made lists of his "best films of the year" from 1969 to 1998. These lists show what kind of movies he liked most. Here are his top choices:

Siskel and Ebert agreed on nine of their top film choices over the years. These included Z, The Godfather, and Schindler's List.

Gene Siskel's Personal Life

In 1980, Gene Siskel married Marlene Iglitzen. She was a TV producer at the time. They had three children: two daughters named Kate and Callie, and a son named Will. Both of their daughters later went to Yale University, just like their father.

Health and Passing

Gene Siskel was diagnosed with a brain tumor in May 1998. He had surgery a few days later. For a short time after the surgery, he reviewed movies for his show from his hospital bed. He would talk on the phone while Ebert was in the studio.

Siskel eventually returned to the studio. However, people noticed he seemed a bit slower and calmer than usual. On February 3, 1999, he announced he was taking a break from the show. He hoped to be back by the fall. He famously said, "I'm in a hurry to get well because I don't want Roger to get more screen time than I."

Sadly, Gene Siskel passed away on February 20, 1999. He died from problems related to his brain surgery. His funeral was held two days later. He is buried in Westlawn Cemetery in Illinois.

Gene Siskel's Legacy

Gene Siskel was a big fan of Chicago sports teams, especially the Chicago Bulls basketball team. He would even cover their championship celebrations for TV news.

The Gene Siskel Film Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

Siskel was also a strong supporter of the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago. He wrote many articles praising their unique movie programs. He used his fame to encourage people to support the center. In 2000, the Film Center was renamed The Gene Siskel Film Center in his honor.

Only once did Siskel change his "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" vote during a review with Ebert. He first gave Broken Arrow a "thumbs up." But after hearing Ebert's reasons, he changed his mind to "thumbs down." He also changed his mind about movies years later. For example, he gave Tremors a bad review in 1990. But in 1994, he gave it a great review, saying he wasn't sure what he missed the first time.

Siskel said he walked out of three movies during his career. These were The Million Dollar Duck (1971), Maniac (1980), and Black Sheep (1996). He explained that he didn't count Maniac as a full review because it was just a "Dog of the Week" segment.

Both Siskel and Ebert had certain types of bad movies they really disliked. Ebert was sensitive to films about race. Siskel especially disliked movies about families and parent-child relationships that he felt were poorly made.

Once, on a TV show, Joan Rivers asked Siskel what the biggest difference between him and Ebert was. Siskel quickly said, "I'm a better reviewer than he is." But then he added that anyone who read an Ebert review would read "an extremely well-written review."

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Gene Siskel para niños

• List of people with brain tumors