Joe Baltake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Baltake
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Joe Baltake, September 2004
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| Born |
Joseph John Baltake Jr.
September 16, 1945 |
| Died | March 26, 2020 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Rutgers University |
| Occupation | Film critic |
| Years active | 1969–2004 |
| Employer | Print media (Gannett, Knight-Ridder, and McClatchy newspapers) |
| Spouse(s) |
Susan Baltake
(m. 1984) |
Joseph John Baltake Jr. (born September 16, 1945 – died March 26, 2020) was an American film critic. This means he watched movies and wrote about them. He was also a film historian, someone who studies the history of movies. Joe Baltake wrote a popular film blog called The Passionate Moviegoer. He also wrote a book about the famous actor Jack Lemmon. His movie reviews and articles were shared widely by news companies like Knight-Ridder and McClatchy.
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A Career in Film Criticism
Joe Baltake began his career writing about movies for newspapers. His reviews first appeared in papers owned by Gannett in New Jersey. Later, he became the main film critic for The Philadelphia Daily News and The Sacramento Bee. These were big newspapers.
Reviewing Thousands of Movies
Throughout his career, Joe Baltake watched and reviewed many movies. He estimated that he professionally wrote about 7,000 films. That's a lot of movies!
Writing for Major Publications
Besides his main newspaper jobs, Joe Baltake also wrote for other well-known magazines and newspapers. These included The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and Us magazine. He also contributed to books like "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives".
Judging Film Festivals
Joe Baltake didn't just write about movies. He also helped decide which films were the best. He served on juries for film festivals, like the Philadelphia Film Festival.
Sharing His Knowledge on DVDs
Joe Baltake also shared his thoughts on movies through DVD sets. He recorded special commentaries for them. These included on-camera interviews for The Jack Lemmon Film Collection by Sony Entertainment. He also contributed to the collector's edition of the movie The Apartment by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Awards and Recognitions
Joe Baltake received several awards for his writing and film criticism.
- Honesty in Criticism: In 1986, he won an award from the Philadelphia Motion Picture Preview Group. This award was for being honest in his reviews.
- Best Commentary: The Society of Professional Journalists gave him an award in 1995. This was for his review of the 1994 documentary film Hoop Dreams.
- Outstanding Achievement: In 1995, the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) honored him. He received this award for his sensitive articles about how animals are used in films. He wrote about both real and fake mistreatment of animals on screen.
About His Life
Joe Baltake was a graduate of Rutgers University. He was married to Susan Baltake. She started a company called Grove Street Solutions. Joe Baltake passed away on March 26, 2020. He died from a type of cancer called multiple myeloma.
