Gene Shalit, Mussed-Up Movie Critic of the ‘Today’ Show, Dies at 100

Hollywood Reportet ^ | 12 June 2026 | Chris Koseluk

[Rummyfan]

He reviewed books and films on the morning program for four decades: "'The Silence of the Lambs' may be all wool, and a yard wide, but it makes a terrific yarn."

Gene Shalit, the fun-loving film critic on the Today show known for his oversized mustache, out-of-control mop of black hair and lively use of puns in his movie reviews, died Friday. He was 100.

Shalit, a mainstay on the NBC morning show for four decades until his retirement in November 2010, “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life,” his family said in a statement to NBC News.

Shalit started as a book reviewer on Today in 1970 and went on to replace Joe Garagiola on the desk three years later. Working alongside the likes of Hugh Downs, Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters, Bryant Gumbel, Jane Pauley, Matt Lauer and Katie Couric, Shalit proved to be a spirited counterbalance to the heavier news of the day, entertaining audiences with celebrity interviews and insights into moviegoing choices during his “Critic’s Corner” segment.

[Merrick]

Siskel detested Ebert, too.

Apparently he was a pompous jerk. But what pompous jerks were in the 70s and 80s. Not what the Democrats *reveal* to us now.

(They were always the same - tbey just manifest more now.)

[Rummyfan]

My favorite, and largely only movie critic I pay attention to now is The Critical Drinker.

The Drinker is my go-to for reviews these days.

[Chickensoup]

steynonline.com,

Chronicles journal, and

The Spectator

all have excellent movie reviews and reviewers.

[BradyLS]

Early on, folks thought Siskel was too stiff and intellectual. Ebert more the relaxed Everyman. But while Siskel never changed and folks came to appreciate his point of view after a while, Ebert sank into being just another creature of the media who couldn’t keep his misinformed Leftist opinions out of his reviews.

[AppyPappy]

He had a magnificent J fro

[rlmorel]

And besides being right most of the time (in my personal opinion) and being anti-woke, he is highly entertaining, too.

But the thing that really nailed him for me on the first try, was when I watched the animated feature “Puss in Boots”.

I did not have high expectations for the feature, or any expectations to speak of. My wife wanted to watch it, and since our tastes in movies diverge to a large degree these days after many years of marriage, whenever she asks, I usually comply unless I know for certain it is something woke I won’t like.

So, I watched the movie, and...with no expectations, I loved it. Thought it was great-very little to no wokeness, fun, good and interesting animation, and it included some themes I perceived as definitely conservative.

But it was such a frivolous movie, I wondered if it was just me-I was curious to see if anyone else saw the movie the same way I did.

And I stumbled across The Critical Drinker (had never heard of him) and he had a review of the movie. I was gratified to see that he saw it nearly exactly the same way I did. So, I began checking out his reviews, and I noticed that he liked and hated many of the same things in movies that I did. Not 100%...but I would say 80-90% of the time, I agree with his assessments of movies.

Now, when I wonder if I should watch a movie, I always go to his website first to see if he has a review...to save me time...:)

And I love his trademark: “That’s all I’ve got for today. Go away now.”

[wally_bert]

Gene Shalit’s segments were almost always about the time the school bus would arrive.

To me, that was the fringe of the forbidden word of late morning television.

[Chickensoup]

I saw puss in boots with my younger teens back in 2011.

I have never seen Shrek and did not know it was the backstory to that film.

I went on the recommendation of the film critics for WORLD magazine. They always had good film reviews. Not the usual dreck.

[Dan in Wichita]

I always liked Gene Shalit. His humor was sharp and provide a few minutes of escapism for millions of us.

[Chickensoup]

Critical drinker sounds lovely. However he is a video guy. Video is too slow for me for information gathering. .... I prefer the written word.

Sounds like he has a cool edge though.

[rlmorel]

And, if like me, you think Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" is one of the greatest Westerns ever made (for me, it ranks up there with "The Searchers", "True Grit", and "Open Range") The Critical Drinker just did a phenomenal breakdown of "Unforgiven":

LINK: Unforgiven - Analysing The Greatest Western Ever Made

I don't have the ability to break down one of my favorite movies as he did here, but I have felt for years, exactly what he said, in my heart.