Gene Shalit, the walrus-mustachioed film critic whose pun-laden reviews and explosive hair made him one of the most recognizable personalities in American television, died Friday. He was 100.
Shalit’s family confirmed his death in a statement, saying he “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life.” He had served as the film critic for NBC’s “TODAY” show for four decades, retiring in November 2010 after becoming a fixture of American mornings since 1970.
A Critic Known for Wit and Wordplay
Shalit’s reviews were unmistakable. He panned the 1987 Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman misfire “Ishtar” with the memorable verdict, “Ishtar ish tarrible!” After sitting through the 1974 Burt Reynolds prison football picture “The Longest Yard,” he declared the film should “be penalized half the distance to the goal — twice.” On “Hudson Hawk,” the 1991 Bruce Willis vehicle that drew near-universal scorn, he delivered his assessment in a spelling lesson: “This movie is awful, spelled o-f-f-a-l.”
Shalit said “The Silence of the Lambs” “may be all wool and a yard wide, but it makes a terrific yarn.” He called Judd Apatow’s “Funny People” “passable — speaking colonically.”
Guy Ludwig, his producer for more than two decades, said Shalit combined wit with warmth, noting that viewers responded not only to his distinctive look but to his intelligence, which he expressed without pretension while entertaining and informing audiences on any topic.
Four Decades on Morning Television
Shalit began working part-time for the TODAY show in 1970 and became a full-time host in 1973, taking over from Joe Garagiola. He collaborated with some of the most prominent figures in broadcast journalism over four decades, including Hugh Downs, Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters, Bryant Gumbel, Jane Pauley, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. His “Critic’s Corner” segment offered a spirited counterweight to the harder news of the morning, delivered with a showman’s timing and a wordsmith’s precision.
Shalit also excelled as an interviewer, making celebrities comfortable with a style that ranged from sincere to whimsical — he famously asked Kermit the Frog about marriage plans with Miss Piggy. He convinced Richard Burton to read from a phone book and shared fits of laughter with Carol Channing. He interviewed everyone from Sophia Loren and Paul Newman to Oprah Winfrey and Harrison Ford.
Former co-host Meredith Vieira said simply, “He is the ‘TODAY’ show.” He made one final appearance on the program in 2015 for Willard Scott’s retirement. On his 100th birthday, Al Roker honored him with greetings in a Smucker’s jar, continuing a beloved “TODAY” show tradition.
A Legacy Beyond the Screen
Shalit’s singular appearance — the explosion of dark hair, the handlebar mustache, the extravagant bow ties and black-rimmed glasses — made him as much a cultural figure as a critic. Eugene Levy developed a recurring Shalit impression on SCTV. Horatio Sanz did the same on “Saturday Night Live.” Animated versions of Shalit surfaced on “The Critic” and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” both voiced by Shalit himself. Even “The Muppets” produced a felt replica, complete with the signature hair and mustache.
Roots in Morristown, New Jersey
Born in New York on March 25, 1926, Shalit was raised in New Jersey after his father bought a drug store in Morristown. As a student at Morristown High School, he displayed an early flair for humor and media — creating the school’s first newspaper, The Spotlight, and writing a humor column called The Korn Krib for the school paper. His classmates voted him “Class Cut-up,” and he graduated in 1943. He studied at the University of Illinois and worked as sports editor for The Daily Illini before receiving his degree in 1949.
Before entering television, Shalit built a career in print journalism. He held the position of senior film critic at Look Magazine for 12 years and was a regular contributor to Ladies Home Journal, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, and TV Guide. He also wrote and delivered a daily radio essay for NBC’s national network from 1969 to 1982.
Shalit lived in Leonia for many years and remained a devoted Mets fan. He was married to Nancy Lewis. He is survived by six children. His wife Nancy Lewis and a daughter predeceased him.
Morristown held a particular place in Shalit’s story. His father’s drug store stood on Speedwell Avenue, a local landmark that kept the family name rooted in the community long after Gene had moved on to national fame. His family said the “TODAY” show represented “an extraordinary era for him” — a sentiment that, given the sweep of his career, says something about just how extraordinary that era truly was.
