35 Facts About Gene Siskel

Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert.

Gene Siskel was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 1998 but remained in the public eye as Ebert's professional partner until his death the following year.

Gene Siskel was born in Chicago on January 26,1946, the youngest of three children born to Ida and Nathan William Gene Siskel, who were Russian Jewish immigrants.

Gene Siskel's father died when he was four and his mother died when he was nine; thereafter, he was raised by his aunt and uncle.

Gene Siskel attended Culver Academies, where he experienced anti-Semitism firsthand when a schoolmate gave him a piece of toast on which jam was spread in the shape of a swastika.

Gene Siskel graduated from Yale University with a degree in philosophy in 1967.

Gene Siskel studied writing under Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Hersey, whose reference would later help Gene Siskel get a job at the Chicago Tribune in 1969.

In 1986, the Chicago Tribune announced that Gene Siskel was no longer the paper's film critic, and that his position with the paper had been shifted from that of a full-time film critic to that of a freelance contract writer who was to write about the film industry for the Sunday paper and provide capsule film reviews for the paper's entertainment sections.

We think you need to be a newspaper person first, and Gene Siskel always tried to do that.

Ebert privately suggested that Gene Siskel join him at the Chicago Sun-Times, but Gene Siskel remained a freelancer for the Tribune until his death in 1999.

Gene Siskel was replaced as film critic by Dave Kehr.

In 1975, Gene Siskel teamed up with Ebert, film reviewer for the Chicago Sun-Times, to host a show on local Chicago PBS station WTTW which eventually became Sneak Previews.

Gene Siskel gave thumbs up to all of them, except for Playing by Heart.

In 1993, Gene Siskel appeared as himself in an episode of The Larry Sanders Show entitled "Off Camera".

An early appearance of Gene Siskel, taken from Opening Soon at a Theater Near You, the predecessor to Sneak Previews, is included in the 2009 documentary film, For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism.

Gene Siskel had an abrasive review style, and claimed his film criticism was an individual exercise that should not be swayed by public taste.

Gene Siskel compiled "best of the year" film lists from 1969 to 1998, which helped to provide an overview of his critical preferences.

In 1980, Gene Siskel married Marlene Iglitzen, who was then a producer for CBS in New York.

Gene Siskel is the uncle of Ed Siskel, a lawyer and White House Counsel under US President Joe Biden.

Gene Siskel was diagnosed with a malignant, terminal brain tumor on May 8,1998.

Gene Siskel did not disclose the severity of his illness to anyone outside of his family; publicly, he said that the surgery removed an unspecified "growth" on his brain, and that he was recovering well.

Gene Siskel eventually returned to the studio, but was noted to appear more lethargic and mellow than usual.

Gene Siskel died at a hospital in Evanston, Illinois, on February 20,1999, nine months after his diagnosis and surgery; he was 53 years old.

Gene Siskel's funeral was held two days later at the North Suburban Synagogue Beth El.

Gene Siskel is interred at Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois.

Gene Siskel was a Chicago sports fan, especially of his hometown basketball team, the Chicago Bulls, and would cover locker-room celebrations for WBBM-TV news broadcasts following Bulls championships in the 1990s.

Gene Siskel was a member of the advisory committee of the Film Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a strong supporter of the Film Center mission.

Gene Siskel wrote hundreds of articles applauding the Film Center's distinctive programming and lent the power of his position as a well-known film critic to urge public funding and audience support.

Gene Siskel initially gave the film Broken Arrow a "thumbs up", but after hearing Ebert's criticism, Siskel changed his mind to "thumbs down".

Gene Siskel said that he walked out on three films during his professional career: the 1971 comedy The Million Dollar Duck starring Dean Jones, the 1980 horror film Maniac, and the 1996 Penelope Spheeris film Black Sheep.

Ebert was very sensitive to films about race and ethnicity; Gene Siskel was sensitive to films about families and family relationships, and had a special hatred for films like House Arrest and Like Father Like Son, both of which were about parents and their children.

Gene Siskel was a lifelong friend, and our professional competition only strengthened that bond.

Gene Siskel wasn't a filmmaker, but he definitely was a member of our film community.

Gene Siskel was a critic but more importantly, he really loved movies, so, Gene, wherever you are, honey, here's to you.

Gene Siskel included the iconic "thumbs-up" gesture; it received a great round of audience applause.