Gene Shalit obit

Gene Shalit Dies: Longtime ‘Today’ Show Movie Critic Was 100

 

He was not on the list.

Gene Shalit, the longtime film critic for Today, known for his quirky puns and signature walrus mustache, has died. He was 100.

His family tells NBC News in a statement that Shalit passed away peacefully on Friday “after 100 years of an amazing life.”

Shalit began his long career at The Today Show in 1970, where he began part-time and became a contributor three years later.

Known for his frequent use of puns and his comical “absent-minded professor” appearance, which included a handlebar mustache, fuzzy hair, large glasses and colorful bow ties, Shalit became one of the most recognizable faces on television.

During his four-decade tenure at Today as film and book critic, Shalit reviewed thousands of films, many of which were generally positive assessments, which frequently drew criticism from his peers for his lack of rigor, evidenced in parodies by rival film critics such as Siskel & Ebert.

His review of the 1980 horror film The Shining is considered by many to be his most notable. Veering away from the consensus, he panned the film shortly after its release, criticizing it for lacking the depth and scariness expected from a major Stephen King adaptation and failing to live up to its hype.

Shalit announced that he would leave The Today Show after 40 years, effective Nov. 11, 2010. He was quoted at the time as saying “it’s enough already” about his retirement.

Born March 25, 1926 in New York City to parents of Jewish descent, Shalit and his mother briefly moved later that year to Newark, New Jersey, before the family permanently relocated to Morristown, New Jersey, in 1932.

He discovered his passion for writing while attending Morristown High School, where he penned a humor column for the student newspaper, a style which eventually morphed into his pun-heavy, comedic styling that would define his career in later years.

Prior to his long stint on Today, Shalit began writing for print publications in the 1960s, such as Look magazine, a 12-year stint at Ladies’ Home Journal, as well as Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Seventeen, Glamour, McCall’s and The New York Times.

Over the years, Shalit became synonymous with pop culture. He guest-starred as the voice, and was portrayed in the form of a fish food critic named ‘Gene Scallop’ in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode ‘The Krusty Sponge’. He also was parodied in several episodes of Family Guy, including ‘Family Guy Viewer Mail #1’, ‘Brian Sings and Swings’, ‘The Book of Joe’  and ‘Big Man on Hippocampus’, although he was not a voice actor for the series.

Shalit also voiced a character inspired by himself in three episodes of the animated series The Critic. Additionally, he was portrayed several times on Second City Television by cast member Eugene Levy.

Shalit turned 100 on March 25, 2026, a milestone that was commemorated on Today in a special segment, in which Al Roker sent birthday wishes using a personalized Smucker’s jar, a reference to Shalit’s association with the brand through earlier promotions. Shalit was surrounded by his family for the occasion and said he looked forward to watching his favorite baseball team, the New York Mets.

 

Actor

Clancy Brown, Lori Alan, Rodger Bumpass, Mary Jo Catlett, Bill Fagerbakke, Tom Kenny, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence, and Jill Talley in SpongeBob SquarePants (1999)

SpongeBob SquarePants

8.2

TV Series

Gene Scallop (voice)

2007

1 episode

 

Jon Lovitz in The Critic (1994)

The Critic

7.8

TV Series

Gene Shalit (voice)

1994–1995

3 episodes

 

Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)

Tootsie

7.4

Gene Shalit (uncredited)

1982

 

Alan Cumming in Masterpiece Mystery (1980)

Masterpiece Mystery

8.9

TV Series

Host (1980-1981)

1980

 

Leslie Caron in Gigi (1958)

Gigi

6.6

Narrator (uncredited)

1958

 

Writer

Joshua Bell, Hugh Downs, Renée Fleming, Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Natalia Makarova, Audra McDonald, Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman, Louis Perry, Beverly Sills, Martin Bookspan, and Fred Child in Live from Lincoln Center (1976)

Live from Lincoln Center

8.6

TV Series

Writer

1985

1 episode

 

Self

Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie in Today (1952)

Today

4.6

TV Series

Self - Film CriticSelf - PanelistSelf - Arts Editor and Critic ...

1970–2015

86 episodes

 

Paul Newman at Fox

7.0

Video

Self

2011

 

Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants (2009)

Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants

7.5

TV Movie

Self

2009

 

David Letterman in Late Night with David Letterman (1982)

Late Night with David Letterman

7.5

TV Series

Self - Guest

1989–1993

7 episodes

 

Citizen Steve (1987)

Citizen Steve

5.8

Short

Self

1987

 

Ed Begley Jr., Zsa Zsa Gabor, Kim Fields, Jim J. Bullock, Paul Fusco, Emma Samms, Wil Shriner, Shadoe Stevens, and Brandon Tartikoff in The New Hollywood Squares (1986)

The New Hollywood Squares

6.3

TV Series

Self - Panelist

1987

2 episodes

 

An Amazin' Era

Video

Self

1986

 

Let's Go Mets

7.4

Short

Self

1986

 

Joshua Bell, Hugh Downs, Renée Fleming, Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Natalia Makarova, Audra McDonald, Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman, Louis Perry, Beverly Sills, Martin Bookspan, and Fred Child in Live from Lincoln Center (1976)

Live from Lincoln Center

8.6

TV Series

Self - Host

1978–1985

2 episodes

 

Alan Cumming in Masterpiece Mystery (1980)

Masterpiece Mystery

8.9

TV Series

Self - Host

1980

14 episodes

 

Alan Dobie in Cribb (1980)

Cribb

7.7

TV Series

Self - Host (uncredited)

1980

1 episode

 

To Tell the Truth (1969)

To Tell the Truth

7.4

TV Series

Self - Panelist

1972–1978

7 episodes

 

Mike Douglas in The Mike Douglas Show (1961)

The Mike Douglas Show

7.0

TV Series

Self - NBC Film Critic

1977

1 episode

 

Sesame Street at Night? (1977)

Sesame Street at Night?

TV Special

Self - Host

1977

 

Arlene Francis and Soupy Sales in What's My Line? (1968)

What's My Line?

7.1

TV Series

Self - PanelistSelf - Guest PanelistSelf - Mystery Guest

1971–1973

32 episodes

 

Art Fleming in Jeopardy! (1964)

Jeopardy!

7.6

TV Series

Self

1973

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Dana Jacobson and Michelle Miller in CBS Saturday Morning (2012)

CBS Saturday Morning

5.7

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2026

1 episode

 

NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas (1970)

NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas

5.8

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2026

1 episode

 

Mel Brooks in Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (2026)

Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!

8.2

TV Mini Series

Self (archive footage)

2026

1 episode

 

Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara in Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost (2025)

Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost

7.1

Self - Film Critic, Today (archive footage)

2025

 

Barbara Walters in Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything (2025)

Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything

7.6

Self - Co-Host, The Today Show (archive footage, uncredited)

2025

 

Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print (2025)

Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print

7.2

Self - Critic, Today (archive footage)

2025

 

Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy in Brats (2024)

Brats

6.5

Self - Film Critic, Today (archive footage)

2024

 

Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog in Jim Henson: Idea Man (2024)

Jim Henson: Idea Man

7.7

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2024

 

Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023)

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields

7.5

TV Mini Series

Self - Film Critic, Today (archive footage)

2023

1 episode

 

Clint Eastwood, la dernière légende (2022)

Clint Eastwood, la dernière légende

7.0

TV Movie

Self (archive footage)

2022

 

Dark Side of the '90s (2021)

Dark Side of the '90s

7.2

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2022

1 episode

 

John Travolta and Robert Stigwood in Mr. Saturday Night (2021)

Mr. Saturday Night

6.6

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2021

 

Val Kilmer in Val (2021)

Val

7.6

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2021

 

Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something (2020)

Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something

7.6

Self (archive footage)

2020

 

John Belushi in Belushi (2020)

Belushi

7.2

Self (archive footage)

2020

 

Behind Closed Doors (2016)

Behind Closed Doors

7.6

TV Series

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2018–2020

4 episodes

 

George Harrison in An Accidental Studio (2019)

An Accidental Studio

7.1

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2019

 

Steven Spielberg in Spielberg (2017)

Spielberg

7.7

TV Movie

Self (archive footage)

2017

 

Madonna in The Eighties (2016)

The Eighties

8.2

TV Mini Series

Self (archive footage)

2016

1 episode

 

Robert Klein Still Can't Stop His Leg (2016)

Robert Klein Still Can't Stop His Leg

7.0

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2016

 

Midnight Return: The Story of Billy Hayes and Turkey (2016)

Midnight Return: The Story of Billy Hayes and Turkey

7.0

Self (archive footage)

2016

 

The Seventies (2015)

The Seventies

8.2

TV Mini Series

Self - The Today ShowSelf - TV Critic (archive footage, archive footage)

2015

2 episodes

 

Altman (2014)

Altman

6.8

Self - film critic (archive footage, as Gene Shaft)

2014

 

Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did for Love (2013)

Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did for Love

7.4

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2013

 

Carol Channing: Larger Than Life (2012)

Carol Channing: Larger Than Life

7.6

Self (archive footage)

2012

 

Caddyshack: The Inside Story (2009)

Caddyshack: The Inside Story

7.3

TV Movie

Self (archive footage)

2009

 

Heckler (2007)

Heckler

6.1

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2007

 

The Secret Life of Brian (2007)

The Secret Life of Brian

7.6

TV Movie

Self (archive footage)

2007

 

Celebrity Debut (2006)

Celebrity Debut

7.0

TV Movie

Self (archive footage)

2006

 

Inside the NBC Vault: Today Show interviews with Harpo Marx, 1961, Groucho Marx, 1963, William Marx, 1985

Video

(archive footage)

2004

 

Headliners & Legends with Matt Lauer (1998)

Headliners & Legends with Matt Lauer

4.9

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2001

2 episodes