TV’s Movie Men
Remembering Gene. On the 10th Anniversary of his death, Roger Ebert looks back on the life of Gene Siskel. A more moving tribute is seldom read.
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“We both thought of ourselves as full-service, one-stop film critics. We didn’t see why the other one was quite necessary. We had been linked in a Faustian television format that brought us success at the price of autonomy. No sooner had I expressed a verdict on a movie, my verdict, than here came Siskel with the arrogance to say I was wrong, or, for that matter, the condescension to agree with me. It really felt like that. It was not an act. When we disagreed, there was incredulity; when we agreed, there was a kind of relief.
In the television biz, they talk about “chemistry.” Not a thought was given to our chemistry. We just had it, because from the day the Chicago Tribune made Gene its film critic, we were professional enemies. We never had a single meaningful conversation before we started to work on our TV program. Alone together in an elevator, we would study the numbers changing above the door.”
…and the balcony is closed. It’s hard not to read this without crying and remembering. What a team they were. By the way, this is on Roger’s site so read the comments too.
Thanks EA for posting this.