Robert Ebert, the renowned film critic and thumps-up/thumps-down distinguisher, has died of cancer his family has confirmed. He was 70 years old.
Having served for 45 years as the critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, Ebert quickly rose to fame and fortune, cashing in as others cringed with the latest sting of his pen. But it was his way with words that made him a member of the Hollywood elite. For more than three decades he co-hosted one of the most powerful programs in television history, first opposite the late Gene Siskel, and, following his death in 1999, his Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper).
In 1975 Ebert was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, the first prize to be awarded for criticism of film. Later that same year his teleivison career would start when he and Siskel paired 'Coming Soon at a Theater Near You.' The first few episodes weren't anything to brag about, but in a way their refreshing take on film helped create a voice, one that wasn't always in agreeance with the other. The two would fight and argue over their opinoins, but their sibling like rivalary was intoxicating, and the rankings showed that audiences loved it as they continued to build their audience with each passing season.
For years both Siskel and Ebert were considered the most respected critics in film. After Siskel's quiet death i 1999, Ebert brought in Roeper to fill the void. The show wasn't able to keep up. Ebert was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002, and growths were discovered in his salivary glands in 2003. After ten years of being cancer free, he was rediagnosed just yesterday, but his body had simply had enough. Still, even to his dying day, Ebert was writing, offering up his take on films and doing what he did best - snarking and creating conversation over movies.
