Roger Joseph Ebert
- Born:
- June 18, 1942, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Died:
- April 4, 2013, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Film Critic, Journalist, Screenwriter, Author
Early Life and Education
- Graduated from Urbana High School in 1960.
- Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1964.
- Briefly attended graduate school at the University of Cape Town on a Rotary Scholarship.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began writing for The News-Gazette (Champaign, Illinois) while in high school.
- Joined the Chicago Sun-Times in 1966 as a copy editor.
- Appointed film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967.
- Became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1975.
- Co-hosted the nationally syndicated film review show Sneak Previews (later At the Movies) with Gene Siskel from 1975 until Siskel's death in 1999. The show featured their trademark "thumbs up/thumbs down" reviews.
- Continued the show with various co-hosts, including Richard Roeper, until 2008.
- Authored numerous books on film and his own life, including annual collections of his film reviews.
- Maintained a popular blog, Roger Ebert's Journal, on RogerEbert.com.
Notable Works
| Title | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Beyond the Valley of the Dolls | Screenplay | 1970 |
| Ebert's Bigger Little Movie Book | Book | 2009 |
| Life Itself: A Memoir | Book | 2011 |
| Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook (Annual) | Book Series | Various |
Legacy and Impact
Roger Ebert is widely considered one of the most influential film critics of his time, bringing film criticism to a wider audience through his syndicated television show and accessible writing style. His "thumbs up/thumbs down" system became a cultural shorthand for movie recommendations. He championed independent and foreign films, and his reviews often sparked public debate. Although many might know of "roger ebert 4 star films productions" in a hypothetical sense, Ebert's contributions are more accurately reflected in his written reviews, books, and television appearances.