Tag Archives: gene siskel

Here’s Maybe The Single Best Anecdote (of Many Greats) from the 25,000-Word Oral History of Siskel & Ebert

“Gene did think he had Roger on smarts. Whenever Roger claimed to have the superior intellect, Gene would say , ‘Aren’t you the guy who wrote Beyond the Valley of the Dolls ?'” Oh, that Siskel. This and many more great At the Movies nuggets can be found over in Slate’s exclusive excerpt from The Chicagoan’s Roger Ebert -Gene Siskel piece Enemies, A Love Story . Give it a go and settle in for a good, long read on the best frenemyship in film criticism history. [ Slate ]

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Here’s Maybe The Single Best Anecdote (of Many Greats) from the 25,000-Word Oral History of Siskel & Ebert

Why Roger Ebert Sits in the Back Row

“‘I’ve noticed that the publicists have started to sit behind me,” [Gene Siskel] explained. ‘I think they’re supposed to spy on my reactions and report back to the studios.’ I doubted this was true, but now I became aware of Siskel sitting behind me, possibly to spy on my reactions. So I moved to the back row to outwit the son of a bitch. I picked the end of the row nearest the door, so I could sneak out to the men’s room without calling undue attention to myself. Most people have bladders the size of oil drums, but I usually have to pee at least once during a movie. A few of my colleagues share this need, and I am sympathetic while watching them bend over and make a Groucho Marx run in front of the screen in the futile hope that no one will notice them.” You relate, right? [ Roger Ebert’s Blog ]

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Why Roger Ebert Sits in the Back Row