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1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, It was with profound sadness that the members of
3 This Body learned of the sudden and untimely death of Chicago
4 film critic Gene Siskel on February 20, 1999; and
5 WHEREAS, Eugene Kal Siskel was born in Chicago on January
6 26, 1946, the youngest of three children of Nathan and Ida
7 Kalis Siskel; and
8 WHEREAS, Gene, his brother William, and sister Arlene
9 lost their beloved parents before Gene's 10th birthday, and
10 they were raised by an aunt, uncle, and three cousins in
11 Glencoe; and
12 WHEREAS, Gene would go on to attend Culver Military
13 Academy in Indiana, and would then graduate from Yale
14 University with a degree in philosophy; and
15 WHEREAS, After graduation, Gene won a public affairs
16 scholarship, and then worked on a California political
17 campaign; and
18 WHEREAS, Gene would then join the Army Reserve and be
19 assigned to the United States Department of Defense
20 Information School, where he developed his love for
21 journalism; and
22 WHEREAS, Gene returned to Chicago and was hired by the
23 Chicago Tribune in 1969, beginning as a neighborhood news
24 reporter and staff writer for the Sunday department; and
25 WHEREAS, In September of 1969, Gene would be named the
26 Tribune's film critic; and
27 WHEREAS, Five years later, Gene began providing movie
28 reviews and features for WBBM-TV in Chicago; and
29 WHEREAS, In 1975, WTTW-TV in Chicago paired Gene with
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1 Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert for a movie review
2 program entitled "Opening Soon at a Theater Near You"; and
3 WHEREAS, That program evolved into "Sneak Previews" and
4 reached a national audience when it was syndicated by PBS in
5 1978; for a time their show was the most highly rated show in
6 PBS history; and
7 WHEREAS, Siskel and Ebert would soon become the nation's
8 most prominent film critics, with millions of moviegoers
9 turning to them and their signature "thumbs up-thumbs down"
10 ratings to determine whether to attend a particular movie or
11 film; and
12 WHEREAS, In 1982 Siskel and Ebert signed with Tribune
13 Entertainment, and later with Buena Vista Television, to
14 produce "Siskel and Ebert at the Movies"; and
15 WHEREAS, All the while, Gene continued with the Chicago
16 Tribune as movie columnist, author of the weekly "Flick
17 Picks" and the popular "Beat Siskel" contest, in which
18 moviegoers would try to guess who would win the Academy
19 Awards each year; and
20 WHEREAS, Gene would also contribute to "CBS This
21 Morning", and a number of magazines, including Sports
22 Illustrated and TV Guide; and
23 WHEREAS, Gene married Marlene Iglitzen in 1980, a loving
24 union that produced three children, Kate, Callie, and Will;
25 and
26 WHEREAS, Gene was also a passionate art collector, horse
27 racing fan, and fan of the Chicago Bulls; and
28 WHEREAS, Gene and his family were proud to make their
29 home in Lincoln Park, and participated in many Chicago civic
30 and cultural activities; and
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1 WHEREAS, Though he gained international fame, Gene Siskel
2 never forgot his Chicago roots, and he will be greatly missed
3 by his family, friends, and colleagues; therefore, be it
4 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL
5 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the loss of
6 Gene Siskel, and remember his remarkable contributions and
7 the tremendous impact he had on millions of citizens; and be
8 it further
9 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10 presented to the family of Gene Siskel as an expression of
11 our sorrow at his passing.