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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Roger Ebert, film critic for the Chicago
4Sun-Times for the past 46 years, who passed away on April 4,
52013; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert joined the Sun-Times in 1966 and
7became the paper's movie reviewer the following year in 1967;
8his reviews were eventually syndicated to several hundred other
9newspapers nationwide; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert received a Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for
11distinguished criticism-the first, and one of only 3, given to
12a film reviewer since the category was created in 1970; in
132005, he became the first critic to have a star on the
14Hollywood Walk of Fame; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert's television career began in 1975,
16first in the Chicago area and then nationwide on PBS, when he
17and Gene Siskel co-hosted the show "Opening Soon at a Theater
18Near You"; the show was renamed "Sneak Previews", "At the
19Movies", and eventually "Siskel & Ebert & The Movies", at which
20point the signature "thumbs up, thumbs down" rating system
21began; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert authored over 20 books covering the
2film industry and branched out into screenplays; in 1969 he was
3the co-writer of the movie "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", a
4film that has since achieved cult status; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert founded the annual Ebertfest Film
6Festival in 1999, which holds its 15th incarnation April 17-21,
72013, at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert was a renowned author, journalist,
9film historian, film critic, and screenwriter; he received
10honorary degrees from the American Film Institute, the
11University of Colorado, and the School of the Art Institute; he
12is a member of the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame and was
13honored with a sidewalk medallion under the Chicago Theatre
14marquee; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert was born in Urbana on June 18, 1942,
16to Annabel and Walter H. Ebert; he attended Urbana High School
17and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, graduating in
181964; he spent a year at the University of Cape Town in South
19Africa before attending the University of Chicago; he married
20Charlie "Chaz" Hammelsmith in 1992; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert is survived by his wife; his
22stepchildren, Sonia and Jay; and his grandchildren, Raven,

 

 

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1Emil, Mark, and Joseph; therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
3ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
4Roger Ebert, and extend our sincere condolences to his family,
5friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to the family of Roger Ebert as an expression of our
8deepest sympathy.