Gene Shalit, ‘TODAY’ show movie critic, dies at 100

Gene Shalit, the longtime film critic for NBC’s “TODAY” show whose walrus mustache and exuberant wordplay made him one of television’s most recognizable reviewers, died Friday, his family said. He was a fixture on the program for four decades.

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Shalit “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life,” his family told NBC News in a statement.

Shalit started as a part-time “TODAY” show contributor in 1970 before moving to a full-time role three years later. He earned national fame as the program’s go-to movie analyst, offering his take on summer blockbusters, awards contenders and other big-screen projects until his retirement in 2010.

“The ‘TODAY’ show was an extraordinary era for him,” his family said in its statement.

He stood out from the broadcast television crowd with his colorful bowties and puffy hair. He often studded his reviews in the “TODAY” show “Critics Corner” with puns and other cheeky turns of phrase, endearing him to millions of viewers.