Monday, August 4, 2008

Memories of Siskel & Ebert


Roger Ebert has a new blog on the Chicago Sun-times website. He posted about his depression at the ending of an era, as he and Richard Roeper have left the Buena Vista produced show "At the Movies."

I was surprised how depressed I felt all day on July 21, when Richard and I announced we were leaving the "Ebert and Roeper" program. To be sure, our departures were voluntary. We hadn't been fired. And because of my health troubles, I hadn't appeared on the show for two years. But I advised on co-hosts, suggested movies, stayed in close communication with Don DuPree, our beloved producer-director. The show remained in my life. Now, after 33 years, it was gone--taken in a "new direction." And I was fully realizing what a large empty space it left behind.

Being a native Chicagoan, I remember the days when he and Gene Siskel started their show on the local PBS station. Roger has found some great outtakes of his days with Siskel on Youtube.
Did Gene and I hate each other? Yes. Did we love each other? Yes. Somehow an outtake from a promo session has found its way on YouTube, where in a single take you can see us bitterly sniping at one another and then happily joking together.


No comments:

Post a Comment