Leonard Maltin
| Leonard Maltin | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1950-12-18) December 18, 1950 (age 69)
New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Teaneck High School |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Tlusty (m. 1975) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (2013) |
| Website | |
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.
He is perhaps best known for his eponymous annual book of movie capsule reviews, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, which was published from 1969 to 2014.
Early life
Maltin was born in New York City, son of singer Jacqueline (née Gould; 1923–2012), and Aaron Isaac Maltin (1915–2002), a lawyer and immigration judge.
Maltin was raised in a Jewish family, and grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey.
He graduated from Teaneck High School in 1968.
Career
Maltin began his writing career at age fifteen, writing for Classic Images and editing and publishing his own fanzine, Film Fan Monthly, dedicated to films from the golden age of Hollywood.
After earning a journalism degree at New York University, Maltin went on to publish articles in a variety of film journals, newspapers, and magazines, including Variety and TV Guide.
In the 1970s Maltin also reviewed recordings in the jazz magazine, Downbeat.
Maltin wrote Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, a compendium of synopses and reviews that first appeared in September 1969 and was annually updated from October 1987 until September 2014, each edition having the following year's date.
Its original title was TV Movies, and some editions were Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide.
In 2005, coverage of many films released no later than 1960 was moved into a spin-off volume, Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide, to allow the regular book to cover a larger number of more recent titles.
He has also written several other works, including Behind the Camera, a study of cinematography, The Whole Film Sourcebook, Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia, Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals, and Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons.
Starting on May 29, 1982, Maltin was the movie reviewer on the syndicated television series Entertainment Tonight for 30 years.
He also appears on the Starz cable network, and hosted his own syndicated radio program, Leonard Maltin on Video, as well as the syndicated TV show Hot Ticket with Boston film critic Joyce Kulhawik (originally E!
personality and game show host Todd Newton).
As of 2018, Maltin hosts a television show called Secret's Out on ReelzChannel movie network.
He also spearheaded the creation of the Walt Disney Treasures collectible DVD line in 2001, and continues to provide creative input and host the various sets.
Maltin appeared on Pyramid twice as a celebrity player, in 1987 on the CBS $25,000 version, and in 1991 on the John Davidson version.
He also appeared on Super Password as a celebrity guest in 1988.
During the 1980s and 1990s Maltin served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute.
In the mid-1990s, Maltin became the president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and is on the Advisory Board of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum.
For nearly a decade, Maltin was also on the faculty of the New School for Social Research in New York City.
As of 2018, Maltin teaches in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.
In 1998, Maltin settled a libel suit brought by former child star Billy Gray, of Father Knows Best fame, whom Maltin identified in his review of the film Dusty and Sweets McGee as a real-life drug addict and dealer.
The statement had appeared in print in Maltin's annual movie guide for nearly 25 years before Maltin publicly apologized for the error.
Maltin left Entertainment Tonight in 2010.
His final appearance on the show as a regular correspondent was on July 19, 2010.
As of 2018, Maltin hosts The Maltin Minute for DirecTV customers.
With his daughter Jessie Maltin, he co-hosts Maltin on Movies, a long-form interview podcast for the Nerdist Industries network.
He also wrote the introduction for The Complete Peanuts: 1983–1984.
In 1990, he took a look at the MGM years of The Three Stooges in a film called The Lost Stooges, available on a made-to-order DVD through the Warner Archive Collection.
From 2014 to 2019, Maltin hosted the quarterly Treasures From the Disney Vault on Turner Classic Movies.
The last scheduled "Treasures from the Disney Vault" aired on September 2, 2019.
Popular culture appearances
Personal life
Maltin lives in Los Angeles.
He is married to researcher and producer Alice Tlusty, and has one daughter, Jessie, who works with him (his production company, JessieFilm, is named for her).
In July 2018, Maltin announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three and a half years prior.
Credits to the contents of this page go to the authors of the corresponding Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard Maltin.