Leonard Maltin
- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Leonard Maltin is one of the most recognized and respected film critics
of our time. He recently completed his 30th season with the
long-running television show,
Entertainment Tonight (1981).
Maltin was born on Friday, December 18th, 1950, in New York City and grew up in
suburban Teaneck, New Jersey. He credits the huge volume of old movies
shown on New York television - and access to the City's famous revival
theaters, as well as the Museum of Modern Art - with his "basic training" in film history. He attended New York University as a journalism major, and quickly became the entertainment editor of the campus' daily newspaper.
He and a friend published their own home-grown magazine when they were
in the fifth grade. This evolved into a mimeographed publication called
"Profile", which reflected Leonard's growing interest in show business
and film history. At the age of 13, he volunteered his services as a
writer to two fanzines: "The 8mm Collector", of Indiana, Pennsylvania,
and "Film Fan Monthly", of Vancouver, Canada. Two years later, he
assumed responsibility for "Film Fan Monthly" and continued publishing
it for the next nine years.
It was that magazine that inspired an English teacher in his high
school to suggest that he meet a friend of hers who was an editor at
Signet Books. That meeting led to an offer for him to compile a
paperback compendium of capsule movie reviews. The book was published
in 1969, when Maltin was 18 and a freshman at NYU. Decades later, he is
still best-known for that now-annual paperback reference, "Leonard
Maltin's Movie Guide". A perennial best-seller, "The Guide" has become
an indispensable tool for movie lovers and includes over 16,000 film
reviews, with ratings and essential facts about each title. In 2005, he
introduced a companion volume, "Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide",
which focuses on movies made before 1965, going back to the silent era.
Leonard's other books include "The Best 151 Movies You've Never Seen",
"The Disney Films", "Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated
Cartoons", "The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's
Golden Age", "The Great Movie Comedians", "The Art of the
Cinematographer", "Selected Short Subjects" and (as co-author) "The
Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang".
Leonard has been teaching at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the
last fifteen years. His popular class screens new films prior to their
release, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Guests over the years
have included:
Alexander Payne,
Judd Apatow,
James Franco,
David Lynch,
Spike Jonze,
Charlie Kaufman,
Costa-Gavras,
Bertrand Tavernier,
Anthony Hopkins,
Annette Bening,
Paul Haggis,
Paul Weitz,
Mark Ruffalo,
Walter Salles,
Guillermo del Toro &
Jason Segel, to name just a few. In addition
to top writers and directors, Maltin welcomes costume and production
designers, editors, composers, cinematographers, casting directors, and
other creative collaborators, in order to explore all aspects of the
filmmaking process. This direct access to top talent has proven to be
invaluable in his students' own filmmaking endeavors.
Leonard's reviews and signature on-air interviewing style can now be
seen on his weekly program,
Maltin on Movies (2010), on
ReelzChannel, where he has appeared since the channel went on the air.
He also previews movies-on-demand on Comcast and appears occasionally on
"Turner Classic Movies". For three years, he co-hosted the weekly
syndicated movie review program, "Hot Ticket", which was produced by
Entertainment Tonight (1981).
Leonard is a prolific freelance writer, whose articles have appeared in
"The New York Times", "The Los Angeles Times", "The London Times",
"Smithsonian", "TV Guide", "Esquire", "The Village Voice" and "American
Film". He has contributed to Oxford University Press' "American
National Biography", and was the film critic for "Playboy" magazine for
six years.
Additionally, Leonard frequently lectures on film and was a member of
the faculty of New York City's "New School for Social Research" for
nine years. He served as Guest Curator at the "Museum of Modern Art"
film department in New York on two separate occasions.
Leonard created, hosted and co-produced the popular "Walt Disney
Treasures" DVD series and appeared on Warner Home Video's "Night at the
Movies" features. He has written a number of television specials,
including "Fantasia: The Creation of a Disney Classic and has hosted,
produced and written such video documentaries and compilations as
The Making of 'The Quiet Man' (1992),
The Making of 'High Noon' (1992),
"Cartoons for Big Kids",
The Lost Stooges (1990),
"Young Duke: The Making of a Movie Star",
Cliffhangers! Adventures from the Thrill Factory (1993)
and
_Cartoon Madness: The Fantastic Max Fleischer Cartoons (1900)_.
In 2006, he was named by the Librarian of Congress to join the Board of
Directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He also has
received awards and citations from the American Society of
Cinematographers, Anthology Film Archives, The Society of Cinephiles
and the Telluride Film Festival. In 1997, he was made a voting member
of the National Film Registry, which selects 25 landmark American films
every year. Perhaps the greatest indication of his fame was his
appearance in a now-classic episode of the animated series,
South Park (1997).
He has been married, since 1975, to fellow movie lover
Alice Tlusty Maltin. They are the
proud parents of Jessie Maltin (aka
Jessica Bennett Maltin), who in recent years has become a valued
contributor to the annual Movie Guide.
of our time. He recently completed his 30th season with the
long-running television show,
Entertainment Tonight (1981).
Maltin was born on Friday, December 18th, 1950, in New York City and grew up in
suburban Teaneck, New Jersey. He credits the huge volume of old movies
shown on New York television - and access to the City's famous revival
theaters, as well as the Museum of Modern Art - with his "basic training" in film history. He attended New York University as a journalism major, and quickly became the entertainment editor of the campus' daily newspaper.
He and a friend published their own home-grown magazine when they were
in the fifth grade. This evolved into a mimeographed publication called
"Profile", which reflected Leonard's growing interest in show business
and film history. At the age of 13, he volunteered his services as a
writer to two fanzines: "The 8mm Collector", of Indiana, Pennsylvania,
and "Film Fan Monthly", of Vancouver, Canada. Two years later, he
assumed responsibility for "Film Fan Monthly" and continued publishing
it for the next nine years.
It was that magazine that inspired an English teacher in his high
school to suggest that he meet a friend of hers who was an editor at
Signet Books. That meeting led to an offer for him to compile a
paperback compendium of capsule movie reviews. The book was published
in 1969, when Maltin was 18 and a freshman at NYU. Decades later, he is
still best-known for that now-annual paperback reference, "Leonard
Maltin's Movie Guide". A perennial best-seller, "The Guide" has become
an indispensable tool for movie lovers and includes over 16,000 film
reviews, with ratings and essential facts about each title. In 2005, he
introduced a companion volume, "Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide",
which focuses on movies made before 1965, going back to the silent era.
Leonard's other books include "The Best 151 Movies You've Never Seen",
"The Disney Films", "Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated
Cartoons", "The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's
Golden Age", "The Great Movie Comedians", "The Art of the
Cinematographer", "Selected Short Subjects" and (as co-author) "The
Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang".
Leonard has been teaching at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the
last fifteen years. His popular class screens new films prior to their
release, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Guests over the years
have included:
Alexander Payne,
Judd Apatow,
James Franco,
David Lynch,
Spike Jonze,
Charlie Kaufman,
Costa-Gavras,
Bertrand Tavernier,
Anthony Hopkins,
Annette Bening,
Paul Haggis,
Paul Weitz,
Mark Ruffalo,
Walter Salles,
Guillermo del Toro &
Jason Segel, to name just a few. In addition
to top writers and directors, Maltin welcomes costume and production
designers, editors, composers, cinematographers, casting directors, and
other creative collaborators, in order to explore all aspects of the
filmmaking process. This direct access to top talent has proven to be
invaluable in his students' own filmmaking endeavors.
Leonard's reviews and signature on-air interviewing style can now be
seen on his weekly program,
Maltin on Movies (2010), on
ReelzChannel, where he has appeared since the channel went on the air.
He also previews movies-on-demand on Comcast and appears occasionally on
"Turner Classic Movies". For three years, he co-hosted the weekly
syndicated movie review program, "Hot Ticket", which was produced by
Entertainment Tonight (1981).
Leonard is a prolific freelance writer, whose articles have appeared in
"The New York Times", "The Los Angeles Times", "The London Times",
"Smithsonian", "TV Guide", "Esquire", "The Village Voice" and "American
Film". He has contributed to Oxford University Press' "American
National Biography", and was the film critic for "Playboy" magazine for
six years.
Additionally, Leonard frequently lectures on film and was a member of
the faculty of New York City's "New School for Social Research" for
nine years. He served as Guest Curator at the "Museum of Modern Art"
film department in New York on two separate occasions.
Leonard created, hosted and co-produced the popular "Walt Disney
Treasures" DVD series and appeared on Warner Home Video's "Night at the
Movies" features. He has written a number of television specials,
including "Fantasia: The Creation of a Disney Classic and has hosted,
produced and written such video documentaries and compilations as
The Making of 'The Quiet Man' (1992),
The Making of 'High Noon' (1992),
"Cartoons for Big Kids",
The Lost Stooges (1990),
"Young Duke: The Making of a Movie Star",
Cliffhangers! Adventures from the Thrill Factory (1993)
and
_Cartoon Madness: The Fantastic Max Fleischer Cartoons (1900)_.
In 2006, he was named by the Librarian of Congress to join the Board of
Directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He also has
received awards and citations from the American Society of
Cinematographers, Anthology Film Archives, The Society of Cinephiles
and the Telluride Film Festival. In 1997, he was made a voting member
of the National Film Registry, which selects 25 landmark American films
every year. Perhaps the greatest indication of his fame was his
appearance in a now-classic episode of the animated series,
South Park (1997).
He has been married, since 1975, to fellow movie lover
Alice Tlusty Maltin. They are the
proud parents of Jessie Maltin (aka
Jessica Bennett Maltin), who in recent years has become a valued
contributor to the annual Movie Guide.