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Biography
(Page 2)
Siskel returned to Chicago at the age of 22, and on Jan. 20, 1969 was hired by the Chicago Tribune. His first job with the paper was as a neighborhood news reporter and staff writer for the Sunday department, a position usually reserved for rookie reporters. Almost immediately after Siskel's hiring, Tribune film critic Cliff Terry was awarded a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University and took a one year sabbatical from the paper. Editors had every intention of filling Terry's position with about a half-dozen reporters who would write reviews on a rotating basis, but Siskel had other plans. Despite the fact that he had only been a reporter for a few months, he sensed an immediate opportunity to move through the ranks of the Tribune's staff.
Harking back to an age of journalism that has long since passed, Siskel wrote a memo to the Sunday editor explaining why the paper needed a single voice to review movies, and why that person should be him. The following day, Siskel was called into his editor's office for an impromptu interview, and a short time later was offered the job of Tribune film critic. Siskel accepted and would work for the paper for 30 years.
Having had a lifelong fascination and love for all-things cinematic certainly aided in Siskel's transition from neighborhood news reporter to head film critic. He quickly earned a reputation around Chicago as one of the city's finest writers, and was eventually hired to provide movie reviews and features for Chicago's WBBM-TV.
It goes without saying that Siskel would have found success with or without the help of television. Rather than go on a tangent and lambaste or praise a film without providing any substance to the reader, his columns provided insight, depth and often humor. As far as film criticism goes, his columns were extremely a-typical. They were detailed and full of passion, and they provided arguments either for or against a film. But an opportunity would present itself in 1975 that would springboard his career to a completely new level of success. Not long after taking the job with WBBM, Siskel was asked to work alongside Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert and co-host the movie review program "Opening Soon at a Theater Near You."
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