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Leonard Maltin
Film Critic & Historian, Living with Parkinson’s
Leonard Maltin
Film Critic & Historian, Living with Parkinson’s
Biography
One of the world’s most respected film critics and historians, Leonard Maltin is best known for his widely-used reference work Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, its companion volume Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide and 30 years as film critic on Entertainment Tonight. In 2015, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Inspired by actor Alan Alda’s announcement of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Maltin publicly shared his own diagnosis in 2018. Speaking out about the disease that has affected Michael J. Fox, Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt and others in public life, including the late Robin Williams, Johnny Cash, Pope John Paul II and Muhammed Ali, Maltin declared that "it’s not a death sentence, not anywhere even close to that."
With the support of his wife of more than 40 years, Alice, Maltin continues to be highly productive and unflappably positive. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, appears regularly on Turner Classic Movies and hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies with his daughter, Jessie. He also critiques current movies at leonardmaltin.com.
A prolific author and movie historian, his books include The 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, The Great Movie Comedians, The Disney Films, The Art of the Cinematographer, Movie Comedy Teams, The Great American Broadcast, and Leonard Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia. Maltin has been the recipient of awards from the American Society of Cinematographers, Anthology Film Archives, and San Diego’s Comic-Con International. Perhaps the pinnacle of his career was his appearance in a now-classic episode of South Park.
Sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of films and movie history, Maltin is able to shape presentations around different topics — from women in film to how the Jews invented Hollywood. He also speaks about living — and thriving — with Parkinson’s disease, a candid discussion that provides the perspective of the individual living with a progressive disease and, when joined by his wife, that of the life partner who is sharing the journey.
Speech Topics
Living—and Thriving—with Parkinson’s
Movie critic and TV personality Leonard Maltin speaks candidly about how he has dealt with the sobering diagnosis that he received four years ago. Initially worried that sharing his Parkinson’s diagnosis would affect his very active professional life, Maltin decided to follow the example of others in Hollywood, including Michael J. Fox and Alan Alda, to publicly proclaim — and openly share — that he is living with Parkinson’s. Upon request, Leonard can be joined by his loving wife, Alice, who shares the perspective of the life partner/caregiver of someone with Parkinson’s.
Hooked on Hollywood
Sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of films and movie history, Maltin is able to shape presentations around different topics – from women in film to how the Jews invented Hollywood. He also speaks about living—and thriving—with Parkinson’s disease, a candid discussion that provides the perspective of the individual living with a progressive disease and, when joined by his wife, that of the life partner who is sharing the journey.
One of the world’s most respected film critics and historians, Leonard Maltin is best known for his widely-used reference work Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, its companion volume Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide and 30 years as film critic on Entertainment Tonight. In 2015, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Inspired by actor Alan Alda’s announcement of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Maltin publicly shared his own diagnosis in 2018. Speaking out about the disease that has affected Michael J. Fox, Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt and others in public life, including the late Robin Williams, Johnny Cash, Pope John Paul II and Muhammed Ali, Maltin declared that “it’s not a death sentence, not anywhere even close to that.”
With the support of his wife of more than 40 years, Alice, Maltin continues to be highly productive and unflappably positive. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, appears regularly Turner Classic Movies and hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies with his daughter, Jessie. He also critiques current movies at leonardmaltin.com.
A prolific author and movie historian, his books include The 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, The Great Movie Comedians, The Disney Films, The Art of the Cinematographer, Movie Comedy Teams, The Great American Broadcast, and Leonard Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia. Maltin has been the recipient of awards from the American Society of Cinematographers, Anthology Film Archives, and San Diego’s Comic-Con International. Perhaps the pinnacle of his career was his appearance in a now-classic episode of South Park.
Sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of films and movie history, Maltin is able to shape presentations around different topics – from women in film to how the Jews invented Hollywood. He also speaks about living—and thriving—with Parkinson’s disease, a candid discussion that provides the perspective of the individual living with a progressive disease and, when joined by his wife, that of the life partner who is sharing the journey.
How the Jews Invented Hollywood—and Shaped the American Dream
In this fascinating keynote speech, Leonard Maltin draws on his vast knowledge of movie history to share the story of how immigrant Jews became movie moguls who sold WASP America an idealized, non-ethnic image of itself. He also takes audiences on a journey tracing the image of the Jew in films, from early stereotypes to cultural breakthroughs, from closeted stardom (Issur Demsky became Kirk Douglas, Betty Perske became Lauren Bacall) to modern-day box-office names like Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Scarlett Johanssen, Jonah Hill, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal and Timothée Chalamet.
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