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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Roger
4Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, who passed away
5on April 4, 2013; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert joined the Sun-Times in 1966 and
7became the paper's movie reviewer the following year in 1967;
8his reviews were eventually syndicated to several hundred other
9newspapers nationwide; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert received a Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for
11distinguished criticism-the first, and one of only 3, given to
12a film reviewer since the category was created in 1970; in
132005, he became the first critic to have a star on the
14Hollywood Walk of Fame; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert's television career began in 1975,
16first in the Chicago area and then nationwide on PBS, when he
17and Gene Siskel co-hosted the PBS show "Sneak Previews";
18throughout the years, he would host various popular movie
19review shows; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert authored over 20 books covering the
21film industry and branched out into screenplays; in 1969 he was

 

 

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1the co-writer of the movie "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", a
2film that has since achieved cult status; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert founded the annual Ebertfest Film
4Festival, which holds its 15th incarnation April 17-21, 2013,
5at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert was a renowned author, journalist,
7film historian, film critic, and screenwriter who touched the
8lives of many; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert was born in Urbana on June 18, 1942,
10to Annabel and Walter H. Ebert; he attended Urbana High School
11and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, graduating in
121964; he spent a year at the University of Cape Town in South
13Africa before attending the University of Chicago; he married
14Charlie "Chaz" Hammelsmith in 1992; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Roger Ebert is survived by his wife; his
16stepchildren, Sonia and Jay; and his grandchildren, Raven,
17Emil, Mark, and Joseph; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20we mourn the passing of Roger Ebert, and extend our sincere
21condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved

 

 

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1him; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to the family of Roger Ebert as an expression of our
4deepest sympathy.