Leonard Maltin

Leonard Maltin – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Discover the life of Leonard Maltin, the legendary American film critic and historian. Explore his early passion for cinema, key achievements, influence on film culture, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is one of America’s most respected film critics, historians, and authors. Over decades, he has bridged film scholarship and popular criticism — writing widely used guides, contributing on television, teaching at USC, and championing both classic and contemporary cinema. His voice in the film community is marked by deep knowledge, accessible commentary, and a genuine love for the medium.

Early Life and Family

Leonard Maltin was born on December 18, 1950, in New York City, to Jacqueline (née Gould), a singer, and Aaron Isaac Maltin, a lawyer and immigration judge. Teaneck, New Jersey, where as a youth he was deeply influenced by the theater culture of New York.

His early exposure to movie revival houses, television showings of classic films, and New York’s cinematic heritage shaped his “film DNA.”

From a young age, he showed precocious interest in writing and films. At around age 10, he launched his first magazine, The Bergen Bulletin. Film Fan Monthly, a fanzine dedicated to old films. In fact, he later purchased the publication and expanded its reach.

In high school (Teaneck High School), Maltin, along with classmates (including Louis Black), frequented Manhattan revival theaters and honed his cinephile sensibilities.

Education

After high school, Maltin attended New York University (NYU), where he studied journalism. Washington Square Journal. Film Fan Monthly and writing for film publications like Variety and TV Guide.

Career and Achievements

Early Publishing & Guide Books

In September 1969, at just 18, Maltin edited his first book, TV Movies (a compendium of synopses and reviews of TV-aired films). Over time, this evolved into the iconic Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, published annually from 1969 until 2014.

During the 1970s, he also wrote Movie Comedy Teams, Behind the Camera, The Great Movie Comedians, Of Mice and Magic (animation history), The Disney Films, and other film reference works.

Television & Broadcast Criticism

From 1982 to 2012, Maltin served as the film critic on the television program Entertainment Tonight.

He also hosted shows such as Hot Ticket and Secret’s Out (on Turner Classic Movies).

Maltin provided DVD/Blu-ray commentaries, curated classic film collections (e.g. the Walt Disney Treasures line), and appeared in documentaries and specials, often as a film historian and authority.

He also made cameo appearances, such as in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, playing a film critic.

Film Critic, Historian & Educator

Maltin has served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

He hosts the podcast Maltin on Movies, started in 2014, where he interviews filmmakers, critics, and actors.

In 2022, he was awarded the Robert Osborne Award from Turner Classic Movies as recognition for preserving and promoting classic film heritage.

Maltin also votes for films to be included in the National Film Registry.

Notable Events & Controversies

One notable episode in his career involved a libel suit in 1998: in a previous edition of his Movie Guide, he wrote that actor Billy Gray (from Father Knows Best) was among “real-life addicts and dealers.” Maltin later publicly apologized and removed the statement.

He has endured personal health challenges as well: in 2018, Maltin announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease approximately 3.5 years earlier.

Personality, Approach & Philosophy

Leonard Maltin’s style mixes deep scholarship with accessibility. He has consistently aimed to make film history and critique approachable for both cinephiles and casual moviegoers.

He emphasizes honesty as a critic:

“If I were less than honest as a critic, I think people would spot that right away, and it would destroy my credibility.”

His teaching philosophy involves exposing students (many not majoring in film) to a wide variety of cinema — blockbusters, foreign films, documentaries — rather than limiting to mainstream fare.

He often remarks on how quality endures:

“Quality survives.”

Maltin is also an avowed Disney enthusiast:

“I’m a lifelong Disney nut.”

He frequently laments Hollywood’s fear of sentimentality and overreliance on formulaic “safe bets” (remakes, known properties):

“Everyone is looking for the sure thing … they think the way to do that is to go with a proven quantity, a remake …” “I think people in Hollywood are afraid of sentiment because they think audiences will reject it.”

He also has a fondness for how classic films hold up over time, and how movies can transcend mortality:

“A good film is never too long. A bad film is never short enough.” “Dumbo … makes me cry. Every single time and in the exact same spot.”

Famous Quotes by Leonard Maltin

Here are some of his more insightful or evocative quotes:

• “Quality survives.”

• “I teach at USC. I have a big class of 360 kids, only about a fifth of whom are film majors. I don’t just show the Hollywood blockbusters. I show independent films, foreign films, documentaries.”

• “Hollywood executives believe that money is both the be-all and end-all to the moviemaking process.”

• “Los Angeles has the greatest concentration of surviving movie palaces in the United States, yet most residents have never been inside one of them.”

• “If I were less than honest as a critic, I think people would spot that right away, and it would destroy my credibility.”

• “The last person to stand still and repeat himself was Walt Disney. He refused to repeat himself. So to think that he’d be making the same kind of film in the year 2001 that he made in 1941 is absurd.”

Lessons from Leonard Maltin

1. Start early and nurture your passion
   Maltin’s serious engagement with film criticism began in childhood — building a magazine, writing columns, devouring movies. That foundation undergirds his lifelong career.

2. Bridge scholarship and accessibility
   He shows that deep film knowledge doesn’t have to be esoteric. You can communicate with both casual audiences and academic spaces.

3. Integrity is your capital
   His insistence on honest criticism is a reminder: credibility takes years to build and seconds to lose.

4. Champion the underseen
   Through his guides, commentaries, and teaching, he has introduced readers and students to lesser-known films, ensuring they remain in conversation.

5. Adapt and evolve
   Even after his print Movie Guide era ended in 2014, Maltin moved into podcasts, teaching, curated collections, and digital media — evolving with the medium.

6. Respect the enduring power of quality
   For him, films that last are those with innovation, heart, and craft — not those that chase trends.

Conclusion

Leonard Maltin’s journey illustrates how deep loves — here, for cinema — when coupled with discipline, honesty, and curiosity, can lead to lifelong influence. He remains a bridge between film history and contemporary audiences, reminding us that cinema is living art, deserving both admiration and critique.