A comedy writer, Wald worked on Saturday Night Live, writing sketches for Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal.
He worked on a number of TV and feature screenplays, but he’ll be remembered most for what he did while working at the Public Broadcasting System’s Chicago affiliate WTTW in 1975: he thought it would be interesting to create a TV show where the movie critics from two different newspapers discussed upcoming movies. His budget: $500. Paying the two critics cost $400; the balance went to the set — a row of theater seats.
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You debuted with two local newspaper critics, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times. It grew into a smash hit and, after a title change or two*, “Two thumbs up” entered the lexicon. Wald died July 12 in Los Angeles from liver cancer. He was 57.
* Including:
- Sneak Previews
- At the Movies
- Siskel & Ebert & the Movies
- Siskel & Ebert