Kael, Pauline (1919–2001)
Kael, Pauline (1919–2001)
American film critic. Born June 19, 1919, in Petaluma, California; died Sept 3, 2001, in Great Barrington, MA; dau. of Isaac Paul Kael (farmer) and Judith (Friedman) Kael; graduate of University of California at Berkeley, 1940; Georgetown University, LLD, 1972; div. (3 times according to some published sources; 4 according to others); children: Gina James.
One of the most influential movie critics from 1960s to 1980s, wrote 1st piece of film criticism for City Lights in San Francisco, followed by articles in Partisan Review, Sight and Sound, Moviegoing, Kulchur and Film Quarterly; her widely acclaimed collection of articles in book form, I Lost It at the Movies (1965), led to assignments from Life, Holiday and Mademoiselle; was also regular film critic for McCall's (1965–66) and The New Republic (1966–67); joined The New Yorker (1968), reviewing there for 24 years; retired (1991); other books include Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (1968), Going Steady (1970), The Citizen Kane Book (1971), Reeling (1976), When the Lights Go Down (1980), Taking It All In (1984), State of the Art (1985), Hooked (1989) and For Keeps (1994). Received National Book Award for Deeper into Movies (1974).
See also memoir 5001 Nights at the Movies (Holt, 1991); and Women in World History.