Roger Ebert's Boyhood Home Gets Historical Marker

URBANA, Ill. — Film critic Roger Ebert's boyhood home is getting the thumbs up.

Officials in Urbana, Ill., decided to honor the Chicago Sun-Times critic by placing a bronze plaque on the sidewalk in front of 410 E. Washington St. That's where Ebert lived with his parents from his birth in 1942 until 1961.

The 66-year-old Ebert and his wife, Chaz, were in Urbana for Wednesday's ceremony.

In a column Tuesday, Ebert described the home as "a two-bedroom white stucco house with green canvas awnings, evergreens and geraniums in front and a white picket fence enclosing the back yard."

Ebert became film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967. His annual film festival starts Wednesday and runs through Sunday at the historic Virginia Theatre in neighboring Champaign.

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On the Net:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com

http://www.ebertfest.com

Comments

[westreal]

He looks the happiest he's ever been.

[OnTheCusp]

Everyone's still "reeling" from his Cinema Interruptus appearance at the Conference on World Affairs in Boulder. It is worth travelling to see each April....he's been hosting it for years now and it was exciting to have him back in action this spring.

[scorebaby]

What the heck happened to his face? He looks like a plastic surgery disaster.

[publanski]

It's called a stroke.

[publanski]

Oops, I mean papillary thyroid cancer.

[stav506]

Which took 1/2 his face and he has had plastic surgery. He cannot talk anymore, hence no more TV show. He's still a grade A critic and writer.

[HelloooCanada]

...........really?

[TheBaffler]

That's a bit much. He isn't Thomas Jefferson or James Joyce. Even the best film critics don't deserve such an honor, much less a middling one like Ebert.

[NHBill]

Yo baffler. Mr. E kinda agrees with you. Check it out. His latest blog post was all about this. It is a very good read.

[vimmryan]

Ebert is one of Werner Herzog's favorite film critics, and he knows WAY more about movies and probably everything than you. If people in his home town think he deserves a plaque outside his childhood home, then what do you care?

[TheBaffler]

Yeah, I'm not impressed with Herzog, either. Give me Fassbinder any day.

[kdlaiusa]

Roger, keep up the good work and be well.

[LeeCalif]

Kisses to Roger !

[jackson1015]

We love Roger Ebert. He still gets two thumbs up.

[PwnedByJesus]

I went to school down there but I don't remember exactly where that is in relation to the campus. Anyway, congrats Roger!

[NHBill]

My all time favorite blog on the internet is "Roger Ebert's Journal". Do yourself a favor and check it out here: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/

[Petals]

Aww, Roger Ebert.

[vimmryan]

Congratulations Roger!