Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, historian and reference author. He became widely known for producing accessible guides to cinema and for documenting the history of animation. Over a career spanning several decades he has combined publishing, broadcast appearances and curatorial work to make film history available to general readers as well as scholars.
Career and major works
Maltin wrote and edited popular reference titles that reached broad audiences, including annual movie guides and illustrated histories of film and animation. One of his best-known early works examined the development of animated cartoons and remains a standard introduction for people studying the craft. He also curated and produced home video programs that collected classic material for modern audiences, most notably the boxed series of restored Disney shorts that brought rare cartoons back into circulation in high-quality transfers.
Roles and influence
As a critic and commentator he has contributed reviews and essays to print publications and appeared on television and radio programs discussing cinema. His clear, concise evaluations and encyclopedic knowledge made his guides popular reference tools for moviegoers, film students and librarians. Beyond criticism, he has been active in preservation advocacy and in promoting wider appreciation for older and lesser-known films.
Selected types of work
- Reference guides summarizing thousands of films and television titles
- Histories and studies of animation and popular cinema
- Curation and production of restored home video collections
- Broadcast commentary and public lectures on film history
Personal background
Maltin was born in New York City and grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. He attended local schools before studying at New York University. He has combined a long marriage and family life with his professional activities; he married Alice Tlusty in the 1970s and they have a daughter. Maltin has discussed his health publicly: in 2018 he announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, noting that the diagnosis dated from earlier years.
Legacy and distinctions
For many readers Maltin's books provide an introductory gateway to film history and criticism. He is credited with making the study of animation and studio-era short films more visible to collectors and the public, and his home-video curatorial projects helped restore and preserve fragile works. His name is associated with reliable, user-friendly film reference, and he remains a familiar figure to generations of movie fans who used his guides when choosing films or researching popular cinema.
Further information, interviews and lists of his publications can be found through major library catalogs and film reference resources; for official biographical or bibliographic pages see publishers and institutional archives. For context about film criticism and preservation, consider reading broader surveys of twentieth-century cinema and animation history.
Related topics: film criticism, animation history, home video restoration and curation.