Sheila Benson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1930-12-04)December 4, 1930 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 2022(2022-02-23) (aged 91) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupations | Journalist, film critic |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 3 |
| Parents | |
Sheila Benson (December 4, 1930 – February 23, 2022) was an American journalist and film critic.[1] She served as film critic for theLos Angeles Times from 1981 to 1991.
Benson was born in New York City on December 4, 1930. Her father,Dwight Franklin, was employed as a costume designer and her mother,Mary C. McCall Jr., worked as a screenwriter and novelist.
Her family eventually relocated toBeverly Hills, California, where she attendedBeverly Hills High School. She then studied drama at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) alongsideCarol Burnett andJames Dean.[2]
Benson first worked as a film critic and interviewer for thePacific Sun inMill Valley for eight years. She was also a film reviewer for a radio station inMarin County[2] and wrote a column titled "Good Movies" in theCo-Evolution Quarterly beginning in the winter of 1978.[3] She became principal film critic for theLos Angeles Times in 1981,[2] and served in that capacity until April 1991.[4] During her tenure, Benson was a member of the critics' panel at the 1984Mill Valley Film Festival,[5] and was a member of the jury at the35th Berlin International Film Festival one year later.[2][6] She also sat on the juries at theSundance Film Festival,[2]Toronto International Film Festival,[7]Chicago International Film Festival,[8]Aspen Shortsfest[9] and in Seattle.[2] She was conferred the Vesta Award by the Los AngelesWoman's Building in 1987. After stepping down as theLos Angeles Times film critic, Benson briefly authored a weekly column on the arts as critic at large before retiring from the paper altogether in December 1991.[4]
Benson joined the newly establishedMicrosoft Cinemania in August 1995[10] and was its film critic until its dissolution in June 1998. She also taught critical writing at UCLA.[2] She was affiliated with theNational Society of Film Critics, theAlliance of Women Film Journalists, theLos Angeles Film Critics Association[2] and Parallax View (Seattle).[11] Her coverage, essays and interviews appeared in publications includingVariety,Premiere,Film Comment andThe New York Times.[2]
After moving to Seattle in 1996,[2] Benson became a reviewer of films and books at theSeattle Weekly.[12][13] She subsequently wrote forCritic Quality Feed.[14]
Benson was the writer for, and host of, theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' birthday centennial tribute ofMary Pickford in 1993.[15] She also wrote the narration for HBO'sThe First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Film[16] and the liner notes for the DVD release of Horton Foote'sTomorrow.[17]
Benson's first marriage was to Charles Ashley. Together they had two children, Eden and Ann. She later married Walter Benson, with whom she had a daughter, Caitlin. Her third marriage was to Herman Hong. They did not have children and they remained married until her death. She resided inBellingham, Washington.[2]
Benson died on February 23, 2022, inSeattle at the age of 91.[2]
