Rex Reed, Longtime Film Critic, Spent Final Years at New York Observer With Editors Shielding His Drafts

In the later years of his run at The New York Observer, film critic Rex Reed became known not only for his reviews, but also for how hard his writing could be to manage, according to a new account published by The Hollywood Reporter. The report describes Reed as frequently combative toward the process of editing, with at least one staffer stepping in to help shape drafts close to publication.

The story, reported as a recollection from someone who joined the publication in his final stretch, centers on Reed’s temperament during preparation of reviews and written pieces. The staffer, then in his mid-20s, described being drawn into a role that went beyond ordinary reporting support, including acting as a handler and confidant and, in the critic’s last-minute workflow, functioning as a final checkpoint for what could safely run to readers.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Reed was often “his own worst enemy” in the period described, and the staffer’s job became, in effect, to prevent drafts from reaching print in a form that would not meet the paper’s standards. The report characterizes the working relationship as unusual and sometimes exhausting, with Reed pushing back against changes even when the revisions were meant to improve clarity and publication readiness.

The account frames Reed’s editing challenges as a daily operational issue inside a newsroom, not as an isolated personality anecdote. It portrays Reed’s final Observer years as a time when editors and staff had to account for how quickly a manuscript could derail, and how much time and attention it required to bring it back onto a publishable path.

The Hollywood Reporter also presents the staffer’s perspective as part of Reed’s broader legacy in film criticism, where Reed’s voice carried a strong public identity but his behind-the-scenes process could be disruptive. While Reed’s reputation rests on the finished review, the report emphasizes how much labor went into getting copy onto the page, including last-line edits and direct intervention during production windows.

No obituary details, settlement terms, or formal personnel records are cited in the report. The account remains a personal recollection of newsroom practice during Reed’s last period at The New York Observer, describing how one young staffer ended up repeatedly performing editorial triage for a major critic.

As of publication, The Hollywood Reporter’s report stands as the central published account of the working dynamics it describes. It does not identify any disciplinary proceedings, contractual consequences, or formal changes to editorial policy tied directly to Reed’s writing. The next step for readers seeking more detail would be additional reporting that confirms timelines, publication dates for specific pieces, and whether other staff members corroborated the account.