Report: Critic smacked Ebert with binder

TORONTO, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- A New York film critic allegedly yelled at and hit Roger Ebert after Ebert tapped him on the shoulder at a screening, the New York Daily News reported.

Ebert's battle with thyroid and salivary gland cancer has robbed him of his power to talk. He was apparently trying to signal New York Post critic Lou Lumenick in the darkened movie theater to move over because he couldn't see during a press screening of "Slumdog Millionaire" at the Toronto Film Festival, a source told the Daily News.

The spy said the first time Ebert tapped his fellow critic, Lumenick yelled, "Don't touch me!"

About 10 minutes later, it allegedly happened again, and Lumenick bellowed, "I said don't touch me!"

A few moments after that, the source said: "The guy stands up in the darkness and thwacks the guy behind him with a big festival binder. He hit him so hard everybody could hear it. Everyone freaked out and turned around. ... Apparently, Roger was just trying to tap Lumenick on the shoulder to signal him that he couldn't see the movie. He was trying to ask him to move over a bit."

Another insider told the Daily News Lumenick did not apologize when he saw who he hit.

The newspaper said Lumenick didn't return a call or e-mail by press time, and Ebert's representatives declined to comment.