Sydney Pollack: One of America's Best Directors, Dead at 73

One of my favorite directors, Sydney Pollack has died, after a brief battle with cancer. Pollack, director of such classics as "The Way We Were", "Tootsie" and "Out of Africa", died at his home in California. He was 73 years old. In addition to directing, Pollack was also a talented character actor, appearing in most of the movies he directed.

One of his most notable performances was as Dustin Hoffman's harried agent in "Tootsie". His most recent star turn in front of the camera is "Made of Honor". He plays the oft-married father of Patrick Dempsey's character. According to Pollacks's family, he was diagnosed with cancer about 9 months ago. It is interesting to note that Anthony Minghella, Pollack's partner in Mirage Enterprises died earlier this year after a brief illness. Mirage Enterprises was founded in 1985 by Pollack as a production vehicle for his films. In recent years, with the addition of Minghella, Mirage focused on production of independent films.

Pollack was born in 1934 to first generation Russian parents in Lafayette, Indiana. Pollack developed a love for theater in high school. After high school, rather than go to college, he moved to New York and enrolled in the Neighborhood Playhouse. There he studied under famed acting coach, Sanford Meisner. He did a two year stint in the army before returning to the Neighborhood Playhouse. Pollack cut his teeth in and around New York, appearing in several Broadway productions before setting his sights on directing. Pollack could be counted on to let his characters tell the story. Not given to cinematic trickery his artistry was in allowing the simplicity of well written dialogue.

In addition to his directing, acting and production work, he also filmed a documentary called "Sketches of Frank Gehry". Gehry is a world famous architect whose works include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington. Pollack and Gehry were friends for almost 30 years when the documentary was filmed. Pollack indicated that it was his fascination with defining the creative process that drew him to the Gehry project.

Though he received several Oscar nominations he only won for "Out of Africa". "Out of Africa" also won for Best Picture. His body of work and his time in the industry allowed him to forge long lasting relationships with many of Hollywood's most notable actors. Because of these relationships he always had access to some of Hollywood's top talent. According to the Associate Press, Sally Field said of Pollack. "Having the opportunity to know Sydney and work with him was a great gift in my life. He was a good friend and a phenomenal director and I will cherish every moment that I ever spent with him." Pollack directed Field along with Paul Newman in "The Absence of Malice".

Pollack leaves his wife of 49 years, the former Claire Griswold and two children and six grandchildren. One of Pollack's sons, Stephen was killed in plane crash in 1993. He also leaves a brother, Bernie, who is a costume designer in Hollywood.

George Clooney starred opposite Pollack in last years "Michael Clayton" said of him. "He'll be missed terribly".

Sources:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/09/27/DI2006092701380.html

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g3IGUlRbuhYdVZ1vkPwH2OYUgD9gD90TNVDG0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Gehry

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0527obit-pollack0527.html