Sydney Pollack, actor, director and producer, is dead

As an actor, Sydney Pollack had a face everybody recognized. Indeed, seeing his picture here, many of you will immediately remember the supporting roles he played in films like Tootsie, Husbands and Wives, and (my favorite film from last year), Michael Clayton.

Yet nobody (outside Hollywood) seemed to know his name.

As a director and producer, however, Pollack was a living legend. After all, he produced such notable films as Presumed Innocent (1990), Sense and Sensibility (1995) and (my favorite film adaptation of a Graham Green novel) The Quiet American (2002). And he directed The Way We Were (1973), Three Days of Condor (1975) and Random Hearts (1999).

But he was probably most acclaimed for producing and directing what I always regarded a modern version of The African Queen, namely: Out of Africa (1985) – starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. In fact, he won both producing and directing Oscars for this film.

Pollack died at his home in Los Angeles yesterday after a nine-month struggle with cancer. He was 73.

That’s a wrap!

Farewell Sydney

Sydney Pollack