Sydney Pollack Biography (1934-)

Born July 1, 1934, in Lafayette, IN; son of David (a pharmacist and professional boxer) and Rebecca (maiden name, Miller) Pollack; brother of Bernie Pollack (a costume designer); married Claire Griswold (an architect), September 22, 1958; children: Steven (died), Rebecca (a film executive), Rachel. Addresses: Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills,CA 90212.; Publicist: PMK/HBH New York, 650 Fifth Ave., 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019.; Office: Mirage Enterprises, 233 S. Beverly Dr., Suite 200, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Director, producer, actor
Birth Details: July 1, 1934; Lafayette, Indiana, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Work
Voice dubbing supervisor for American version, The Leopard, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1963
Director, The Slender Thread, Paramount, 1965
Director, This Property Is Condemned, Paramount, 1966
Director, The Scalphunters, United Artists, 1968
(Uncredited) Additional director, The Swimmer, Columbia, 1968
Director, Castle Keep, Columbia, 1969
Director and (with Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff) producer, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, ABC/Cinerama, 1969
Director, Jeremiah Johnson, Warner Bros., 1972
Director and producer, The Way We Were, Columbia, 1973
Director, Three Days of the Condor, Paramount, 1975
Director and producer, The Yakuza (also known as Brotherhood ofthe Yakuza), Warner Bros./Toei, 1975
Director and producer, Bobby Deerfield (also known as Heaven Has No Favorites), Columbia, 1976
Director, The Electric Horseman, Columbia, 1979
Executive producer, Honeysuckle Rose (also known as On the RoadAgain), Warner Bros., 1980
Director and producer, Absence of Malice, Columbia, 1981
Director and (with Dick Richards) producer, Tootsie, Columbia, 1982
Producer, Songwriter, TriStar, 1984
Director and producer, Out of Africa, Universal, 1985
Consultant, Nine 1/2 Weeks, 1986
(With Mark Rosenberg) Producer, Bright Lights, Big City, United Artists, 1988
(With Rosenberg) Executive producer, Major League, Paramount, 1989
Executive producer, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1989
Executive producer, White Palace, Universal, 1990
Producer, The Last Ship, 1990
(With Rosenberg) Producer, Presumed Innocent, Warner Bros., 1990
Director and (with Richard Roth) producer, Havana, Universal, 1990
Executive producer, Dead Again, Paramount, 1991
(With others) Executive producer, King Ralph, Universal, 1991
Executive producer, Leaving Normal, Universal, 1992
Director and (with Scott Rudin, John A. Davis, and Michael Hausman) producer, The Firm, Paramount, 1993
Executive producer, Searching for Bobby Fischer (also known as Innocent Moves), Paramount, 1993
Executive producer, Flesh and Bone, Paramount, 1993
Director and producer, Sabrina, Paramount, 1995
Executive producer, Sense and Sensibility, Columbia, 1995
Producer, Sliding Doors, Miramax, 1998
Director and producer, Random Hearts, Columbia/TriStar, 1999
Producer, The Talented Mr. Ripley (also known as The Strange Mr. Ripley and The Mysterious Yearning Secretive Sad Lonely Troubled Confused Loving Musical Gifted Intelligent Beautiful Tender Sensitive Haunted Passionate Talented Mr. Ripley), Paramount, 1999
Producer, 20 Billion (also known as Twenty Billion), Paramount, 1999
Executive producer, Up at the Villa, October Films, 2000
Executive producer, Blow Dry (also known as Ueber kurz oder lang), Miramax, 2001
Executive producer, Birthday Girl, Miramax, 2001
Executive producer, Iris, Miramax, 2001
Executive producer, Heaven, Miramax, 2002
Executive producer, The Quiet American (also known as The Spy and Der Stille Amerikaner), Miramax, 2002
Producer, Cold Mountain, Miramax, 2003
Executive producer, In the Name of Love, 2003
Executive producer, Forty Shades of Blue, 2004
Film Appearances
Sergeant Owen Van Horn, War Hunt, United Artists, 1962
(Uncredited) Man who makes a pass at Alice, The Electric Horseman,1979
George Fields, Tootsie, Columbia, 1982
Dick Mellen, The Player, Fine Line, 1992
Jack, Husbands and Wives, TriStar, 1992
(Uncredited) Emergency room doctor, Death Becomes Her, Universal,1992
Himself, The Directors: Sydney Pollack, 1997
Al Eustis, A Civil Action, Buena Vista, 1998
Victor Ziegler, Eyes Wide Shut (also known as EWS), WarnerBros., 1999
Himself, Looking Back: The Making of "The Way We Were," 1999
Carl Broman, Random Hearts, Sony Pictures Releasing, 1999
Himself, Inside "The Talented Mr. Ripley," 1999
Himself, Lost Angeles, 2000
Himself, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, 2001
Voice of studio executive, The Majestic, 2001
Stephan Delano, Changing Lanes, Paramount, 2002
Himself, A Decade under the Influence, 2003
Narrator, Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin, 2003
Himself, More about the Condor, 2003

Himself, The Last Mogul: Life and Times of Lew Wasserman, 2004
Television Work
Series
Executive producer, Fallen Angels, Showtime, 1993-1995
Movies
Dialogue director, The Turn of the Screw, NBC, 1959
Executive producer, Poodle Springs, HBO, 1998
Executive producer, Bronx County, 1998
Specials
Video segment director and executive producer, "Sanford Meisner--The Theater's Best Kept Secret," American Masters, PBS, 1990
Pilots
Director, Diagnosis: Danger, CBS, 1963
Director, "The Watchman," Kraft Suspense Theatre, NBC, 1964
Executive producer, The Last Defense, CBS, 1998
Producer, Sliding Doors, CBS, 2000
Executive producer, Emerald City, Showtime, 2002
Director and executive producer, The Rackets, ABC, 2003
Episodic
Director, Ben Casey, ABC, 1962-1963
Director, "Something about Lee Wiley," Bob Hope Presents the ChryslerTheater (also known as The Chrysler Theater and Universal StarTime), NBC, 1963
Director, "The Fliers," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater (also known as The Chrysler Theater and Universal Star Time), NBC,1963
Director, "Solo for B-Flat Clarinet," Breaking Point, 1963
Director, "The Game," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater (alsoknown as The Chrysler Theater and Universal Star Time), NBC, 1965
Executive producer, "Mirage" (also known as "Miss Sherri" and "The SherriFinkbine Story"), A Private Matter, HBO, 1992
Also directed episodes of The Fugitive, ABC; Target: The Corrupters, ABC; The Defenders; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; TheAlfred Hitchcock Hour.
Television Appearances
Series
Host of The Essentials, TCM.
Specials
Himself, The Making of "Absence of Malice," 1982
Himself, The 58th Annual Academy Awards, 1986
Putting It Together: The Making of the Broadway Album, HBO, 1986
Hello Actors Studio, 1987
Himself, Natalie Wood (documentary), Cinemax, 1987
Himself, "Sanford Meisner--The Theater's Best Kept Secret," American Masters, PBS, 1990
Robert Redford and Sydney Pollack: The Men and Their Movies (alsoknown as Robert Redford: The Man, the Movies, and the Myth), NBC, 1990
The New Hollywood, NBC, 1990
Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star (documentary), Cinemax, 1991
Jessica Lange: It's Only Make-Believe (documentary), Cinemax, 1991
Street Scenes: New York on Film (documentary), AMC, 1992
Himself, "John Barry's Moviola," Great Performances, PBS, 1993
Willie Nelson, the Big Six-O: An All-Star Birthday Celebration (also known as Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O), CBS, 1993
Planet Hollywood Salutes the Top Ten Comedy Movies of All Time, Fox, 1995
Burt Lancaster: Daring to Reach (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 1996
Burt Lancaster (documentary), AMC, 1997
Himself, Independent's Day (documentary), Sundance Channel, 1998
The Orange British Academy Film Awards, 2000
Himself, AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies, CBS, 2000
Himself, Hollywood, D.C. (also known as Hollywood, D.C.: A Taleof Two Cities), Bravo, 2000
Robert Redford: Hollywood Outlaw, Arts and Entertainment, 2000
Himself, John Barry: License to Thrill (documentary; also known asOmnibus: John Barry--License to Thrill), BBC, 2000
Himself, Sydney Pollack y la generacion del compromiso, 2001
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, Cinemax, 2001
Dustin Hoffman: First in His Class, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
AFI Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand, Fox, 2001
The Score (documentary), Trio, 2002
Robert Redford (documentary), Bravo, 2002
Himself, I Love New York, 2002
Himself, Nicole Kidman: An American Cinematheque Tribute (documentary), AMC, 2003
Himself, Biography Special: The Fondas, Arts and Entertainment, 2004
Presenter, AFI Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to Meryl Streep, USA Network, 2004
Also appeared in A Cardinal Act of Mercy.
Pilots
Elizabeth's husband, Fling, 2001
Episodic
"Family Man," Brenner, 1959
Benson, "The Case of Julia Walton," The United States Steel Hour,1959
Bernie Samuelson, "The Contest for Aaron Gold," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, NBC, 1960
Willis, "The Trouble with Templeton," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1960
Chuck Johnson, "Spoken in Silence," The Deputy, NBC, 1961
Joe Gulp, "Quiet Night on the Town: Parts 1 & 2," Have Gun--Will Travel, 1961
Austin Rogers, "The Compulsion to Confess," The New Breed, 1961
"Monument to an Aged Hunter," Ben Casey, ABC, 1962
Bert Masters, "Walk This Street Lightly," The New Breed, 1962
"Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star," Crazy about the Movies, Cinemax, 1991
Himself, "Naked Hollywood," A & E Premieres, Arts and Entertainment, 1991
"Jessica Lange: It's Only Make-Believe," Crazy about the Movies, Cinemax, 1991
Voice of guest caller Holden Thorpe, "The Candidate," Frasier, NBC, 1994
Himself, Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo, 1995
American Cinema, PBS, 1995
Narrator, "Billy Wilder," Sex and the Silver Screen, Showtime, 1996
"Burt Lancaster: Daring to Reach," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1996
Dr. Sydney Warren, "Cheating on Sheila," Mad about You (also knownas Loved by You), NBC, 1997
Himself, Intimate Portrait: Jessica Lange, Lifetime, 1998
Himself, The Directors, Encore!, 1999
George Truman, "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, He's Kept Me in the Closet and I'm So Sad," Will & Grace, NBC, 2000
Himself, "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn," Just Shoot Me, NBC, 2000
Voice of Grant Trimble, "Transnational Amusements Presents: Peggy's MagicSex Feet," King of the Hill (animated), Fox, 2000
George Truman, "Cheaters," Will & Grace, NBC, 2001
Himself, The Ray Martin Show, 2001
George Truman, "Cheatin' Trouble Blues," Will & Grace, NBC, 2002
Also appeared in Alcoa Presents (also known as One Step Beyond), ABC; Playhouse 90, CBS; Shotgun Slade, syndicated.
Stage Appearances
A Stone for Danny Fisher, Downtown National Theatre, New York City, 1954
Rusti, The Dark Is Light Enough, American National Theatre and Academy, New York City, 1955
Major Tours
Appeared in Stalag 17, U.S. cities.
RECORDINGS
Videos
The Making of "Tootsie," Columbia, 1983
WRITINGS
Television Episodes
Wrote episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Defenders.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Dworkin, Susan, Making "Tootsie": A Film Study with Dustin Hoffman andSydney Pollack, New Market Press, 1983
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 1996
Meyer, Janet L., Sydney Pollack: A Critical Filmography, McFarland& Co., 1998
Taylor, William Robert, Sydney Pollack, Twayne Publishers, 1981

Periodicals

Variety, November 26, 2001, p. 6

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