Happy Birthday, Sydney Pollack! Born today in 1934 as Sydney Irwin Pollack, this American actor, producer and film director had made more than twenty films and ten television shows, acted in over thirty movies or shows and produced over forty-four films.
In the late 1960s, Pollack was nominated for his 1969 American tragedy drama/melodrama film 'The Shoot Horses, Don't They?'. This occurred at the 42nd Academy Awards in early April 1970.
Of the 1970s, Pollack is known for directing the 1972 American Revisionist Western/adventure film 'Jeremiah Johnson', the 1973 American romance/drama adaptation film 'The Way We Were' and the 1975 American political thriller/spy film 'Three Days of the Condor'. All three films starred Robert Redford.
Of the 1980s, Pollack is known for directing the 1981 American Neo-noir thriller drama/mystery film 'Absence of Malice' the 1982 American romantic comedy/drama film 'Tootsie' and the 1985 American epic romance/drama film 'Out of Africa'.
Of these films, Pollack is best known for co-producing and directing 'Tootsie' and also for co-producing and directing 'Out of Africa'.
In 'Tootsie', Pollack appears in the film as George Fields; the agent of out-of-work actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman).
The film was adapted by American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author Larry Gelbart and American playwright and screenwriter Murray Schisgal from a story by Gelbart and American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer Don McGuire.
It was also adapted by American filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor Barry Levinson ('Diner', 'The Natural', 'Good Morning, Vietnam', 'Rain Man') and American comedian, film director, screenwriter, and actress Elaine May ('The Heartbreak Kid'). Both went uncredited.
The film was a major critical and financial success, the second most profitable film of 1982. On a budget of $21 million, the film grossed $177.2 million at the box office.
The theme song, "It Might Be You", was performed by American singer-songwriter, actor, and guitarist Stephen Bishop, with music by American composer, arranger, producer, and pianist Dave Grusin and words by American lyricists and songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
The theme song was a Top 40 hit in the United States and hit No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart.
The following year, 'Tootsie' was nominated for ten Oscars. including Best Picture. However, American actress Jessica Lange was the only winner for Best Supporting Actress. This occurred at the 55th Academy Awards in mid-April 1983.
For 'Out of Africa', the film was had been loosely based on the titular 1937 biographical memoir novel by Danish author Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke (under her pen name Isak Dinesen). It was later adapted into a screenplay by American screenwriter Kurt Luedtke, and was filmed in 1984.
The film was also based on British writer Errol Trzebinski's 1977 biography book Silence Will Speak and American writer, biographer, and critic Judith Thurman's comprehensive 1982 biography Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Story Teller.
With a budget of $28 million, 'Out of Africa' grossed $227.5 million at the box office. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the film won seven Oscars. These included Best Picture and Best Director for Pollack.
The film also won Oscars for Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Original Music Score, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay. This occurred at the 58th Academy Awards in late March 1986.
Of the 1990s, Pollack's subsequent films included the 1990 American romance/drama film 'Havana' and the 1993 American legal thriller/drama film 'The Firm'.
Of the 2000s, Pollack's subsequent films included the 2005 British/French/German/American political thriller/drama film 'The Interpreter' and the 2007 American legal thriller/drama film 'Michael Clayton'.
Pollack is probably best known to television viewers for his recurring role-playing Will Turner's father George Truman on the NBC American sitcom television series Will & Grace (1998–2006).
During this time, in 1998, the Library of Congress deemed 'Tootsie' "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Also, during this time, Pollack appeared in American film director, screenwriter, producer, and photographer Stanley Kubrick's final feature.
This was the 1999 American British/American erotic mystery psychological mystery/drama film 'Eyes Wide Shut'. Pollack appeared as Victor Ziegler, a wealthy patient of gynecologist Dr. William Harford (Tom Cruise).
American television producer and writer David Kohan served as Pollack's assistant prior to being a writer, and was the one who invited Pollack to play George.
In the 2002 British monthly film magazine Sight and Sound Directors' Poll, Pollack revealed his top ten films in alphabetical order:
• Casablanca
• Citizen Kane
• The Conformist
• The Godfather Part II
• Grand Illusion
• The Leopard
• Once Upon a Time in America
• Raging Bull
• The Seventh Seal
• Sunset Boulevard
The moving image collection of Pollack is housed at the Academy Film Archive.
Pollack had been active from 1955–2008.
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