Sydney Pollack Dies

A friend of mine says he and his wife watched "Recount" during the Memorial Day weekend. Sydney Pollack, who died at the age of 73 during the holiday weekend, was a producer of the film.

Pollack had originally been slated to direct the film (a dramatization of the infamous Bush-Gore 2000 election recount in Florida) until the cancer that took his life forced him to give up that role.

"I saw his name on the credits at the end," my friend said in an e-mail, "then heard about his death a few hours later.

"I liked him better as a producer than director."

Pollack wore many hats in his career. He was a rare talent in Hollywood filmmaking -- a producer, director and actor.

Producer Pollack gave us such brilliant films as "The Fabulous Baker Boys," "Tootsie," "Out of Africa," "Searching for Bobby Fischer" and "Absence of Malice."

He also directed some of those films, as well as "Jeremiah Johnson," "The Way We Were" and "Three Days of the Condor."

As an actor, he was seldom the star, rarely the featured attraction. But he made valuable acting contributions to such films as "Tootsie," "The Player," "Changing Lanes," "Husbands and Wives" and "Eyes Wide Shut."

And he found time to make appearances on popular TV shows, such as the original "Twilight Zone," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Frasier" and "Mad About You."

The world of entertainment was a richer place because of Pollack's contributions.

It is a poorer place today because Pollack is no longer part of it.