I was sad to hear this morning's news. If you love the movies you had to love Sydney Pollack. Intelligent director, smart producer, fun actor, and fighter for the artistic spirit and ownership of personal performance, he literally did it all......and did it well. He made his name in TV and then went on to greatness on the big screen.

As a director, just look at this list:

Sketches of Frank Gehry (2005)
The Interpreter (2005)
... aka Interprète, L' (France)
Random Hearts (1999)
Sabrina (1995)
... aka Sabrina (Germany)
The Firm (1993)
Havana (1990/I)
Out of Africa (1985)
Tootsie (1982)
Absence of Malice (1981)
The Electric Horseman (1979)
Bobby Deerfield (1977)
... aka Heaven Has No Favorites (Australia)
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
... aka 3 Days of the Condor (Australia)
The Yakuza (1974)
... aka Brotherhood of the Yakuza (UK: video title)
The Way We Were (1973)
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
Castle Keep (1969)
The Swimmer (1968) (uncredited)
The Scalphunters (1968)
This Property Is Condemned (1966)
The Slender Thread (1965)
"Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" (5 episodes, 1963-1965)
    - The Game (1965) TV episode
    - The Fliers (1965) TV episode
    - Murder in the First (1964) TV episode
    - Two Is the Number (1964) TV episode
    - Something About Lee Wiley (1963) TV episode
"Kraft Suspense Theatre" (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
    - The Last Clear Chance (1965) TV episode
    - The Watchman (1964) TV episode
"Slattery's People" (1 episode, 1964)
    - Question: What Became of the White Tortilla? (1964) TV episode
"The Fugitive" (1 episode, 1964)
    - Man on a String (1964) TV episode
"Breaking Point" (1 episode, 1963)
    - Solo for B-Flat Clarinet (1963) TV episode
"Ben Casey" (10 episodes, 1962-1963)
    - For This Relief, Much Thanks (1963) TV episode
    - Suffer the Little Children (1963) TV episode
    - A Cardinal Act of Mercy: Part 2 (1963) TV episode
    - A Cardinal Act of Mercy: Part 1 (1963) TV episode
    - I'll Be Alright in the Morning (1963) TV episode
      (5 more)
"The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" (2 episodes, 1962-1963)
    - Diagnosis: Danger (1963) TV episode
    - The Black Curtain (1962) TV episode
"The Defenders" (1 episode, 1963)
    - Kill or Be Killed (1963) TV episode
"The Tall Man" (2 episodes, 1962)
    - Phoebe (1962) TV episode
    - Rio Doloroso (1962) TV episode
"Target: The Corruptors" (1 episode, 1962)
    - The Wrecker (1962) TV episode
"Cain's Hundred" (1 episode, 1961)
    - King of the Mountain (1961) TV episode




And as a producer:

The Reader (2008) (filming) (producer)
Margaret (2008) (completed) (producer)
Recount (2008) (TV) (executive producer)
Leatherheads (2008) (executive producer)
The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008) (TV) (executive producer)
Michael Clayton (2007) (producer)
Breaking and Entering (2006) (producer)
Catch a Fire (2006) (executive producer)
... aka Au nom de la liberté (France)
Sketches of Frank Gehry (2005) (executive producer)
The Interpreter (2005) (executive producer)
... aka Interprète, L' (France)
Forty Shades of Blue (2005) (executive producer)
In the Name of Love (2003) (executive producer)
... aka Russian Wives (USA)
Cold Mountain (2003) (producer)
The Quiet American (2002) (executive producer)
... aka Stille Amerikaner, Der (Germany)
... aka The Spy (Philippines: English title)
Heaven (2002) (executive producer)
... aka Heaven (France) (Germany)
Iris (2001/I) (executive producer)
Birthday Girl (2001) (executive producer)
Blow Dry (2001) (executive producer)
... aka Über kurz oder lang (Germany)
Up at the Villa (2000) (executive producer)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) (executive producer)
... aka The Mysterious Yearning Secretive Sad Lonely Troubled Confused Loving Musical Gifted Intelligent Beautiful Tender Sensitive Haunted Passionate Talented Mr. Ripley (USA: complete title)
Random Hearts (1999) (producer)
Poodle Springs (1998) (TV) (executive producer)
Sliding Doors (1998) (producer)
Bronx County (1998) (TV) (executive producer)
Sabrina (1995) (producer)
... aka Sabrina (Germany)
Sense and Sensibility (1995) (executive producer)
Flesh and Bone (1993) (executive producer)
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) (executive producer)
The Firm (1993) (producer)
"Fallen Angels" (1993) TV series (executive producer) (unknown episodes)
A Private Matter (1992) (TV) (executive producer)
... aka Miss Sherri (USA)
Leaving Normal (1992) (executive producer)
Dead Again (1991) (executive producer)
King Ralph (1991) (executive producer)
Havana (1990/I) (producer)
White Palace (1990) (executive producer)
Presumed Innocent (1990) (producer)
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) (executive producer)
Bright Lights, Big City (1988) (producer)
Out of Africa (1985) (producer)
Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret (1985) (executive producer)
Songwriter (1984) (producer)
Tootsie (1982) (producer)
Absence of Malice (1981) (producer)
Honeysuckle Rose (1980) (executive producer)
... aka On the Road Again (USA: reissue title)
Bobby Deerfield (1977) (producer)
... aka Heaven Has No Favorites (Australia)
The Yakuza (1974) (producer)
... aka Brotherhood of the Yakuza (UK: video title)



Now that's just plain impressive no matter how you cut it. He started as an actor an enjoyed like other directors, appearing in the films himself, but he was also very talented as an actor.   Go to the IMDB for more info if you want. We're lucky to have had him and fortunate to have so much of a lifetime's work available for the future. He had the highest respect from acting greats like Newman, Redford, Streep, Hoffman, Lange, Fonda, and many others. Very sad day today...............

Spaw