Sydney Pollack dies at 73
Academy Award winning director had cancer
By Duane Byrge
May 26, 2008, 10:32 PM

Sydney Pollack, who won an Academy Award as best director for "Out of Africa," died Monday of cancer at his home in Pacific Palisades. He was 73. Pollack also was nominated for a best director Oscar for "Tootsie" and "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Pollack won an Emmy for his direction of "The Game" in 1965, starring Cliff Robertson.

In addition to his Oscar for "Out of Africa," which also won best picture, that film also earned Pollack the best director honor from the New York Critics Film Circle for that film. Among the 100 best American love stories ranked by American Film Institute in June 2002, Pollack is the only director credited with two films near the top of list: "The Way We Were," at No. 6, and "Out of Africa," which is ranked No. 13.

In 2000, Pollack was honored with the John Huston Award from the Directors Guild of America as a "defender of artists' rights." His filmography included such diverse films as "The Firm," "Sabrina," "The Electric Horseman," "Bobby Deerfield," "Presumed Innocent," "King Ralph" and "Havana."

As a director, he is perhaps best regarded for the strong performances he has elicited from Hollywood stars, including Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, Harrison Ford and Burt Lancaster. Pollack began his own career as an actor.

The Hollywood Reporter
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