Sydney Pollack passed away yesterday of cancer. The 73 year old director, actor and writer has been making us think and smile since he first started directed TV episodes and went on to make The Slender Thread in 1965. Beyond his films and performances, Syndey was also active in the world, specifically as an advocate of artists’ rights and for dreams of an old Hollywood:

He added that he was motivated by two factors: “First, I have to satisfy the needs of popular art. Second, I don’t want to be intellectually insulting. I want to raise issues and questions that are sufficiently intriguing — so people I care about will like them, too.” [Washington Post]

For Pollack’s rich filmography, some great videos and more on his work as an activist click HERE >>>

In his later years, Mr. Pollack appeared to relish his role as elder statesman. At various times he was executive director of the Actors Studio West, chairman of American Cinematheque and an advocate for artists’ rights.

He increasingly sounded wistful notes about the disappearance of the Hollywood he knew in his prime. The middle ground is now gone, Mr. Pollack said in the fall 1998 issue of New Perspectives Quarterly. He added, with a nod to a fellow filmmaker: It is not impossible to make mainstream films which are really good. Costa-Gavras once said that accidents can happen. [NYTimes]

I personally loved the cell phone courtesy ad he made where he encouraged movie patrons to turn of their cell phones. It always made me laugh and I liked knowing that Pollack understood the importance of paying attention to the movie at hand.

For more on Pollack, read on:

• Film director Sydney Pollack dies in Los Angeles
• In Memory: Sydney Pollack
• In pictures: Sydney Pollack dies

to read his entire filmography and also watch on: