Michael J. Pollard
1939-2019
As C.W. Moss in "Bonnie and Clyde"
Michael J. Pollard, who died yesterday at the age of 80, had an acting career that stretched from 1958 through 2012, and an accumulation of 116 acting credits, per IMDB. It began with appearances on television series over the years such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, and some minor roles in mostly forgettable motion pictures, but in 1967, he rocketed to stardom and an Academy Award nomination when he portrayed driver and gunsel C.W. Moss in 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde."
With Gene Hackman, Faye Dunaway,
Estelle Parsons, and Warren Beatty.
Parsons did win the Supporting Actress Oscar
for her performance in this movie.
He didn't win the Supporting Actor Oscar that year (George Kennedy of "Cool Hand Luke" did), but for the period of time when "Bonnie and Clyde" was wowing movie audiences and critics everywhere, Pollard attained his fifteen minutes of fame. I seem to recall that Merv Griffin had him on his show almost every other day.
Pollard appeared in some movies of consequence over the years....Melvin and Howard (1980), Tango and Cash (1983), and Dick Tracy (with old pal Warren Beatty in 1990). He also appeared is direct-to-video gem in 1983 called "Candy the Stripper." No awards nominations for that one that I could find.
Anyway, he pretty much worked steadily well into his seventies, which, I suppose, is all that an actor really wants in his or her life, and did achieve some degree of immortality by appearing in "Bonnie and Clyde", one of the greatest movies of its era, and, depending on what critic or film buff you want to read, one of the greatest of all time. He had to be pretty satisfied with that.
RIP Michael J. Pollard.
Pollard was splendid in his role of gunsel. Fine tribute, Bob.
ReplyDelete