Michael J. Pollard, 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'House of 1000 Corpses' Actor, Dies at 80

[Dennis Donovan]

https://variety.com/2019/film/obituaries-people-news/michael-j-pollard-dead-dies-bonnie-and-clyde-house-of-1000-corpses-1203413369/



Academy Award nominee Michael J. Pollard, known for his roles in “Bonnie and Clyde” and “House of 1000 Corpses,” has died. He was 80.

“House of 1000 Corpses” director Rob Zombie broke the news on Facebook early Friday morning.

“We have lost another member of our ‘House of 1000 Corpses’ family. I woke up to the news that Michael J. Pollard had died. I have always loved his work and his truly unique on screen presence,” Zombie said in his post. “He was one of the first actors I knew I had to work with as soon as I got my first film off the ground. He will be missed.”

Born 1939 in Passaic, N.J., Pollard attended Montclair Academy and Actors Studio in New York City in his early career. He started out in television in the late ’50s, appearing on shows like “Lost in Space” and “Star Trek,” but landed his breakout role as C.W. Moss, the accomplice-turned-snitch to Bonnie and Clyde in the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Pollard received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor and BAFTA nomination for most promising newcomer. He went on to star in films like “Dirty Little Billy,” “Melvin and Howard,” “Roxanne” and “Tango & Cash.”

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Great actor! Cross gently, Michael.

[Aristus]

1. I can't believe he was 80! He always seemed so youthful.

[CatWoman]

3. lol

great minds

[Brother Buzz]

8. We first saw him in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in the late '50s, so that dates him right there

He played Jerome, Maynard G. Krebs' oddball cousin in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

Bob Denver almost left the series after the first four episodes were filmed when he was drafted into the Army. Michael Pollard was hired as Maynard's beatnik cousin, but he was dropped when Bob Denver returned because he flunked the Army physical.

[dameatball]

9. Interesting. I never knew the background on that.

[Brother Buzz]

19. We first meet Jerome at 28:28

In my perfect world they would have kept both Michael J. Pollard and Bob Denver; the writers would have had a ball writing bits for Jerome and Maynard G Krebbs doing their oddball stuff. Hell, they even could have become the first spin-off in television.

Would have, could have, should have been.

[CatWoman]

2. that shocked me as I had no idea he was in his 80's

yes -- he was a great actor

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. "House of 1000 Corpses" director Rob Zombie....

That's too good to be true. I'm sure that was not his birth name.

Whatever works....

[Baked Potato]

5. Aw, that Lost In Space episode was cool

Rip

[CentralMass]

30. Roku TV

https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/93f15e4ae15b5c64bc2fb5cef6e07c42

[Baked Potato]

32. Thanks!

[yonder]

6. I always liked his work. RIP, Little Fauss.

[braddy]

14. Little Fauss and Big Halsy is my favorite Redford movie.

[yonder]

16. I don't remember much about it except for motorcycle racing

and Redford always having a toothbrush in his mouth.

[sop]

28. And Johnny Cash sang the title song.

Fun movie. Loved it at the time because I wanted to race motorcycles. Redford played a real sleazeball, Pollard was the good guy who came out on top at the end.

[yonder]

33. I was racing motorcycles which is probably why I saw it.

I didn't know that about Johnny Cash - and yet another movie I'll look forward to rewatching. This thread has opened my eyes a bit.

[TruckFump]

7. He was 80?

Wow, I think of him as young guy.

RIP.

[tblue37]

13. Me, too, but

[lunatica]

21. He had a fabulous face!

[nolabear]

23. He aged well! I love/hated him.

I was fascinated and creeped out, but watched everything he was in. That Star Trek episode was epic.

[Cha]

26. Oh cute.. Michael J aged well.

RIP Michael J Pollard

[pecosbob]

10. The low spark of high-heeled boys

[utopian]

11. He was memorable on Star Trek

[louis-t]

22. "This supposed to be a good thing, Miri?"

I still throw this line around.

[PSPS]

12. Fun fact

Actor Michael J. Fox, whose real middle name is Andrew, adopted the middle initial "J." as an homage to Pollard. Fox was compelled to modify his acting name because no two actors can have the same name and there already was a "Michael Fox."

[Cha]

27. I remember that now..

[Sneederbunk]

15. "Dirt in the fuel line. Just blowed it away."

[TheBlackAdder]

17. Don't forget Scrooged and Dick Tracey.

[yonder]

24. And "Hannibal Brooks" too. Just remembered.

As I recall that was actually a pretty good movie. I may have to dig that up.

[ProfessorGAC]

31. And He Was Barney's Cousin Virgil...

...The Andy Griffith Show.
A priceless episode!

[yonder]

34. We watch the AG show often enough.

I'll look for this episode. It's amazing the up and coming actors you can spot from these old TV shows.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. You Bet

Off top of my head;
Barbara Eden, Bill Bixby, Don Rickles, Jack Nicholson ( a color episode).
I'm sure there's plenty more, but those popped immediately to mind.

[lunatica]

18. I remember him as far back as the original Star Trek.

I wonder why he didn’t get cast as a Hobbit. Maybe he was retired by then.

[jpak]

20. RIP and Bonk Bonk Mr. Lovey Dovey

[bdamomma]

25. Geez 80??

I remember when he was in "Bonnie and Clyde" . Star Trek too.

[DinahMoeHum]

29. He was uncredited for the comedy "The Russians Are Coming". . .

Last edited Sat Nov 23, 2019, 08:05 AM - Edit history (4)

. . .as Stanley, a bewildered airplane mechanic wondering what the fuss is all about when the "miltia" (led by Paul Ford) storms through the airport and questions him about anything unusual happening. (on the false rumor that there were Russian parachutists that took over the airport)

. . .and he looks at them askew, thinks for a moment, then says
"Oh yeah. . .uh. . .my phone. . .it's out of order this morning. . ."

Meanwhile, the laid-back police chief (Brian Keith) is laughing his ass off at the whole scene.

[DFW]

36. I remember that scene very well

But, then, I remember most scenes in that movie, one of my favorite films EVER!

It's hard to grasp that the film is over 50 years old. A friend of mine played the Russian submarine captain. He passed recently, but he was 91 and had cancer.

[DinahMoeHum]

37. You knew Theodore Bikel ???? Wow.

Loved him in that role.

Yeah, I love that movie, too.

[DFW]

38. Theo was indeed a friend

One time at New Year's, he told me to grab my guitar and we, along with my wife, went into an empty room and sang duets of Russian songs together for 45 minutes. This had always been a wish of mine, and finally I got to do it. My wife and two hotel janitors were the only audience, and the two janitors had no idea who he was. They just said, "we don't know what y'all are singin', but y'all are pretty good at it." Yeah, Theo Bikel was "pretty good at singing!" I guess so! We could have probably filled a few concert halls with that little performance, and no one even knew it was taking place.

I used to say I had a "Fantastic Four of awesome 80 somethings" as friends. They all made it past 90, but three of them are now gone. Helen Thomas, Stan Lee and Theo. Only Ruth Westheimer is left. She turned 91 this year, and she is still going strong.

From days gone by, me with Theo, Tamara, Dr. Ruth and a friend

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