Saw a TCM interview with Sydney Pollack. Good interview. Talked about a lot but veered at one point into his early acting. Showed a clip from Alfred Hithcock Presents- The Contest for Aaron Gold. These sketches are from watching that segment on Youtube. Netflix streaming stops at seasoon 3. This was from season 6. He was one skinny, wiry guy. The other sketch up top is the other actor.
There was a great device in the story. Pollack's adversary in the story is the swimming coach. Who is shown once, extreme long shot, making a high dive. We have no details about what he really looks like, sounds or anything. It's up to our imagination to create the intimidating picture.
I was also wrong about no shot of the "bad" guy. He has one long shot where you kinda see him. But he has a bullhorn in front of most of his face.
4 comments:
Really great stance on the first sketch (from behind). The second--looks nothing like S. Pollack!!
Those B&W TV episodes are a great source of drawing inspiration. The lighting, the compositions, the clothes and faces (with strong types and expressions) are great to draw from.
Hitch!!
It looks like an exaggeration of Pollack proportions. And more importantly, his attitude in the segment.
But you're right, it looks nothing like him.
Doesn't look anything like the other actor either. He had a ball cap on at all times.
That's the way I sketch from Tv, Quick swing of gesture, some note that might be close, and then it's just a drawing to scribble on.
I stand corrected--it looks just like him!
He was very serious about the acting. He was an acting coach on the Burt Lancaster, juvenile delinquent movie Young Savages. He thought Lancaster didn't like him, mocked him a bit. Then he found out he cared about his opinion and brought him into the making of The Leopard for the post production dialogue. This Hitchcock would have been just prior to that.
I should try to watch The Leopard again some day. It was programmed into one weekend of my kiddy matinee schedules because of some hideous mistake. I'm trying to watch stuff like Caltiki, The Immortal Monster and Hercules Unchained, and they drop this three hour "What the Hell" into the middle of my day.
This was probaly 1964. I wonder if I could still sue for mental anguish.
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