TCM to honor filmmaker Pollack

LOS ANGELES, May 29 (UPI) -- Turner Classic Movies said it plans to pay tribute to Hollywood filmmaker Sydney Pollack, who died this week, by presenting a marathon of his movies.

Pollack, who was the host of TCM's weekly movie showcase "The Essentials" from 2003 to 2004, died of cancer Monday. He was 73.

The movie channel said it plans to show his films "The Slender Thread," "Tootsie, "Jeremiah Johnson" and "Three Days of the Condor" Monday night.

TCM said it also plans to present in July film critic and commentator Elvis Mitchell's in-depth interview with Pollack, which is among the last interviews the filmmaker gave.

"Sydney Pollack always made the very difficult look effortless, as a director, producer and actor," TCM host Robert Osborne said in a statement. "Whenever they talk about the most treasured directors of the past 40 years, he'll be high on that list."

"Sydney Pollack was a great friend to Turner Classic Movies and a champion of preserving the cinematic arts," added Charles Tabesh, senior vice president of programming for TCM. "As one-time host of TCM's weekly showcase 'The Essentials,' he displayed his extraordinary passion for film by introducing viewers to some of the greatest movies ever made. ... He will be sorely missed."