Harry 'Snub' Pollard
Born Harold Fraser, in Melbourne, Australia on 9 November 1889, he began performing with Pollard's Lilliputian Opera Company at a young age. Like many of the actors in the popular juvenile company, he adopted Pollard as his stage name. The company ran several highly successful professional children's troupes that traveled Australia and New Zealand in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
In 1908, Harry Pollard joined the company tour to North America. After the completion of the tour, he returned to the US. By 1915 he was regularly appearing in uncredited roles in movies, for example Charles Epting notes that Pollard can clearly be seen in Chaplin's 1915 short By the Sea. In later years, Pollard claimed Hal Roach had discovered him while he was performing on stage in Los Angeles.
Pollard played supporting roles in the early films of Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels. The long-faced Pollard sported a Kaiser Wilhelm mustache turned upside-down; this became his trademark. Lloyd's producer, Hal Roach, gave Pollard his own starring series of one- and two-reel shorts. The most famous is 1923's It's a Gift, in which he plays an inventor of many Rube Goldberg-like contraptions, including a car that runs by magnet power.
In early 1923, shortly after his second marriage, Pollard returned with his wife Elizabeth to see his relations in Australia. His visit attracted considerable attention, and he appeared again in several theatres to speak about the motion picture business. On his return to the US, he left Roach and joined the low-budget Weiss Brothers studio in 1926. There he co-starred with Marvin Loback as a poor man's version of Laurel and Hardy, copying that team's plots and gags.
In later years, Pollard claimed the Great Depression wiped out his investments, and he had been unable to "adjust to the talkies." However, in the 1930s, he played small parts in talking comedies, and was featured as comic relief in "B" westerns. Pollard's silent-comedy credentials guaranteed him work in slapstick revivals. He appeared with other film veterans in Hollywood Cavalcade (1939), The Perils of Pauline (1947), and Man of a Thousand Faces (1957). He also appeared regularly as a supporting player in Columbia Pictures' two-reel comedies of the mid-1940s.
Forsaking his familiar mustache in his later years, he landed much steadier work in films as a mostly uncredited bit player. He played incidental roles in scores of Hollywood features and shorts, almost always as a mousy, nondescript fellow, usually with no dialogue.
Snub Pollard died of cancer on 19 January 1962, aged 72, after nearly 50 years in the movie business. His interment was at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
For his contributions to motion pictures, Pollard has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6415½ Hollywood Boulevard.
Filmography (402 Appearances)
Teaching the Teacher
The Parrott Chase
Classic Comedy Teams
The Sound of Laughter
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Pocketful of Miracles
Homicidal
Master of the World
One-Eyed Jacks
Days of Thrills and Laughter
Inherit the Wind
Who Was That Lady?
The Oregon Trail
Teacher's Pet
The Tin Star
Pal Joey
Man of a Thousand Faces
Jeanne Eagels
The Buster Keaton Story
Friendly Persuasion
Runaway Daughters
The Man with the Golden Arm
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Pete Kelly's Blues
The Country Girl
The Fast and the Furious
Living It Up
Public Defender
Conquest of Cochise
Hannah Lee: An American Primitive
Limelight
The Old West
Park Row
Carrie
Gents in a Jam
Scaramouche
Singin' in the Rain
The Barefoot Mailman
Valley of Fire
Meet Me After the Show
Racket Squad
The Company She Keeps
Walk Softly, Stranger
Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Gunfighter
Stars in My Crown
Adam's Rib
Square Dance Jubilee
House of Strangers
The Lady Gambles
The Crooked Way
A Woman's Secret
Loaded Pistols
Belle Starr's Daughter
Unknown Island
Red River
Johnny Belinda
The Man from Colorado
Back Trail
The Paradine Case
The Perils of Pauline
Desperate
Cheyenne
Miracle on 34th Street
Thunder Mountain
Framed
Yankee Fakir
Trail Street
Andy Plays Hookey
Till the Clouds Roll By
Sister Kenny
Society Mugs
Canyon Passage
Monkey Businessmen
Jungle Terror
Badman's Territory
Partners in Time
The Hoodlum Saint
Strange Impersonation
Road to Utopia
Booby Dupes
Kitty
State Fair
Rockin' in the Rockies
Three Pests in a Mess
Casanova Brown
Hail the Conquering Hero
The Girl in the Case
Defective Detectives
It Happened Tomorrow
Main Street Today
Lucky Cowboy
Charlie's Triple Trouble
Phony Express
Ghosts on the Loose
Clancy Street Boys
Edge of Darkness
Kid Dynamite
The Kid Rides Again
His Wedding Scare
Stand by for Action
The Payoff
'Neath Brooklyn Bridge
Bowery at Midnight
Foreign Agent
It Happened in Flatbush
Boot Hill Bandits
Vitamin 'U' for Me
Confirm or Deny
Mr. Celebrity
Red Skins and Red Heads
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
Ridin' the Cherokee Trail
Sky Bandits
Murder on the Yukon
The Earl of Chicago
Hollywood Cavalcade
Mesquite Buckaroo
Lure of the Wasteland
Rollin' Westward
Song of the Buckaroo
Where the Buffalo Roam
Starlight Over Texas
Utah Trail
Rollin' Plains
Frontier Town
Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts
Nation Aflame
Jungle Menace
Goofs and Saddles
Riders of the Rockies
Sing Cowboy Sing
Strange As It Seems: The Herald of the Skies
Hittin' the Trail
Santa Fe Rides
Arizona Days
Headin' for the Rio Grande
White Legion
The Black Coin
The Gentleman from Louisiana
The Crime Patrol
The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand
Just My Luck
Bars of Hate
The Laramie Kid
The Drunkard
The Night Is Young
One More River
Cockeyed Cavaliers
Stingaree
The Rawhide Terror
The Purchase Price
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
The Midnight Patrol
One Good Turn
The Road to Singapore
Girls Will Be Boys
Ex-Flame
Sock and Run
The Big Shot
Springtime Saps
No Kidding
Men About Town
Here Comes a Sailor
Once Over
Thick and Thin
Double Trouble
Mitt The Prince
The Bum's Rush
All Wet
Fire!!
The Yokel
The Doughboy
Get Busy
The Big Idea
It's a Joy!
Fully Insured
Join the Circus
Dear Ol' Pal
It's a Gift
The Mystery Man
The Green Cat
Jack Frost
Courtship of Miles Sandwich
Sold at Auction!
California or Bust
Before the Public
A Tough Winter
Newly Rich
The Old Sea Dog
365 Days
The Stone Age
The Dumb-Bell
Some Baby
Hale and Hearty
Strictly Modern
Punch the Clock
In the Movies
Do Me a Favor
Full o' Pep
Hot Off the Press
Pardon Me
Blow 'Em Up
Years to Come
The Hustler
On Location
Fifteen Minutes
Name the Day
What a Whopper!
At the Ringside
High Rollers
Blue Sunday
Big Game
Rush Orders
His Best Girl
Whirl o' the West
Park Your Car
Cash Customers
Money to Burn
A London Bobby
Run 'Em Ragged
Live and Learn
Call a Taxi!
Don't Rock the Boat
Any Old Port
Grab the Ghost
All Dressed Up
Drink Hearty
Cracked Wedding Bells
Fresh Paint
Raise the Rent
Waltz Me Around
His Royal Slyness
Getting His Goat
All Lit Up
The Dippy Dentist
Slippery Slickers
Why Go Home?
Red Hot Hottentotts
From Hand to Mouth
The Floor Below
Tough Luck
Looking for Trouble
How Dry I Am
Captain Kidd's Kids
It's a Hard Life
Order in the Court
Call for Mr. Caveman
Giving the Bride Away
Bumping Into Broadway
All at Sea
His Only Father
Pay Your Dues
Start Something
Count the Votes
Soft Money
He Leads, Others Follow
The Rajah
Be My Wife
Heap Big Chief
Chop Suey & Co.
Count Your Change
A Jazzed Honeymoon
Never Touched Me!
At the Old Stage Door
Just Neighbors
Billy Blazes, Esq.
Spring Fever
Off the Trolley
Swat the Crook
Pistols for Breakfast
Back to the Woods
The Marathon
Before Breakfast
Si, Senor
Ring Up the Curtain
Crack Your Heels
Young Mr. Jazz
Just Dropped In
A Sammy in Siberia
Next Aisle Over
The Dutiful Dub
Look Out Below
I'm on My Way
On the Fire
Ask Father
Going! Going! Gone!
Love's Young Scream
Wanted - $5,000
She Loves Me Not
Take a Chance
Hear 'Em Rave
Nothing But Trouble
Why Pick on Me?
Swing Your Partners
Bees in His Bonnet
Two Scrambled
Bride and Gloom
That's Him
Kicking the Germ Out of Germany
An Ozark Romance
Are Crooks Dishonest?
Somewhere in Turkey
Sic 'Em, Towser
The City Slicker
Fireman Save My Child
Two-Gun Gussie
The Non-Stop Kid
Kicked Out
Hey There
It's a Wild Life
Pipe the Whiskers
Follow the Crowd
On the Jump
Let's Go
Here Come the Girls
Look Pleasant, Please
A Gasoline Wedding
Beat It
Hit Him Again
Hello Teacher
The Lamb
The Tip
The Big Idea
Step Lively
Bashful
Move On
We Never Sleep
All Aboard
Clubs Are Trump
The Flirt
Love, Laughs and Lather
Rainbow Island
From Laramie to London
Bliss
Birds of a Feather
By the Sad Sea Waves
Pinched
Lonesome Luke Loses Patients
Over the Fence
Lonesome Luke's Wild Women
Lonesome Luke, Mechanic
Lonesome Luke, Messenger
Stop! Luke! Listen!
Lonesome Luke, Plumber
Lonesome Luke's Honeymoon
Lonesome Luke on Tin Can Alley
Lonesome Luke's Lively Life
Luke Wins Ye Ladye Faire
Lonesome Luke, Lawyer
Luke's Trolley Troubles
Luke's Busy Day
Luke's Lost Liberty
Lonesome Luke's Lovely Rifle
Luke's Shattered Sleep
Luke Locates the Loot
Luke's Fireworks Fizzle
Luke, Rank Impersonator
Luke's Movie Muddle
Luke's Newsie Knockout
Luke, Patient Provider
Luke, the Gladiator
Luke's Preparedness Preparations
Luke, the Chauffeur
Luke and the Bang-Tails
Luke's Speedy Club Life
Luke and the Mermaids
Luke Joins the Navy
Luke Does the Midway
Luke's Lost Lamb
Luke, Crystal Gazer
Luke Rides Roughshod
Luke's Washful Waiting
Luke's Society Mixup
Luke's Fatal Flivver
Luke Laughs Last
Police
Luke's Late Lunchers
Luke and the Bomb Throwers
Them Was the Happy Days!
Luke's Double
Lonesome Luke, Circus King
Luke Pipes the Pippins
Luke and the Rural Roughnecks
Luke Foils the Villain
Luke, the Candy Cut-Up
Lonesome Luke Lolls in Luxury
Luke Lugs Luggage
Lonesome Luke Leans to the Literary
Lonesome Luke, Social Gangster
Peculiar Patients' Pranks
Ruses, Rhymes and Roughnecks
A Foozle at the Tee Party
Ragtime Snap Shots
Great While It Lasted
Tinkering with Trouble
Bughouse Bellhops
Giving Them Fits
Fresh from the Farm
A Countless Count
His Regeneration
Sally Scrags, Housemaid