Career
Pollock was recognized as one of the most sophisticated and charismatic practitioners of his craft. Strikingly handsome with an enigmatic stage presence, he was best known for an act in which he would elegantly produce doves out of thin air, and he was often billed as "the most beautiful man in the world". He first became interested in magic at the age of 21.
He trained at the Chavez School of Magic in Los Angeles, graduating in 1952.
Pollock"s early work as a magician was on the nightclub circuit, where his talents were enhanced by his good looks. He appeared on The Editor Sullivan Show in 1954, and went on to make several appearances at the London Palladium.
By the mid-1950s Pollock was unsurpassed in his field, and he had spawned a great many imitators. But his act was unique, and the excitement in his routine was so tied up with his own personality (he always made a point of never smiling until he was taking his final bow) that copyists never had quite the same impact.
At the height of his career he was one of America"s highest-paid entertainers.
He continued, however, to act as a friend and mentor to many aspiring magicians. He gave his own act, including his birds, to his chauffeur in London, Frank Brooker, who went on performing the act for several years under the name of Franklyn. Pollock died in Las Vegas from complications due to cancer.
He was the son of Robert Burns Pollock and Marjorie Leppert.
