Snub Pollard (9 November 1889 – 19 January 1962) was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became a silent film comedian in Hollywood, popular in the 1920s.
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.
1963
as Plumber's Assistant
1962
as Statehood Audience Member (uncredited)
1961
as Knuckles (uncredited)
1961
as Eddie, Bellhop (Uncredited)
1961
as Man at Balloon Society Meeting (uncredited)
1961
as Townsman (uncredited)
1961
as Self (archive footage)
1960
as Townsman (uncredited)
1960
as Tattoo Artist (uncredited)
1959
as Townsman (uncredited)
1958
as Reporter (uncredited)
1957
as Waiter (uncredited)
1957
as Townsman(uncredited)
1957
as Comedy Waiter #2
1957
as Quartermaster Bates in 'Rain' (uncredited)
1956
as Carnival Patron (uncredited)
1956
as Mr. Fields, Little Drunk at Dance Club
1955
as Street Vagrant (uncredited)
1955
as Bar Patron (uncredited)
1955
as Waiter (uncredited)
1954
as Park Caretaker
1954
1953
as Barfly (uncredited)
1953
as Man Pacing in Jail Cell
1952
as Street Musician
1952
as Townsman (uncredited)
1952
as Barfly
1952
as Lunch Wagon Counterman (uncredited)
1952
as Telegram Deliverer (uncredited)
1952
as Man at Assembly Meeting
1952
as Old Man Getting Umbrella in "Singin' in the Rain" Number (uncredited)
1951
as Townsman at Dance (uncredited)
1951
as Townsman
1951
as Stage Door Johnnie in Opening Number (uncredited)
1951
1950
as Custodian on Stairway (uncredited)
1950
as Pool Hall Patron (uncredited)
1950
as Townsman at Funeral (uncredited)
1950
as Bartender (uncredited)
1949
as Man in Courtroom (uncredited)
1949
as Show Spectator
1949
1949
as Elevator Operator (uncredited)
1949
1949
as Stagehand (Uncredited)
1948
as Second Small Man at Dance (uncredited)
1948
as Party Guest (uncredited)
1948
as Extra in Dive, Pointing Out Tarnowski
1948
as Man on Jury (uncredited)
1948
as Townsman (uncredited)
1948
as Goofy (as Snub Pollard)
1947
as Cabby (uncredited)
1947
as Western Saloon Set Propman
1947
as Villager (uncredited)
1947
as Barfly (uncredited)
1947
as Final Mail-Bearing Court Officer (uncredited)
1947
as Townsman (uncredited)
1947
as (uncredited)
1946
as Ticket Seller
1946
as Show Boat Orchestra Drummer (uncredited)
1946
as Man at Barn Dance (uncredited)
1946
as Party Guest (uncredited)
1946
as Miner (uncredited)
1946
as Mr. Grimble (uncredited)
1946
as Campbell
1946
as Town Barber (uncredited)
1946
as Townsman (uncredited)
1946
as Parade Spectator (uncredited)
1946
as Taxi driver (uncredited)
1946
as Amateur Contest Violinist (uncredited)
1945
as Ice Cream Vendor (uncredited)
1945
as Hugh's Rental Coachman (uncredited)
1945
as Hog Calling Contest Spectator (uncredited)
1945
as Drunk (uncredited)
1945
as Cemetery Guard (uncredited)
1944
as Father at Baby Window (uncredited)
1944
as Witness (uncredited)
1944
as Janitor
1944
1944
as Pop Denton (uncredited)
1944
as Flop House Tramp (archive footage)
1943
as Sheriff Hogwaller (uncredited)
1943
as Flower Delivery Man (uncredited)
1943
as Irate Father (uncredited)
1943
as Townsman in Church (uncredited)
1943
as Dance Official
1943
as Saloon Swamper
1943
as Fireman
1942
as Sailor (uncredited)
1942
as Stubby - Cab Driver (uncredited)
1942
as Soup Customer (uncredited)
1942
as Knocked-out Motorist (uncredited)
1942
as Supper Club Patron
1942
as Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)
1942
as 2nd Bartender
1942
1941
as Air Raid Refugee in Basement Crowd
1941
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
1941
as Party Guest (uncredited)
1941
as Wedding Chapel Attendant (uncredited)
1941
as Saloon Drunk
1940
as Pa, Man in Nightshirt
1940
as Archie
1940
as Townsman (uncredited)
1939
as Keystone Cop
1939
as Janitor Suds
1939
as Cookie
1939
as Poker Player
1938
as 'Perky'
1938
as Pee Wee
1938
as Pee Wee
1938
as Pee Wee
1938
as Pee Wee
1938
as Peewee
1937
as Pee Wee
1937
as Edgar Wolfe (as Snub Pollard)
1937
as Campbell
1937
as Bad guy caught by sash window in shed (uncredited)
1937
as Pee Wee McDougal
1937
as Prisoner
1937
as Bartender
1937
as Bartender
1937
as Stubby
1937
as Cookie
1936
as Baker
1936
as Vic Moran
1936
as Hadley
1936
as Gyp
1936
as Snub - Waiter (uncredited)
1936
as Cookie (Hart hand)
1935
as Frank Smith
1935
as Danny, the Pickpocket
1935
as Cinvvict Shorty
1935
as Property Man
1935
as Drummer (uncredited)
1934
as George
1934
as King's Physician's Aide
1934
as Victor
1934
as Renegade
1932
as Harmonica Player Joe Atterbury (uncredited)
1932
1931
as A Community Player (uncredited)
1931
as Photographer at Birthday Party
1931
as Plumber's assistant
1930
as Boggins
1929
as Alphonse
1929
1929
1928
1928
1928
1928
as Snub Pollard
1928
1927
1927
1926
1926
as The Boy
1926
1926
1924
as Shorter pal
1924
as Inventor Ignatius Pollard
1923
as The Papa
1923
as Our Hero
1923
1923
as Abner Maize
1923
as Inventor
1923
as Detective Snub Pollard
1923
as Snub
1923
as Hired Hand
1923
as Papa
1923
as The Auctioneer's Helper
1923
as The Old Settler
1923
1923
1922
as The Chauffeur
1922
as Snub the Ferryboat Pilot
1922
as The Good Grandson
1922
1922
as The New Director
1922
1922
1922
as Chambermaid Man
1922
as Snub
1922
as Snub - the Scenario Writer
1922
as A Hobo
1922
as Snub
1922
as Snub - the Newspaper Plant Janitor
1922
1922
as The Governor
1922
as The Bridegroom
1921
as Snub
1921
as The Caretaker of the Estate
1921
as The Husband
1921
1921
1921
1921
1921
1921
as Hunter
1921
as Marquis de Marmalade
1921
1921
as The Tenderfoot
1920
1920
as The Chap
1920
1920
1920
1920
1920
1920
1920
1920
as Husband
1920
1920
as Snub
1920
1920
as Bicycle Messenger
1920
1920
1920
as Prince of Rochquefort
1920
1920
as The Dandy
1920
as The Dandy
1920
1920
1920
1919
as The Kidnapper
1919
1919
1919
as The Dandy
1919
1919
as The Valet
1919
1919
1919
as Hatchet Face
1919
1919
as The Musical Comedy's Director
1919
1919
1919
1919
1919
1919
1919
1919
1919
1919
1919
1919
as Billy Bullion
1919
1919
as Jelous Admirer
1919
1919
as The Neighbor
1919
as Sheriff 'Gun Shy' Gallagher
1919
as The Unwelcome Suitor
1919
as Trolley conductor
1919
1919
1919
as His Valet
1919
as Snub
1919
1919
1919
as The Leading Man
1919
as Snub
1919
1919
1919
as Count Pop-up-skyvitch - the Bolshevik Officer (as Harry Pollard)
1919
as The Henpecked Husband (as Harry Pollard)
1919
1919
as Snub
1919
as The Neighbor
1919
as The Assistant Chef
1919
as The Corn-Fed Secretary
1919
1919
1919
1918
1918
as Simplex Joe
1918
1918
1918
1918
1918
1918
1918
1918
1918
1918
1918
as Snub
1918
as His Assistant
1918
1918
as Snub
1918
1918
as Snub
1918
as Snub, the Butler
1918
1918
as The New Director
1918
1918
1918
1918
as Snoopy Sam - The House Detective
1918
1918
1918
as Snub - the Janitor (as Harry Pollard)
1918
as Snub
1918
1918
1918
1918
1918
1917
as Snub
1917
1917
as Snub the Butler
1917
1917
1917
as Passenger with trunk
1917
1917
1917
1917
1917
1917
as Snub
1917
1917
as Spectator at Beach
1917
1917
1917
as Snitch, Another
1917
1917
1917
as Snub
1917
1917
1917
1917
as Cafe Waiter
1917
1917
1917
1917
1917
1917
1917
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
as Projectionist
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
as Bellhop
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
as First Flophouse Customer
1916
1916
1916
as Snub
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1916
1915
as Tin-Horn Tommy
1915
1915
1915
1915
as Snub Larkin
1915
as Hugo Snubb
1915
as Sourball Joe
1915
as Moke Morpheus
1915
as Luke's Co-Worker
1915
1915
as Count
1915
as Extra
1913
as Butler
as Teacher