His role in The Russians Are Coming,The Russians Are Coming was brilliant. I can't think of another movie scene where the actor sported a runny nose (at least when cocaine wasn't involved).
Jim Capaldi: Pollard and I would sit around writing lyrics all day, talking about Bob Dylan and the Band, thinking up ridiculous plots for the movie. Before I left Morocco, Pollard wrote in my book 'The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.' For me, it summed him up. He had this tremendous rebel attitude. He walked around in his cowboy boots, his leather jacket. At the time he was a heavy little dude. It seemed to sum up all the people of that generation who were just rebels. The 'Low Spark,' for me, was the spirit, high-spirited. You know, standing on a street corner. The low rider. The 'Low Spark' meaning that strong undercurrent at the street level.<2>
Indeed, I posted a bit about that further down in the thread but it got somewhat buried. Pollard with Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, and an unidentifed photobomber:
Acting can be a tough job sometimes. And sometimes...
Italian and French. Vavavoom!
Claudia was apparently part of a football-smuggling ring.
Hey, I was...what...12 years old...at the theatre...saw her...well...a certain area of her...nothing can take that away. There was a great cheer that rose from the attendees...pretty sure it was all male.
Yep. They were fighting against the "grups". He apparently hung around with a lot of the rock stars of the 1960s, including Janis Joplin and Traffic, re: "Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys": "...Capaldi credits actor Michael J. Pollard with the title and concept. While vacationing together in Morocco, Pollard wrote the words on the flyleaf of the book Capaldi was reading. He felt like it was a perfect description of Pollard and of the times. 'For me, it summed him up. He had this tremendous rebel attitude. He walked around in his cowboy boots, his leather jacket. At the time he was a heavy little dude. It seemed to sum up all the people of that generation who were just rebels. The âLow Spark,â for me, was the spirit, high-spirited. You know, standing on a street corner. The low rider. The âLow Sparkâ meaning that strong undercurrent at the street level.'"
I grew up on Colorado and worked / played / lived on the hills for many years in the 80's & 90's. I saw the transition from banned outcasts, to cool new thing. Burton was a huge influence in bringing that sport to the masses. I met him a couple of times and he always seemed really cool. He sponsored one of my good friends who was one of the early guys making money being a professional snowboarder.
He leaves a huge legacy, and will be missed.
I never really thought about who "Burton" was, but wow. Think about the combination of things he had to possess: a snowboarder's goofyness, for one, but the ability to create, promote, sell, design/build, all of that. The article says he "only" sold 300 the first year. That's about 299 more than anyone else in the history of the world could have sold. He's James Naismith and Ray Kroc put together.
And in a super hostile environment. Remember the 80s when most hills banned anything that wasn't a ski? I was in Aspen in 89, and we had a special piece that fit the ski tubes on the outside of the gondola for snowboards and monoskis. It was awkward, there were only a couple, and they were often in transit or lost somewhere, so you had to wait for break in the crowds so you could fit your board (or monoski) inside.
I never really thought about who "Burton" was, but wow. Think about the combination of things he had to possess: a snowboarder's goofyness, for one, but the ability to create, promote, sell, design/build, all of that. The article says he "only" sold 300 the first year. That's about 299 more than anyone else in the history of the world could have sold. He's James Naismith and Ray Kroc put together.
as a hardcore skater in the seventies and eighties i never knew that much about him
his story reminds me of people like jeff ho, peralta, adams, alva (early zephyr team) and eventually tony hawk
I grew up on Colorado and worked / played / lived on the hills for many years in the 80's & 90's. I saw the transition from banned outcasts, to cool new thing. Burton was a huge influence in bringing that sport to the masses. I met him a couple of times and he always seemed really cool. He sponsored one of my good friends who was one of the early guys making money being a professional snowboarder.
He leaves a huge legacy, and will be missed.
I never really thought about who "Burton" was, but wow. Think about the combination of things he had to possess: a snowboarder's goofyness, for one, but the ability to create, promote, sell, design/build, all of that. The article says he "only" sold 300 the first year. That's about 299 more than anyone else in the history of the world could have sold. He's James Naismith and Ray Kroc put together.
I grew up on Colorado and worked / played / lived on the hills for many years in the 80's & 90's. I saw the transition from banned outcasts, to cool new thing. Burton was a huge influence in bringing that sport to the masses. I met him a couple of times and he always seemed really cool. He sponsored one of my good friends who was one of the early guys making money being a professional snowboarder.
