Harry "Snub" Pollard, a silent movie comedian of note, was easily recognizable due to his diminutive stature at 5' 6", bullet-shaped head, and distinctive dark, droopy mustache. Born Harold Fraser on November 9, 1889, in Melbourne, Australia, he began his career at a young age with the Pollard's Lilliputian Opera Company, where he adopted the surname "Pollard" as a tribute to the company.
As a child, Harry performed with various children's troupes in Australia, and when a vaudeville company he was touring with arrived in the United States in 1910, he decided to stay and pursue a career in the country. He was soon dubbed "Snub" and began performing in bit parts at the Essenay Film Studios in 1911, working briefly with the Keystone Kops.
Harry's big break came when he started working with Hal Roach, who took an interest in him and cast him in support roles, often alongside Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels in the popular Lonesome Luke series. By 1915, Snub was co-starring in this series, which ran for years and consisted of 86 films.
In 1919, Snub ventured out on his own, creating a series of one- and two-reelers featuring his signature zany slapstick, sight gags, and gimmicks. He performed many of his own stunts, which often resulted in serious injuries. Many of these films were directed by Charley Chase and co-starred Marie Mosquini as his frequent leading lady.
Although Snub's solo vehicles received only moderate attention, he continued to work in the film industry, making personal appearances on stage and directing his own production company, which was established in 1926. However, the company eventually folded, and Snub was relegated to supporting other top comedians, including Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and Andy Clyde.
The Depression hit Snub hard, and he found himself appearing in "poverty row" films. He made a final comeback in the late 1930s, starring as Pee Wee, the sidekick to cowboy Tex Ritter, in a series of minor westerns. In his later years, he continued to work in relative obscurity until his death on January 19, 1962, from cancer.
Snub earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to silent films and was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.
