Eileen Pollock

1926 - 2012

As Eileen celebrated her 12th wedding anniversary in the Persian Room of New York's Plaza Hotel, Mike Pollock was serenaded by Ted Straeter's orchestra with his theme, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." A dozen years before that evening Mike had been Eileen Prince, a young radio actress who had left her career in Hollywood after World War II for New York and "big time" radio. At the same moment a young lieutenant colonel who had served in Europe as Eisenhower's chief of radio public relations headed for New York to try his luck as an actor. They met on an ABC radio drama, "My True Story," fell in love and wed seven months later. "Miss Prince" became "Mrs. Pollock" and husband Bob changed "Eileen" to "Mike" because they had met across a microphone. A charmed marriage followed for sixty-five years. In their first year together Mike starred in an ill-fated Broadway production that closed in less than a week. Disillusioned with acting as a career, she reacted with an idea for a "Mr. and Mrs." radio show to be done in Paris for an American audience. It would succeed, she argued, as tourism revived in war-ravaged Europe. Bob agreed and three months later they were crossing the Atlantic. Mike loved Paris. And Paris loved Mike - her wit, her glowing smile, her beauty. Their program, "Two Americans in Paris," interviewed the giants of French fashion, Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, Pierre Balmain and movie stars Louis Jourdan, Michelle Morgan and Jean Gabin. Mike's show idea would change their lives. A year of writing their programs in Paris had drawn them to writing as a career instead of performing. By the time Mike and Bob returned to New York "radio" drama had become "television" drama. They entered the exciting new "Golden Age of Television," scripting dramas for "Robert Montgomery Presents" "U.S. Steel hour" "Philco Playhouse" "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and many others. Then abruptly the landscape changed. "Live" television as done in New York became "filmed" television and production moved to Hollywood. Rather than leave their beloved Manhattan again, Mike and Bob found new writing fields. They began a series of articles for Reader's Digest, interviews with renowned European personalities they had met during their "Two Americans in Paris" sojourn. One interview brought an extra dividend - a deep friendship with Maurice Chevalier. They collaborated with Chevalier to write "With Love" a well received book of the romantic side of his life. Its publication brought an offer to write another as-told-to autobiography of Tyrone Power's divorced wife, Linda Christian who lived in Italy. Mike and Bob intended to stay in Rome only for months of research. Instead they fell in love with the Eternal City and its "la dolce vita" and remained for four years. Finally returning to America they took over as writers of a daytime soap opera, "The Doctors" won the first Emmy awarded for daytime drama. A second one followed in their five years with the show. Then came "General Hospital," filmed in California, which brought them to Hollywood and their next writing adventure, "Dynasty". Mike created the memorable character "Alexis", and the show starring Joan Collins, Linda Evans, and John Forsythe won People's Choice and Golden Globe awards. It is still playing around the globe as is "The Colbys" a spin-off devised by Mike and Bob starring Charlton Heston. After decades of working together Mike and Bob opted for a long-delayed journey-around-the-world vacation. Their writing collaboration was not to stop however. As they flew over a tiny uninhabited South Pacific island where a plane could have crashed and never been found, Mike had an idea that was ultimately to become a play. Back at home they were writing again. Once completed "Hey, That's Amelia Earhart Down There!" was presented as the inaugural production of College of the Desert's Pollock Theater. There would surely have been more collaborations had fate not intervened. Six months ago Mike suffered a massive stroke, followed by two more strokes. Finally, three weeks after her 65th wedding anniversary she left this life. It had been a sparkling run, a blessed one. Following Mike's long-expressed wishes there would be no funeral services. Instead Bob stood, bereft, as her coffin was placed in its crypt. He said a last goodbye to his "most beautiful girl in the world".