Canadian born actor Michael Sarrazin passed away on April 17th after a brief battle with cancer. He was 70 years old at the time. With his tall lanky frame, large soulful eyes and calm demeanor, Sarrazin is probably best remembered for uttering the unforgettable last line, “They shoot horses, don’t they?” in Sydney Pollack’s Oscar-winning 1969 film of the same name.

In some of Sarrazin’s most interesting films he portrayed characters that seemed at odds with the world and out of place in their surroundings. He was often searching for something better. Grasping for an unobtainable future or that tempting gold ring that was always dangling just out of reach. Sarrazin was a thoughtful and easy-going anti-hero and his naturalistic approach to acting helped usher in a new kind leading man that would become widely popular throughout the 1970s. Although he never had the same kind of success and fame that many of his contemporaries did, Michael Sarrazin’s work speaks for itself. He appeared in some terrific movies during the height of his career and I thought now would be as good a time as any to share a few of my favorites.

THE FLIM-FLAM MAN (Irvin Kershner; 1967)
When director Irvin Kershner passed away late last year The Flim-Flam Man was often overlooked in retrospectives written about the director’s work. I’m not sure why the film has been somewhat forgotten because it’s one of Kershner’s best and provided Michael Sarrazin with his breakout role. In The Flim-Flam Man Sarrazin plays a young Army deserter and would-be folk singer who hooks up with an aging grifter (George C. Scott). The two proceed to con their way through the south until Sarrazin falls for a pretty blond (Sue Lyon). Sarrazin and Scott have an interesting partnership in the film and I think they work really well together as a reluctant apprentice and his would-be mentor. The film also includes a memorable performance from Slim Pickens.

EYE OF THE CAT (David Lowell Rich; 1969)
In the entertaining and unusual thriller Eye of the Cat, Michael Sarrazin plays a man named Wylie whose suffering from ailurophobia (the fear of cats). He teams-up with a beautiful young woman (Gayle Hunnicutt) and the two lovers hatch a deadly plan to kill Wylie’s wealthy aunt (Eleanor Parker) and steal her fortune. Unfortunately it won’t be easy because Wylie’s aunt is fond of cats and keeps countless furry felines as companions inside her opulent San Francisco home. The movie was scripted by Joseph Stefano (Psycho; 1960) and Sarrazin’s ability to convey deep-rooted fear as well as menace makes his performance in Eye of the Cat especially riveting. This was Michael Sarrazin’s first horror film but he continued to work in the genre with great success.

IN SEARCH OF GREGORY (Peter Wood; 1969)
Michael Sarrazin is the mysterious and elusive ‘Gregory’ who becomes an object of affection and adoration for Catherine Morelli (Julie Christie). After spotting an advertising poster featuring Sarrazin’s likeness she begins to obsess over him and the film creatively illustrates her romantic fantasies until reality gets in the way of her imagined happiness. This unconventional drama doesn’t give Michael Sarrazin a lot to do except look handsome in a racing uniform but that’s part of the movie’s charm. In Search of Gregory is really a vehicle for the talented and beautiful Julie Christie and the movie’s eccentric take on romantic love and human relationships makes for some strangely compelling viewing.

THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? (Sydney Pollack; 1969)
This acclaimed depression-era drama depicts the grueling toll that a dance marathon takes on its hopeful contestants. One of those contestants is Michael Sarrazin as Robert, an aspiring film director, who gets involved with a troubled woman named Gloria (Jane Fonda) in an effort to win the marathon and take home the cash prize. As the film unravels so do the contestants and it makes for some disturbing viewing. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? foreshadowed the current ‘Reality TV’ craze and the entire cast does a remarkable job of portraying the flawed and desperate characters that populate the movie. In the end Robert and Gloria end up destroying each other in their frantic attempts to escape poverty and restore their broken dreams but their sorrowful journey is brilliantly brought to life by director Sydney Pollack. One of Michael Sarrazin’s costars was the talented actress Susannah York who also passed away earlier this year after being diagnosed with bone marrow cancer.

FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY (Jack Smight; 1973)
A few weeks ago I mentioned Frankenstein: The True Story in a piece about Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein play where I called it “surprisingly smart and creative” but I failed to mention that it starred Michael Sarrazin. Sarrazin plays the monster in this made-for-TV movie and he does a fine job of capturing the more thoughtful and sympathetic side of the creature, which often gets lost in other adaptations of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. It’s a harrowing portrayal that forces Sarrazin to transform from a handsome and childlike young man into a decaying beast hell-bent on revenge. Overall this is one of the better and more faithful adaptations of Frankenstein.

HARRY IN YOUR POCKET (Bruce Geller; 1973)
Michael Sarrazin portrays a hapless pickpocket who teams-up with Trish Van Devere, Walter Pidgeon and James Coburn in an effort to improve his thieving skills in this stylish and captivating crime film. Sarrazin is sympathetic but not particularly likeable as a would-be criminal who becomes frustrated when his love interest (Trish Van Devere,) appears to be falling for his spry mentor (James Coburn). Besides some television work, Harry in Your Pocket was the only full-length feature film directed by Bruce Geller before he was tragically killed in a plane crash and it’s a remarkable first effort. Geller was able to get some subtle and effective performances out of his cast and the film is an impressive looking debut full of picture-postcard shots depicting each city that the group of ragtag thieves find themselves in.

FOR PETE’S SAKE (Peter Yates; 1974)
Peter Yates‘s slapstick style comedy is one of the funniest films that Michael Sarrazin ever appeared in. He stars opposite Barbra Streisand and the two play a married couple with serious financial troubles. For Pete’s Sake chronicles Streisand dubious attempts to secure $3000 for her husband Pete (Michael Sarrazin) so he can invest it in a surefire money making scheme. Outrageous site gags and tongue jabs ensue but Streisand and Sarrazin have some real chemistry on screen. I find it impossible not to root for the love struck couple during their crazy quest for financial security.

THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD (J. Lee Thompson; 1975)
In this eerie thriller directed by J. Lee Thompson (Eye of the Devil), Michael Sarrazin portrays a man plagued by nightmares that seem to suggest he once inhabited the body of another person. As the film’s title makes clear, Sarrazin comes to believe that he’s the reincarnation of a murdered man and throughout the course of the film he tries to piece together his previous identity. Sarazin is extremely sympathetic as the soul searching Peter Proud and the film’s haunting final moments are hard to shake. The Reincarnation of Peter Proud’s unusual subject matter combined with Sarrazin’s telling performance, have garnered the movie a small group of devoted fans over the years. The film also boasts some good performances from the supporting cast, which includes Margot Kidder, Jennifer O’Neill and Cornelia Sharpe.

Unfortunately many of my favorite Michael Sarrazin films aren’t available on DVD but they do occasionally play on TCM so keep checking the schedule. In the meantime, did I neglect to mention any of your favorite Sarrazin roles? Would you like to recommend another film to Sarrazin fans? Please feel free to share your suggestions below!