Strikingly handsome with an enigmatic stage presence, he was best known for an act in which he would elegantly produce doves out of thin air, and was often billed as "The Most Beautiful Man in the World".
He first became interested in magic at the age of 21. By the mid-1950s Pollock was unsurpassed in his field, and had spawned many imitators. But his act was unique.
The excitement in his routine was so tied up with his own personality (he always made a point of never smiling until he was taking his final bow) that imitators were never as good.
He appeared all over the world, performing for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth II and at the wedding of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly. At the height of his career he was one of America's highest-paid entertainers.