The retinoblastoma protein, pRb, controls entry into the S phase of the cell cycle and acts as a tumor suppressor in many tissues. Re‐introduction of pRb into tumor cells lacking this protein results in growth arrest, due in part to transcriptional repression of genes required for S phase. Several studies suggest that pRb may also be involved in terminal cell cycle exit as a result of the instigation of senescence or differentiation programs. To understand better these multiple growth‐inhibitory properties of pRb, a temperature‐sensitive mutant of pRb has been produced. This tspRb induces G 1 arrest and morphological changes efficiently at the permissive temperature of 32.5 C, but is weakly functional at 37 C. Consistent with this, tspRb is compromised in nuclear association and E2F regulation at the non‐permissive temperature, but regains these properties at 32.5 C. Serial activation and inactivation of tspRb in SAOS‐2 cells does not allow proliferation, but rather leads to apoptotic cell death. Transient activation of pRb may kill tumor cells by establishing a conflict between persistent proliferation‐inhibitory signals and renewed deregulation of pRb targets such as E2F, and may thus be a more potent means of eliminating these cells than through simple re‐introduction of the tumor suppressor gene.