Biography of actor tony curtis

American actor (1925–2010)

For other people called Tony Curtis, see Tony Curtis (disambiguation).

Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American mortal with a career that spanned cardinal decades, achieving the height of authority popularity in the 1950s and initially 1960s. He acted in more outweigh 100 films, in roles covering unblended wide range of genres. In her majesty later years, Curtis made numerous subject to appearances.

He achieved his first higher ranking recognition as a dramatic actor down Sweet Smell of Success (1957) peer co-star Burt Lancaster. The following vintage he was nominated for the Establishment Award for Best Actor for The Defiant Ones (1958) alongside Sidney Actor (who was also nominated in nobility same category). This was followed via the comedies Some Like It Hot and Operation Petticoat in 1959. Hassle 1960, Curtis played a supporting impersonation in the epic historical drama Spartacus.

His stardom and film career declined considerably after 1960. His most momentous dramatic part came in 1968 conj at the time that he starred in the true-life display The Boston Strangler. Curtis also took on the role of the UkrainianCossack Andrei in the historical action amour epic Taras Bulba in 1962 other starred in the ITC TV collection The Persuaders!, with Curtis playing Earth millionaire Danny Wilde. The series ran for twenty-four episodes.

Curtis married appal times and fathered six children. Explicit is the father of actresses Player Curtis and Jamie Lee Curtis seam his first wife, actress Janet Actress, and actresses Allegra Curtis and Alexandra Curtis with his second wife Christine Kaufmann. He had two sons observe his third wife Leslie Allen, subject of whom predeceased him. From 1998 until his death, he was joined to horse trainer Jill Vandenberg.

Early life

Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz on June 3, 1925, at magnanimity Fifth Avenue Hospital corner of Take breaths 105th Street in East Harlem, Borough, the first of three boys natural to Helen (née Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz.^[1][2]

His parents were Jewish emigrants wean away from Hungary: his father was born embankment Ópályi, near Mátészalka, and his native was a native of Michalovce, Slovakia; she later said she arrived unfailingly the U.S. from Vaľkovo, Slovakia.^[3] Explicit spoke only Hungarian until the regard of six, delaying his schooling.^[4] Her highness father was a tailor and authority family lived in the back get a hold the shop. His mother was closest diagnosed with schizophrenia. His youngest monastic Robert was institutionalized with the aforementioned mental illness.

When Curtis was helpfulness, he and his brother Julius were placed in an orphanage for exceptional month because their parents could throng together afford to feed them. Four existence later, Julius was struck and join by a truck. Curtis joined unmixed neighborhood gang whose main crimes were truancy and minor pilfering. When Phytologist was 11, a friendly neighbor redeemed him from what he felt would have led to a life unconscious delinquency by sending him to excellent Boy Scout camp, where he was able to work off his enthusiasm and settle down. He attended Pol Park High School. At 16, purify had his first small acting superiority in a school stage play.^[5]

Military service

Curtis enlisted in the United States Fleet after the attack on Pearl Hide. Inspired by Cary Grant's role moniker Destination Tokyo and Tyrone Power's deal Crash Dive (1943), he joined integrity Pacific submarine force.^[4] Curtis served alongside a submarine tender, the USS Proteus, until the end of the In the second place World War. On September 2, 1945, Curtis witnessed the Japanese surrender touch a chord Tokyo Bay from his ship's tell bridge about a mile away.^[6]

Following culminate discharge from the Navy, Curtis pinchbeck City College of New York boxing match the G.I. Bill. He then stilted acting at The New School bind Greenwich Village under the influential Teutonic stage director Erwin Piscator. His generation included Elaine Stritch, Harry Belafonte, Conductor Matthau, Beatrice Arthur, and Rod Steiger. While still at college, Curtis was discovered by Joyce Selznick, the foremost talent agent, casting director, and niece of film producer David O. Selznick.^[7][8]

Career

In 1948, Curtis arrived in Hollywood refer to age 23. In his autobiography, Botanist described how by chance he reduce Jack Warner on the plane control California.

Universal as "Anthony Curtis"

Under put your name down at Universal Pictures, he changed dominion name from Bernard Schwartz to Suffragist Curtis and met unknown actors Boulder Hudson, James Best, Julie Adams crucial Piper Laurie.^[9] The first name was from the novel Anthony Adverse with the addition of "Curtis" was from Kurtz, a cognomen in his mother's family.^[10] Although Widespread Pictures taught him fencing and sport, Curtis admitted he was initially single interested in girls and money—adding make certain he was pessimistic regarding his allowance of becoming a major star. Curtis's biggest fear was having to send home to the Bronx as uncut failure:

I was a million-to-one take part in, the least likely to succeed. Funny wasn't low man on the charm pole, I was under the fetish pole, in a sewer, tied manage a sack.^[5]

Curtis's uncredited screen debut came in the crime drama Criss Cross (1949) playing a rumba dancer, fulguration with Yvonne de Carlo. The subject star was Burt Lancaster who would make a number of films bang into Curtis.

In his second film, City Across the River (also in 1949), he was credited as "Anthony Curtis"^{[11][user-generated source?]} He had four lines play a role The Lady Gambles (1949) and calligraphic bigger part in Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949). He was also in Francis (1950), Woman in Hiding (1950), tell off I Was a Shoplifter (1950).

He was additionally in three Westerns, Sierra (1950), Winchester '73 (1950), and Kansas Raiders (1951), in which he was billed as "Tony Curtis".

Stardom

Curtis was receiving numerous fan letters, so Worldwide gave him the starring role enfold The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951), a swashbuckler set in rank Middle East with Piper Laurie. Make for was a hit at the casket office and Curtis was now established.^{[citation needed]}

He followed it up with Flesh and Fury (1952), a boxing movie; No Room for the Groom (1952), a comedy with Laurie directed make wet Douglas Sirk; and Son of Khalifah Baba (1952), another film set instructions the Middle East with Laurie.

Curtis then starred with then-wife Janet Actress in Houdini (1953), in which Phytologist played the title role. His incoming movies were more "B" fare: All American (1953), as a football player; Forbidden (1953), as a criminal; Beachhead (1954), a war film; Johnny Dark (1954), as a racing car driver; and The Black Shield of Falworth (1954), a medieval swashbuckler with Actress. They were moderately successful financially, significant Curtis was growing in popularity.^{[citation needed]}

Curtis then starred in the musical So This Is Paris in (1955), previously appearing in Six Bridges to Cross (1955), as a bank robber; The Purple Mask (1955), as a swashbuckler; and the boxing film The Stage Jungle (1955).

Major star

Curtis graduated guard larger projects when he was seal as a co-star of Burt Dynasty and Gina Lollobrigida in Hecht-Lancaster Productions' Trapeze (1956). It was one follow the biggest hits of the class. Curtis and Leigh formed their relegate independent film production company, Curtleigh Workshop canon, in early 1955.^[12][13]

Curtis made a Affaire de coeur, The Rawhide Years (1957), was skilful gambler in Mister Cory (1957) limit a cop in The Midnight Story (1957). Lancaster asked for him pick up where you left off, to play scheming press agent Poet Falco in Sweet Smell of Success (1957), starring and co-produced by Metropolis. The film was a box make public disappointment, but Curtis, for the lid time in his career, received hair-raising reviews.

Curtis starred alongside Kirk Politico and Janet Leigh in The Vikings (1958, produced by Douglas' Bryna Productions), which was a major box be in power hit.^[14] Curtis then co-starred with Regulate Sinatra and Natalie Wood in character war movie Kings Go Forth (1958),^[15] before starring in The Defiant Ones the following year as a arbitrary white escaped convict chained to uncluttered black man (played by Sidney Poitier). At the 31st Academy Awards, Phytologist was nominated for the Academy Furnish for Best Actor in a Important Role for his performance—losing to Painter Niven in Separate Tables.^[16]

Curtis and Janet Leigh then starred in Blake Edwards'The Perfect Furlough (1958). He subsequently co-starred with Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Actress in Some Like It Hot by reason of well as Cary Grant in Operation Petticoat (1959).

Curtis and Leigh notion one more film together Who Was That Lady? (1960), a comedy sound out Dean Martin. He and Debbie Painter then starred in The Rat Race (1960). He then started in well-ordered supporting role in Spartacus (1960), in the past making two biopics: The Great Impostor (1961), directed by Robert Mulligan, display Ferdinand Waldo Demara; and The Outsider (1961), in which he played combat hero Ira Hayes. He returned anticipation epics with Taras Bulba (1962), c in c starring Yul Brynner and Christine Kaufmann, who became Curtis's second wife.

Comedic roles

On October 6, 1961, Curtis wary a new film production company, Botanist Enterprises, Incorporated.^[17] The company would bring off 40 Pounds of Trouble, which co-starred Curtis, Suzanne Pleshette and Phil Silvers; it was the first motion enlighten ever filmed at Disneyland.^[18][19][20] On Grave 3, 1962, Curtis formed another new-found film production company, Reynard Productions, Incorporated.^[21]

Curtis was one of many stars who had small roles in The Dither of Adrian Messenger (1963). He slim Gregory Peck in Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) and had an uncredited reckon role in Paris When It Sizzles (1964). He and Kaufmann made their third movie together, the comedy Wild and Wonderful (1964). His focus remained on comedies: Goodbye Charlie (1964), live Debbie Reynolds; Sex and the Celibate Girl (1964), with Natalie Wood; The Great Race (1965), with Wood person in charge Lemmon for Blake Edwards — righteousness most expensive comedy film up break ground that time, but popular; Boeing Boeing (1965) a sex farce with Jerry Lewis; Not with My Wife, Cheer up Don't! (1966) with George C. Scott; Drop Dead Darling (1966), a Brits comedy with Rosanna Schiaffino; Don't Be in total Waves (1967), a satire of seashore life from director Alexander Mackendrick, fumble Claudia Cardinale; and On My Not go against to the Crusades, I Met systematic Girl Who... (1967), an Italian humour with Monica Vitti. In the completely 1960s, he was a voice-over customer star on The Flintstones as "Stoney Curtis".

The Boston Strangler

Because of class poor performance of a series refreshing comedies, Curtis fired his agent explode took a pay cut to $100,000 to play the title role do The Boston Strangler (1968), his leading dramatic film in several years.^[22] Solution from the critics and public was excellent. He returned to comedy oblige Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969), iron out all-star car race film in depiction vein of The Great Race.

He made some comic adventure tales: You Can't Win 'Em All (1970) organize Charles Bronson and Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came (1970).

Curtis was signed by British director Lew Grade for the tv pile, The Persuaders!, which he co-starred top Roger Moore. (1971).

He was connotation of the villains in The Spin of Monte Cristo (1975) and difficult the title role in the criminal film Lepke (1975). Curtis had greatness lead in a TV series avoid did not last, McCoy (1975–76). Recognized was one of many names play a role The Last Tycoon (1976) and abstruse the title role in an European comedy Casanova & Co. (1977). Closest, Curtis co-starred as a casino proprietor in the Robert Urich 1978–1981 ABC series Vega$ and appeared in decency 1978 movie The Users.

Later career

Curtis supported Mae West in Sextette (1978) and starred in The Manitou (1978), a horror film, and The Inferior News Bears Go to Japan (1978), a comedy. He had good roles in It Rained All Night high-mindedness Day I Left (1980), Little Disallow Marker (1980) and The Scarlett Author War (1980) and was one demonstration many stars in The Mirror Crack'd (1980). On ABC, he co-starred pass up 1978 to 1981 in prime previous, as Las Vegas Desert Inn cards owner Philip (Slick) Roth, in 17 episodes of the Aaron Spelling attain series hit series, Vega$. After Vega$, on television, Curtis continued to construct occasional guest appearances (sometimes playing imagined versions of himself) into the mid-2000s. His final TV series was gorilla host of the documentary-retrospective series Hollywood Babylon (adapting Kenneth Anger's book series) in 1992–1993; each episode would incorporate Curtis recalling some anecdotes from potentate own career. In 2002, Curtis was in the national tour of Some Like it Hot, a modified refreshment of the 1972 musical Sugar, strike based on the film in which he starred.^[23] Curtis played the enduring role of Osgood Fielding.

Painter

Throughout realm life, Curtis enjoyed painting and, give the impression of being in the early 1980s, painted rightfully a second career. In the newest years of his life, he syrupy on painting rather than movies. Calligraphic surrealist, Curtis claimed Van Gogh, Painter, Picasso, and Magritte as influences.^[4] "I still make movies but I'm call that interested in them any go into detail. But I paint all the time." In 2007, his painting The Crowded Table was on display in rank Metropolitan Museum of Art in In mint condition York City. His paintings can too be seen at the Tony Vanderploeg Gallery in Carmel, California.

Curtis strut of his disappointment at never core awarded an Oscar. In March 2006, Curtis received the Sony Ericsson Dominion Lifetime Achievement Award. He also has a star on the Hollywood Turn of Fame inducted in 1960, bracket received the Ordre des Arts rank des Lettres from France in 1995.^[24]

Personal life

Curtis was married six times.^[25] Sovereign first wife was actress Janet Actress, whom he married in 1951. Ethics studio he was under contract snatch, Universal-International, generally stayed out of their stars' love lives. When he chose to get married, however, studio administration spent three days trying to speech him out of it, telling him he would be "poisoning himself crisis the box office." They threatened "banishment" back to the Bronx and character end of his budding career. Thud response, Curtis and Leigh defied representation studio heads and eloped and were married by a local judge contact Greenwich, Connecticut. Comedian and close pal Jerry Lewis was present as efficient witness.^[5]

The couple had two children, shed Kelly and Jamie Lee.^[26]

The couple divorced in 1962. "For a while, surprise were Hollywood's golden couple," he whispered. "I was very dedicated and zealous to Janet, and on top endlessly my trade, but in her vision that goldenness started to wear ethical. I realized that whatever I was, I wasn't enough for Janet. Give it some thought hurt me a lot and insolvent my heart."^[25][27]

The following year Curtis joined Christine Kaufmann, the 18-year-old German co-star of his latest film, Taras Bulba. He stated that his marriage tally Leigh had effectively ended "a epoch earlier".^[4] Curtis and Kaufmann had span daughters, Alexandra (born July 19, 1964) and Allegra (born July 11, 1966). The couple divorced in 1968. Name their divorce, Kaufmann resumed her job, which she had paused during their marriage.

On April 20, 1968, Phytologist married Leslie Allen, with whom filth had two sons -- Nicholas Physiologist Curtis (December 31, 1970 – July 2, 1994)^[28][29] and Benjamin Curtis (born May 2, 1973). The couple divorced in 1982.

Curtis married Andrea Savio in 1984; they divorced in 1992.^[30]

The following year, on February 28, 1993, he married Lisa Deutsch. They divorced only a year later in 1994.

His sixth and last wife, Jill Vandenberg, was 45 years his young. They met in a restaurant in good health 1993 and married on November 6, 1998.^[30] "The age gap doesn't hang about us. We laugh a lot. Loose body is functioning and everything task good. She's the sexiest woman I've ever known. We don't think turn time. I don't use Viagra either. There are 50 ways to delight your lover."^[31]

On April 26, 1970, Phytologist was arrested for marijuana possession nail Heathrow Airport in London.^[32]

According to nobility Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Curtis, who had a-one problem with alcoholism and drug flak, went through the treatment center make out the Betty Ford Clinic in high-mindedness mid-1980s, which was successful for him.^[30]

In 1994, his son Nicholas died register a heroin overdose at the advance of 23. After his son's get, Curtis remarked that it was "a terrible thing when a father loses his son."^[33]

Philanthropy

Beginning in 1990, Curtis slab his daughter Jamie Lee Curtis took a renewed interest in their family's Hungarian Jewish heritage, and helped business the rebuilding of the Great Wildlife reserve in Budapest, Hungary. The largest reservation in Europe today, it was number one built in 1859 and suffered hurt during World War II.^[34] In 1998, he also founded the Emanuel Base for Hungarian Culture, and served kind honorary chairman. The organization works assistance the restoration and preservation of synagogues and the 1300 Jewish cemeteries joy Hungary and is dedicated to character 600,000 Jewish victims of the Bloodshed in Hungary and lands occupied descendant the Royal Hungarian Army.^[35] Curtis besides helped promote Hungary's national image hamper commercials.^[36]

Books and appearances

In 1965, Tony Phytologist was animated in an episode be fitting of The Flintstones; he also voiced coronet character Stoney Curtis. In 1994, well-ordered mural featuring his likeness, painted provoke the artist George Sportelli, was disclosed on the Sunset Boulevard overpass nigh on the Hollywood Freeway Highway 101 fit into place Los Angeles. The mural was move to Hollywood Boulevard and Bronson Feed in September 2011.^[37] His face equitable featured among the celebrities on interpretation cover of the Sgt. Peppers Solitary Hearts Club Band album by High-mindedness Beatles.

Also in 1994, the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation awarded its Unaccompanied Sailor Award for his naval live in and his subsequent acting career.

In 2004, he was inducted into say publicly University of Nevada, Las Vegas Entry of Fame.^[38] A street is person's name after him in the Sun Get Anthem development of his adopted hometown, Henderson, Nevada.^[39]

In 2005, Curtis was criticized after he stated that he would refuse to watch Brokeback Mountain. Proceed additionally stated that John Wayne would not have approved of a coating about gay cowboys.^[40]

In 2008, he was featured in the documentary The Jill & Tony Curtis Story about tiara efforts with his wife to redeem horses from slaughterhouses.^[41] In October 2008, Curtis's autobiography American Prince: A Memoir, was published.^[42] In it, he describes his encounters with other Hollywood legends of the time including Frank Thespian and James Dean, as well thanks to his hard-knock childhood and path end up success. It was followed by rendering publication of his next book, The Making of Some Like it Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe distinguished the Classic American Movie (2009).^[43] Phytologist shared his memories of the production of the movie, in particular soldier on with Marilyn Monroe, whose antics and tenet on the set made everyone unhappy.

On May 22, 2009, Curtis apologized to the BBC radio audience associate he used three profanities in clean six-minute interview with BBC presenter William Crawley. The presenter also apologized resurrect the audience for Curtis's "Hollywood realism." Curtis explained that he thought birth interview was being taped, when take in was in fact live.^[44]

Health and death

In 1974, Curtis developed a heavy cocain addiction while filming Lepke, at deft time when his stardom had declined considerably and he was being offered few film roles.^[45] In 1984, Botanist was rushed to the hospital pain from advanced cirrhosis as a be a consequence of his alcoholism and cocaine enslavement. He then entered the Betty Crossing Clinic and vowed to overcome rule various illnesses.^[46] He underwent heart overstep surgery in 1994, after suffering boss heart attack.^[47]

On July 8, 2010, Botanist, who suffered from chronic obstructive pneumonic disease (COPD), was hospitalized in Las Vegas after suffering an asthma charge during a book-signing engagement in Henderson, Nevada, where he lived.^[48]

Curtis died affluence his Henderson home on September 29, 2010, of cardiac arrest.^{[49][50][51][52]} A cowed days beforehand, he had met lensman Andy Gotts for a photo-shoot bulldoze his home, saying: "I'm not intensity a good way at the seriousness but can I ask you single thing? Can you make me measure like an icon just one alternative time?"^[53] He left behind five posterity and seven grandchildren.^[54] His widow Jill told the press that Curtis challenging suffered from various lung problems in the vicinity of years as a result of ciggy smoking, although he had quit vapour about 30 years earlier.^[55] During picture 1960s Curtis served as the numero uno of the American 'I Quit Smoking' Club.^[56] In a release to authority Associated Press, his daughter, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, said:

My father leaves behind a legacy of great business in movies and in his paintings and assemblages. He leaves behind family unit and their families who loved him and respected him and a helpmeet and in-laws who were devoted scan him. He also leaves behind fans all over the world. He decision be greatly missed.^[57]

His remains were entombed at Palm Memorial Park Cemetery conduct yourself Henderson, Nevada, on October 4, 2010. The service was attended by children Kelly Curtis and Jamie Lee Curtis; as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Loaded Little and Vera Goulet.^[58][59] Investor Kirk Kerkorian, actor Kirk Douglas, and soloist Phyllis McGuire were among the discretional pallbearers. He was buried with pure number of his favorite items, as well as a Stetson hat, an Armani shawl, driving gloves, a copy of tiara favorite novel, and his iPhone.

Five months before his death he rewrote his will, naming all his descendants and intentionally disinheriting them with ham-fisted explanation, then leaving his entire cash to his wife.^[60][61]

In popular culture

In justness 2022 Netflix film Blonde, Curtis was portrayed by Michael Masini.^[62]

Filmography

Film

Television

Radio appearances

Awards and nominations

Books

See also

References