TC
Tony Curtis
Actor
Died September 29, 2010 (85 years)
Tony Curtis (June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances.
Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950's he became a notable and strong screen presence. He began proving himself to be a “fine dramatic actor,” having the range to act in numerous dramatic and comedy roles. In his earliest parts he acted in a string of "mediocre" films, including swashbucklers, westerns, light comedies, sports films, and a musical. However, by the time he starred in Houdini (1953) with his wife Janet Leigh, "his first clear success," notes critic David Thomson, his acting had progressed immensely.
He won his first serious recognition as a skilled dramatic actor in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with co-star Burt Lancaster. The following year he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in another drama, The Defiant Ones (1958). Curtis then gave what many believe was his best acting, in a completely different role, the comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). Thomson calls it an "outrageous film," and it was voted the number 1 funniest film in history from a survey done by the American Film Institute. It costarred Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, and was directed by Billy Wilder. That was followed by Blake Edwards’ comedy Operation Petticoat (1959) with Cary Grant. They were both “frantic comedies,” and displayed "his impeccable comic timing." He often collaborated with Edwards on later films.
His most significant serious part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama The Boston Strangler, which some consider his "last major film role." The part reinforced his reputation as a serious actor with his "chilling portrayal" of serial killer Albert DeSalvo. He gained 30 pounds and had his face "rebuilt" with a false nose to look like the real DeSalvo.
Curtis was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.
Filmography
| 2017 | The Green Fog · as actor |
| 2016 | I Am Not Your Negro · as John 'Joker' Jackson |
| 2012 | Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom · as Unknown |
| 2010 | Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff · as Eric (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2008 | David & Fatima · as Mr. Schwartz |
| 2007 | Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project · as Pete Hammond Jr. |
| 2005 | Cuando España se desnudó · as Joe |
| 2004 | Marilyn's Man · as actor |
| 2003 | Hope & Faith (TV Series) · as Morris |
| 2002 | Reflections of Evil · as Host |
| 2000 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (TV Series) · as Tony Curtis |
| 1998 | Roxanne's Best Christmas Ever · as Bernard |
| 1997 | Hardball · as Wald |
| 1997 | Elvis Meets Nixon · as Tony Curtis |
| 1997 | Stargames · as King Fendel |
| 1996 | Brittle Glory · as Jack Steele |
| 1996 | Suddenly Susan (TV Series) · as Peter DiCaprio |
| 1995 | The Immortals · as Dominic |
| 1994 | Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit · as Lucky Bergstrom |
| 1994 | A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor · as Johnny Steele |
| 1993 | The Mummy Lives · as Aziru / Dr. Mohassid |
| 1993 | Naked in New York · as Carl Fisher |
| 1993 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (TV Series) · as Dr. Mamba |
| 1992 | Center of the Web · as Stephen Moore |
| 1992 | Christmas in Connecticut · as Alexander Yardley |
| 1991 | Prime Target · as Copella |
| 1990 | Intimate Portrait (TV Series) · as Josephine |
| 1989 | Walter & Carlo i Amerika · as WIlly La Rouge |
| 1989 | Lobster Man from Mars · as J.P. Shelldrake |
| 1989 | Tarzan in Manhattan · as Archimedes Porter |
| 1988 | Midnight · as Mr. B |
| 1988 | Welcome to Germany · as Mr. Cornfield |
| 1988 | Roseanne (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1987 | Sparky's Magic Piano · as Unknown |
| 1986 | Murder in Three Acts · as Charles Cartwright |
| 1986 | Club Life · as Hector |
| 1986 | The Last of Philip Banter · as Charles Foster |
| 1985 | Insignificance · as The Senator |
| 1984 | Where Is Parsifal? · as Unknown |
| 1983 | Balboa · as Ernie Stoddard |
| 1982 | BrainWaves · as Dr. Clavius |
| 1982 | Black Commando · as Col. Iago |
| 1981 | The Million Dollar Face · as Chester Masterson |
| 1981 | The Fall Guy (TV Series) · as Joe O'Hara |
| 1980 | The Mirror Crack'd · as Martin N. Fenn |
| 1980 | Little Miss Marker · as Blackie |
| 1980 | The Masqueraders · as Danny Wilde |
| 1979 | Title Shot · as Frank Renzetti |
| 1979 | Death Becomes Me · as Danny Wilde |
| 1978 | The Manitou · as Harry Erskine |
| 1978 | Vega$ (TV Series) · as Roth |
| 1978 | The Bad News Bears Go to Japan · as Marvin Lazar |
| 1977 | Some Like It Cool · as Giacomo Casanova / Giacomino |
| 1977 | Sextette · as Alexei Karansky |
| 1977 | The Hollywood Greats (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1977 | The Last Appointment! · as Danny Wilde |
| 1976 | The Last Tycoon · as Rodriguez |
| 1976 | The Switch · as Danny Wilde |
| 1975 | Lepke · as Louis 'Lepke' Buchalter |
| 1975 | The Count of Monte-Cristo · as Fernand Morcerf Mondego |
| 1974 | Mission: Monte Carlo · as Danny Wilde |
| 1973 | The Third Girl from the Left · as Joey Jordan |
| 1973 | Shaft (TV Series) · as Clifford Grayson |
| 1973 | The Persuaders! · as Danny Wilde |
| 1971 | The Persuaders! (TV Series) · as Danny Wilde |
| 1970 | Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came · as Shannon Gambroni |
| 1970 | You Can't Win 'Em All · as Adam Dyer |
| 1969 | Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies · as Chester Schofield |
| 1968 | Rosemary's Baby · as Donald Baumgart (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1968 | The Boston Strangler · as Albert DeSalvo |
| 1967 | Don't Make Waves · as Carlo Cofield |
| 1967 | On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who... · as Guerrando da Montone |
| 1967 | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1966 | Chamber of Horrors · as Mr. Julian |
| 1966 | Not with My Wife, You Don't! · as Tom Ferris |
| 1966 | Arrivederci, Baby! · as Nick Johnson |
| 1965 | The Great Race · as The Great Leslie |
| 1965 | Boeing, Boeing · as Bernard Lawrence |
| 1965 | The Legend of Marilyn Monroe · as Actor 'Some Like It Hot' |
| 1964 | Paris When It Sizzles · as Maurice / Philippe (uncredited) |
| 1964 | Sex and the Single Girl · as Bob Weston |
| 1964 | Goodbye Charlie · as George Wellington Tracy |
| 1964 | Wild and Wonderful · as Terry Williams |
| 1963 | The List of Adrian Messenger · as Organ Grinder |
| 1963 | Captain Newman, M.D. · as Cpl. Jackson "Jake" Leibowitz |
| 1962 | Taras Bulba · as Andrei Bulba |
| 1962 | 40 Pounds of Trouble · as Steve McCluskey |
| 1960 | Spartacus · as Antoninus |
| 1960 | Pepe · as Tony Curtis |
| 1960 | Who Was That Lady? · as David Wilson |
| 1960 | The Rat Race · as Pete Hammond Jr. |
| 1960 | The Great Impostor · as Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. / Martin Donner / Dr. Gilbert / Ben. W. Stone / Dr. Joseph Mornay / Robert Boyd Hammnd |
| 1960 | The Flintstones (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1959 | Some Like It Hot · as Joe (Josephine) |
| 1959 | Operation Petticoat · as Lieutenant Nicholas Holden |
| 1958 | The Defiant Ones · as John 'Joker' Jackson |
| 1958 | Kings Go Forth · as Caporal Britt Harris |
| 1958 | The Vikings · as Eric |
| 1957 | Sweet Smell of Success · as Sidney Falco |
| 1956 | Trapeze · as Tino Orsini |
| 1955 | The Purple Mask · as Rene de Traviere / The Purple Mask |
| 1954 | The Black Shield of Falworth · as Myles Falworth |
| 1954 | Beachhead · as Burke |
| 1954 | Johnny Dark · as Johnny Dark |
| 1953 | Houdini · as Harry Houdini |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater (TV Series) · as Mario Galindo |
| 1952 | Son of Ali Baba · as Kashma Baba |
| 1952 | Meet Danny Wilson · as Nightclub Patron (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Winchester '73 · as Doan |
| 1950 | Francis · as Captain Jones |
| 1950 | Kansas Raiders · as Kit Dalton |
| 1950 | Sierra · as Brent Coulter (as Anthony Cutis) |
| 1950 | The Colgate Comedy Hour (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1949 | Criss Cross · as Gigolo (uncredited) |