The Defiant Ones

Background:

“I was 22 when I arrived in Hollywood in 1948. I had more action than Mount Vesuvius; men, women, animals! I loved it too. I participated where I wanted to and didn’t where I didn’t. I’ve always been open about it.” Tony Curtis

Blessed by his good looks and skilled acting, actor Tony Curtis first gained mobs of fans for his unbilled appearance in the film noir Criss Cross (1949). He later proved his magnitude in acting with Sweet Smell of Success (1957, earned a Golden Laurel and a BAFTA nomination for his fine turn as Sidney Falco) and The Defiant Ones (1958, played convict John Jackson and received an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA nomination). Curtis was also praised after carrying out roles in the comedy Who Was That Lady (1960, played David Wilson), the war drama The Outsider (1961), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962, as Steve McCluskey), David Miller’s Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), the thriller The Boston Strangler (1968, had the Golden Globe-nominated role of Albert DeSalvo) and the TV film The Scarlett O’Hara War (1980, received an Emmy nomination for playing David O. Selznick).

In the course of his career, the two-time Golden Apple’s Most Cooperative Actor (1952, 1958) was once handed a Golden Apple’s Sour Apple for Least Cooperative Actor, in 1964. He was also awarded a Photoplay Award, two Golden Globe’s Henrietta Award, the 1997 St. Louis International Film Festival’s Distinguished Hollywood Film Artist Award, the 2000 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival’s “The General” Honorary Award, the 2001 David di Donatello’s Special Award, the 2004 Golden Camera for Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2006 Empire’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Curtis, who formed three production companies (Curtleigh Productions, Reynard Productions and Curtis Enterprises), once made headlines with his arrest for marijuana possession, in 1970. He entered treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in 1984. Yet, the actor also showed his artistic talent with his self-written novel “Kid Andrew Cody & Julie Sparrow” (1977) and acrylic impressionist paintings. The recipient of a star on the Walk of Fame published “Tony Curtis: The Autobiography” in 1993.

On a more private note, Curtis has been married six times. He was married to Janet Leigh (1951-1962, had two daughters, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelley Lee Curtis), Christine Kaufmann (1963-1967, had two daughters), Leslie Allen (1968-1972, had two sons, one of whom died), Andrea Savio (1984-1992) and Lisa Deutsch (1993-1994). Now, he is married to Jill Vandenberg (1998-present).


Gang Member

Childhood and Family:

Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz on June 3, 1925, in the Bronx, New York, to Hungarian immigrants Emmanuel Schwartz (died at age 58) and Helen Schwartz (died on March 19, 1974, suffered from schizophrenia). His younger brother, Julius Schwartz, died of a traffic accident and Robert Schwartz was diagnosed with schizophrenia (also dead).

Formerly a member of a street gang at age 11, Bernard Schwartz joined the Navy in 1943. Following dismissal from duty, Bernard attended the City College of New York, where he began enjoying acting. He then attended the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research. After his screen career took off, Bernard was credited as James Curtis, and later, Anthony (Tony) Curtis.

As for his married life, Tony Curtis has been married six times. He was first married to actress Janet Leigh (1951-1962), with whom he had two daughters, Jamie Lee Curtis (born on November 22, 1958) and Kelley Lee Curtis (born in 1956), who later also became actresses. Tony was then married to actress Christine Kaufmann (1963-1967, had two daughters, Alexandra Curtis and actress Allegra Curtis), Leslie Allen (1968-1972, had sons Benjamin and Nicholas, the latter died of heroin addiction), Andrea Savio (1984-1992) and Lisa Deutsch (1993-1994). Currently, the actor is the husband of Jill Vandenberg, whom he married on November 6, 1998, in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Sweet Smell of Success

Career:

Tony Curtis quickly received a seven-year contract with Universal Pictures after he took part in a Greenwich Village stage production of “Golden Boy.” He then entered Hollywood with a minor part in How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border (1949) and built up the “pretty boy” reputation with his unaccredited appearance as a gigolo in the film noir Criss Cross (1949), which led to a fan contest called “Win Tony Curtis for a Week.”

The newcomer had his first film credit in the crime drama City Across the River (1949), as Mitch. Rapidly earning star status, Curtis was then seen in numerous film titles, including the family comedy Francis (1950, had a small turn as Capt. Jones), the Arabian night movie The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951, starred as Julna) and the comedy No Room for the Groom (1952, starred opposite Piper Laurie). The 1952 Golden Apple’s Most Cooperative Actor earned his first major success with his portrayal of the titular legendary magician in Houdini (1953), which was ensued by his breathtaking screen performances in the medieval-set film The Black Shield of Falworth (1954, starred as Myles Falworth), The Purple Mask (1955, took the titular role) and the drama Trapeze (1956).

Proving his acting skill, Curtis amazed fans and critics with his fine portrayal of Sidney Falco, a sleazy and unscrupulous press agent, in the film noir Sweet Smell of Success (1957), in which he took home a Golden Laurel and a BAFTA nomination. He next presented electrifying acting as runaway convict John ‘Joker’ Jackson, alongside acclaimed actor Sidney Poitier, in The Defiant Ones (1958) and earned an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor.

Adding to his awards list, in 1958, Curtis was named Golden Apple’s Most Cooperative Actor and Photoplay’s Most Popular Male Star, as well as won a Golden Globe’s Henrietta award for World Film Male Favorite. After acting opposite Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot (1959), the ever-rising actor became a four-time Golden Laurel nominee for his fine turn in the comedy Who Was That Lady (1960, played David Wilson), the war drama The Outsider (1961), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962, as Steve McCluskey) and David Miller’s Captain Newman, M.D. (1963).

However, in 1961 Curtis received his second Golden Globe’s Henrietta award and a Golden Apple’s Sour Apple for Least Cooperative Actor, in 1964. Following his leading turn as George Wellington Tracy in Goodbye Charlie (1964), Curtis voiced Stony Curtis, his parodied character, in the animated series “The Flintstones” (1965) and was seen in the comedies Drop Dead Darling (1966) and Don’t Make Waves (1967).

A year later, the actor was applauded for his Golden Globe-nominated role of notorious murderer Albert DeSalvo in the based-on-fact thriller The Boston Strangler (1968). His appearance in the ensemble movie Monte Carlo or Bust (1969) and the underrated You Can’t Win ‘Em All (1970) brought him a regular role in the TV series “The Persuaders” (1971-1972), alongside British actor Roger Moore.

The prolific performer next appeared in the TV drama The Third Girl from the Left (1973), reprised his Danny Wilde role in the movie Mission: Monte Carlo (1974), had the titular turn in the series “McCoy” (1975-1976), acted with Robert De Niro in Elia Kazan’s The Last Tycoon (1976) and carried out the dual role of Giacomo/Casanova in the comedy Casanova & Co. (1977). Detouring to the horror genre, Curtis was cast as fortuneteller Harry Erskine in Manitou (1978). He was then seen as detective Frank Renzetti in the crime drama Title Shot (1979).

On the small screen, the good-looking actor gave a radiant performance as David O. Selznick in the TV film about the casting process of Gone With the Wind, in The Scarlett O’Hara War (1980), where he was nominated for an Emmy for Best Actor. The same year, he returned to the stage and appeared in Neil Simon’s “I Oughta Be in Pictures” (1980). A recurring actor of the drama series “Vega$” (1978-1981), Curtis resumed his screen work in The Million Dollar Face (1981, TV), the update of Shakespeare’s tale Othello, el comando negro (1982), Where Is Parsifal (1983, had the title role), the drama comedy Insignificance (1985) and the adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder in Three Acts (1986, TV). He also took on roles in non-English movies like the German drama Der Passagier - Welcome to Germany (1988, starred as Mr. Cornfield) and the Danish sequel film Walter & Carlo i Amerika (1989, played Willy La Rouge).

The next years, he shared the screen with daughter Kelley Curtis in the TV comedy Thanksgiving Day (1990), hosted the drama series “Hollywood Babylon” (1992-1993), starred as Aziru/Dr. Mohassid in the little-seen horror The Mummy Lives (1993), had a small role as Johnny Steele in A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994, TV) and was cast as Dominic Baptiste in the action thriller The Immortals (1995). 1996 saw him do episodic performances in the drama series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and the sitcom “Roseanne.”

The recipient of the Distinguished Hollywood Film Artist award from the 1997 St. Louis International Film Festival became a cameo in the TV parodied documentary Elvis Meets Nixon (1997). He was then cast as Lenny Star Springer, opposite Steve Buscemi, in the drama comedy Louis & Frank (1998).

Curtis, who was handed a Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival’s “The General” Honorary award (2000) and a David di Donatello’s Special award (2001), resurfaced on screen by hosting the horror comedy movie Reflections of Evil (2002). Two years later, he guest starred as Morris in the sitcom “Hope & Faith” (2004). In appreciation for his lifelong career, Tony Curtis was awarded with the 2004 Golden Camera for Lifetime Achievement award and the 2006 Empire’s Lifetime Achievement award.


Awards:

- Empire: Lifetime Achievement Award, 2006
- Golden Camera (Germany): Golden Camera for Lifetime Achievement, 2004
- David di Donatello: Special David, 2001
- Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival: “The General” Honorary Award, 2000
- St. Louis International Film Festival: Distinguished Hollywood Film Artist Award, 1997
- Golden Apple: Sour Apple - Least Cooperative Actor, 1964
- Golden Globe: Henrietta Award for World Film Favorite – Male, 1961
- Golden Globe: Henrietta Award for World Film Favorite – Male, 1958
- Golden Apple: Most Cooperative Actor, 1958
- Photoplay: Most Popular Male Star, 1958
- Golden Apple: Most Cooperative Actor, 1952