Cast

Tony Curtis

Acting

Cast

Tony Curtis

Known for

Acting

Born

1925-06-03

From

Bronx, New York, USA

Died

2010-09-29

Also known as Bernard Herschel Schwartz, Anthony Curtis, Тони Кертис

Biography

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.

Tony Curtis

Tony Curtis

Biography

Sex and the Single Girl

Some Like It Hot

Rosemary's Baby

Spartacus

The Manitou

The Great Race

The Vikings

The Mirror Crack'd

The Count of Monte-Cristo

Winchester '73

The Great Impostor

Club Life

Banter

Operation Petticoat

Sweet Smell of Success

Paris When It Sizzles

You Can't Win 'Em All

The Last Tycoon

The Boston Strangler

People, Hopes, Medals

Son of Ali Baba

The Rat Race

Play It to the Bone

Little Miss Marker

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Houdini

David & Fatima

Taras Bulba

The Celluloid Closet

The Prince Who Was a Thief

The Lady Gambles

The Defiant Ones

On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who...

The Masqueraders

Kansas Raiders

Captain Newman, M.D.

Reflections of Evil

The Scarlett O'Hara War

The All American

Fairfax Avenue

Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration

The Perfect Furlough

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

A Century of Cinema

Murder in Three Acts

So This Is Paris

Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies

Pepe

Monte Carlo or Bust!

Magic with the Stars

Tarzan in Manhattan

Morceaux de Cannes

The Black Shield of Falworth

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

Chamber of Horrors

The Immortals

Flesh and Fury

Criss Cross

Trapeze

Hollywood sul Tevere

Naked in New York

Goodbye Charlie

The Fabulous Allan Carr

Portrait of a Showgirl

Insignificance

The Bad News Bears Go to Japan

The Purple Mask

The Last Appointment!

From Roger Moore with Love

No Room for the Groom

Not With My Wife, You Don't!

The Rawhide Years

Arrivederci, Baby!

Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball

Hugh Hefner: American Playboy

Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

40 Pounds of Trouble