Tony Curtis Biography (1925-)

Born Bernard Schwartz, June 1, 1925 (some sources say June 3, 1925), in the Bronx, NY; son of Manuel Mond (an actor) and Helen (maiden name, Klein) Schwartz; married Janet Leigh (an actress), June 4, 1951 (divorced, 1962); marriedChristine Kaufman (an actress), February 8, 1963 (divorced, 1967); married Leslie Allen, 1968 (divorced, 1982); married Lisa Deutsch, 1993 (divorced 1994); married Jill Vanden Berg (a horse trainer), November 6, 1998; children: (first marriage) Kelly Lee (an actress), Jamie Lee (an actress and director); (second marriage) Alexandra, Allegra; (third marriage) Nicholas, Benjamin. Addresses: Agent: William Morris Agency, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, NewYork, NY 10019.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Actor, song performer, writer
Birth Details
June 1, 1925
Bronx, New York, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Appearances
  • (Film debut; uncredited) Gigolo, Criss Cross, 1949
  • (Uncredited) Hot rod driver, The One False Step, Universal, 1949
  • (As Anthony Curtis) Bellboy, The Lady Gambles, 1949
  • Joey Hyatt, Johnny Stool Pigeon, 1949
  • How to Smuggle a Hernia across the Border, 1949
  • (As Anthony Curtis) Mitch, City across the River, 1949
  • (As Anthony Curtis) Doan, Winchester '73 (also known as Montana Winchester), 1950
  • (As Anthony Curtis) Brent Coulter, Sierra, 1950
  • Pepe, I Was a Shoplifter, 1950
  • (As Anthony Curtis) Captain Jones, Francis (also known as Francis the Talking Mule), 1950
  • Kit Dalton, Kansas Raiders, Universal, 1950
  • Julna, The Prince Who Was a Thief, Universal, 1951
  • Paul Callan, Flesh and Fury, Universal, 1952
  • Man in nightclub, Meet Danny Wilson, Universal, 1952
  • Alvah Morrell, No Room for the Groom, Universal, 1952
  • Kashma Baba, Son of Ali Baba, Universal, 1952
  • Nick Bonelli, The All-American (also known as The Winning Way), Universal, 1953
  • Eddie Darrow, Forbidden, Universal, 1953
  • Title role, Houdini, Paramount, 1953
  • Burke, Beachhead, United Artists, 1954
  • Myles Falworth, The Black Shield of Falworth, Universal, 1954
  • Title role, Johnny Dark, Universal, 1954
  • Joe Maxwell, So This Is Paris, Universal, 1954
  • Rene do Traviere, The Purple Mask, Universal, 1955
  • Jerry Florea, Six Bridges to Cross, Universal, 1955
  • Eddie Quaid/Packy Glennon, The Square Jungle, Universal, 1955
  • Ben Mathews, The Rawhide Years, Universal, 1956
  • Tino Orsini, Trapeze, Susan/United Artists, 1956
  • Joe Martini, The Midnight Story (also known as Appointment witha Shadow), Universal, 1957
  • Cory, Mister Cory, Universal, 1957
  • Sidney Falco, Sweet Smell of Success, Norma-Curtleigh/United Artists, 1957
  • John "Joker" Jackson, The Defiant Ones, United Artists, 1958
  • Sergeant Britt Harris, Kings Go Forth, Frank Ross-Eton/United Artists, 1958
  • Corporal Paul Hodges, The Perfect Furlough (also known as Strictly for Pleasure), Universal, 1958
  • Eric, The Vikings, Bryna/United Artists, 1958
  • Lieutenant Nick Holden, Operation Petticoat, Granarte/Universal, 1959
  • Joe/Josephine, Some Like It Hot, Ashton-Mirish/United Artists, 1959
  • Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr., The Great Imposter, Universal, 1960
  • Unbilled guest appearance, Pepe, Columbia, 1960
  • Peter Hammond, Jr., Rat Race, Paramount, 1960
  • Antonius, Spartacus, Bryna/Universal, 1960
  • David Wilson, Who Was That Lady?, Ansark-Sidney/Columbia, 1960
  • Steve McCluskey, Forty Pounds of Trouble, Universal, 1962
  • Ira Hamilton Hayes, The Outsider, Universal, 1962
  • Andre Bulba, Taras Bulba, Hecht-Curtleigh/United Artists, 1962
  • Corporal Jackson Laibowitz, Captain Newman, M.D., Universal, 1963
  • Italian, The List of Adrian Messenger, Universal, 1963
  • George Tracy, Goodbye Charlie, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1964
  • (Uncredited) Second policeman, Paris When It Sizzles, Quine-Charleston/Paramount, 1964
  • Bob Weston, Sex and the Single Girl, Warner Bros., 1964
  • Terry Williams, Wild and Wonderful, Universal, 1964
  • Bernard Lawrence, Boeing Boeing, Paramount, 1965
  • Leslie "The Great Leslie" Gallant III, The Great Race (also knownas Blake Edwards' The Great Race), Warner Bros., 1965
  • Nick Johnson, Drop Dead Darling (also known as Arrivederci Baby!), Paramount, 1966
  • (Uncredited) Mr. Julian, Chamber of Horrors, Warner Bros., 1966
  • Tom Ferris, Not with My Wife, You Don't, Fernwood-Reynard/Warner Bros., 1966
  • Carlo Cofield, Don't Make Waves, Filmways-Reynard/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
  • Guerrando, The Chastity Belt (also known as On My Way to the Crusades I Met a Girl Who ... and La cintura di castita), Titanus/Warner Bros./Seven Arts, 1968
  • (Uncredited) Voice of Donald Baumgart, Rosemary's Baby, Paramount, 1968
  • Albert De Salvo, The Boston Strangler, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1968
  • Chester Schofield, Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies(also known as Monte Carlo or Bust, Gonfles a bloc, Monte Carlo Rally, Montecarlo Rally, Quei temerari sulle loro pazze, scatentate, scalcinate carriole, Il ralleye di Montecarlo ... e tutta quella confusione, and Le rallye de Monte Carlo), Dino De Laurentiis--Marianne-Basil Keys/Paramount, 1969
  • Sergeant Shannon Gambroni, Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (also known as War Games), ABC/Cinerama, 1970
  • Adam Dyer, You Can't Win 'Em All (also known as The Dubious Patriots and Soldiers of Fortune), Columbia, 1970
  • Louis "Lepke" Buchalter, Lepke, AmeriEuro/Warner Bros., 1975
  • Daniel Wilde, Sporting Chance, 1976
  • Rodriguez, The Last Tycoon, Paramount, 1976
  • Marvin Lazar, The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, Paramount, 1978
  • Harry Erskine, The Manitou, Weist-Simon/Avco Embassy, 1978
  • Alexei Karansky, Sexette, Crown International, 1978
  • Giacomo Casanova, Some Like It Cool (also known as Casanova andCo., The Rise and Rise of Casanova, Sex on the Run, and Treize femmes pour Casanova), Neue Delta-Pan-Panther-COFCI-TV 13/Pro International, 1979
  • McCoy, Double Take, 1979
  • Blackie, Little Miss Marker, Universal, 1980
  • Robert Talbot, It Rained All Night the Day I Left (also known as Deux affreux sur le sable), 1980
  • Marty N. Fenn, The Mirror Crack'd, EMI/Associated Film Distribution, 1980
  • Frank Renzetti, Title Shot, Regenthall/Cinepax, 1982
  • Colonel Iago, Othello, el comando negro (also known as Black Commando, Othello, and Othello, the Black Commando), 1982
  • Dr. Clavius, Brainwaves (also known as Mind Games), MotionPicture Marketing, 1983
  • Parsifal Katzenellen-Boden, Where Is Parsifal?, Terrence Young, 1983
  • The senator, Insignificance, Zenith-Recorded Picture Co./Island Alive, 1985
  • Himself, The Fantasy Film World of George Pal, 1985
  • Hector, Club Life (also known as King of the City), Tiger Productions-Cineworld Entertainment/Troma Team, 1985
  • Ernie Stoddard, the tycoon, Balboa, Production Associates/Entertainment Artists-Vestron Video, 1986
  • Charles Foster, The Last of Philip Banter, Tesauro-Banter, 1986
  • Mr. Cornfield, Der Passagier--Welcome to Germany (also known as The Passenger--Welcome to Germany and Welcome to Germany), 1988
  • J. P. Shelldrake, Lobster Man from Mars, 1989
  • Willy La Rouge, Walter & Carlo i Amerika (also known as Walter & Carlo in America and Walter og Carlo i Amerika), 1989
  • Mr. B, Midnight, 1989
  • Marietta Copella, Prime Target, 1991
  • Stephen Moore, Center of the Web, 1992
  • Aziru/Dr. Mohassid, The Mummy Lives, 1993
  • Carl Fisher, Naked in New York, 1994
  • Himself, A Century of Cinema, 1994
  • Interviewee, The Celluloid Closet (also known as Celluloid Closet and Gefangen in der Traumfabrik), 1995
  • Wald, Hardball (also known as Bounty Hunters II), 1997
  • Jack Steele, Brittle Glory (also known as The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man and His Faithful Sidekick Tadpole and The ContinuedAdventures of Reptile Man), 1997
  • Dr. Lancaster, Alien X Factor, Filmdeck, 1997
  • Stargames, Amazing, 1998
  • Lenny Star Springer, Louis & Frank (also known as Louis andFrank), 1998
  • Ringside fan, Play It to the Bone (also known as Play It),Buena Vista, 1999
  • (Uncredited archive footage) Himself, Playmate Pajama Party, Uni Distribution, 1999
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • Danny Wilde, The Persuaders, ABC, 1971-72
  • Title role, McCoy, NBC, 1975-76
  • Philip "Slick" Roth, Vega$, ABC, 1978-81
  • Movies
  • Joey Jordan, The Third Girl from the Left, ABC, 1973
  • McCoy, The Big Ripoff, NBC, 1975
  • Fernand Mondego, The Count of Monte Cristo, NBC, 1975
  • Randy Brent, The Users, ABC, 1978
  • David O. Selznick, Moviola: The Scarlett O'Hara War (also known as Moviola and The Scarlett O'Hara War), NBC, 1980
  • Flanagan, Inmates: A Love Story, ABC, 1981
  • Chester Masterson, The Million Dollar Face, NBC, 1981
  • Joey De Leon, Portrait of a Showgirl, CBS, 1982
  • Charles Cartwright aka Edward W. Muggins, Agatha Christie's "Murder in Three Acts" (also known as Murder in Three Acts), CBS, 1986
  • Sam (Salvatore) "Momo" Giancana, Mafia Princess, ABC, 1986
  • Harry's Back, 1987
  • Archimedes Porter, Tarzan in Manhattan, 1989
  • Max Schloss, Thanksgiving Day (also known as The Good Family), 1990
  • Alexander Yardley, Christmas in Connecticut, 1992
  • Lucky Bergstrom, Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit, syndicated, 1994
  • Johnny Steele, A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor, NBC, 1994
  • Dominic, The Immortals, HBO, 1995
  • (Uncredited) Cameo, Elvis Meets Nixon, Showtime, 1997
  • Specials
  • The Red Skelton Revue, CBS, 1954
  • The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1970
  • Super Comedy Bowl 2, CBS, 1972
  • Annie and the Hoods, ABC, 1974
  • Gunther Gebel-Williams: The Lord of the Ring, CBS, 1977
  • Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration, ABC, 1979
  • Magic with the Stars, 1982
  • Circus of the Stars #8, 1983
  • American Film Institute Salute to Billy Wilder (also known as ASalute to Billy Wilder and The 14th American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Billy Wilder), 1986
  • Scott Parish, Charlie, 1989
  • AFI Salute to Sidney Poitier, 1992
  • Himself, Roger Moore: A Matter of Class, Arts and Entertainment, 1995
  • Hugh Hefner: American Playboy, Arts and Entertainment, 1996
  • Burt Lancaster, AMC, 1997
  • The GI Bill: The Law That Changed America, PBS, 1997
  • Private Screenings: Tony Curtis, TCM, 1999
  • The Rat Pack, HBO, 1999
  • Ernest Borgnine: Hollywood's Uncommon Character, Arts and Entertainment, 2000
  • Himself, AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies, 2000
  • Pilots
  • Philip Roth, Vega$ (also known as High Roller), ABC, 1978
  • Episodic
  • Schlitz Playhouse of the Stars, CBS, 1951-59
  • "Cornada," General Electric Theater, 1957
  • "The Young Juggler," Startime, 1960
  • Good Company, ABC, 1967
  • Himself, The ABC Comedy Hour, 1972
  • Joe O'Hara, "Eight Ball," The Fall Guy, 1983
  • Reflections on the Silver Screen with Professor Richard Brown, 1990
  • Host, Hollywood Babylon, 1992
  • Himself, Sunday Night Clive, 1994
  • Clive James, PBS, 1994
  • SHE TV, Lifetime, 1994
  • Dr. Isaac Mamba, "I Now Pronounce You ... ," Lois & Clark: The NewAdventures of Superman, ABC, 1996
  • Hal, "Ballroom Blitz," Roseanne, ABC, 1996
  • Himself, Clive Anderson All Talk, 1998
  • Peter Dicaprio, "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," Suddenly Susan, NBC, 1998
  • Also appeared in "The Stone," General Electric Theatre, CBS; and also appeared as voice of Stony Curtis, The Flintstones (animated).
  • WRITINGS
  • Autobiography
  • (With Barry Paris) Tony Curtis: The Autobiography, Morrow, 1993
  • Novels
  • Kid Andrew Cody and Julie Sparrow, Doubleday, 1977

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books:
    • Hunter, Allan, Tony Curtis: The Man and His Movies, May 30, 1997,St. Martin's Press, 1985.
    • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers: Volume 3: Actors andActresses, St. James Press, 1996.
    • Munn, Michael, The Kid from the Bronx: A Biography of Tony Curtis,1984.
    Periodicals:
    • Entertainment Weekly, p. 88.
    • People Weekly, November 23, 1998, p. 64; July 5, 1999, p. 107.