Editing Tony Curtis

{{Short description|American actor (1925–2010)}}
{{Other people|Tony Curtis}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name           = Tony Curtis
| image          = Tony Curtis 1958.jpg
| imagesize      =
| caption        = Curtis in 1958
| birth_name     = Bernard Schwartz
| birth_date     = {{birth date|1925|06|03}}
| birth_place    = [[New York City]] , [[New York (State) ]] , U.S.
| death_date     = {{death date and age|2010|09|29|1925|06|03}}
| death_place    = [[Henderson, Nevada]], U.S.
| resting_place= Palm Memorial Park (Green Valley), [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]
| nationality    =
| alma_mater     = [[The New School]]
| years_active   = 1948–2008
| occupation     = Actor
| spouse         = {{Plain list|
* {{marriage|[[Janet Leigh]]|1951|1962|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Christine Kaufmann]]|1963|1968|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Leslie Allen|1968|1982|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Andrea Savio|1984|1992|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Lisa Deutsch|1993|1994|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Jill Vandenberg|1998}}
}}
|children       = 6, including [[Kelly Curtis|Kelly]], [[Jamie Lee Curtis|Jamie Lee]], and [[Allegra Curtis]]
| module        = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance    = United States
| branch        = [[United States Navy]]
| branch_label  = Branch
| serviceyears  = 1943–1945
| serviceyears_label = Years
| rank          = [[Signalman (rank)|Signalman]] [[Petty officer third class|3rd Class]]
| unit          = [[USS Proteus (AS-19)|USS ''Proteus'' (AS-19)]]
| battles       = [[World War II]]
| battles_label = Conflicts
| awards        = {{ubl|[[American Campaign Medal]]|{{nobr|[[Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal]]}}|[[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]]}}
}}
}}

'''Tony Curtis''' (born '''Bernard Schwartz'''; June 3, 1925{{spaced ndash}}September 29, 2010) was an American actor with a career that spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 films, in roles covering a wide range of genres. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances.

He achieved his first major recognition as a dramatic actor in ''[[Sweet Smell of Success]]'' (1957) with co-star [[Burt Lancaster]]. The following year he was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] for ''[[The Defiant Ones]]'' (1958) alongside [[Sidney Poitier]] (who was also nominated in the same category). This was followed by the comedies ''[[Some Like It Hot]]'' and ''[[Operation Petticoat]]'' in 1959. In 1960, Curtis played a supporting role in the epic historical drama ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]''.

His stardom and film career declined considerably after 1960. His most significant dramatic part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama ''[[The Boston Strangler (film)|The Boston Strangler]]''. Curtis also took on the role of the [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] [[Cossacks|Cossack]] Andrei in the historical action romance epic ''[[Taras Bulba (1962 film)|Taras Bulba]]'' in 1962 and starred in the [[ITC Entertainment|ITC]] TV series ''[[The Persuaders!]]'', with Curtis playing American millionaire Danny Wilde. The series ran for twenty-four episodes.

Curtis married six times and fathered six children. He is the father of actresses [[Kelly Curtis]] and [[Jamie Lee Curtis]] with his first wife, actress [[Janet Leigh]], and actresses [[Allegra Curtis]] and Alexandra Curtis with his second wife [[Christine Kaufmann]]. He had two sons with his third wife Leslie Allen, one of whom predeceased him. From 1998 until his death, he was married to horse trainer Jill Vandenberg.

==Early life==
Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz on June 3, 1925, at the Fifth Avenue Hospital corner of East 105th Street in [[East Harlem, Manhattan]], the first of three boys born to Helen (née Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz.<ref name=a&e>{{cite web| title=Tony Curtis biography| url=http://www.biography.com/articles/Tony-Curtis-9263844| website=Biography.com| access-date=August 11, 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907041843/http://www.biography.com/articles/Tony-Curtis-9263844| archive-date=September 7, 2011}}</ref><ref name=encyclopedia>{{cite encyclopedia| title=Curtis, Tony 1925–| url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tony_Curtis.aspx| encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia Judaica]]| access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref>

His parents were [[History of the Jews in Hungary|Jewish]] immigrants from [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Hungary]]: his father was born in [[Ópályi]], near [[Mátészalka]], and his mother was a native of [[Michalovce]], Slovakia; she later said she arrived in the U.S. from Vaľkovo, Slovakia.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.slovenskecentrum.sk/sk/news/read/15615/usa-zomrel-americky-herec-tony-curtis-po-matke-slovenskeho-povodu| title=USA: Zomrel americký herec Tony Curtis, po matke slovenského pôvodu| language=sk| trans-title=USA: American actor Tony Curtis died, after a mother of Slovak origin| date=September 30, 2010| agency=[[News Agency of the Slovak Republic]]| website=Slovak Centre London}}</ref> He spoke only [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] until the age of six, delaying his schooling.<ref name="tcmcurtis"/> His father was a tailor and the family lived in the back of the shop. His mother was later diagnosed with [[schizophrenia]]. His youngest brother Robert was [[Involuntary commitment|institutionalized]] with the same mental illness.

When Curtis was eight, he and his brother Julius were placed in an orphanage for a month because their parents could not afford to feed them. Four years later, Julius was struck and killed by a truck. Curtis joined a neighborhood gang whose main crimes were truancy and minor pilfering. When Curtis was 11, a friendly neighbor saved him from what he felt would have led to a life of [[Juvenile delinquency|delinquency]] by sending him to a [[Boy Scouts of America|Boy Scout]] camp, where he was able to work off his energy and settle down. He attended [[Seward Park High School]]. At 16, he had his first small acting part in a school stage play.<ref name=Lifemag/>

===Military service===
Curtis enlisted in the [[United States Navy]] after the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]]. Inspired by [[Cary Grant]]'s role in ''[[Destination Tokyo]]'' and [[Tyrone Power]]'s in ''[[Crash Dive]]'' (1943), he joined the [[United States Asiatic Fleet|Pacific submarine force]].<ref name="tcmcurtis">''Private Screenings: Tony Curtis'' [[Turner Classic Movies]], January 19, 1999.</ref> Curtis served aboard a [[submarine tender]], the [[USS Proteus (AS-19)|USS ''Proteus'']]'','' until the end of the [[Second World War]]. On September 2, 1945, Curtis witnessed the [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender|Japanese surrender]] in [[Tokyo Bay]] from his ship's signal bridge about a mile away.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tendertale.com/ttiii/ttiii1.html |title=World War Two − and a young man serves his country |website=TenderTale |access-date=June 18, 2010}}</ref>

Following his [[Military discharge|discharge]] from the Navy, Curtis attended [[City College of New York]] on the [[G.I. Bill]]. He then studied acting at [[The New School]] in [[Greenwich Village]] under the influential German stage director [[Erwin Piscator]]. His contemporaries included [[Elaine Stritch]], [[Harry Belafonte]], [[Walter Matthau]], [[Bea Arthur|Beatrice Arthur]], and [[Rod Steiger]]. While still at college, Curtis was discovered by [[Joyce Selznick]], the notable [[talent agent]], [[casting director]], and niece of film producer [[David O. Selznick]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chad |date=2019-10-25 |title=Tony Curtis |url=https://walkoffame.com/tony-curtis/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Joyce Selznick {{!}} Casting Director, Casting Department, Writer |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0783679/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Career==
In 1948, Curtis arrived in Hollywood at age 23. In his autobiography, Curtis described how by chance he met [[Jack L. Warner|Jack Warner]] on the plane to California.

===Universal as {{nobold|"}}Anthony Curtis{{nobold|"}}===
Under contract at [[Universal Pictures]], he changed his name from Bernard Schwartz to Anthony Curtis and met unknown actors [[Rock Hudson]], [[James Best]], [[Julie Adams]] and [[Piper Laurie]].<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.greatentertainersarchives.blogspot.com/2012/04/julie-adams-at-85.html| title=Julie Adams at 85| website=Great Entertainers Archives.com| date=April 9, 2012| first=David| last=Lobosco| access-date=October 26, 2015}}</ref> The first name was from the novel ''[[Anthony Adverse]]'' and "Curtis" was from Kurtz, a surname in his mother's family.<ref name="ref091">{{cite news | last = Rizzo| first = Frank| title = My Interview With Tony Curtis | newspaper = [[Hartford Courant]] | date = October 1, 2009 | access-date = October 1, 2009| url-status=dead| archive-date = July 7, 2012 | url = http://blogs.courant.com/curtain/2009/10/my-interview-with-tony-curtis.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707005014/http://blogs.courant.com/curtain/2009/10/my-interview-with-tony-curtis.html}}</ref> Although Universal Pictures taught him fencing and riding, Curtis admitted he was initially only interested in girls and money—adding that he was pessimistic regarding his chances of becoming a major star. Curtis's biggest fear was having to return home to the Bronx as a failure:

<blockquote>I was a million-to-one shot, the ''least'' likely to succeed. I wasn't low man on the totem pole, I was ''under'' the totem pole, in a sewer, tied to a sack.<ref name=Lifemag>{{cite magazine| title=Tony Curtis in a For–Real Bronx Dream: the Bee–Yoody–Ful Life of a Movie Caliph| first=Shana| last=Alexander| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6FMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA160| magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]]| date=November 17, 1961| pages=161–176| volume=51| number=20| access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> </blockquote>

Curtis's uncredited screen debut came in the crime drama ''[[Criss Cross (1949 film)|Criss Cross]]'' (1949) playing a [[Rhumba|rumba]] dancer, dancing with [[Yvonne de Carlo]]. The male star was [[Burt Lancaster]] who would make a number of films with Curtis.

In his second film, ''[[City Across the River]]'' (also in 1949), he was credited as "Anthony Curtis"<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041251/ IMDB]</ref>{{User-generated inline|date=April 2024}} He had four lines in ''[[The Lady Gambles]]'' (1949) and a bigger part in ''[[Johnny Stool Pigeon]]'' (1949). He was also in ''[[Francis (film)|Francis]]'' (1950), ''[[Woman in Hiding]]'' (1950), and ''[[I Was a Shoplifter]]'' (1950).

He was additionally in three Westerns, ''[[Sierra (film)|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 Universal gave him the starring role in ''[[The Prince Who Was a Thief]]'' (1951), a [[swashbuckler]] set in the Middle East with Piper Laurie. It was a hit at the box office and Curtis was now established.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

He followed it up with ''[[Flesh and Fury]]'' (1952), a [[boxing]] movie; ''[[No Room for the Groom]]'' (1952), a comedy with Laurie directed by [[Douglas Sirk]]; and ''[[Son of Ali Baba]]'' (1952), another film set in the Middle East with Laurie.

Curtis then starred with then-wife [[Janet Leigh]] in ''[[Houdini (1953 film)|Houdini]]'' (1953), in which Curtis played the title role. His next movies were more "B" fare: ''[[All American (film)|All American]]'' (1953), as a football player; ''[[Forbidden (1953 film)|Forbidden]]'' (1953), as a criminal; ''[[Beachhead (film)|Beachhead]]'' (1954), a war film; ''[[Johnny Dark (film)|Johnny Dark]]'' (1954), as a racing car driver; and ''[[The Black Shield of Falworth]]'' (1954), a medieval swashbuckler with Leigh. They were moderately successful financially, and Curtis was growing in popularity.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

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

===Major star===
Curtis graduated to larger projects when he was cast as a co-star of [[Burt Lancaster]] and [[Gina Lollobrigida]] in [[Hecht-Lancaster Productions]]' ''[[Trapeze (film)|Trapeze]]'' (1956). It was one of the biggest hits of the year. Curtis and Leigh formed their own independent film production company, [[Curtleigh Productions]], in early 1955.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elmira Advertiser from Elmira, New York on May 28, 1955 · 7|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/276730527/|access-date=June 28, 2021|website=Newspapers.com|date=May 28, 1955 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Mirror News from Los Angeles, California on August 6, 1955 · 19|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/693900579/|access-date=June 29, 2021|website=Newspapers.com|date=August 6, 1955 |language=en}}</ref>

Curtis made a Western, ''[[The Rawhide Years]]'' (1957), was a gambler in ''[[Mister Cory]]'' (1957) and a cop in ''[[The Midnight Story]]'' (1957). Lancaster asked for him again, to play scheming press agent Sidney Falco in ''[[Sweet Smell of Success]]'' (1957), starring and co-produced by Lancaster. The film was a box office disappointment, but Curtis, for the first time in his career, received sensational reviews.

Curtis starred alongside [[Kirk Douglas]] and [[Janet Leigh]] in ''[[The Vikings (film)|The Vikings]]'' (1958, produced by Douglas' [[Bryna Productions]]), which was a major box office hit.<ref name=":111">{{Cite news |title=The New Box Office Champ! |url=https://archive.org/details/variety211-1958-07 |format=Advertisement |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=2 July 1958 |page=[https://archive.org/details/variety211-1958-07/page/n17/mode/2up?q=curtis 18] |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> Curtis then co-starred with [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Natalie Wood]] in the war movie ''[[Kings Go Forth]]'' (1958),<ref name=":03">{{Cite news |title=Kings Go Forth |url=https://archive.org/details/variety211-1958-06 |department=Film Reviews |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=11 June 1958 |page=[https://archive.org/details/variety211-1958-06/page/n81/mode/2up 6] |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> before starring in ''[[The Defiant Ones]]'' the following year as a bigoted white escaped convict chained to a black man (played by [[Sidney Poitier]]). At the [[31st Academy Awards]], Curtis was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]] for his performance—losing to [[David Niven]] in ''[[Separate Tables (film)|Separate Tables]]''.<ref name="TCM">{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/20965/separate-tables#awards |title=Awards for Separate Tables |access-date=June 28, 2022|work=TCM}}</ref>

[[File:Monroe and Curtis in Some Like it Hot.JPG|thumb|{{center|Curtis with [[Marilyn Monroe]] in<br />''[[Some Like It Hot]]'' (1959)}}]]

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

Curtis and Leigh made one more film together ''[[Who Was That Lady?]]'' (1960), a comedy with [[Dean Martin]]. He and [[Debbie Reynolds]] then starred in ''[[The Rat Race]]'' (1960). He then started in a supporting role in ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]'' (1960), before making two biopics: ''[[The Great Impostor]]'' (1961), directed by [[Robert Mulligan]], playing [[Ferdinand Waldo Demara]]; and ''[[The Outsider (1961 film)|The Outsider]]'' (1961), in which he played war hero [[Ira Hayes]]. He returned to epics with ''[[Taras Bulba (1962 film)|Taras Bulba]]'' (1962), co starring [[Yul Brynner]] and [[Christine Kaufmann]], who became Curtis's second wife.

===Comedic roles===
On October 6, 1961, Curtis formed a new film production company, [[Curtis Enterprises]], Incorporated.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CURTIS ENTERPRISES, INC. :: California (US) :: OpenCorporates|url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/C0421366|access-date=June 28, 2021|website=opencorporates.com}}</ref> The company would make ''[[40 Pounds of Trouble]]'', which co-starred Curtis, [[Suzanne Pleshette]] and [[Phil Silvers]]; it was the first motion picture ever filmed at [[Disneyland]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Boxoffice|url=http://archive.org/details/boxofficeaprjun180boxo|title=Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1962)|last2=Boxoffice|date=1962|publisher=New York, Boxoffice|others=Media History Digital Library}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Evening Sun from Baltimore, Maryland on May 31, 1962 · 50|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/370917372/|access-date=July 5, 2021|website=Newspapers.com|date=May 31, 1962 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Valley Times from North Hollywood, California on May 14, 1962 · 6|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/580393232/|access-date=July 5, 2021|website=Newspapers.com|date=May 14, 1962 |language=en}}</ref> On August 3, 1962, Curtis formed another new film production company, Reynard Productions, Incorporated.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Reynard Productions, Inc. :: California (US) :: OpenCorporates|url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/C0437006|access-date=June 27, 2021|website=opencorporates.com}}</ref>

Curtis was one of many stars who had small roles in ''[[The List of Adrian Messenger]]'' (1963). He supported [[Gregory Peck]] in ''[[Captain Newman, M.D.]]'' (1963) and had an uncredited dual 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), with Debbie Reynolds; ''[[Sex and the Single Girl (film)|Sex and the Single Girl]]'' (1964), with Natalie Wood; ''[[The Great Race]]'' (1965), with Wood and Lemmon for Blake Edwards — the most expensive comedy film up till that time, but popular; ''[[Boeing Boeing (1965 film)|Boeing Boeing]]'' (1965) a sex farce with [[Jerry Lewis]]; ''[[Not with My Wife, You Don't!]]'' (1966) with [[George C. Scott]]; ''[[Drop Dead Darling]]'' (1966), a British comedy with [[Rosanna Schiaffino]]; ''[[Don't Make Waves]]'' (1967), a satire of beach life from director Alexander Mackendrick, with [[Claudia Cardinale]]; and ''[[On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who...]]'' (1967), an Italian comedy with [[Monica Vitti]]. In the early 1960s, he was a voice-over guest star on ''[[The Flintstones]]'' as "Stoney Curtis".

===''The Boston Strangler''===
Because of the poor performance of a series of comedies, Curtis fired his agent and took a pay cut to $100,000 to play the title role in ''[[The Boston Strangler (film)|The Boston Strangler]]'' (1968), his first dramatic film in several years.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 15, 1968|page=1|last=Beaupre|first=Lee|title=Rising Skepticism On Stars}}</ref> Response from the critics and public was excellent. He returned to comedy for ''[[Monte Carlo or Bust!]]'' (1969), an all-star car race film in the vein of ''The Great Race''.

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

Curtis was signed by British producer [[Lew Grade]] for the tv series, ''[[The Persuaders!]]'', which he co-starred with [[Roger Moore]]. (1971).

He was one of the villains in ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo (1975 film)|The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' (1975) and had the title role in the gangster film ''[[Lepke (film)|Lepke]]'' (1975). Curtis had the lead in a TV series that did not last, ''[[McCoy (TV series)|McCoy]]'' (1975–76). He was one of many names in ''[[The Last Tycoon (1976 film)|The Last Tycoon]]'' (1976) and had the title role in an Italian comedy ''[[Casanova & Co.]]'' (1977). Later, Curtis co-starred as a casino owner in the [[Robert Urich]] 1978–1981 ABC series ''[[Vega$]]'' and appeared in the 1978 movie ''[[The Users (1978 film)|The Users]]''.

===Later career===
[[File:Tony Curtis 1997 cropped.JPG|thumb|upright|Curtis in 1997]]
Curtis supported [[Mae West]] in ''[[Sextette]]'' (1978) and starred in ''[[The Manitou]]'' (1978), a horror film, and ''[[The Bad News Bears Go to Japan]]'' (1978), a comedy. He had good roles in ''[[It Rained All Night the Day I Left]]'' (1980), ''[[Little Miss Marker (1980 film)|Little Miss Marker]]'' (1980) and ''[[The Scarlett O'Hara War]]'' (1980) and was one of many stars in ''[[The Mirror Crack'd]]'' (1980). On ABC, he co-starred from 1978 to 1981 in prime time, as Las Vegas Desert Inn casino owner Philip (Slick) Roth, in 17 episodes of the [[Aaron Spelling]] produced series hit series, ''[[Vega$]]''. After ''Vega$'', on television, Curtis continued to make occasional guest appearances (sometimes playing fictional versions of himself) into the mid-2000s. His final TV series was as host of the documentary-retrospective series ''Hollywood Babylon''
(adapting [[Kenneth Anger]]'s [[Hollywood Babylon|book series]]) in 1992–1993; each episode would include Curtis recalling some anecdotes from his own career.
In 2002, Curtis was in the national tour of ''Some Like it Hot'', a modified revival of the 1972 musical ''[[Sugar (musical)|Sugar]]'', itself based on the film in which he starred.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/tour-of-some-like-it-hot-the-musical-begins-june-4-in-tx-tony-curtis-headlines-com-106263|title = Tour of Some Like It Hot, the Musical, Begins June 4 in TX; Tony Curtis Headlines|date = June 4, 2002}}</ref> Curtis played the supporting role of Osgood Fielding.

===Painter===
Throughout his life, Curtis enjoyed painting and, beginning in the early 1980s, painted as a second career. In the last years of his life, he concentrated on painting rather than movies. A [[surrealist]], Curtis claimed [[Vincent van Gogh|Van Gogh]], [[Henri Matisse|Matisse]], [[Pablo Picasso|Picasso]], and [[René Magritte|Magritte]] as influences.<ref name="tcmcurtis"/> "I still make movies but I'm not that interested in them any more. But I paint all the time." In 2007, his painting ''The Red Table'' was on display in the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in New York City. His paintings can also be seen at the Tony Vanderploeg Gallery in [[Carmel, California]].

Curtis spoke of his disappointment at never being awarded an [[Academy Award|Oscar]]. In March 2006, Curtis received the [[Empire Awards|Sony Ericsson Empire Lifetime Achievement Award]]. He also has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] inducted in 1960, and received the ''[[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]'' from France in 1995.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Curtis |first1=Tony |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x0sFjFxhoGIC&dq=Tony+Curtis+Ordre+des+Arts+et+des+Lettres&pg=PR15 |title=American Prince: A Memoir |last2=Golenbock |first2=Peter |date=October 14, 2008 |publisher=Crown |isbn=978-0-307-44946-7 |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==

Curtis was married six times.<ref name = portrait /> His first wife was actress [[Janet Leigh]], whom he married in 1951. The studio he was under contract with, [[Universal-International]], generally stayed out of their stars' love lives. When he chose to get married, however, studio executives spent three days trying to talk him out of it, telling him he would be "poisoning himself at the box office." They threatened "banishment" back to the Bronx and the end of his budding career. In response, Curtis and Leigh defied the studio heads and eloped and were married by a local judge in [[Greenwich, Connecticut]]. Comedian and close friend [[Jerry Lewis]] was present as a witness.<ref name=Lifemag/>

The couple had two children, actresses [[Kelly Curtis|Kelly]] and [[Jamie Lee Curtis|Jamie Lee]].<ref>
{{cite news| url=http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2010/09/30/15537731.html| title=Jamie Lee Honours Her Dad| newspaper=Toronto Sun| access-date=October 1, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001195512/http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2010/09/30/15537731.html| archive-date=October 1, 2010| url-status=dead}}</ref>

The couple divorced in 1962. "For a while, we were Hollywood's golden couple," he said. "I was very dedicated and devoted to Janet, and on top of my trade, but in her eyes that goldenness started to wear off. I realized that whatever I was, I wasn't enough for Janet. That hurt me a lot and broke my heart."<ref name=portrait>{{cite news| newspaper=[[The Australian]]| date=October 1, 2010| title=A Bronx boy who mastered his art| url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/a-bronx-boy-who-mastered-his-art/story-e6frg6so-1225932601316}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|Xc142F5Cb60|Video clip compilation}} 2 minutes</ref>

The following year Curtis married [[Christine Kaufmann]], the 18-year-old German co-star of his latest film, ''[[Taras Bulba (1962 film)|Taras Bulba]].'' He stated that his marriage with Leigh had effectively ended "a year earlier".<ref name="tcmcurtis"/> Curtis and Kaufmann had two daughters, Alexandra (born July 19, 1964) and [[Allegra Curtis|Allegra]] (born July 11, 1966). The couple divorced in 1968. After their divorce, Kaufmann resumed her career, which she had paused during their marriage.

On April 20, 1968, Curtis married Leslie Allen, with whom he had two sons—Nicholas Bernard Curtis (December 31, 1970 – July 2, 1994)<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/07/05/Actor-Tony-Curtis-son-dies-on-Cape-Cod/3868773380800/| title=Actor Tony Curtis' son dies on Cape Cod| work=[[UPI]]| date=July 5, 1994| access-date=October 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3ANicholas~%20%2Bsurname%3ACurtis~%20%2Bbirth_year%3A1970-1970~%20%2Bdeath_year%3A1994-1994~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3ATony~%20%2Bfather_surname%3ACurtis~| title=Nicholas B. Curtis| publisher=[[Social Security Death Index]]| via=[[FamilySearch.org]]| access-date= October 24, 2018}}</ref> and Benjamin Curtis (born May 2, 1973). The couple divorced in 1982.

Curtis married Andrea Savio in 1984; they divorced in 1992.<ref name=McDonald>{{cite book| last=McDonald| first=William| title=The Obits 2012: The New York Times Annual| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MZtSJX1sTq0C&q=andrea+savio| publisher=Workman Publishing| date=November 11, 2011| page=85| isbn=978-0761169420}}</ref>

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 junior. They met in a restaurant in 1993 and married on November 6, 1998.<ref name=McDonald/> "The age gap doesn't bother us. We laugh a lot. My body is functioning and everything is good. She's the sexiest woman I've ever known. We don't think about time. I don't use [[Viagra]] either. There are 50 ways to please your lover."<ref>Drye, Brittny. [http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/110302/tony_curtis_6_women_behind "Tony Curtis: 6 Women Behind the Hollywood Heartthrob"], ''The Stir'', September 30, 2010, accessed January 13, 2011.</ref>

On April 26, 1970, Curtis was arrested for marijuana possession at [[Heathrow Airport]] in London.<ref>''[[New York Daily News]]'', April 27, 1970, pg. 4</ref>

According to the ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'', Curtis, who had a problem with alcoholism and drug abuse, went through the treatment center of the [[Betty Ford Clinic]] in the mid-1980s, which was successful for him.<ref name=McDonald/>

In 1994, his son Nicholas died of a heroin [[drug overdose|overdose]] at the age of 23. After his son's death, Curtis remarked that it was "a terrible thing when a father loses his son."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101001/NEWS/10010322 |title=Movie star Tony Curtis had Cape ties |date=October 1, 2008 |work=Cape Cod Times |access-date=February 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708115037/http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20101001%2FNEWS%2F10010322 |archive-date=July 8, 2011}}</ref>

===Philanthropy===
Beginning in 1990, Curtis and his daughter Jamie Lee Curtis took a renewed interest in their family's Hungarian Jewish heritage, and helped finance the rebuilding of the [[Dohány Street Synagogue|Great Synagogue]] in Budapest, Hungary. The largest synagogue in Europe today, it was originally built in 1859 and suffered damage during World War II.<ref>{{cite book| last1=Steves| first1=Rick| last2=Hewitt| first2=Cameron| title=Rick Steves' Budapest| publisher=Avalon Publishing| date=May 26, 2015| pages=72–73| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7RSCBgAAQBAJ| isbn=978-1631211119| access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> In 1998, he also founded the Emanuel Foundation for Hungarian Culture, and served as honorary chairman. The organization works for the restoration and preservation of synagogues and the 1300 Jewish cemeteries in Hungary and is dedicated to the 600,000 Jewish victims of [[the Holocaust]] in [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Hungary]] and lands occupied by the [[Royal Hungarian Army]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3892380.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104205238/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3892380.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |title=Curtis aiding Hungary Jews |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |via=HighBeam Research |date=June 29, 1988 |access-date=September 30, 2010 }}</ref> Curtis also helped promote Hungary's national image in commercials.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.origo.hu/utazas/20100608-orszagimazs-tony-curtis-magyar-turizmus-zrt.html |title=Csináljon velünk országimázs filmet! |publisher=Origo.hu |date=June 8, 2010 |trans-title=Make us a country image movie! |language=hu |journal=[[Origo (website)|Origo]] |access-date=February 25, 2010}}</ref>

===Books and appearances===
[[File:2009-0314-LV-002-TonyCurtis.jpg|thumb|175px|right|Curtis in 2009, during a book-signing of his memoir ''American Prince'']]
In 1965, Tony Curtis was animated in an episode of ''[[The Flintstones]]''; he also voiced his character Stoney Curtis.
In 1994, a mural featuring his likeness, painted by the artist George Sportelli, was unveiled on the [[Sunset Boulevard]] overpass of the Hollywood Freeway [[Highway 101]] in Los Angeles. The mural was relocated to Hollywood Boulevard and Bronson Avenue in September 2011.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.muralconservancy.org/murals/tony-curtis-0| title=Tony Curtis| website=Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles| access-date=October 3, 2010}}</ref> His face is featured among the celebrities on the cover of the ''[[Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' album by [[The Beatles]].

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

In 2004, he was inducted into the [[University of Nevada, Las Vegas]] Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2004/sep/14/unlv-entertainerartist-hall-to-honor-tony-curtis/ |title=UNLV Entertainer/Artist Hall to honor Tony Curtis| newspaper=[[Las Vegas Sun]] |date=September 14, 2004 |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> A street is named after him in the Sun City Anthem development of his adopted hometown, [[Henderson, Nevada]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tony+Curtis+Ln,+Henderson,+NV+89052/@35.9544968,-115.0943303,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c8d281b12c229d:0xdf011d2f6ad1e6eb!8m2!3d35.9544968!4d-115.0921416|title=Google maps Tony Curtis Lane, Henderson, Nevada, USA| website=[[Google Maps]] |date=September 3, 2020 |access-date=September 3, 2020}}</ref>

In 2005, Curtis was criticized after he stated that he would refuse to watch ''[[Brokeback Mountain]]''. He additionally stated that [[John Wayne]] would not have approved of a film about gay cowboys.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-20220302.html |title=Still stuck in the film closet| newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]] |date=January 22, 2013 |access-date=June 28, 2022}}</ref>

In 2008, he was featured in the documentary ''[[The Jill & Tony Curtis Story]]'' about his efforts with his wife to rescue horses from slaughterhouses.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jill-vanderberg-curtis-worked-with-husband-on-last-film/ |title=Jill VanderBerg Curtis Worked With Husband On Last Film |work=[[CBS News]] |date=September 30, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614031657/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20018144-10391698.html |archive-date=June 14, 2013 }}</ref>
In October 2008, Curtis's autobiography ''American Prince: A Memoir'', was published.<ref name=Curtis>Curtis, Tony; Golenbock, Peter. ''American Prince'', [[Harmony Books]] (2008) {{ISBN|978-1-905264-34-6}}.</ref> In it, he describes his encounters with other Hollywood legends of the time including Frank Sinatra and [[James Dean]], as well as his hard-knock childhood and path to success. It was followed by the publication of his next book, ''The Making of Some Like it Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Classic American Movie'' (2009).<ref name=Vieira>Curtis, Tony; Vieira, Mark A. ''The Making of Some Like it Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Classic American Movie'', John Wiley and Sons (2009) {{ISBN|978-0-470-53721-3}}</ref> Curtis shared his memories of the making of the movie, in particular about Marilyn Monroe, whose antics and attitude on the set made everyone miserable.

On May 22, 2009, Curtis apologized to the [[BBC]] radio audience after he used three profanities in a six-minute interview with BBC presenter [[William Crawley]]. The presenter also apologized to the audience for Curtis's "Hollywood realism." Curtis explained that he thought the interview was being taped, when it was in fact live.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2009/05/tony_curtis_brings_some_holywo.html |title=Tony Curtis brings some Hollywood realism to BBC radio |website=BBC |last=Crawley |first=William |date=May 23, 2009}}</ref>

==Health and death==
[[File:Tony Curtis portrait.jpg|thumb|upright|Curtis in 2004]]

In 1974, Curtis developed a heavy [[cocaine]] addiction while filming ''[[Lepke (film)|Lepke]]'', at a time when his stardom had declined considerably and he was being offered few film roles.<ref>Curtis, Tony ''American Prince: My Autobiography'' (2008) p. 303</ref> In 1984, Curtis was rushed to the hospital suffering from advanced [[cirrhosis]] as a result of his alcoholism and cocaine addiction. He then entered the [[Betty Ford Clinic]] and vowed to overcome his various illnesses.<ref name=tele_695>{{cite news |title=Tony Curtis |date=October 30, 2010 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8034695/Tony-Curtis.html |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=October 1, 2010 |location=London}}</ref> He underwent [[heart bypass]] surgery in 1994, after suffering a heart attack.<ref name=record_86908>{{cite web |title=Tony Curtis 1925–2010: A movie star and icon in the golden age of Hollywood |date=October 30, 2010 |newspaper=Daily Record |location=Glasgow |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2010/10/01/movie-star-tony-curtis-was-icon-of-golden-age-of-hollywood-and-epitome-of-cool-86908-22599821/ |access-date=October 1, 2010}}</ref>

On July 8, 2010, Curtis, who suffered from [[chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]] (COPD), was hospitalized in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] after suffering an [[asthma]] attack during a book-signing engagement in Henderson, Nevada, where he lived.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tony Curtis 'stable' after asthma attack |date=July 16, 2010 |url=http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/2010/07/16/20100716tony-curtis-stable-after-asthma-attack.html |newspaper=[[The Arizona Republic]] |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref>

Curtis died at his Henderson home on September 29, 2010, of cardiac arrest.<ref>
{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/movies/01curtis.html?partner=rss&emc=rss |title=Tony Curtis, Hollywood Leading Man, Dies at 85 |last=Kehr |first=Dave |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 30, 2010 |access-date=October 1, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8034695/Tony-Curtis.html| location=London| newspaper=The Daily Telegraph| title=Tony Curtis| date=September 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11443271 |title=Film star Tony Curtis dies at 85 |work=BBC News |date=September 30, 2010 |access-date=September 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-coroner-actor-tony-curtis-dies-at-las-vegas-home-2010sep30-story.html| title=Coroner:Actor Tony Curtis Dies At Las Vegas Home| agency=Associated Press| date=September 30, 2010| newspaper=[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]| access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> A few days beforehand, he had met photographer Andy Gotts for a photo-shoot at his home, saying: "I'm not in a good way at the moment but can I ask you one thing? Can you make me look like an icon just one more time?"<ref>{{Cite news|date=July 7, 2020|title=Shooting celebrities: Thirty years behind the lens|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-53321157|access-date=July 13, 2020}}</ref> He left behind five children and seven grandchildren.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tony Curtis's Widow Speaks Exclusively To Inside Edition |date=March 29, 2011 |work=Inside Edition |url=http://www.insideedition.com/headlines/2194-tony-curtiss-widow-speaks-exclusively-to-inside-edition |access-date=March 22, 2016}}</ref> His widow Jill told the press that Curtis had suffered from various lung problems for years as a result of cigarette smoking, although he had quit smoking about 30 years earlier.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/tony-curtis-died-long-history-lung-problems-smoking-widow-jill-curtis-article-1.443819 |title= Tony Curtis died after long history of lung problems from smoking, says widow Jill Curtis |first=Caroline |last=Culbertson |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |date=September 30, 2010 |access-date=August 5, 2014}}</ref> During the 1960s Curtis served as the president of the American 'I Quit Smoking' Club.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tony Curtis on drugs charge at airport |date=April 27, 1970 |work=Daily Express }}</ref> In a release to the Associated Press, his daughter, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, said:

<blockquote>My father leaves behind a legacy of great performances in movies and in his paintings and assemblages. He leaves behind children and their families who loved him and respected him and a wife and in-laws who were devoted to him. He also leaves behind fans all over the world. He will be greatly missed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Legendary actor Tony Curtis has died |url=http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/30/report-legendary-actor-tony-curtis-has-died/?iref=NS1 |work=CNN |access-date=September 30, 2010 |date=September 30, 2010 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191645/http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/30/report-legendary-actor-tony-curtis-has-died/?iref=NS1 |url-status=dead }}</ref></blockquote>

His remains were interred at Palm Memorial Park Cemetery in Henderson, Nevada, on October 4, 2010. The service was attended by daughters Kelly Curtis and Jamie Lee Curtis; as well as [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Rich Little]] and Vera Goulet.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/01/memorial-service-for-actor-tony-curtis-set-for-monday/ | title=Memorial Service for actor Tony Curtis Set For Monday| work=CNN| date=October 1, 2010| access-date=February 25, 2019| archive-date=December 3, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203090954/https://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/01/memorial-service-for-actor-tony-curtis-set-for-monday/?hpt=T2| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=yahoo>{{cite news |last=Garcia |first=Oskar |date=October 4, 2010 |title=Actor Tony Curtis buried after Vegas funeral |publisher=Yahoo! News |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101004/ap_en_ot/us_tony_curtis_funeral |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013061828/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101004/ap_en_ot/us_tony_curtis_funeral |archive-date=October 13, 2010}}</ref> Investor [[Kirk Kerkorian]], actor [[Kirk Douglas]], and singer [[Phyllis McGuire]] were among the honorary [[pallbearers]]. He was buried with a number of his favorite items, including a Stetson hat, an Armani scarf, driving gloves, a copy of his favorite novel, and his iPhone.

Five months before his death he rewrote his will, naming all his children and intentionally disinheriting them with no explanation, then leaving his entire estate to his wife.<ref>
Sources:
* {{cite journal |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/trialandheirs/2011/09/19/tony-curtis-kids-say-he-was-the-victim-of-undue-influence/#1fa91565444f |title=Tony Curtis' Kids Say He Was the Victim of Undue Influence |first=Danielle and Andy |last=Mayoras |journal=[[Forbes]] |date=September 19, 2011 |access-date=November 16, 2018}}
* {{cite web| title=The Curious Case of Tony Curtis| url=https://www.hackardlaw.com/blog/2014/12/tony-curtis-estate-dispute.shtml| date=December 17, 2014| website=Hackard Law}}
* {{cite web| url=http://thelegacylawyer.com/2011/03/08/the-real-story-of-tony-curtis-last-will-and-testament/ |title=The Real Story of Tony Curtis' Last Will and Testament |website=Thelegacylawyer.com |date=March 8, 2011 |access-date=November 16, 2018}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.insideedition.com/3025-tony-curtiss-daughter-speaks-out-about-disinheritance | title=Tony Curtis's Daughter Speaks Out About Disinheritance | date=September 12, 2011 }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In the 2022 [[Netflix]] film ''[[Blonde (2022 film)|Blonde]]'', Curtis was portrayed by Michael Masini.<ref>{{cite web |title='Blonde': 10 of the Marilyn Monroe Biopic's Stars and Their Real-Life Inspirations |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/marilyn-monroe-blonde-characters-casting/john-f-kennedy-portrayed-by-caspar-phillipson/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=6 August 2023 |date=28 September 2022}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1949
| ''[[Criss Cross (film)|Criss Cross]]''
| Gigolo
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[City Across the River]]''
| Mitch
| rowspan="3" | Credited as Anthony Curtis
|-
| ''[[Johnny Stool Pigeon]]''
| Joey Hyatt
|-
| ''[[The Lady Gambles]]''
| Bellboy
|-
| ''[[Take One False Step]]''
| Hot Rod Driver
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border]]''
| Unknown
| Short
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1950
| ''[[Francis (film)|Francis]]''
| Captain Jones
| Credited as Anthony Curtis
|-
| ''[[Woman in Hiding]]''
| Dave Shaw
| Voice, Uncredited
|-
| ''[[I Was a Shoplifter]]''
| Pepe
| rowspan="3" | Credited as Anthony Curtis
|-
| ''[[Sierra (film)|Sierra]]''
| Brent Coulter
|-
| ''[[Winchester '73]]''
| Doan
|-
| ''[[Kansas Raiders]]''
| Kit Dalton
|
|-
| 1951
| ''[[The Prince Who Was a Thief]]''
| Julna
|
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1952
| ''[[Flesh and Fury]]''
| Paul Callan
|
|-
| ''[[No Room for the Groom]]''
| Alvah Morrell
|
|-
| ''[[Son of Ali Baba]]''
| Kashma Baba
|
|-
| ''[[Meet Danny Wilson (film)|Meet Danny Wilson]]''
| Himself, Nightclub Patron
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1953
| ''[[Houdini (1953 film)|Houdini]]''
| [[Harry Houdini]]
|
|-
| ''[[All American (film)|All American]]''
| Nick Bonnelli
|
|-
| ''[[Forbidden (1953 film)|Forbidden]]''
| Eddie
|
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1954
| ''[[Beachhead (film)|Beachhead]]''
| Burke
|
|-
| ''[[Johnny Dark (film)|Johnny Dark]]''
| Johnny Dark
|
|-
| ''[[The Black Shield of Falworth]]''
| Myles
|
|-
| ''[[So This Is Paris (1955 film)|So This Is Paris]]''
| Joe Maxwell
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1955
| ''[[Six Bridges to Cross]]''
| Jerry Florea
|
|-
| ''[[The Purple Mask]]''
| Rene de Traviere / Purple Mask
|
|-
| ''[[The Square Jungle]]''
| Eddie Quaid / Packy Glennon
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1956
| ''[[Trapeze (film)|Trapeze]]''
| Tino Orsini
|
|-
| ''[[The Rawhide Years]]''
| Ben Matthews
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1957
| ''[[Mister Cory]]''
| Cory
|also Executive Producer via [[Curtleigh Productions]]
|-
| ''[[The Midnight Story]]''
| Joe Martini
|
|-
| ''[[Sweet Smell of Success]]''
| Sidney Falco
| also Executive Producer via Curtleigh Productions
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1958
| ''[[The Vikings (1958 film)|The Vikings]]''
| Eric
|
|-
| ''[[Kings Go Forth]]''
| Corporal Britt Harris
|
|-
| ''[[The Defiant Ones]]''
| John "Joker" Jackson
|also Executive Producer via Curtleigh Productions
|-
| ''[[The Perfect Furlough]]''
| Corporal Paul Hodges
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1959
| ''[[Some Like It Hot]]''
| Joe / Josephine / Shell Oil Junior
|
|-
| ''[[Operation Petticoat]]''
| Lieutenant Nicholas Holden
|
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1960
| ''[[Who Was That Lady?]]''
| David Wilson
|
|-
| ''[[The Rat Race]]''
| Pete Hammond Jr.
|
|-
| ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]''
| Antoninus
|
|-
| ''[[Pepe (1960 film)|Pepe]]''
| Himself
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[The Great Impostor]]''
| [[Ferdinand Waldo Demara]] Jr. / Martin Donner / Dr. Gilbert
|
|-
| 1961
| ''[[The Outsider (1961 film)|The Outsider]]''
| Ira Hamilton Hayes
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1962
| ''[[Taras Bulba (1962 film)|Taras Bulba]]''
| Andriy Bulba
|also Executive Producer via Curtleigh Productions
|-
| ''[[40 Pounds of Trouble]]''
| Steve McCluskey
|also Executive Producer via [[Curtis Enterprises]]
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1963
| ''[[The List of Adrian Messenger]]''
| Organ Grinder
| Cameo
|-
| ''[[Captain Newman, M.D.]]''
| Corporal Jackson "Jake" Leibowitz
|also Executive Producer via [[Reynard Productions]]
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1964
| ''[[Paris When It Sizzles]]''
| Maurice / Philippe – 2nd Policeman
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Wild and Wonderful]]''
| Terry Willams
|also Executive Producer via Reynard Productions
|-
| ''[[Goodbye Charlie]]''
| George Tracy
|
|-
| ''[[Sex and the Single Girl (film)|Sex and the Single Girl]]''
| Bob Weston
|also Executive Producer via Reynard Productions
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1965
| ''[[The Great Race]]''
| Leslie Gallant III (The Great Leslie)
|also Executive Producer via Reynard Productions
|-
| ''[[Boeing Boeing (1965 film)|Boeing, Boeing]]''
| Bernard Lawrence
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1966
| ''[[Chamber of Horrors (1966 film)|Chamber of Horrors]]''
| Mr. Julian
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Not with My Wife, You Don't!]]''
| Tom Ferris
|also Executive Producer via Reynard Productions
|-
| ''[[Drop Dead Darling|Arrivederci, Baby!]]''
| Nick Johnson
| also known as ''Drop Dead Darling''
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1967
| ''[[Don't Make Waves]]''
| Carlo Cofield
|also Executive Producer via Reynard Productions
|-
| ''[[On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who...]]''
| Guerrando da Montone
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1968
| ''[[Rosemary's Baby (film)|Rosemary's Baby]]''
| Donald Baumgart
| Voice, Uncredited
|-
| ''[[The Boston Strangler (film)|The Boston Strangler]]''
| [[Albert DeSalvo]]
|
|-
| 1969
| ''[[Monte Carlo or Bust!|Monte-Carlo or Bust!]]''
| Chester Schofield
| also known as ''Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies''
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1970
| ''[[You Can't Win 'Em All]]''
| Adam Dyer
|
|-
| ''[[Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came]]''
| Shannon Gambroni
|
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Lepke (film)|Lepke]]''
| [[Lepke Buchalter|Louis “Lepke” Buchalter]]
|
|-
| 1976
| ''[[The Last Tycoon (1976 film)|The Last Tycoon]]''
| Rodriguez
|
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Casanova & Co.|Some Like It Cool]]''
| Giacomino / [[Giacomo Casanova|Casanova]]
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1978
| ''[[The Manitou]]''
| Harry Erskine
|
|-
| ''[[Sextette]]''
| Alexei Karansky
|
|-
| ''[[The Bad News Bears Go to Japan]]''
| Marvin Lazar
|
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Title Shot]]''
| Frank Renzetti
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1980
| ''[[Little Miss Marker (1980 film)|Little Miss Marker]]''
| "Blackie"
|
|-
| ''[[It Rained All Night the Day I Left]]''
| Robert Talbot
|
|-
| ''[[The Mirror Crack'd]]''
| Martin N. Fenn
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1982
| ''Black Commando''
| Colonel Iago
|
|-
| ''[[BrainWaves]]''
| Dr. Clavius
|
|-
| ''[[Sparky's Magic Piano]]''
| TV Interviewer
| Voice, Direct-to-Video
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1983
| ''Dexter the Dragon & Bumble the Bear''
| Unknown
| Voice, English version
|-
| ''Balboa''
| Ernie Stoddard
|
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Where Is Parsifal?]]''
| Parsifal Katzenellenbogen
|
|-
| 1985
| ''[[Insignificance (film)|Insignificance]]''
| Senator
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1986
| ''[[Club Life (1987 film)|Club Life]]''
| Hector
|
|-
| ''[[The Last of Philip Banter (film)|The Last of Philip Banter]]''
| Charles Foster
|
|-
| 1988
| ''[[The Passenger – Welcome to Germany|Welcome to Germany]]''
| Mr. Cornfield
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1989
| ''[[Lobster Man from Mars]]''
| J.P. Shelldrake
|
|-
| ''[[Midnight (1989 film)|Midnight]]''
| Mr. B.
|
|-
| ''Walter & Carlo i Amerika''
| Willy La Rouge
|
|-
| 1991
| ''Prime Target''
| Marietta Copella
| Direct-To-Video
|-
| 1992
| ''Center of the Web''
| Stephen Moore
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1993
| ''[[Naked in New York]]''
| Carl Fisher
|
|-
| ''The Mummy Lives''
| Aziru / Dr. Mohassid
|
|-
| 1995
| ''[[The Immortals (1995 film)|The Immortals]]''
| Dominic
|
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball]]''
| Wald
| [[Direct-to-video|Direct-to-Video]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1998
| ''Louis & Frank''
| Lenny Star Springer
|
|-
| ''Stargames''
| King Fendel
|
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Play It to the Bone]]''
| Ringside Fan
|
|-
| 2002
| ''Reflections of Evil''
| Host
|
|-
| 2006
| ''Where's Marty?''
| Himself
| Direct-to-DVD
|-
| 2007
| ''The Blacksmith and the Carpenter''
| God
| Voice, Short
|-
| 2008
| ''[[David & Fatima]]''
| Mr. Schwartz
| Final film role
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
| 1955
| ''Allen in Movieland''
| Himself
| Television Movie
|-
| 1955–1956
| ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''
| Himself (Guest)
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1959
| ''[[The Joseph Cotten Show (TV series)|The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial]]''
| Charlie
| Episode: "Man on a Rock"
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Startime (1959 TV series)|Startime]]''
| The Juggler
| Episode: "The Young Juggler"<br />also Executive Producer
|-
| 1965
| ''[[The Flintstones]]''
| Stony Curtis
| Voice, Episode: "The Return of Stony Curtis"
|-
| 1968
| ''[[The Song Is You]]''
| Himself
| Television Movie
|-
| 1968–1971
| ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]''
| Himself (Guest Performer)
| Recurring role (8 episodes)
|-
| 1970
| [[American Cancer Society]] anti-smoking [[public service announcement|PSA]]s
| Himself
| multiple [[public service announcement|PSA]]s<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ww1hFbScecY Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20180326213552/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww1hFbScecY Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww1hFbScecY |date=September 16, 2015 |title=American Cancer Society: Anti Smoking Ad Archives |medium=Television production |time=22:55-26:36 |work=[[American Cancer Society]] |access-date=August 17, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> <br /> interview with [[Martin Agronsky]] on WTOP-TV News.
|-
| 1971–1972
| ''[[The Persuaders!]]''
| Danny Wilde / Aunt Sophie
| Series regular (24 episodes)
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1972
| ''[[The ABC Comedy Hour]]''
| rowspan="2" | Himself (Guest Performer)
| Episode: "The Friars Roast of Joe Namath"
|-
| ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]''
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1973
| ''[[The Third Girl from the Left]]''
| Joey Jordan
| Television Movie
|-
| ''[[Shaft (1971 film)|Shaft]]''
| Clifford Grayson
| Episode: "Hit-Run"
|-
| 1975
| ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo (1975 film)|The Count of Monte-Cristo]]''
| Fernand Mondego
| Television Movie
|-
| 1975–1976
| ''[[McCoy (TV series)|McCoy]]''
| McCoy
| Series regular (5 episodes)
|-
| 1978
| ''[[The Users (1978 film)|The Users]]''
| Randy Brent
| Television Movie
|-
| 1978–1981
| ''[[Vegas (1978 TV series)|Vega$]]''
| Philip (Slick) Roth
| Series regular (17 episodes, 1978–1981)
|-
| 1980
| ''[[The Scarlett O'Hara War]]''
| [[David O. Selznick]]
| rowspan="4" | Television Movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1981
| ''Inmates: A Love Story''
| Flanagan
|-
| ''The Million Dollar Face''
| Chester Masterson
|-
| 1982
| ''Portrait of a Showgirl''
| Joey DeLeon
|-
| 1983
| ''[[The Fall Guy]]''
| Joe O'Hara
| Episode: "Eight Ball"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1986
| ''Mafia Princess''
| [[Sam Giancana|Sam "Momo" Giancana]]
| rowspan="6" | Television Movie
|-
| ''[[Murder in Three Acts]]''
| Charles Cartwright
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1989
| ''[[Tarzan in Manhattan]]''
| Archimedes Porter
|-
| ''Charlie''
| Scott Parish
|-
| 1990
| ''Thanksgiving Day''
| Max Schloss
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Christmas in Connecticut (1992 film)|Christmas in Connecticut]]''
| Alexander Yardley
|-
| 1992–1993
| ''Hollywood Babylon''
| Himself (Host)
| 5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1994
| ''Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit''
| "Lucky" Bergstrom
| rowspan="3" | Television Movie
|-
| ''[[Perry Mason (TV film series)|A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor]]''
| Johnny Steele
|-
| ''Cilla's World''
| Himself
|-
| 1995–2003
| ''[[Biography (TV program)|Biography]]''
| Himself (Interviewee)
| 4 episodes<br />– Episode: "[[Roger Moore]]" (1995)<br />– Episode: "[[Ernest Borgnine]]" (2000)<br />– Episode: "Tony Curtis" (2001)<br />– Episode: "[[Janet Leigh]]" (2003)
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1996
| ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]''
| Dr. Issac Mamba
| Episode: "I Now Pronounce You..."
|-
| ''[[Roseanne]]''
| Hal
| Episode: "Ballroom Blitz"
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Elvis Meets Nixon]]''
| Himself
| Uncredited, Television Movie
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Suddenly Susan]]''
| Peter DiCaprio
| Episode: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker"
|-
| 2004
| ''[[Hope & Faith]]''
| Morris
| Episode: "Jack's Back"
|-
| 2005
| ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]''
| rowspan="2" | Himself
| Episode: "Grave Danger (Part 1)"
|-
| 2006
| ''[[60 Minutes]]''
| Episode: "Gay Marriage/The Marilyn Mystery"
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (American game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]''
| Himself (Celebrity Question Presenter)
| Episode: "Million Dollar Movie Week 1"
|}

==Radio appearances==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Program !! Episode/source
|-
| 1951 || ''[[Suspense (radio drama)|Suspense]]'' || ''The McKay College Basketball Scandal''<ref>{{cite journal| title=Radio's Golden Age| journal=Nostalgia Digest| date=Winter 2011| volume=37| issue=1| page=41}}</ref>
|-
| 1952|| ''Stars in the Air'' || ''Model Wife''<ref>{{cite news| last1=Kirby| first1=Walter| title=Better Radio Programs for the Week| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2540149/the_decatur_daily_review/| newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review| date=February 10, 1952| page=38| via=[[Newspapers.com]]| access-date=June 2, 2015}}{{Open access}}</ref>
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Association
!Year
!Category
!Nominated Work
!Result
|-
|[[Academy Awards]]
|1959
|[[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|''[[The Defiant Ones]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Awards]]
|1958
| rowspan="2" |[[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Foreign Actor]]
|''[[Sweet Smell of Success]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1959
|''The Defiant Ones''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="4" |[[Bambi Award]]s
|1958
| rowspan="3" |[[Bambi Award|Best Actor, International]]
|''Sweet Smell of Success''
|{{Won}}
|-
|1959
|''The Defiant Ones''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1960
|''[[Some Like It Hot]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1973
|[[Bambi Award|TV series International]]
|''[[The Persuaders!]]''
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[Bravo Otto]] Awards
|1972
|[[Bravo Otto|Best Male TV Star]]
|''The Persuaders!''
|{{Won}}
|-
|California Independent Film Festival
|2004
|Lifetime Achievement Award
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[David di Donatello]] Awards
|2001
|[[David di Donatello|Special David]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[Empire Awards]]
|2006
|[[Empire Awards|Lifetime Achievement Award]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Golden Apple Award]]s
|1952
| rowspan="2" |[[Golden Apple Award|Most Cooperative Actor]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|1958
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|1964
|[[Golden Apple Award|Least Cooperative Actor]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[Manaki Brothers Film Festival|Golden Camera Awards]]
|2004
|[[Manaki Brothers Film Festival|Lifetime Achievement Award]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="4" |[[Golden Globe Award]]s
|1958
|[[Golden Globe Award|World Film Favorite, Male]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|1959
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor in a Motion Picture— Drama]]
|''The Defiant Ones''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1961
|[[Golden Globe Award|World Film Favorite, Male]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|1969
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor in a Motion Picture— Drama]]
|''[[The Boston Strangler (film)|The Boston Strangler]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Jules Verne Award]]s
|2005
|[[Jules Verne Award|Lifetime Achievement Award]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="11" |[[Laurel Awards]]
|1958
|[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Dramatic Performance]]
|''Sweet Smell of Success''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1960
|[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Star]]
|—
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1960
|[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Comedy Performance]]
|''[[Who Was That Lady?]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1961
| rowspan="2" |[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Star]]
|—
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1962
|—
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1962
|[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Dramatic Performance]]
|''The Outsider''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1963
|[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Star]]
|—
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1963
|[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Dramatic Performance]]
|''40 Pounds of Trouble''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1964
|[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Star]]
|—
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1964
|[[Laurel Awards|Top Male Comedy Performance]]
|''Captain Newman, M.D.''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1965
|[[Laurel Awards|Male Star]]
|—
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Montreal World Film Festival]]
|2008
|[[Montreal World Film Festival|Grand Prix Special des Ameriques]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[Palm Springs International Film Festival]]
|1995
|[[Desert Palm Achievement Award]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|Photoplay Award
|1959
|Most Popular Male Star
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Award]]s
|1980
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special]]
|''[[The Scarlett O'Hara War]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Sitges Film Festival|Sitges Catalonian International Film Festival]]
|2000
|[[Sitges Film Festival|"The General" Honorary Award]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[St. Louis International Film Festival]]
|1997
|[[St. Louis International Film Festival|Distinguished Hollywood Film Artist Award]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[TP de Oro]]
|1973
|[[TP de Oro|Best Foreign Actor]]
|''The Persuaders!''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Hollywood Walk of Fame|Walk of Fame]]
|1960
|[[List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame|Star on the Walk of Fame–Motion Picture 6817 Hollywood Blvd.]]
|—
|{{Won}}
|}

== Books ==
* {{Cite book |last=Curtis |first=Tony |author2=Barry Paris |author2-link=Barry Paris |year=1993 |title=Tony Curtis: The Autobiography |url=https://archive.org/details/tonycurtisautobi00curt |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=William Morrow & Company |isbn=978-0-688-09759-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Curtis |first=Tony |year=2008 |author2=Peter Golenbock |author2-link=Peter Golenbock |title=Tony Curtis: American Prince: My Autobiography |url=https://archive.org/details/americanprinceme00curt |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Harmony Books |isbn=978-0-307-40849-5 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Curtis |first=Tony |year=2009 |title=Some Like it Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Making of the Classic Movie |url=https://archive.org/details/makingofsomelike00curt |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |page=[https://archive.org/details/makingofsomelike00curt/page/n255 240] |isbn=978-0-470-53721-3}}

== See also ==
* {{Portal inline|Film}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |editor-last=Ayres |editor-first=Ian |year=2006 |title=Van Gogh's Ear |url=https://archive.org/details/vangoghsearceleb0000unse |url-access=registration |series=The Celebrity Edition Vol. 5 |location=New York; Paris |publisher=The Committee on Poetry; French Connection Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/vangoghsearceleb0000unse/page/60/mode/2up 61–68] |isbn=978-2-914853-07-1 |oclc=1245894209}} The book includes Tony Curtis's prose, poetry, and artwork.
* {{Cite book |last1=Wise |first1=James E. Jr. |author2=Anne Collier Rehill |year=1997 |title=Stars in Blue: Movie Actors in America's Sea Services |url=https://archive.org/details/starsinbluemovie0000wise |url-access=registration |location=Annapolis, MD |publisher=Naval Institute Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/starsinbluemovie0000wise/page/142/mode/2up 143–147] |isbn=1557509379 |oclc=36824724}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* [http://www.oralhistoryproject.com/TonyCurtis1.html Biography] and [http://www.oralhistoryproject.com/tcurtis_navy.html naval service] from the California Center for Military History website
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=4784 Photographs at Virtual History]
* [https://www.gq.com/entertainment/celebrities/201006/tony-curtis-last-of-the-playboys Interview by Michael Hainey for ''GQ Magazine'']

{{Curtleigh Productions}}
{{Curtis Enterprises}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, Tony}}
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