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Tony Curtis
Acting
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 swashbuck…
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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.
Biography expanded
BODY OF WORK
Tony Curtis's Filmography
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No Poster
100 Years of the Idiot: A Jerry Lewis Centenary
From Roger Moore with Love
as Self (archive footage)
Pictures of Ghosts
as Self (archive footage)
Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom
as Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
as Self (archive footage)
Amicalement vôtre : Hollywood au service de sa Majesté
as Danny Wilde
The Fabulous Allan Carr
as Self (archive footage)
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
No Poster
Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
as Self (archive footage)
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
as Self
Marilyn at the Movies
as Self (archive footage)
That's Insignificance
as Self
No Poster
Tony Curtis erzählt...
as Self
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
as Eric (archive footage) (uncredited)
Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved
as Self
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel
as Self
Hollywood sul Tevere
David & Fatima
as Mr. Schwartz
The Jill & Tony Curtis Story
The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'
as Self
The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'
as Self
No Poster
Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten
as Self (archive footage)
No Poster
Hollywood Legenden
as Self
Hugh Hefner: American Playboy
as Self
Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Nobody's Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot
as Self
Rescued from the Closet
as Self
Tony Curtis on 'Some Like It Hot'
as Self
Play It to the Bone
as Tony Curtis (Ringside Fan)
Roxanne's Best Christmas Ever
as Bernard (voice)
Louis & Frank
as Lenny Star Springer
Stargames
as King Fendel
Elvis Meets Nixon
as Tony Curtis
The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man
as Jack Steele
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball
as Wald
The Celluloid Closet
as Self
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
as Self
The Immortals
as Dominic
Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor
as Johnny Steele
Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit
as Lucky Bergstrom
A Century of Cinema
as Self
Naked in New York
as Carl Fisher
The Mummy Lives
as Aziru / Dr. Mohassid
Christmas in Connecticut
as Alexander Yardley
Center of the Web
as Stephen Moore
No Poster
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
as Self
Hollywood Babylon II
as Narrator
Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box
as Narrator (voice) / Self
Prime Target
as Copella
Thanksgiving Day
as Max Schloss
Lobster Man from Mars
as J.P. Shelldrake
Walter and Carlo in America
as WIlly La Rouge
Midnight
as Mr. B
Tarzan in Manhattan
as Archimedes Porter
The Passenger – Welcome to Germany
as Mr. Cornfield
Sparky's Magic Piano
Murder in Three Acts
as Charles Cartwright
Banter
as Charles Foster
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
as Self
Club Life
as Hector
Mafia Princess
as Sam Giancana
Insignificance
as The Senator
Half Nelson
Where Is Parsifal?
as Parsifal Katzanella-Boden
BrainWaves
as Dr. Clavius
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Balboa
as Ernie Stoddard
Black Commando
as Col. Iago
Portrait of a Showgirl
as Joey DeLeon
Magic with the Stars
as Harry Houdini (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Million Dollar Face
as Chester Masterson
Inmates: A Love Story
as Flanagan
It Rained All Night the Day I Left
as Robert Talbot
The Scarlett O'Hara War
as David O. Selznick
Little Miss Marker
as Blackie
The Mirror Crack'd
as Martin N. Fenn
The Masqueraders
as Danny Wilde
Title Shot
as Frank Renzetti
Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration
as Self
No Poster
Death Becomes Me
as Danny Wilde (archive footage)
The Users
as Randy Brent
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan
as Marvin Lazar
The Manitou
as Harry Erskine
Sextette
as Alexei Karansky
The Last Appointment!
as Danny Wilde
Casanova & Co.
as Giacomo Casanova / Giacomino
The Last Tycoon
as Rodriguez
The Switch
as Danny Wilde
The Count of Monte-Cristo
as Fernand Morcerf Mondego
Lepke
as Louis 'Lepke' Buchalter
Sporting Chance
as Danny Wilde (archive footage)
London Conspiracy
as Danny Wilde (archive footage)
Mission: Monte Carlo
as Danny Wilde (archive footage)
The Third Girl from the Left
as Joey Jordan
The Persuaders!
as Danny Wilde
Norman Jewison, Film Maker
as Self (uncredited)
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?
as Shannon Gambroni
You Can't Win 'Em All
as Adam Dyer
Monte Carlo or Bust!
as Chester Schofield
The Boston Strangler
as Albert DeSalvo
Rosemary's Baby
as Donald Baumgart (voice) (uncredited)
On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who...
as Guerrando da Montone
Don't Make Waves
as Carlo Cofield
Arrivederci, Baby!
as Nick Johnson
The Legend of Marilyn Monroe
Not With My Wife, You Don't!
as Tom Ferris
Chamber of Horrors
as Mr. Julian (uncredited)
Boeing, Boeing
as Bernard Lawrence
The Great Race
as The Great Leslie
Sex and the Single Girl
as Bob Weston
Goodbye Charlie
as George Wellington Tracy
Wild and Wonderful
as Terry Williams
Paris When It Sizzles
as Actor Portraying Maurice or Philippe (uncredited)
Captain Newman, M.D.
as Cpl. Jackson "Jake" Leibowitz
The List of Adrian Messenger
as Organ Grinder
40 Pounds of Trouble
as Steve McCluskey
Taras Bulba
as Andrei Bulba
The Outsider
as Ira Hamilton Hayes
The Great Impostor
as Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. / Martin Donner / Dr. Gilbert / Ben. W. Stone / Dr. Joseph Mornay / Robert Boyd Hammnd
Pepe
as Tony Curtis
Spartacus
as Antoninus
The Rat Race
as Pete Hammond Jr.
Who Was That Lady?
as David Wilson
People, Hopes, Medals
as Self
Operation Petticoat
as Lieutenant Nicholas Holden
Some Like It Hot
as Joe (Josephine)
The Perfect Furlough
as Paul Hodges
The Defiant Ones
as John 'Joker' Jackson
Kings Go Forth
as Caporal Britt Harris
The Vikings
as Eric
Sweet Smell of Success
as Sidney Falco
The Midnight Story
as Joe Martini
Mister Cory
as Cory
The Rawhide Years
as Ben Matthews
Trapeze
as Tino Orsini
No Poster
Nightmare
as Tony
The Square Jungle
as Eddie Quaid / Packy Glennon
Allen in Movieland
as Self
The Purple Mask
as Rene de Traviere / The Purple Mask
Six Bridges to Cross
as Jerry Florea
So This Is Paris
as Joe Maxwell
A Star Is Born World Premiere
as Self
The Black Shield of Falworth
as Myles Falworth
Johnny Dark
as Johnny Dark
Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood
Beachhead
as Burke
Forbidden
as Eddie Darrow
The All American
as Nick Bonelli
Houdini
as Harry Houdini
The World's Most Beautiful Girls
as Self
Son of Ali Baba
as Kashma Baba
Flesh and Fury
as Paul Callan
No Room for the Groom
as Alvah Morrell
Meet Danny Wilson
as Nightclub Patron
No Poster
An Eye for an Eye
Come Back Little Shiksa
The Re-Inforcer
as Tony Boffo
The Prince Who Was a Thief
as Julna
No Poster
A Spot In The Shade
No Poster
Nightmare
No Poster
Watch On The Lime
No Poster
Fairfax Avenue
Kansas Raiders
as Kit Dalton
Winchester '73
as Doan
Sierra
as Brent Coulter
I Was a Shoplifter
as Pepe
Francis
as Captain Jones
Woman in Hiding
as Dave Shaw (voice) (uncredited)
The Lady Gambles
as Bellboy (as Anthony Curtis)
Johnny Stool Pigeon
as Joey Hyatt
City Across the River
as Mitch (as Anthony Curtis)
Criss Cross
as Gigolo (uncredited)
