Tony Curtis (and me)
One of the coolest ancillary benefits of quasi-celebrityhood is that it allows you to approach performers you admire and say hello, not just as another fan, but as a member of the “brotherhood.” It was on that level that I knew Tony Curtis, who passed away the other day at the age of 85. Our paths crossed no more than eight or ten times, but it was always a thrill for me to have even a brief conversation with this man whom I had seen so often on a movie screen as I was growing up.
I mention all this by way of telling an odd little story that starts with this rather bizarre fact: Tony Curtis was the only person invited to my 50th birthday party. Years ago, my wife and I were in a Hollywood restaurant a couple of months shy of my 50th, and she was trying to convince me to have a big party with lots of friends. I protested on the usual grounds, such as my not liking big parties and, even if I did, not having enough friends to populate such a gathering. However, as the evening went on and the wine continued to be poured, I began to relent, and we started putting a list together. Suddenly, Tony Curtis appeared at our table and asked what we were so busy working on. We told him the story, and he said he hoped he would be invited, so I invited him. I took his phone number and said I’d call when we settled on the exact place and date and time.
In the light of the next day, I returned to my resistance mode, and, eventually, we dropped the whole idea and never invited another guest. I also decided I didn’t need to cancel with Tony, because I doubted he was sitting by his phone waiting for my call. I never regretted not having the party, but I was sorry I never got to know Tony Curtis better. He had an amazing career, and his skill as an actor was often under-appreciated. And I’ll bet he would have been fun at a party.
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Jun '10
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
My favorite Tony Curtis movie was "Some Like it Hot," in which Tony starred with Jack Lemmon (both in drag), and Marilyn Monroe (who, at that time, was not hard on the eyes). It's a classic American comedy. Tony and Jack worked as well together as Jack later did with Walter Matthau.
Who are their replacements?
Edited on Oct 1, 2010 at 10:43amRe: Tony Curtis (and me)
To merge two stories this week, the passing of Tony Curits and the 50th anniversary of The Flintstones, let us pause to remember Tony's appearance as....
Stony Curtis!
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
"His skill as an actor was often under-appreciated."
Too true, Pat. In "Some Like it Hot," which tabula rasa mentions above, Curtis's performance represented a work of comedic genius. Jack Lemmon was intense, as Lemmon always was, and Marilyn Monroe was--well, she had some marvelous moments, but also a few moments that could have fallen flat. Curtis holds the movie together, providing a certain lightness that serves as a perfect counterpoint to Lemmon, while never permitting the pace to flag in his scenes with Monroe. Curtis possessed a simply amazing ability to balance a scene--to serve as a flawless complement to other actors. The man was really, really good.
Jul '10
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
Curtis was fabulous in Some Like It Hot, but my favorite Tony Curtis role would be in Operation Petticoat. Here, again, Curtis is not meant to carry the picture, but he brings so much more energy than Grant, that he becomes more than the role.
A strange amalgam of Old Hollywood and the more Moderne Hollywood. Sort of a crossroad of old and new. The color has that nifty vibrant / yet flat look of the late fifties / early sixties.
Sep '10
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
Forwarded to me by a friend:
http://tonycurtisonline.blogspot.com/2009/06/roman-cats.html
Edited on Oct 1, 2010 at 2:57pmRe: Tony Curtis (and me)
My favorite, too. And it was a dream come true for Curtis, who was inspired to join the Navy during World War II by another Cary Grant submarine film, Destination Tokyo.
Edited on Oct 1, 2010 at 12:37pmJul '10
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
My favorite was his work in Spartacus, playing foil to Kirk Douglas and Olivier. He had a knack for finding parts where he could show something different.
Edited on Oct 1, 2010 at 2:56pmJul '10
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
And I'll bet he would be maximum fun at a party. I always thought him under-rated as an actor. And he seemed like a genuine good person.
May '10
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
I add my vote for Operation Petticoat. Just watched it again a couple of months ago for the Xth time, and it was a much fun as ever.
Oct '10
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
The Persuaders was the best!
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
The best part of the obit, in my (New Yorker) opinion:
Re: Tony Curtis (and me)
In Some Like it Hot, there's a moment when Jack Lemmon has come back to the hotel room over-the-top excited. Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) has just proposed marriage. "But why would a guy want to marry another guy?" Tony Curtis asks. And Jack Lemmon looks at him like he's crazy. "Security!" Lemmon shouts. Which gets a big laugh, which almost -- almost -- makes the audience miss the priceless and subtle look on Tony Curtis' face. The guy could do two things that a lot of actors can't do: he could deliver a joke, and he could take delivery of a joke. Tricky stuff.
In The Sweet Smell of Success, perhaps his best role, he's grasping, desperate PR flack Sidney Falco. Half of the picture he spends in Burt Lancaster's shadow -- which was appropriate for the character. He positively shrinks next to him. But when he talk about what he wants, what he yearns for -- the best of everything; money; power; influence -- it's a moment like no other. The guy could act.