Tony Curtis and His Dames

Here is actor Tony Curtis, who died this week at 85, with his then-wife, Janet Leigh, and our friend Barbara Rush. The three starred together in a crazy 1954 guilty pleasure called “The Black Shield of Falworth” that takes place in the 1400s. Tony and Barbara play a brother and sister who are living as peasants but are secretly of royal blood. Both of them fall in love with unsuitable partners and high drama ensues. Today the film is mostly forgotten except for its three claims to fame: it was Universal’s first film in widescreen Cinemascope, it was the first of six films to feature the happy newlyweds, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, and it supposedly provided the line that was used to make fun of Tony Curtis’s Bronx accent and acting ability for years to come: “Yonda lies da castle of my faddah!”

But there will be no making fun of Curtis’s acting chops here, and not just out of respect for his passing. I thought Tony Curtis was a brilliant actor (with the right material) and classed up every film he was in. I am especially grateful that I got to meet him last April at the Turner Classic Movie Festival that I was “covering” for General Motors. I actually walked the red carpet with Curtis on opening night. Here’s the photo I took of him. He was all over the festival, attending screenings and introducing two of his best films, “The Sweet Smell of Success” and “Some Like It Hot.” I must have seen the latter film several dozen times and yet I was still transfixed by Curtis’s brilliance in the triple role of Joe, Josephine, and the Shell Oil magnate. While the wonderful Jack Lemmon looked like a bad female impersonator as the lovable Daphne, Tony Curtis had such pretty movie star features back in the 50s that his Josephine was actually a knock-out!

Before the film last April, he told many funny stories about the making of “Some Like It Hot,” including his costume fittings with famed designer Orry-Kelly. The designer measured Curtis and Lemmon first and then Marilyn Monroe walked into the session, wearing only panties and a barely-buttoned white blouse. As Curtis remembered this image, he practically started hyperventilating. When Orry-Kelly was measuring Monroe and got to her bottom, he cracked, “Tony Curtis has a better ass than you, Marilyn.” Monroe then opened up her shirt and said, “Maybe, but he doesn’t have these.” 

Curtis was full of ribald stories that night, and, at 84, was still hitting on anything that moved, even though his sixth wife was at his side. He talked about shooting the kissing scene with Marilyn on the yacht. Things got so hot and heavy that Marilyn asked him if he had an erection. “No, honey,” he replied, “but I can get one for you if you like.” The two had an affair ten years earlier when both were just starting out and it wasn’t so hard to pick up where they left off. Like his contemporary Eddie Fisher, who died just a few weeks ago, Curtis was a major womanizer. Both married America's sweethearts (Janet Leigh and Debbie Reynolds) and both had talented, intelligent daughters (Jamie Lee Curtis and Carrie Fisher) from whom they were sometimes estranged (but not at the end, happily). 

Tony Curtis left an amazing body of work. I was talking to my brother earlier and we both admitted that as kids our favorite was his portrayal of the flamboyant “Houdini.” And, or course, the actor was immortalized as Stony Curtis on what is probably my favorite episode of “The Flintstones.” My friend Helena, who is a member of the Academy, had been trying to get that group to host a reunion screening of “The Vikings,” the film that cast two Jews as its Viking leads, Bernie Schwartz (Tony Curtis) and Issur Demsky (Kirk Douglas)! I also enjoyed Curtis in "The Defiant Ones" (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and fought to get Sydney Poitier proper screen credit), "Operation Petticoat," "Spartacus" (oy, that scene when Curtis is bathing his master Laurence Olivier!), "The Great Impostor," "Sex and the Single Girl," and many others.

Ironically, at the very moment Tony Curtis was leaving this mortal coil, we were with Barbara Rush who was being honored at the American Cinematheque in Santa Monica. They showed two of her films and she spoke in a delightful Q&A between the films. Barbara talked about her many co-stars, from Curtis to Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, James Mason, Frank Sinatra, and many others. She was good friends with Tony and Janet Leigh back in the day, and although she didn’t yet know about Curtis’s passing, remarked about how hard it is to lose so many friends at her age. (The audience gasped when Barbara said she was about to turn 84—she looks decades younger than that.)

Barbara introduced my mother-in-law Betsy in the audience. She starred in the successful play version of Betsy’s novel, “A Woman of Independent Means” and toured with it for years, and she also had a great run with Kendall’s dad’s play “Father’s Day.” If you promise not to call DCFS, I’ll tell you that Charlie enjoyed his first double feature (until midnight!), but why wouldn’t he—Barbara Rush is his favorite actress! Now I can’t wait to introduce him to the films of Tony Curtis!

Comments

[betty fox]

While I never got up close and familiar with him, he’s lived here in Vegas ever since I’ve been coming here. Tony Curtis was a frequent interviewee on a number of local media. He was always facinating to hear or watch,. He said he had given up stardom long ago, but loved painting. He was good at it too. He was proud of his past accomplishments and felt he could touch on something, his art, that he always longed to do. He loved Vegas also. I enjoyed your personal touch.

[Pam G]

Wonderful tribute. Sorry to hear of his passing, along with Eddie Fisher, Arthur Penn, and Stephen J. Cannell in the past week or so. So many wonderful and irreplaceable talents gone. We'll miss them.

[The Pliers]

Ah, thank you, I was waiting for that post. And it was as delightful as I imagined it would be!

Somewhere in the ether, in the larger context in which he is now, no doubt, entertaining spirits with his good looks, charm, and spicy stories, Tony Curtis is basking in the glow of your reflected love and appreciation for him, his unique place in American popular history, and his enormous accomplishments.

I saw any number of his films as a child in Oklahoma at the drive-in movies with my parents, "Houdini" right up there at the top of the list, and I will always have a soft spot for him where his art crossed paths with my life.

Kudos on getting Charlie in the viewfinder with that gorgeous Barbara Rush! He will have lots to thank you for later!

[Chris Hunter]

My name is Christopher Hunter, and I'm Barbara Rush's son...Tony Curtis used to come over to our house all the time...I was just a a little boy....I remember him playing this game with me ...I couldn't go by him when he was sitting on the couch if I didn't give him a hug...and honestly it made me feel so good that he cared about about me...he was just like that...a loving, caring, talented man...a great actor and a wonderful , wonderful artist...

Thanks,

Chris Hunter

[Cynthia Reich]

My 14-year-old heart (in a 71-year-old body) just broke over the death of 2 of my favorite teen crushes.

[Judy]

It's so hard to lose real stars like Tony Curtis. I too loved his films, and loved listening to his interviews. I like Chris Hunter's memories. I want to get his movies out and watch them. This obit was worth the wait.

[G.G. Vergonzolli]

I grew up in Argentina South America, and had the opportunity of meeting Mr. Curtis during the filming of Taras Bulba, if I can still remember the name of the picture. I was playing soccer in a field close to the area where some of the scenes were taking place.
Tony Curtis inspired a lot of us as we were growing up and combing our hair just like him. I am 72 now and still come my hair that way!