Tony Curtis

Overview

Known for
Acting
Gender
Other
Birthday
Jun 03, 1925 (100 years old)
Death date
Sep 29, 2010

Tony Curtis

Known For

Rat Pack
Movie 2022

Rat Pack

In the 1950s, a small group of artists monopolized the attention of the cameras and the public. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford together form the "rat pack": they sing the most popular hits of the moment, star in the most profitable Hollywood films and are already making a splash on television . This documentary, produced by a recognized specialist in the history of Hollywood, recounts the exceptional destiny of this informal group which flirted with the greats of this world, notably through Sinatra, personal friend of American President Kennedy.

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
1h 30m
Movie 2014

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

In his early days as an actor, Marlon Brando (1924-2004) was a shy young man with theatrical ambitions, like many others; but his charisma and superb acting skills made him truly unique, so that the doors to the starry sky of Hollywood opened for him. However, his peculiar manners, political commitment and complicated love life always overshadowed his artistic success.

That's Insignificance
0h 14m
Movie 2011

That's Insignificance

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Nicolas Roeg's 1985 film INSIGNIFICANCE featuring interviews with the cast.

Tony Curtis erzählt...
0h 30m
Movie 2010

Tony Curtis erzählt...

The American actor Tony Curtis talks about his career.

Marilyn Monroe: Death of an Icon
0h 59m
Movie 2010

Marilyn Monroe: Death of an Icon

Documentary about Marilyn Monroe: 1962: America loses its blonde icon. Marilyn Monroe dies under mysterious circumstances. How did she die? The police report states: probable suicide. But there are many things that point to murder: a corpse draped too beautifully, an investigation that was cut short, evidence that disappeared. Plus Marilyn's affairs with the then US President John F. Kennedy and his brother Bobby. What really happened on that fateful summer night? After her housekeeper discovers the body, six hours pass before the police are called. She finds a beautifully draped corpse, sleeping pills in the blood but no pill residue in the stomach, witnesses who seem uncertain. The first investigator thinks about murder - and is taken off the case. Today no police files can be found.

Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved
1h 29m
Movie 2010

Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved

Documentary about Marilyn Monroe.

David & Fatima
2h 0m
Movie 2008

David & Fatima

A retelling of Romeo and Juliet in Jerusalem involving a Palestinian woman and an Israeli man.

The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'
0h 20m
Movie 2006

The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'

A look back at the impact Billy Wilder's comedy classic "Some Like It Hot" has left since it's release in 1959.

The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'
0h 26m
Movie 2006

The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'

A look back at the making of Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy classic "Some Like It Hot."

The Rat Pack
TV Show 1999

The Rat Pack

From the moment Sinatra met each member of the Pack to their relationships with the Mob and the Kennedys, this intimate profile reveals what every fan has always wanted to know about THE RAT PACK.

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 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.

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