Tony Curtis

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tony Curtis
Born
Bernard Schwartz

(1925-06-03)June 3, 1925
DiedSeptember 29, 2010(2010-09-29) (aged 85)
Cause of deathCardiac arrest
Resting placePalm Memorial Park (Green Valley), Las Vegas, Nevada
EducationThe City College of New York
Alma materThe New School
OccupationActor
Years active1948–2010
Political partyDemocratic Party
Spouses
  • Janet Leigh (m. 1951–1962; divorced)
  • Christine Kaufmann (m. 1963–1968; divorced)
  • Leslie Allen (m. 1968–1982; divorced)
  • Andrea Savio (m. 1984–1992; divorced)
  • Lisa Deutsch (m. 1993–1994; divorced)
  • Jill Vandenberg (m. 1998–2010; his death)
Children6, including Kelly Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis

Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American movie actor. He was most popular during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He is famous for his light comic roles, especially his musician escaping from gangsters in Some Like It Hot (1959). He has also acted in more serious and dramatic movies, like The Defiant Ones (1958), for which he received an Academy Award nomination. He has appeared in over 100 movies since 1949, and made frequent television appearances. He was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis.

Early life[change | change source]

Curtis was born in The Bronx, New York. His birth name is Bernard Schwatz. He is one of three sons of Helen (née Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz.[1][2] His parents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants from Mátészalka, Hungary. Hungarian was Curtis's only language until he was five or six, postponing his schooling. His father was a tailor and the family lived in the back of the shop—his parents in one corner and Curtis and his brothers Julius and Robert in another. His mother once made an appearance as a participant on the television show You Bet Your Life, hosted by Groucho Marx.[3] Curtis said, "When I was a child, Mom beat me up and was very aggressive and antagonistic." His mother was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. His brother Robert was also institutionalized with the same mental illness.

Death[change | change source]

He died on September 29, 2010, aged 85 of cardiac arrest in Henderson, Nevada.

Movies[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. "Tony Curtis biography". biography.com. A&E Television Networks. Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  2. "Curtis, Tony 1925–". Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. encyclopedia.com. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  3. "You Bet Your Life 0". YouTube. Retrieved January 9, 2014.

Other websites[change | change source]