American Film Legend Tony Curtis: Rest In Peace

Don't mind my tardiness...

I'm nearly a month late on the news, but Tony Curtis, American film legend of the 1950s and 60s, died on September 29th of cardiac arrest. He was 85 years old and, for those who don't know, led quite an interesting life.

Curtis's rags-to-riches romantic Hollywood story was one of the originals. Born in the Bronx and grew up exceedingly poor - had to live in an orphanage because his parents couldn't afford to feed him. Brother dies tragically not long after - hit by a truck. Mother was an abusive schizophrenic. Curtis joins the US Navy shortly after the Pearl Harbor attacks and following the war, studies drama in New York. No idea where his drama dreams came from, but it sure as hell worked out for him - at 23 years old Universal Pictures takes control of his life and within a few years, Tony Curtis is an American film star complete with oodles of money, women, and fast cars.
Not to mention, of course, a star complete with quite a few legitimately amazing performances. To rattle off a few of the best - and highly recommended:

• Sweet Smell of Success (his breakout role)
• The Defiant Ones (Sidney Poitier!)
• Some Like It Hot (Marilyn Monroe)
• The Boston Strangler (Curtis plays serial killer Albert de Salvo..this film is intense)

Also, at some point in your life, please do yourself a favor and watch The Persuaders, his TV show with Roger Moore (007 baby). The two are a loveable pair of spies, one British, one American, and they get up to all sorts of adventures in a variety of stunning locations (Italy, French Riviera, Sweden etc) with stunning women who they woo with their Aston Martins and Ferraris and other playboy things. Amazing series.

Tony Curtis was married six times. He has six children, one of whom died of a heroin overdose at the age of 23. Tony himself struggled with alcoholic and substance abuse, mainly cocaine. (Though he was arrested at Heathrow when he flew in to shoot The Persuaders for possession of cannabis haha) In spite of, or perhaps because of, the life he led, Tony Curtis was and will remain an extremely influential American actor and golden boy.