American actor Tony Curtis, popular in cinema in the 1950s and 1960s, conquered not only Hollywood, but also the hearts of a million girls. The actor fell in love constantly and was married six times. Handsome, confident in himself, Curtis possessed not only artistic talent, but also a certain charisma that helped him achieve success in his film career.
Childhood, study and service of the actor
The future actor was born into a family of Hungarian immigrants with Jewish roots. Born Bernard Schwartz, the third oldest child, was born in the Bronx, New York on June 3, 1925. The boy had a difficult childhood. His parents were not happily married. Tony grew up in a poor neighborhood where Jewish people were mistreated. At the age of 11, he joined a group of reputable street juvenile delinquents. He did not like to study, confessing: “I had nothing to do with school. I barely learned to read and write."
Later, Tony Curtis became interested in the field of cinema and joined the Association of Young Jews, since there was an acting department.
When World War II began, inspired by Cary Grant's war film Destination Tokyo, Tony enlisted in a submarine in the US Navy.
At the end of the war, Tony learned that at that time, people who served in the armed forces during World War II were entitled to scholarships for education. He did not miss this opportunity and entered the New School University at the drama department. “The government paid me $ 65 a month for my tuition - that was a lot of money in 1946,” said Tony Curtis.
Tony Curtis' Hollywood career
The actor with dark wavy hair and an attractive appearance began his film career, playing short roles of gangsters and juvenile thugs, until he was noticed by Universal and invited to shoot in the adventure films The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951), Falworth's Black Shield (1954). The young actor quickly gained fame, especially among young female fans, who showered him with letters asking him to send a lock of the actor's hair.
In 1954, the American magazine Modern Screen put Tony Curtis in the third place among the most popular actors in Hollywood of those years - after Rock Hudson and Marlon Brando. Even the fashionable hairstyle of Tony Curtis in the 50s was imitated by Elvis Presley himself.
At the height of his career, Curtis co-starred with Kirk Douglas in the historical drama Vikings (1958). And in 1959, he played the role of Josephine in the comedy "There are only girls in the jazz", which became the first in the list of 100 funniest films according to the American Film Institute. Tony Curtis stars as Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon in the film. Filming scenes with Marilyn Monroe was not easy for the entire cast: she was constantly late, lost in the studio and forgot her lyrics. One of the scenes with Marilyn's only phrase "It's me, baby!" I had to reshoot 80 times. Once it brought the actor out so much that Tony Curtis threw a glass at Marilyn.
In 1965, the adventure comedy Big Races, starring Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and Peter Falk, was released for wide distribution.
In 1968, Tony Curtis starred in the crime thriller Boston Strangler, playing serial killer Albert de Salva. For this role, the actor has completely changed outwardly. He gained extra weight using a fake false nose and black contact lenses. For the performance of this character, the actor was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
In 1970, Tony Curtis moved to London, where he was invited by Roger Moore to star in the series "Extra Class Amateur Detectives." One day, Tony Curtis was detained at Heathrow Airport for possession of marijuana. This event had a positive impact on the ratings of the series. On the set of the biographical drama Lepke, the story of the most influential Jewish gangster of the 20th century, Tony Curtis became addicted to cocaine and then alcohol, which influenced the actor's appearance and behavior. The career of the famous Hollywood star began to decline. He retired from participating in film projects and appeared only in television works. In 1984, Tony Curtis was treated for substance abuse at Betty Ford Medical Center, California.
Throughout his film career, Tony Curtis was nominated for an Oscar several times, but never received an award.
Later he switched to painting and selling his own paintings, which were in demand among collectors.
An affair with Marilyn Monroe
Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe met in the fall of 1948. “I will never forget the moment when I first saw her. She was gorgeous. She had red hair at the time, pulled back in a ponytail, and very little makeup. I looked at her with bated breath. Tony helped Marilyn to settle into unfamiliar Hollywood in the first steps of her career. Young actors began to meet. Tony Curtis was 23 years old and was not ready for the marriage that Marilyn so desired.
Marilyn Monroe later married screenwriter Arthur Miller, and Tony Curtis married Janet Lee. On the set of the film "There are only girls in jazz", a strong feeling arose again between them and at the same time constant showdown in relations. Monroe was ready to divorce Miller if Tony also left his wife. Marilyn said she was pregnant with Curtis, but the actress had a miscarriage. Curtis was torn between two women, but did not leave his legal spouse.
Tony Curtis and his six wives
Like another famous historical figure, King Henry VIII, Tony Curtis was known for his passionate nature and was married six times.
Tony Curtis met his first wife, Janet Lee, at a Hollywood studio in 1951. It was love at first sight. Together they starred in several films, one of which is the biographical film "Houdini" (1953), which tells the story of the life of the famous magician of the 20th century. The couple divorced in 1962. According to the actor, his wife was "always not happy with what he was doing." They had two daughters, Kelly and Jamie (now famous actress Jamie Lee Curtis), who stayed with their mother. Tony Curtis was engaged in a film career and almost did not take part in raising children.
In the same year, he met a young Austrian actress Christine Kaufman on the set of the film Taras Bulba. They got married in 1963. From his second marriage, Tony Curtis had two more daughters. However, the second marriage also fell apart in 1968, as he found the marriage too "calm".
Four days after his divorce from Kaufman, he remarried. The third chosen one was the model Leslie Allen. Two sons were born, one of whom later died of a heroin overdose. The couple separated in 1982 at the initiative of Leslie: she could no longer tolerate her husband's intrigues on the side.
In 1984, Tony Curtis married for the fourth time, and Andrea Savio became his wife. The actress starred in erotic films and was 37 years younger than her husband. But this marriage was not the last. At the request of Tony Curtis, the couple divorced in 1992.
In 1993, he married Lisa Deutsch, who was twice Tony Curtis's age. Surprisingly, he met her in court during the divorce proceedings with Andrea Savio. She acted as a protector on the side of his ex-wife. But in 1994, another marriage broke up again. Liza herself became the initiator.
In 1993, the aged Tony Curtis met Jill Vandenberg. The curvy blonde charmed him. However, the offer was made only 5 years after they met. Jill was 42 years younger than her husband. According to the actor, it was exactly "the marriage he was waiting for."
The couple lived in a happy marriage for 12 years, until the death of Tony Curtis on September 29, 2010 in Nevada, USA. The actor in his will deprived all children of the inheritance, leaving all the acquired fortune to his last wife. Tony Curtis was buried with his favorite things: a hat, an Armani scarf, gloves, a book and an iPhone.
