Thomas Curtiss is an American filmmaker, theater and film critic. Born June 22, 1915, died July 17, 2000 at the age of 85. He became famous for his state-sexual relationship with Klaus Mann, an American writer and dissident of German descent, brother of the German actress and writer Erica Julia Hedwig Mann.
Biography
Thomas Curtiss was born on June 22, 1915 in the USA, in the city of New York. Father - Roy A. Curtiss, mother - Ethel Quinn.
Educated at the private day school Bovee School of Boys, located in New York, in the Upper East Side. During his school years, he was friends with Louis Auchincloss, the future American lawyer, novelist, historian and publicist.
He was later transferred to the independent boys' school Browning School in New York, from which he successfully graduated in 1933.
In the 30s he was sent by his parents to Europe to study theater and cinema in Vienna and Moscow. In Moscow he was one of the personal students of Sergei Eisenstein.
During World War II, Curtiss served in the 7th New York Regiment. In 1944, he was transferred to the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe, and then as part of the 8th US Air Force, he helped to capture the secret film photographs of the Luftwaffe and transfer it to the Allies.
In 1968 he was personally awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor by General Charles de Gaulle for the feat associated with the capture of film and photographic materials from the Luftwaffe.
After the end of World War II, Curtiss settled in Paris. He regularly dined at the best Parisian restaurants, one of which added to its menu a dish named after Curtiss, "oeufs a la Tom Curtiss" (scrambled eggs a la Tom Curtiss).
He lived in a building that was occupied by the best Parisian restaurant La Tour D`Argent. He often dined with Marlene Dietrich and Paulette Goddard, and was happy to invite his editorial staff. The restaurant owner Claude Terrey considered Curtiss to be a member of his family. Thomas has always been assigned his personal table overlooking the Seine and Notre Dame Cathedral.
Curtiss became a successful theater and film critic. Since the 1960s, his articles have been published with pleasure in the New York Herald Tribune, The New York Times and the Variety. Subsequently, in 1964, he began to publish in the International Herald Tribune, having worked in it for over 40 years. With this Curtiss successfully earned a living until his retirement in 1980. But even after reaching retirement age, he continued to publish in the International Herald Tribune.
Curtiss was a regular regular at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as all theater festivals from Dublin to Rome.
Thomas died on July 17, 2000 in Poissy, France.
Personal life
In the summer of 1937, while staying in Hungarian Budapest on business, Thomas met the writer Klaus Mann, who was 9 years older than Curtiss. Later, Mann described the meeting in his diary: "In the evening I met little Curtiss - a cute, insulted and arrogant child." Subsequently, Mann described his impressions of Thomas differently: "Thomas is a hysterical, sad, intelligent, gentle and sensual person with an extraordinary smile, eyes, lips, expressions and voice."
In his memoirs, Mann calls his friend "dear Curtiss" or his own nickname "Tomsk".
Klaus Mann's suicidal novel "Barred Window" (Vergittertes Fenster), loosely recounting the circumstances of the death of King Ludig II of Bavaria and first published in Holland in 1937, was dedicated to Thomas Curtiss.
At the time of Mann and Curtiss's acquaintance, the German writer had already become famous in his homeland for homosexual relations, for which he was deprived of German citizenship by the Nazi regime and exiled to the United States.
Curtiss and Mann met for a rather short time, traveled together across Europe, but with the beginning of 1938 they were forced to part for several months. In 1940, "Tomsk" finally leaves Mann.
Mann had to struggle with financial problems and addiction to opiates for the rest of his life. Curtiss no longer met his romantic partner after the 40s.
Subsequently, the American FBI opened criminal proceedings on Mann's sexual behavior as part of its surveillance of German emigrants who came to the United States during World War II. Curtiss was forced to go to interrogation in this case.
But despite everything, Mann remained a "great love" in Curtiss's life.
Creation
In 1954-1955 he starred in the TV series "Sherlock Holmes" in a cameo role. In the credits, his name was not indicated.
Thomas Curtiss has written many books. One of his most famous books was the biography of Erich von Stroheim, the famous Austrian-American director, actor and producer, avant-garde film star of pre-war cinema, whom Curtiss admired in his youth. The book was first published in 1971 in the United States.
The New York Times review of Stroheim's biography was more than positive, although it noted many of the shortcomings of the work.
Curtiss became famous as a witty storyteller with an amazing memory, who knew everything about the history of theater and everyone in the international arena. He was the only theater critic in Europe who covered such a wide range of interests and had an excellent knowledge of theatrical interests.
In 1960 he was the introduction to The Magic Mirror of selected theater works.
Thomas Curtiss also starred in the documentary The Man You Loved and Hated, about the life of Stroheim.
In the early 70s, he wrote the screenplay for John Frankenheimer's Ice Comet (1973). This American drama was the last work for Robert Ryan and Frederick March to star in the lead roles. Also, the picture became famous for its duration (239 minutes) and the fact that it became the first movie with two intermissions.
In 1985 he starred in the American TV series American Masters, dedicated to the biographies of American artists, actors and writers who made a significant contribution to the cultural life of the country.
In 1990, he starred in the film Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of the American Dreamer.
In 1997, Curtiss's book The Smart Set: Jordan Jean Nathan and H. L. Menken was published.
