Tony Curtis is a legendary actor who has met with varying degrees of success over the duration of more than fifty years in the business. At the top of his game, he was in such classics as The Defiant Ones (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), Some Like It Hot, Spartacus, and The Great Race. During the 70’s and 80’s he was in lesser-known roles such as The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, the remake of Little Miss Marker, and The Last Tycoon with Robert De Niro.
More recently he has been relegated to low-budget films – one with the unlikely title of Lobster Man from Mars – and television appearances. But that shouldn’t distract from the legend who inspired Elvis Presley’s haircut and appeared on the cover of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
I had hoped to offer up a picture of me with Tony Curtis to display in this posting, as I was planning on meeting him at the Hollywood Collectors Show in Burbank in February of 2009. Unfortunately, those plans were cancelled. I have in fact met the first of his six wives, Janet Leigh, and that encounter can be seen here. I also just missed meeting their daughter Jamie Lee Curtis when she made a book-signing appearance in Beavercreek last December.
But for now, I have to be satisfied with the two nice photos that he signed for me through the mail, the first one seen above sent to him in October 2007 and the second nice one below from Some Like It Hot signed in 1998. Pity that I never got Jack Lemmon to sign it.
I did get another opportunity to meet Tony Curtis and get a photo with him when I attended the Hollywood Collectors Show in Chicago on Saturday, March 21, 2009. He was charging $20 to get a photo with him, which I plunked down. The guy collecting the money was at the other end of the table from Mr. Curtis and paying absolutely no attention to what was going on, so I probably could have done it for free. I did in fact sneak my friend Heidi in there and grabbed a photo of her with him as well.
I had the chance to see Mr. Curtis once again just over a month later when he made an appearance at the Chiller Theatre show in New Jersey on April 18, 2009. I didn’t obtain an autograph or photo with him, but my friend Peter did. I chatted with him for a minute at that time, telling him how my friend and I had just seen him in Chicago.
Autographs of 1997 will continue…
Celebrity encoutners from the Chicago show will continue…
My favorite work of his is the short lived British series, “The Persuaders” which he did with Roger Moore. Their on screen rapport, combined with the exotic shooting locations and 70’s atmosphere make this show one of the obscure all time greats in my opinion.
Peter
February 25th, 2009
What a nice, intimate photo of you & Tony!
Heidi Retter
April 7th, 2009
I agree with Peter about “The Persuaders”. As most people know about Mr. Curtis appearing in so many great films; his tv show “The Persuaders” was one of the best shows ever. Thanks’ to Tony Curtis, Roger Moore and all who were involved in that production.
Charles
October 1st, 2010