Born Bernard Schwartz on June 3, 1925, in the Bronx, N.Y., Tony Curtis survived a rough childhood and being wounded in action during World War II. He studied acting at New York City's Dramatic Workshop and later signed with Universal Studios, making his first notable film appearance in 1949's Criss Cross.A popular leading man in such movies as Houdini (1953) and The Black Shield of Falworth (1954), Curtis rose above his pretty boy looks and impressed critics with dramatic turns in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and The Defiant Ones (1958), for which he earned a Best Actor Oscar nod. More memorable parts followed in 1959's Some Like It Hot (doing a dead-on Cary Grant riff), Spartacus (1960) and The Boston Strangler (1968).
Curtis moved into character roles in the 1970s, playing a variety of heavies and gangsters. In later years, he made numerous guest appearances on television. He died of heart failure Sept. 29, 2010.
Sex and the Single GirlNatalie Wood stars as Helen Gurley Brown in this farce loosely based on Brown's book of the same name. Trying to land an interview with the noted psychologist, unscrupulous journalist Bob Weston (Tony Curtis) poses as a man seeking therapy for marital troubles. The two fall in love, but when... Read More
The Boston StranglerDuring the mid-1960s, Boston was gripped with fear as women throughout the city were being raped and murdered by a serial killer. Based on a true story, this film recounts the events that led up to the capture of Albert DeSalvo (Tony Curtis), aka The Boston Strangler, a mentally unstable man later... Read More
The ImmortalsWhen a Mafia-connected nightclub owner (Eric Roberts) recruits an odd assortment of hoods for a series of heists -- all to be pulled off simultaneously across the city -- only the boss is aware of the real target. But not all goes according to plan in this twisty mobster tale set in Chicago. The... Read More
Taras BulbaWith the words "Put your faith in your sword, and your sword in a Pole," Cossack leader Taras Bulba (Yul Brynner) vows to vanquish the Poles, who double-crossed his people after helping to expel the Turks from the European steppes. Sending his son (Tony Curtis) to school in Poland so he can learn... Read More
The ManitouWhen Karen (Susan Strasberg) tries to have a tumor removed, she discovers it's actually the deformed fetus of an ancient Native American shaman ready to be reincarnated. Soon, the evil spirit bursts forth, and Karen turns to a sham psychic (Tony Curtis) and a contemporary medicine man (Michael... Read More
