Kevin Marshall's America
Tony Curtis
Legendary film actor Tony Curtis, who had iconic turns in films like “Spartacus” and “Sweet Smell of Success” during a nearly two-decade reign of movie stardom, has passed away. He was 85.
In 2000, journalist Jeffrey Wells interviewed Curtis for a piece on Reel.com. Curtis was 75 then, and still every bit as charismatic and charmingly defiant as ever.
“‘Can I tell you a story, Jeffrey?’ he said, about halfway through our talk. ‘In 1948, when I was 23 or 24, when I first came out here I lived in a house on Fountain Avenue. I rented a room there. And they had a swimming pool. I had an appointment and I got on a trolley car…they were running right down the middle of the freeway back then.
“‘Then I got back, I jumped into the pool, I took a shower, got dressed and got into the car, and drove up here to meet you. That’s how quick these 50-fucking-two years have gone…quick as that.'”
More on Curtis’s career over on Wells’ Hollywood Elsewhere blog.
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3 Responses to And another one’s gone: Tony Curtis, 85
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I am reminded of a great story involving Tony Curtis.
A few years ago, when the film “Spartacus” was restored, a scene was returned to the film in which Sir Lawrence Olivier and Tony Curtis are taking a bath together. The original soundtrack to that section of film was lost; Curtis re-recorded his dialogue for the restoration. Since Lawrence Olivier was unavailable (since he was DEAD), his lines were recorded by Anthony Hopkins – in Hopkins’ best Olivier vocal impression.
An American original. I don’t even know that he was that great of an actor, and it doesn’t matter really. He was the guy you wanted to be – a cocktail in one hand, Janet Leigh on the other, life could be swell.
Always believed that Tony Curtis was a major movie star whose acting ability was consistently underrated. Perhaps, now, Tony’s distinguished film career will be put into proper perspective–and finally garner the credit and appreciation it, long ago, deserved.