Tony Curtis (1) (1925–2010)

I really like Tony Curtis as an actor. Based on this book he was probably pretty fun to be around. But be warned, this is definitely a tell-all book. And he tells it in the gritty language he grew up with on the streets of New York. And the story is all Tony, all the time.

Tony covers his childhood and his escape from home into the Navy. Then his discovery of acting and being discovered as an actor and sent to Hollywood. There are the struggles of a new actor who is just a pretty face (with great hair), the success of being an actor who is perceived as just a pretty face, and the waning years of a had-been actor who still has a pretty face, but is too old for leading man roles. Throughout, he names names, the good and bad (in his mind).

All in all, I enjoyed listening to the book. Obviously, this is all from Tony's point of view. It would be interesting to hear the other side of some of these stories. I wished Tony himself would have read it, but at least the voice actor didn't try to sound like him.… (more)

Tony Curtis was never one of my favorites, but the Golden Boy of the Golden Age had a life story that I wanted to read. He truly lived life, regardless of whether we agree with it or not. He started with a multitude of swashbuckling screen roles before expanding into some classics. He always had charm and that trait also comes across in his memoir.

I just couldn't get past his constant whining about not being taken seriously as an act-or. Good grief. Get over it. Cary Grant, Oliver Reed, Richard Burton, and Peter O'Toole never won Oscars, so Curtis's belief that he ranked with the best was a bit too much. He is certainly honest, though, even titling one of his chapters, "Cocaine". Now, that's why we buy celebrity autobiographies.


Book Season = Summer (on the beach)… (more)

Even though it took me just over a day to read it, this book was very interesting. I’ve loved the movie “Some Like it Hot” since I first saw it, and find something new to like in it in each successive viewing.

Reading Tony Curtis’s accounts of the filming of such a great movie was fascinating. I learned a great deal about what went on behind the scenes (I will never be able to watch the scene where Marilyn Monroe says, “Where’s the bourbon?” in the same way again), why it was filmed in black and white, and about the enigma that was Marilyn Monroe.

The choppy, short sentence writing style took me a while to get used to (and never REALLY did), but it is like having Tony Curtis speak right to you, and doesn’t detract too much from the flow of the book. And at times, his words match up better with his sentiments.

“…Some like it Hot is truly our movie. It was tailored to our individual talents and to our collective talents. Brilliantly conceived and brilliantly tailored. I should know. My father was a tailor.”

I simply adore this movie and can’t wait to watch it again, knowing what I do now. Such incredible talents – Curtis, Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe – created something magic that can be enjoyed over a half century later.… (more)