Tony Curtis
Known for Acting · 217 credits
- Born
- 1925-06-03
- Died
- 2010-09-29
- Place of birth
- Bronx, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Bernard Herschel Schwartz · Anthony Curtis · Тони Кертис · تونی کورتیس
Biography
Tony Curtis (June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances.
Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950's he became a notable and strong screen presence. He began proving himself to be a “fine dramatic actor,” having the range to act in numerous dramatic and comedy roles. In his earliest parts he acted in a string of "mediocre" films, including swashbucklers, westerns, light comedies, sports films, and a musical. However, by the time he starred in Houdini (1953) with his wife Janet Leigh, "his first clear success," notes critic David Thomson, his acting had progressed immensely.
He won his first serious recognition as a skilled dramatic actor in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with co-star Burt Lancaster. The following year he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in another drama, The Defiant Ones (1958). Curtis then gave what many believe was his best acting, in a completely different role, the comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). Thomson calls it an "outrageous film," and it was voted the number 1 funniest film in history from a survey done by the American Film Institute. It costarred Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, and was directed by Billy Wilder. That was followed by Blake Edwards’ comedy Operation Petticoat (1959) with Cary Grant. They were both “frantic comedies,” and displayed "his impeccable comic timing." He often collaborated with Edwards on later films.
His most significant serious part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama The Boston Strangler, which some consider his "last major film role." The part reinforced his reputation as a serious actor with his "chilling portrayal" of serial killer Albert DeSalvo. He gained 30 pounds and had his face "rebuilt" with a false nose to look like the real DeSalvo.
Curtis was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.
Known For
TV Shows (46)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Tony Curtis
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self / Self (archive footage)
The Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self
The View
1997
as Self
Wetten, dass..?
1981
as Self
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993
as Dr. Mamba
The Flintstones
1960
as Stony Curtis (voice)
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
Sacrée soirée
1987
as Self
What's My Line?
1950
as Self
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
1998
as Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
as Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Dinah!
1974
as Self
People's Choice Awards
1975
as Self
Bambi
1948
as Self
The Oscars
1953
as Self
The Persuaders!
1971
as Danny Wilde
The Steve Allen Show
1956
as Self - Recipient / Self - Guest
Goldene Kamera
1984
as Self
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968
as Self (uncredited)
Vega$
1978
as Roth / Roth (uncredited)
Hope & Faith
2003
as Morris
This Is Your Life
1952
as Self
Startime
1959
as The Juggler
Suddenly Susan
1996
as Peter DiCaprio
The UnXplained
2019
as Self (archive footage)
V.I.P. Schaukel
1971
as Self
The Late Late Show
1962
as Self
Talking Pictures
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Bracken's World
1969
Please Turn the Page
1977
as Self
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
Roseanne
1988
This Morning
1988
as Self
The Hollywood Greats
1977
as Self (archive footage)
Matin Bonheur
1987
as Self
The Dame Edna Experience
1987
as Self
The Mrs Merton Show
1995
as Self
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Charlie
Un film et son époque
2003
as Self
Shrink Rap
2007
as Self
General Electric Theater
1953
as Mario Galindo / David
The Rosemary Clooney Show
1956
as Self
McCoy
1975
as McCoy
Marilyn Monroe, la célébrité à tout prix
2022
as Tony Curtis
Movies (171)
Sex and the Single Girl
1964
as Bob Weston
Some Like It Hot
1959
as Joe (Josephine)
Rosemary's Baby
1968
as Donald Baumgart (voice) (uncredited)
Spartacus
1960
as Antoninus
The Manitou
1978
as Harry Erskine
The Great Race
1965
as The Great Leslie
The Vikings
1958
as Eric
The Mirror Crack'd
1980
as Martin N. Fenn
The Count of Monte-Cristo
1975
as Fernand Morcerf Mondego
Winchester '73
1950
as Doan
The Great Impostor
1960
as Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. / Martin Donner / Dr. Gilbert / Ben. W. Stone / Dr. Joseph Mornay / Robert Boyd Hammnd
Club Life
1986
as Hector
Banter
1986
as Charles Foster
Operation Petticoat
1959
as Lieutenant Nicholas Holden
Sweet Smell of Success
1957
as Sidney Falco
Paris When It Sizzles
1964
as Actor Portraying Maurice or Philippe (uncredited)
You Can't Win 'Em All
1970
as Adam Dyer
The Last Tycoon
1976
as Rodriguez
The Boston Strangler
1968
as Albert DeSalvo
People, Hopes, Medals
1960
as Self
Son of Ali Baba
1952
as Kashma Baba
The Rat Race
1960
as Pete Hammond Jr.
Play It to the Bone
1999
as Tony Curtis (Ringside Fan)
Little Miss Marker
1980
as Blackie
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Houdini
1953
as Harry Houdini
David & Fatima
2008
as Mr. Schwartz
Taras Bulba
1962
as Andrei Bulba
The Celluloid Closet
1996
as Self
The Prince Who Was a Thief
1951
as Julna
The Lady Gambles
1949
as Bellboy (as Anthony Curtis)
The Defiant Ones
1958
as John 'Joker' Jackson
On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who...
1967
as Guerrando da Montone
The Masqueraders
1980
as Danny Wilde
Kansas Raiders
1950
as Kit Dalton
Captain Newman, M.D.
1963
as Cpl. Jackson "Jake" Leibowitz
Reflections of Evil
2002
as Host
The Scarlett O'Hara War
1980
as David O. Selznick
The All American
1953
as Nick Bonelli
Fairfax Avenue
1951
Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration
2003
The Perfect Furlough
1958
as Cpl. Paul Hodges
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
2014
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
A Century of Cinema
1994
as Self
Murder in Three Acts
1986
as Charles Cartwright
So This Is Paris
1954
as Joe Maxwell
Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies
2012
Pepe
1960
as Tony Curtis
Monte Carlo or Bust!
1969
as Chester Schofield
Magic with the Stars
1982
as Harry Houdini (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tarzan in Manhattan
1989
as Archimedes Porter
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
The Black Shield of Falworth
1954
as Myles Falworth
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
as Eric (archive footage) (uncredited)
Chamber of Horrors
1966
as Mr. Julian (uncredited)
The Immortals
1995
as Dominic
Flesh and Fury
1952
as Paul Callan
Criss Cross
1949
as Gigolo (uncredited)
Trapeze
1956
as Tino Orsini
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
Naked in New York
1993
as Carl Fisher
Goodbye Charlie
1964
as George Wellington Tracy
The Fabulous Allan Carr
2017
as Self (archive)
Portrait of a Showgirl
1982
as Joey DeLeon
Insignificance
1985
as The Senator
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan
1978
as Marvin Lazar
The Purple Mask
1955
as Rene de Traviere / The Purple Mask
The Last Appointment!
1977
as Danny Wilde
From Roger Moore with Love
2024
as Self (archive footage)
No Room for the Groom
1952
as Alvah Morrell
Not With My Wife, You Don't!
1966
as Tom Ferris
The Rawhide Years
1956
as Ben Matthews
Arrivederci, Baby!
1966
as Nick Johnson
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball
1997
as Wald
Hugh Hefner: American Playboy
2003
as Self
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel
2009
as Self
40 Pounds of Trouble
1962
as Steve McCluskey
Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Who Was That Lady?
1960
as David Wilson
Wild and Wonderful
1964
as Terry Williams
Forbidden
1953
as Eddie Darrow
The Mummy Lives
1993
as Aziru / Dr. Mohassid
Lepke
1975
as Louis 'Lepke' Buchalter
Mafia Princess
1986
as Sam Giancana
Sparky's Magic Piano
1987
Sextette
1978
as Alexei Karansky
Beachhead
1954
as Burke
Walter and Carlo in America
1989
as WIlly La Rouge
The Midnight Story
1957
as Joe Martini
Johnny Stool Pigeon
1949
as Joey Hyatt
Lobster Man from Mars
1990
as J.P. Shelldrake
Thanksgiving Day
1990
as Max Schloss
The Outsider
1961
as Ira Hamilton Hayes
Balboa
1983
as Ernie Stoddard
Christmas in Connecticut
1992
as Alexander Yardley
Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor
1994
as Johnny Steele
Sierra
1950
as Brent Coulter
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?
1970
as Shannon Gambroni
Mister Cory
1957
as Cory
Meet Danny Wilson
1952
as Nightclub Patron
Don't Make Waves
1967
as Carlo Cofield
Mission: Monte Carlo
1974
as Danny Wilde (archive footage)
Johnny Dark
1954
as Johnny Dark
Francis
1950
as Captain Jones
The Million Dollar Face
1981
as Chester Masterson
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
2012
as Self
Half Nelson
1985
Rescued from the Closet
2001
as Self
The Re-Inforcer
1951
as Tony Boffo
Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood
1954
Elvis Meets Nixon
1997
as Tony Curtis
Woman in Hiding
1950
as Dave Shaw (voice) (uncredited)
Allen in Movieland
1955
as Self
Casanova & Co.
1977
as Giacomo Casanova / Giacomino
Hollywood Legenden
2004
as Self
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
1992
as Self
Kings Go Forth
1958
as Caporal Britt Harris
An Eye for an Eye
1952
The Square Jungle
1955
as Eddie Quaid / Packy Glennon
The List of Adrian Messenger
1963
as Organ Grinder
About Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis (June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances. Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950's he became a notable and strong screen presence. He began proving himself to be a “fine dramatic acto… With 217 credits spanning from 1948 to 2024, Tony Curtis has appeared in 171 films and 46 TV shows.
Fans searching for Tony Curtis movies, Tony Curtis filmography, or the latest projects starring Tony Curtis can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Tony Curtis Movies
- Sex and the Single Girl (1964) — as Bob Weston
- Some Like It Hot (1959) — as Joe (Josephine)
- Rosemary's Baby (1968) — as Donald Baumgart (voice) (uncredited)
- Spartacus (1960) — as Antoninus
- The Manitou (1978) — as Harry Erskine
Where to Watch Tony Curtis Films
Most Tony Curtis movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Tony Curtis, check our movies catalogue and browse page.