100 Years of the Idiot: A Jerry Lewis Centenary
0.0
100 Years of the Idiot: A Jerry Lewis Centenary
2026
Tony Curtis
Acting
Born June 3, 1925Died September 29, 2010Bronx, New York, USA
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.
Movies
See All
8.0
From Roger Moore with Love
2024
8.0
Pictures of Ghosts
2023
7.1
Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom
2022
9.0
Rat Pack
2022
2.0
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
7.0
Amicalement vôtre : Hollywood au service de sa Majesté
2017
5.0
The Fabulous Allan Carr
2017
7.2
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
2014
Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies
7.0
Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies
2012
7.2
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
2012
7.4
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
2012
0.0
Marilyn at the Movies
2011
0.0
That's Insignificance
2011
Tony Curtis erzählt...
0.0
Tony Curtis erzählt...
2010
6.6
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
0.0
Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved
2010
6.0
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel
2009
0.0
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
5.0
David & Fatima
2008
1.0
The Jill & Tony Curtis Story
2008
8.5
The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'
2006
7.0
The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'
2006
Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten
6.0
Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten
2006
Hollywood Legenden
4.5
Hollywood Legenden
2004
9.3
Hugh Hefner: American Playboy
2003
0.0
Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration
2003
7.0
Nobody's Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot
2001
6.5
Rescued from the Closet
2001
8.0
Tony Curtis on 'Some Like It Hot'
2001
5.5
Play It to the Bone
1999
6.0
Roxanne's Best Christmas Ever
1998
4.5
Louis & Frank
1998
2.5
Stargames
1998
7.0
Elvis Meets Nixon
1997
10.0
The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man
1997
4.2
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball
1997
7.3
The Celluloid Closet
1996
7.7
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
1995
5.6
The Immortals
1995
6.4
Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor
1994
4.7
Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit
1994
8.3
A Century of Cinema
1994
4.8
Naked in New York
1993
4.2
The Mummy Lives
1993
4.7
Christmas in Connecticut
1992
4.0
Center of the Web
1992
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
5.2
Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
1992
0.0
Hollywood Babylon II
1992
0.0
Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box
1991
5.1
Prime Target
1991
7.5
Thanksgiving Day
1990
5.2
Lobster Man from Mars
1990
6.0
Walter and Carlo in America
1989
4.7
Midnight
1989
4.1
Tarzan in Manhattan
1989
6.2
The Passenger – Welcome to Germany
1988
5.8
Sparky's Magic Piano
1987
6.0
Murder in Three Acts
1986
5.8
Banter
1986
7.3
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
1986
4.2
Club Life
1986
10.0
Mafia Princess
1986
6.4
Insignificance
1985
0.0
Half Nelson
1985
3.9
Where Is Parsifal?
1984
4.3
BrainWaves
1983
7.0
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
4.7
Balboa
1983
3.2
Black Commando
1982
8.7
Portrait of a Showgirl
1982
9.0
Magic with the Stars
1982
8.0
The Million Dollar Face
1981
8.0
Inmates: A Love Story
1981
5.2
It Rained All Night the Day I Left
1980
6.2
The Scarlett O'Hara War
1980
6.6
Little Miss Marker
1980
6.1
The Mirror Crack'd
1980
0.0
The Masqueraders
1980
8.0
Title Shot
1979
1.0
Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration
1979
Death Becomes Me
0.0
Death Becomes Me
1979
4.0
The Users
1978
4.8
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan
1978
5.4
The Manitou
1978
4.0
Sextette
1978
10.0
The Last Appointment!
1977
3.9
Casanova & Co.
1977
6.3
The Last Tycoon
1976
0.0
The Switch
1976
6.8
The Count of Monte-Cristo
1975
5.3
Lepke
1975
6.5
Sporting Chance
1975
8.5
London Conspiracy
1974
5.9
Mission: Monte Carlo
1974
9.5
The Third Girl from the Left
1973
8.2
The Persuaders!
1973
7.0
Norman Jewison, Film Maker
1971
5.5
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?
1970
5.9
You Can't Win 'Em All
1970
5.9
Monte Carlo or Bust!
1969
6.6
The Boston Strangler
1968
7.8
Rosemary's Baby
1968
4.6
On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who...
1967
5.2
Don't Make Waves
1967
5.9
Arrivederci, Baby!
1966
6.7
The Legend of Marilyn Monroe
1966
5.8
Not With My Wife, You Don't!
1966
5.5
Chamber of Horrors
1966
6.4
Boeing, Boeing
1965
7.1
The Great Race
1965
6.5
Sex and the Single Girl
1964
5.8
Goodbye Charlie
1964
7.0
Wild and Wonderful
1964
6.3
Paris When It Sizzles
1964
6.8
Captain Newman, M.D.
1963
6.7
The List of Adrian Messenger
1963
5.7
40 Pounds of Trouble
1962
6.3
Taras Bulba
1962
6.5
The Outsider
1961
6.9
The Great Impostor
1960
6.4
Pepe
1960
7.5
Spartacus
1960
6.7
The Rat Race
1960
6.4
Who Was That Lady?
1960
4.6
People, Hopes, Medals
1960
7.2
Operation Petticoat
1959
8.1
Some Like It Hot
1959
6.7
The Perfect Furlough
1958
7.2
The Defiant Ones
1958
6.1
Kings Go Forth
1958
7.0
The Vikings
1958
7.6
Sweet Smell of Success
1957
6.1
The Midnight Story
1957
6.0
Mister Cory
1957
5.6
The Rawhide Years
1956
6.3
Trapeze
1956
Nightmare
0.0
Nightmare
1956
6.1
The Square Jungle
1955
4.5
Allen in Movieland
1955
5.8
The Purple Mask
1955
6.3
Six Bridges to Cross
1955
9.0
So This Is Paris
1954
8.0
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954
6.4
The Black Shield of Falworth
1954
5.8
Johnny Dark
1954
0.0
Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood
1954
5.8
Beachhead
1954
6.3
Forbidden
1953
6.0
The All American
1953
6.6
Houdini
1953
0.0
The World's Most Beautiful Girls
1953
5.6
Son of Ali Baba
1952
6.5
Flesh and Fury
1952
5.8
No Room for the Groom
1952
4.4
Meet Danny Wilson
1952
An Eye for an Eye
0.0
An Eye for an Eye
1952
0.0
Come Back Little Shiksa
1952
5.5
The Re-Inforcer
1951
5.7
The Prince Who Was a Thief
1951
Fairfax Avenue
0.0
Fairfax Avenue
1951
A Spot In The Shade
0.0
A Spot In The Shade
1951
Nightmare
0.0
Nightmare
1951
Watch On The Lime
0.0
Watch On The Lime
1951
6.0
Kansas Raiders
1950
7.3
Winchester '73
1950
5.4
Sierra
1950
5.8
I Was a Shoplifter
1950
5.8
Francis
1950
6.3
Woman in Hiding
1950
6.1
The Lady Gambles
1949
6.3
Johnny Stool Pigeon
1949
6.0
City Across the River
1949
7.1
Criss Cross
1949
8.0
How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border
1949
TV Shows
See All
7.5
Dream Girl: The Making of Marilyn Monroe
6.7
The UnXplained
6.2
Talking Pictures
7.0
Shrink Rap
7.2
The Graham Norton Show
5.4
Hope & Faith
10.0
Un film et son époque
7.6
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
7.5
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
4.3
The View
6.0
Suddenly Susan
6.8
The Mrs Merton Show
6.9
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
6.8
Roseanne
5.2
This Morning
5.5
The Dame Edna Experience
5.7
Sacrée soirée
0.0
Matin Bonheur
Goldene Kamera
5.7
Goldene Kamera
5.6
Wetten, dass..?
6.9
Vega$
6.9
Vega$
4.7
The Hollywood Greats
Please Turn the Page
6.0
Please Turn the Page
McCoy
6.0
McCoy
8.3
People's Choice Awards
7.0
Dinah!
6.3
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
7.7
The Persuaders!
V.I.P. Schaukel
8.0
V.I.P. Schaukel
7.5
Bracken's World
6.8
The Dick Cavett Show
6.8
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
6.8
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
7.6
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
5.5
The Late Late Show
7.4
The Flintstones
6.8
Startime
6.2
The Steve Allen Show
6.2
The Steve Allen Show
The Rosemary Clooney Show
8.0
The Rosemary Clooney Show
7.1
The Oscars
6.8
General Electric Theater
6.8
General Electric Theater
6.5
This Is Your Life
7.2
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
6.9
The Colgate Comedy Hour
7.0
What's My Line?
6.8
The Ed Sullivan Show
9.0