CURTIS, TONY

CURTIS, TONY (Bernard Schwartz; 1925– ), U.S. actor. Born in New York, the son of a Hungarian tailor, Curtis began his career on the stage in a settlement house in the Bronx. He then went from summer stock companies to off-Broadway shows, and finally to Hollywood. His first major dramatic role was in Trapeze (1956), followed by Sweet Smell of Success (1957). Adeptly handling both dramatic and comedy roles, Curtis starred in many films, including Houdini (1953), The Defiant Ones (1958), The Vikings (1958), Some Like It Hot (1959), Operation Petticoat (1959), Spartacus (1960), The Rat Race (1960), Who Was That Lady? (1960), The Great Impostor (1961), The Outsider (1962), Taras Bulba (1962), Forty Pounds of Trouble (1962), Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), Goodbye, Charlie (1964), Sex and the Single Girl (1964), The Great Race (1965), Boeing, Boeing (1966), Don't Make Waves (1967), The Boston Strangler (1968), Lepke (1975), The Last Tycoon (1976), Casanova & Co. (1977), Little Miss Marker (1980), The Mirror Crack'd (1980), Insignificance (1985), Center of the Web (1991), The Mummy Lives (1993), Hardball (1997), Alien X Factor (1997), Stargames (1998), and Love Is a Survivor (2004). Among his many television appearances, Curtis starred as Danny Wilde opposite Roger Moore in the adventure series The Persuaders (1971–72). Adept at artwork as well, Curtis has been painting and drawing for more than 30 years. His works are on exhibit at art galleries and other venues around the world. Actress jamie lee curtis is the daughter of Curtis and his first wife,   Janet Leigh. In 1993 Curtis wrote Tony Curtis: The Autobiography (with B. Paris). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: A.A. Hunter, Tony Curtis: The Man and His Movies (1985). (Ruth Beloff (2nd ed.)