Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Tony Curtis- Misconceptions and Facts

This post is to dispel some of the misconceptions and falsehoods that we hear from people about Tony. We will continue to add things as we hear them.



1) Tony was born in the Flower Hospital in Manhattan and grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx. He did not live in Brooklyn.


2) Tony was born Bernard Schwartz and LEGALLY changed his name to Anthony Curtis when he began acting in films. He prefers to be called Tony, not Bernie.


3) Tony is Hungarian, not Italian. Tony is fluent in Hungarian and takes great pride in his Hungarian roots.


4) Tony was very ill in late 2006 and early 2007. He did not have cancer or a stroke. He had pneumonia which caused him to placed on a ventilator for a month. This resulted in muscle loss, weakness and nerve damage. Tony went through intensive rehab to learn to speak, walk, and write again. Tony's mind was never affected, he is just as sharp as he always was.


5) Tony can walk. He uses a wheelchair, and at times a cane, for long distances.


6) Tony loves to travel and loves to meet his fans. Tony will always sign an autograph or take a photo with you.


7) All items that come from Curtis Enterprises (Books, artwork, photos, memorabilia, etc) are hand signed by Tony. All of these items can be ordered from Tony's website.


8) Tony loves his Stetson cowboy hats but he is not from Texas. He jokingly refers to himself as "The Armani Cowboy".

9) Tony has been painting and drawing his entire life. His art has been displayed all over the World and he loves to paint.

10) Tony joined the US Navy when he was 16, he served in the Submarine Service in WWII. He is proud supporter of the US Navy Memorial.

11) Tony has been married five times, not six times as is sometimes reported.

12) Tony is Jewish and is a supporter of the Dohany Synagogue in Budapest.

8 comments:

Beanie Mouse said...

I've just heard about the big storm that downed trees in Central Park last Tuesday!! That's kinda what happened over here with the Big Storm of '87!!

Wow!!

Anonymous said...

You forgot to mention about the bathtub scene in the movie Houdini - Tony Curtis covered with buckets of ice. Was it for real? I asked you that question in 1994 when we met, because it seemed so unbelievable that any actor would do this. You gave me the answer. Now, will everyone else think it was fake or for real? It was 100% genuine - real ice! It was no misconception, but fact.

Anonymous said...

Tony - I'm the Commissioner of Records for NYC. I've located some of your family documents. The 1930 census showing your family at 1110 East 165th Street, The Bronx. The naturalization and passenger list of your father Manuel's arrival here in the US in 1921. Are you interested? Let me know.... 212 788.8607

Myron said...

I saw Tony yesterday as the Grand Marshall of the NYC Veteran's Day Parade. He was as nice and charming as could be. He gladly signed autographs, took photos and spoke with vets. I was shocked when I saw his gray beard but he is still good-looking. I wanted to tell him that I've been a fan since "Houdini" but I felt he should talk instead to vets. It was great seeing him in person for the first time.

Anonymous said...

Hi Tony - This is Sheldon Roskin and I hope this finds you and Jill well and happy. Would you be interested in doing an on-camera interview for a new documentary focusing on the evolution of celebrity, publicity, media, etc. from the 40s to the present time. I'm sure you would have some interesting things to say and it would give you an opportunity to also talk about your present interests such as Shiloh, art, etc. The film's being done by well-known celeb photog Kevin Mazur (Google him for bnackground) and David Wild, equally w.k. staff writer for Rolling Stone, among many others. They would come to you with full crew, makeup, etc. and submit a list of questions up front. If you're interested, contact me @ sroskin1@yahoo.com and pls leave a more direct phone # or email or address where material can be sent, if you wish.
Warmest regards to both of you.
Sheldon

Lou Cangiano said...

Hi Tony and Jill, I just finished reading American Prince, and I could'nt put it down. Tony, you have always been one of my favorite actors, and your memoir was fascinating. I noticed some similarities in our respctive stories; we were both born in NYC to immigrane parents, we both joined the US Navy in our teens(I served on a nuclear submarine for 2 years), and I'm also a SAG member.
But I just wanted to say that your outlook on life is fantastic! I wish you both the best. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Lou Cangiano

Unknown said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY! HOPE YOU HAVE MANY MORE! Your fan from Summit Hill,PA Charles Ziegler

Anonymous said...

Get well immediately, "Tony of the Movies"!