Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Actor Tony Curtis dies: US media
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Actor Tony Curtis dies: US media
AFP - Friday, October 1
Send
IM Story
Print
WASHINGTON (AFP) - – Actor Tony Curtis, best known for his comedic turn as a cross-dressing musician in "Some Like It Hot," has died at the age of 85, US media reported Thursday, citing his family.
A representative for Curtis' daughter, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, confirmed his death to Entertainment Tonight, the television program said on its website. ABC News also reported the death.
The Bronx-born Curtis was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in "The Defiant Ones" with Sidney Poitier, but he was best remembered as Marilyn Monroe's cross-dressing paramour in the 1959 Billy Wilder classic "Some Like It Hot."
Curtis's life could have come straight from one of his Hollywood scripts: rising from the streets of the Bronx to become a matinee idol who boasted of sleeping with 1,000 women.
He will be remembered as much for the off-screen dalliances as for acting performaces that never perhaps won the critical acclaim and respect from his peers that he sought.
A string of hits alongside Burt Lancaster in the late 1950s, including "Trapeze" and "Sweet Smell of Success," transformed the son of poor Hungarian immigrants into one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood.
Curtis received his only Oscar nomination for the// 1958 film "The Defiant Ones" in which he and Sidney Poitier play prison inmates who break out and spend most of the story chained together by handcuffs.
Curtis insisted his black co-star receive double billing -- a racial breakthrough at the time.
Known for his thick crop of black hair, he became such a mega-star that his raffish quiff was adopted by Elvis Presley -- suddenly everyone wanted what barbers knew as a "Tony Curtis."
The eldest child of Jewish immigrants, Curtis was born on June 3, 1925 and grew up in the back of his father's tailor shop. His parents were so poor that he and brother Julius were briefly dispatched to an orphanage.
In his frank 2008 autobiography "American Prince: A Memoir," Curtis laid bare that poverty-stricken Bronx upbringing, detailing the physical abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother who was later diagnosed with schizophrenia.
In 1938, Julius died after being hit by a truck. Family tragedy would also haunt Curtis later in life when his son Nicholas died of a heroin overdose at the age of 23.
Curtis enlisted at 16 in the Marines and ended up as a crewman on a submarine, witnessing at close-hand the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay in 1945.
He later revealed he had been immitating his on-screen hero Cary Grant after watching him in the submarine war film "Destination Tokyo".
After earning an honorable discharge, Curtis enrolled in acting school and began playing stage roles until film producer David Selznick spotted the young talent.
Bit-parts paid the bills until Curtis, who by this time had dispensed of his given name Bernard Schwartz, got his break with a major role in the 1950 action-western "Sierra."
In a 2008 interview with AFP at his art studio overlooking the Las Vegas Strip skyline, Curtis described his dramatic sex-soaked ascent to Hollywood stardom as well as a traumatic decline and descent into cocaine addiction.
"I dont feel like I got the movies I should've gotten," said Curtis, who felt he was denied meaty roles that went to contemporaries Marlon Brando and Paul Newman. "I felt I deserved more than that the industry had given me.
He also acknowledged he may have been addicted to sex. "I realized if I could mount a girl -- and that sounds very cruel and very bestial but examine it for what it is -- a woman has accepted me.
"The main force in me was to be accepted by others. Not education, not money in my pocket, nothing except to be accepted by a girl."
After a three-year affair with a young Marilyn Monroe, Curtis married six times and was later candid about how his misdeeds had destroyed five marriages and ruined his relationships with his children.
Curtis's first wife was Janet Leigh, the screaming shower scene starlet of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho."
"For a while, we were Hollywoods golden couple," he later said.
"I was very dedicated and devoted to Janet, and on top of my trade, but in her eyes that goldenness started to wear off. I realized that whatever I was, I wasnt enough for Janet. That hurt me a lot and broke my heart."
Estranged for many years from the couple's actress daughter Jamie Lee Curtis, he is survived by his sixth wife Jill, who he married in 1998 when he was 73 and she was a 30-year-old voluptuous blonde.
A veteran of more than 120 films, Curtis was also an accomplished flautist and a painter whose work resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Afghan opium output drops 50 percent: UN AFP - 17 minutes ago
Netherlands to ban the burqa: anti-Islam MP says AFP - 18 minutes ago
Qaeda posts picture of hostages seized in Niger AFP - 29 minutes ago
Hollywood leading man Tony Curtis dies AFP - 39 minutes ago
UK-World Summary Reuters - 1 hour 1 minute ago
News Search
Top Stories
US economic growth slows to 1.7 percent
Debt throws eurozone back towards dangerous waters
Ireland reveals full horror of banking crisis
US insurer AIG agrees deal to repay taxpayer bailout
Camel-crazy UAE using cutting-edge breeding technology
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
ADHD down to genes not poor parenting, says study
Al-Qaeda plot to attack European cities uncovered
Lost letters add a twist to DNA breakthrough
Virgin to launch space tourism in 18 months
Ireland reveals full horror of banking crisis
More Most Viewed »
US state executes first woman in nearly 100 years
'Time bomb' superbug requires global response: doctor
Workers swarm Europe's streets in anti-cuts protests
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Thursday, 30 September 2010 Iran puts off Bushehr plant launch to early 2011
US-TECH Summary
Indonesia lifts tsunami warning after 7.2 quake
|
U.S. envoy sees Netanyahu in bid to save talks
Europe hands France ultimatum in Roma row
E-books may spur more kids to read-study
U.S. judge grants bond to man in Afghan murder case
|
Workers swarm Europe's streets in anti-cuts protests
NATO confirms senior al-Qaida commander killed
TED conference wants ads worth spreading
Lost letters add a twist to DNA breakthrough
Study: Americans Drinking More Now Than in 1990s
Hitmen kill Mexican mayors as drugs war intensifies
|
FIFA track transfers with new online system
Companies sue Air France, Martinair for price fixing: lawyer
U.S. targets eight Iranian officials over abuses
|
WTO calls on US to cut farm subsidies
DHS Exercise Tests U.S. Response To Cyberattack
Final results give Chavez slim Venezuela vote win
|
Man Takes DJ's Bet, Tattoos Station's Logo On His Forehead
Boeing Gets $19Million Contract From U.S. Navy
Washington Post, NY Times, Gannett invest in news aggregator
China Airline Orders 4 Boeing Jets Worth $1.1 Billion
US, China to resume military contacts: Pentagon
Enbridge Restarts Michigan Pipeline Two Months After Oil Spill
Samsung to provide 3D TVs to Britain's Virgin Media
Italy's Berlusconi wins confidence vote
|
"Let Me In," "Case 39, "Chain Letter" Mark Horror-Filled October In Theaters
India's ID scheme launched in tribal village
HP Gets Floridas $20M Early Education Plan
Medvedev worries Japan with islands visit plan
Vietnam arrests three over porn websites: reports
NATO: No Genuine Negotiations Yet, Taliban Reconciliation Talks In Embryonic Stage
Japanese smokers stocking up before price hike
Kohls Opens 21 Stores, Adds 4,000 Jobs
Fearing holy site unrest, India bans bulk texting
Philippines launches online disaster hotspots map
U.S. appeals court allows stem cell funds to continue
Singapore's Lee hospitalized with infection
U.S. senator wants Afghanistan funds inspector fired
E-books may spur more kids to read-study
Dell pitches open system in data center offering
|
Bankers battle for Lehman souvenirs at London auction
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
E-books may spur more kids to read-study
|
Samsung to provide 3D TVs to Britain's Virgin Media
Leonard Cohen cancels Hawaii show, adds 3 dates
Director Arthur Penn dies at age 88
Indonesia cancels tsunami alert after major quake
Tony Danza turns teacher for TV show
Major 7.2 quake hits eastern Indonesia: USGS
'Bonnie and Clyde' director Arthur Penn dies
Indonesia lifts tsunami warning after 7.2 quake
Cross-dressing meets boy-girl duos on Paris catwalks
Family saga to represent Italy at Oscars
Russian ministry confirms ban on art for Louvre
Women activists in Jerusalem hail lifting of modesty barrier
Obama, US House target China over currency
China wins WTO backing in chicken fight with US
Travelers cancel JAL flights amid Japan-China row
Snooki takes romance from hot tub to book world
|
Fact or fiction? Facebook film the latest truth tale
|
Goldman Sachs to reduce stake in China's ICBC
Michael Caine says might retire at 80
|
Director Arthur Penn dies at age 88
|
Pakistan raises interest rate by 0.5 percent
Britney Spears praises Glee tribute
|
Renault-Nissan open to GM tie-up: Ghosn
Tony Danza turns teacher for TV show
|
Chinese sales help Porsche set new record: company
Leonard Cohen cancels Hawaii show, adds 3 dates
|
FACTBOX-Pakistan's c.bank ups key rate by 50 bps to 13.5 pct
Foreign soldier killed in south Afghanistan: NATO
Al-Qaeda plot to attack European cities uncovered
Special report: How Dubai got serious
|
Nintendo 3DS delay casts gloom over games giant
Pakistan officials accuse NATO of chopper killings
Italy's Berlusconi survives confidence vote
Anglo Irish Bank bailout hits 29.3 bln euros
North Korea's leader-in-waiting goes on show
|
Republicans scuttle net neutrality bill: Waxman
ADHD down to genes not poor parenting, says study
Warlords taint Afghan peace council: analysts
Spanish police detain three ETA suspects, seize explosives
Mosque verdict keeps India on security tenterhooks
|
Lawmakers decry US failure to stop 'jihadi websites'
US orders sanctions against Iran officials for rights abuses
Congress Hears Pentagon Plans For Improving Financial Accountability
Italy's Berlusconi wins vote of confidence
Pakistan says 3 soldiers killed in NATO strike
|
Melissa Rycroft To Host Fall Baby Shower On Nickelodeon's ParentsConnect.com
Taliban reject claims of Afghan peace approaches
China releases 3 Japanese but isle dispute lingers
|
US cyber exercise providing valuable lessons: officials
France unveils toughest budget in 50 years
Suicide After College Roommate Livestreams Gay Sexual Act Online
Coordinated militant attack plot disrupted: sources
|
Ashton Kutcher Is Popchips' President Of Pop Culture For Ad Campaign
Berlusconi gets rival's support in key vote
U.N. rights body backs critique of Gaza flotilla raid
Diller bearish on future of Ask.com
Spike TV "Scream" Awards To Feature "Scream 4" Footage, "Back To The Future" Reunion
Pentagon: China, U.S. Military Relations Back On Track
EU to launch proceedings against France over Roma
NATO confirms senior al-Qaida commander killed
U.S. Sanctions 8 Iranians Over Human Rights Violations
Dell pitches open system in data center offering
Stocks Dip Despite Energy Sector Rally
Could women play a bigger role in Islamic finance?
|
China Pledges to Balance Trade as U.S. House Prepares Tariff Vote
Investment a success story in Iraqi Kurdistan
|
US-TECH Summary
Nokia says starts shipping flagship N8 model
S.Lanka president confirms jail for ex-army chief
Three Japanese held in China released: state media
China releases 3 Japanese but isle dispute lingers
Christopher Plummer joins "Dragon Tattoo"
Mosque verdict keeps India on security tenterhooks
Senator wants Afghanistan funds inspector fired
Nigerian culture thrives 50 yrs after independence
Quake rocks Samoa on tsunami anniversary
North Korea's US 'trophy' ship is tourist site
Nokia says starts shipping flagship N8 model
|
Two Koreas hold first military talks since 2008
Turkish man convicted of assault in N.Zealand
DR Congo children turn to acrobatics to survive
Facebook and Skype exploring partnership: report
|
Nintendo 3DS delay casts gloom over games giant
|
Japan defence chief eyes China talks
Camel-crazy UAE use cutting-edge breeding technology
LG and Microsoft team-up in cloud computing
|
Aussie Power seeks IndyCar season crown
Oliver Stone: What helped pay for "Wall Street 2"
Bruce Willis spies a good time in "Red"
Mobile Web usage jumped in August: Opera
|
James Cameron gets close look at Canada's oil sands
E-books may spur more kids to read: study
|
Jerry Lee Lewis' 40 minute set unites generations
Republicans scuttle net neutrality bill: Waxman
|
Judge dismisses 2 charges in Anna Nicole drug trial
China: US bill on yuan would violate WTO rules
Japan to withdraw from Iran oil project: reports
Seoul shares move sideways; airlines gain
Korea NPS to invest $1 billion in Asian property
RPT-SCENARIOS-Taiwan central bank seen hiking rates again
Japan factory output slips 0.3 percent in August
South Korea bonds rise on weak factory output data
Seoul shares open up; techs continue gains
Moody's maintains NZ's Aaa stable outlook
Star Wars fans seem angered by 3D release plans
|
Fact or fiction? Facebook film the latest truth tale
|
Nokia says starts shipping flagship N8 model
Jon Stewart says rallies satirical, not political
|
Judge dismisses 2 charges in Anna Nicole drug trial
|
Christopher Plummer joins Dragon Tattoo
|
Oliver Stone: What helped pay for Wall Street 2
|
Bruce Willis spies a good time in Red
|
Afghan opium output drops 50 percent: UN
Germany tries woman in Baader-Meinhof murder
US, Euro diplomats strive to save Mideast talks
Pakistan stops NATO supplies entering Afghanistan
Technip Gets Two Hydrogen Plant Contracts
Pakistan halts NATO supplies after border attack
|
U.S. Funds $1 Billion For Anti-Greenhouse Gas Facility
Congress Passes Stopgap To Fund Government; Goes On Recess
US-TECH Summary
Car bomber in south Afghanistan kills 3 civilians
France says Niger hostage images offer hope
|
Kurdish rebels to extend ceasefire by one month
|
FTC Slams Juice Maker For Unproven Health Claims
Nokia says starts shipping flagship N8 model
Quito international airport shuts during unrest
|
Snooki To Publish Her First Novel
LG and Microsoft team-up in cloud computing
Taliban reject Karzai's peace council as failed
|
Feds Urge Parents Not To Put Babies In Sleep Positioners
Myanmar to free Suu Kyi days after election: officials
"DWTS" Producers Don't Think Judge Bruno Tonioli Should Apologize To Michael Bolton
Doctors Successfully Use Less Chemo To Treat Common Childhood Cancer
Dutch government pact cuts budget and bans burqa
|
North Korea publishes first photo of heir apparent
Denmark Tops List Of Best Countries To Do Business
Italy's Northern League ramps up anti-Rome rhetoric
|
Indian Ayodhya holy site to be divided: lawyer
Stuxnet 'cyber superweapon' moves to China
Oscar-nominated actor Tony Curtis dies: report
North Korea's leader-in-waiting goes on show
US and Europe toil to save Israel-Palestinian peace talks
Actor Tony Curtis dies: US media
Pakistan halts NATO supplies after border attack
Indian court rules disputed holy site to be divided
Thai PM has final say on Viktor Bout extradition
China warns US bill on yuan could hurt trade ties
Japanese climbers missing in Nepal: official
Over 60 to be charged in Zeus Trojan cybercrime
|
Pakistani rupee at record low; stocks flat
Pakistan's forex reserves jump to record $16.79 bln
India boasts record 69 billionaires: Forbes
Berlin Wall shooting video game angers victims' relatives
|
Bomb blast injures one in Indonesia: police
Philippine officials concerned over strong currency
Nintendo shares tumble on 3DS player delay
S.Korea c.bank contacts offshore dealers on won-official
India's Satyam shares slide 9% as losses announced
AIG sells two Japanese units to Prudential Financial
Taiwan c.bank raises rates to 1.5 pct
Japan's Panasonic develops robot hair-washer
Oscar-nominated actor Tony Curtis dies
|
Berlin Wall shooting video game angers victims' relatives
CNN's Anderson Cooper eyes daytime talk show
|
Mobile Web usage jumped in August: Opera
LG and Microsoft team-up in cloud computing
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights