Sad news out of Hollywood today: Screen legend Tony Curtis passed away in his Las Vegas home on Wednesday night at the age of 85, a victim of cardiac arrest.
Curtis was renowned on-screen for his machismo-oozing performance in "Spartacus" and his iconic cross-dressing turn in "Some Like It Hot"; off-screen he was known for his suave ways with the ladies -- he was married six times, most famously to Janet Leigh (with whom he had daughter Jamie Lee Curtis), and wooed the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood. In short, Curtis lived a life that could very well have been (and likely one day will be) a movie.
Curtis maybe gone, but his legacy lives on. After the jump, we count down his five finest roles.
5. "Houdini" (1953): Curtis teamed with first wife Janet Leigh to score his first box-office hit with this bio of magician and master of escape Harry Houdini.
4. "The Sweet Smell of Success" (1957): Not one to be pigeonholed, Curtis played against his likable-guy type as a scheming press agent in this edgy film noir ... and it paid off. He received the best critical reviews of his career to that point, and finally earned some cred for his acting chops. The sweet smell of success indeed.
3. "The Defiant Ones" (1958): Curtis followed up "Success" with an Oscar-nominated turn in this tale of two convicts, a racist white man (Curtis) and an African-American (Sidney Poitier), who escape a Southern chain gang and must rely on each other for survival.
2. "Spartacus" (1959): Sure, Kirk Douglas is front-and-center in director Stanley Kubrick's sword-and-sandals epic, but Curtis slays as Roman slave Antoninus.
1. "Some Like It Hot" (1960): Curtis' most beloved role teamed the comedian with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon for a comedy about two pals who witness a Chicago gangland hit and, to escape a similar fate, flee Chi-Town disguised as members of an all-girl band. Dudes looked like ladies ... and it was awesome.
Which of Curtis' roles was your favorite? Share your thoughts and condolences in the comments.
Tags houdini, Jamie Lee Curtis, janet leigh, some like it hot, spartacus, the defiant ones, the sweet smell of success, tony curtis
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RIP Tony Curtis: A Film Geek's Tribute
Posted 9/30/10 1:55 pm EST by Tom DiChiara in Commentary, News
Curtis was renowned on-screen for his machismo-oozing performance in "Spartacus" and his iconic cross-dressing turn in "Some Like It Hot"; off-screen he was known for his suave ways with the ladies -- he was married six times, most famously to Janet Leigh (with whom he had daughter Jamie Lee Curtis), and wooed the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood. In short, Curtis lived a life that could very well have been (and likely one day will be) a movie.
Curtis maybe gone, but his legacy lives on. After the jump, we count down his five finest roles.
5. "Houdini" (1953): Curtis teamed with first wife Janet Leigh to score his first box-office hit with this bio of magician and master of escape Harry Houdini.
4. "The Sweet Smell of Success" (1957): Not one to be pigeonholed, Curtis played against his likable-guy type as a scheming press agent in this edgy film noir ... and it paid off. He received the best critical reviews of his career to that point, and finally earned some cred for his acting chops. The sweet smell of success indeed.
3. "The Defiant Ones" (1958): Curtis followed up "Success" with an Oscar-nominated turn in this tale of two convicts, a racist white man (Curtis) and an African-American (Sidney Poitier), who escape a Southern chain gang and must rely on each other for survival.
2. "Spartacus" (1959): Sure, Kirk Douglas is front-and-center in director Stanley Kubrick's sword-and-sandals epic, but Curtis slays as Roman slave Antoninus.
1. "Some Like It Hot" (1960): Curtis' most beloved role teamed the comedian with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon for a comedy about two pals who witness a Chicago gangland hit and, to escape a similar fate, flee Chi-Town disguised as members of an all-girl band. Dudes looked like ladies ... and it was awesome.
Which of Curtis' roles was your favorite? Share your thoughts and condolences in the comments.
Tags houdini, Jamie Lee Curtis, janet leigh, some like it hot, spartacus, the defiant ones, the sweet smell of success, tony curtis
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