Tony Curtis

[poliphilo]

I don't find cross-dressing intrinsically funny and Marilyn irritates me, so my favourite Tony Curtis film isn't Some Like It Hot, but everyone else's number two, The Sweet Smell of Success. The combination of the actor's charm and the character's lack of it makes for some interesting chemistry. 

Curtis made a lot of movies. The ones that remain truly memorable can be counted on the fingers of one hand. In some of those- Spartacus for instance- he struggled against miscasting. He wasn't one of  the greatest stars. The great stars last.  His cocky machismo is of its time and soon went out of fashion.

I gather he was a nice guy. He knew he was lucky. He rode his luck. When the film roles started to dry up he reinvented himself as a painter. He went through addiction, came out the other side, and had too much character ever to go "poor me". Pick any of his later interviews and they're remarkable for two things, firstly self-knowledge, secondly, gratitude for all the chances he'd had.  He could act shallow better than anybody going, but in real life he wasn't. 

Comments

[mamadar.livejournal.com]

You don't find cross-dressing funny?? Tony, how can you be British???

*g*

I wonder how many of today's film actors will be as wise and gracious as Curtis and those who went before him, when they're in their seventies and eighties and not working any more. Will they still believe their own hype?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I can't watch Some Like It Hot. It makes me cringe. Last time I tried I had to give up half way through.

It's odd. "Wise and gracious" aren't qualities I associate with Curtis' screen persona- so maybe today's seemingly obnoxious stars will surprise us in old age.

[(Anonymous)]

He's very good in 'The Boston Strangler'. I was very saddened yesterday by the news of his passing because what he had in spades - and what many of today's stars lack - is charisma, and also tremendous self-awareness. Ditto Oliver Reed: neither were the best actor's ever, and both squandered much of their potential, but they both had moments of screen brilliance.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen The Boston Strangler. I'd like to.

A lot of British actors of that generation went in for hell raising in a big way. I think it had something to do with their being ashamed of having just missed out on WWII. Richard Burton- who was the chief of them- openly despised his profession.

[(Anonymous)]

(*blush* apologies for the spurious apostrophe in actors, above)

Agree - there does seem to have been a strong compulsion to prove their manly manliness amongst the generation you mean. I'm thinking Peter Finch and Stanley Baker, too.