By: cmich

cmich — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 18:54:10 +0000

Karen, I can picture Tony Curtis imitating you! Look at how believable he was as a woman in SOME LIKE IT HOT. I remember seeing an interview with him and he was asked how he prepared for that role, especially the female lip-puckering thing he did, and he said he remembered his mother doing that after she applied lipstick and he also copied Eve Arden’s mannerisms. I think it’s great that you got to meet your first crush and he turned out to be a fan of yours! I got a crush on Tony Curtis when he starred in a TV show called “The Persuaders” with Roger Moore. I thought no man ever looked as handsome as Tony in that show. Evah! (As Bronx boy Bernie Schwartz might say.) That’s when I started dreaming of being the next Mrs. Tony Curtis (he got married a lot, didn’t he?). But I never met him, unfortunately. I think he was one of the best-looking men Hollywood ever produced and you’re so right about that twinkle in his eye (blue eyes which were just as beautiful as Paul Newman’s). Black hair and blue eyes – in Brooklyn we call that Black Irish but in Tony’s case it was Hungarian Jewish! An Italian fan site claimed that Tony was 1/4 Italian on his mother’s side, her maiden name being Vitucci. I only WISH we Italians could claim part of him. I think the website is wrong. I remember reading an article about Tony and he said his best boyhood friend was a kid whose last name was Vitucci. Tony Curtis also had his share of tragedy – his son died of a drug overdose. I don’t think you ever really recover from something like that. I believe that today TCM is running Tony Curtis movies. RIP, Tony. My prayers are with your family and friends.

Comments on: TRIBUTE: TONY CURTIS

By: cmich