![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/tony-curtis-2401.jpg\" "\\"tony-curtis-240\\"")
<\/a>So, I want to share my stories of him here. Growing-up, my house always had old movies on TV, and one of my first memories of boys was Tony Curtis. (I have this crazy good memory and remember my crushes from when I was two! And Tony came right before the teen-agers I knew personally at the summer camp where my father was Boys Head Counselor.) I even knew his real name, Bernie Schwartz, so my parents and their friends approved. I used to call myself \u201cMrs. Bernie Schwartz,\u201d although I couldn\u2019t even pronounce \u201chospital\u201d and \u201cspaghetti.\u201d<\/p>\nTony had to be the handsomest man of his time. And I loved that he always had a sparkle in his eyes in all his movies. He was just perfect. (Of course, I was too young to know all his personal life dramas. To me, he was who he was in his films.)<\/p>\n
I actually held on to that crush for many years, until I started school and replaced him with real<\/em> boys. Then I got into rock stars and that was the end of that, mostly. But I always had a warm spot for Tony Curtis.<\/p>\n Cut to me growing up, moving out here, and having my TV show. For those of you who remember the early years of Karen\u2019s Restaurant Revue<\/em>, you may recall how popular I became around town. (I cringe saying that about myself, but it\u2019s necessary to this story. So please forgive me.) I was always surprised at just how many people watched my show, and because I was always so accessible, no one was afraid to come up to me for a chat, which I loved.<\/p>\n One night, I was in a Beverly Hills art gallery, at an exhibit of paintings by\u2026Tony Curtis! I was a wreck, trying to work-up courage to introduce myself to him. Then a woman I knew slightly came up to me and said, \u201cTony wants to meet you. Is that okay?\u201d I was too dumb-founded to answer! But I thought it had to be a joke, with my friend telling her to play it on me.<\/p>\n All of a sudden, Tony was upon us, telling me he loved me! I so couldn\u2019t believe it that I told him so! I asked if this was a joke. I still can\u2019t believe that those were my first words to the man, hands on hips. He kept re-assuring me that he faithfully watches my show and loves me. So, what did I<\/em> say? \u201cProve it.\u201d I asked Tony Curtis, major movie star, and my first crush, to prove that he watches my show!!! What was I thinking??? (In my defense, I was really young and in shock.)<\/p>\n So, with people standing around watching this whole interaction, Tony Curtis, star of such smash hits as Some Like It Hot <\/em>and The Defiant Ones<\/em>, started playing with imaginary bangs, as I always did (okay, do) and talking a mile a minute, mimicking me with such bon mots as \u201cHow\u2019s my hair?,\u201d and \u201cOh no–I think I broke a nail!\u201d We were all hysterical.<\/p>\n I blurted out, \u201cOh my God! You do<\/em> watch my show,\u201d to which he loudly asked, \u201cNow <\/em>can we have a hug???\u201d And hug we did. I could not believe that I was hugging Bernie Schwartz in real life! I had done it so many times in my childhood imagination. We even got in a few cheek kisses. (I just started crying as I\u2019m writing this.)<\/p>\n When I composed myself, I told him how much I had always wanted to marry him when I was little. And he said he was game now! We actually talked about it, and though I was just kidding, I think he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n So, I came home and told Mr. X the whole story, and then said, \u201cYou know what–maybe I should<\/em> marry him! It\u2019d make a great story to grow-up and marry my first movie star crush.\u201d I really loved the idea. But I loved Mr. X more, and even though he thought it would be kind-of funny, as well, and I even, for a fleeting moment, thought that Tony and I could tie the night for just a few days or so, I thought it would be somewhat rude to Mr. X, so that was the end of that.<\/p>\n