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48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Needs to be compared with previous autobiography, October 24, 2008
This book needs to be read in conjunction with Mr. Curtis's previous autobiography: Tony Curtis the autobiography by Tony Curtis (Author)and Barry Paris, which I found to be a far better book. The text is virtually identical, except for the removal of Mr. Paris's notes which filled in the background story. The biggest difference is that whereas the first book was kind to costars, ex-wives and everyone but Marilyn Monroe, Shelly Winters and his mother, the current memoirs tell all and trash the dead (except for Ms. Monroe who has been transformed into "the great love of my early youth", with nary a peep about the immoral drug abusing self-destructive narcissistic woman previously recollected. Whereas in his previous book, if he hadn't a good word to say about someone, he would merely note that "we had our differences", this time the conveniently dead come in for more savage recollections.
I was never a fan of Tony Curtis, he simply happened to be in films that I saw from time to time. His name on a marquee would not draw me into the cinema, but I enjoyed his first bio for the insight into movie making, especially the cost accounting, and finished it with a respect for the author's discretion. Sadly, this latest effort has changed that opinion. The book is simply a rehash with a few unkind and salacious titbits thrown in.
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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hardly a prince among men, October 26, 2008
Simply by acknowledging the title of this memoir, Tony Curtis obviously fancies himself a prince among men. Yet the behavior he recounts here, divulging it of his own volition, makes it clear that he is anything but regal.
Much to his credit, Mr. Curtis is brutally self-aware and revelatory regarding his life in AMERICAN PRINCE. His honesty is admirable; his life, less so.
He seems to have no shame about the way in which he regularly cheated on all of his wives; if anything, he seems rather proud. He also is unashamed of--if somewhat perplexed by--the fact that he has not been able to sustain ongoing relationships with any of the children he had by three of those wives, or with his children's children in turn.
The report of his brother Julie's death is one of the most touching I ever have read. Taken in the context of this larger work, however, one cannot help wondering whether his failure to supervise the younger boy, as he was instructed to do by his parents, led to the circumstances which killed Julie.
Even the report of his mother's death, horrible as she apparently was to him, reflects so poorly on Curtis that one wonders why he included it in the memoir.
Still, Tony Curtis did arrive in Hollywood at the very end of the famous studio system and he has some wonderful anecdotes to share about that time. He knew almost everyone who counted in what was a golden era, most of them now long gone. His life was peopled with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Mae West, Burt Lancaster, Rock Hudson, Debbie Reynolds and on and on.
He does not hesitate, either, to tell things as he saw them, even if his recollections are less than kind. He is nothing if not forthcoming. On the other hand, he and his editor do not get everything right. Contrary to the assertion contained in AMERICAN PRINCE, Debbie Reynolds did marry after her divorce from Eddie Fisher; in fact, she married another two times.
The studios fostered the theory that movie stars were America's royalty. Still, the simple fact is that movie stars are very ordinary people, often blessed with shockingly good looks ... perhaps a bit of talent ... and a great deal of luck. Certainly, in common with many others, nothing about Tony Curtis' life is particularly uplifting. Very much the opposite: Many of these people clearly are gauche, ill-educated and obsessively self-involved.
This doesn't take away from the fact that Tony Curtis was a genuine beauty when he was young, that he starred or co-starred in some classic films and that he has written a book that is a fascinating read.
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50 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bittersweet and honest, had to get 2 copies - here's why, October 15, 2008
The first copy was immediately grabbed from my hands by an avid Tony Curtis fan. So (sigh) I got another because I knew that first copy was history.
For those of you who like honest, open memoirs written with "no holds barred"....this ought to be very appealing. I prefer when writers write openly about their revelations, confessions, regrets and joys with readers...and I felt Mr. Curtis did this. There is also plenty of info in here that I didn't know before but I can't say for sure if a die hard Curtis fan would already know these facts about his marriages, estrangements from children, resentments about roles that went to other actors, etc.
For me, much of the information was new and I also enjoyed the style of this book. For those he likes (Sidney Poitier), his affection is clear. For those he hates, he pulls no punches and isn't particularly kind toward Jerry Lewis or Danny Kaye, among others.
As hard as he can be on some actors, Curtis is also able to look at himself with judgment, admitting to his shortcomings as both spouse and father. He isn't particularly close to Jamie Lee Curtis or his other children.
Confession time...when I was young,I had a huge crush on Curtis. As a result, I'm a bit baffled about how and why he didn't get many parts as a mature or older actor, something noted by film critics and others. As Newman and Redford and others aged, they continued to appear on screen but Curtis seemed to have a smoldering, edgy sexuality that may have overshadowed his very real acting talent. Just a personal take. I heard rumors of drug problems, too, but I never delved too deeply into that so they remain rumors to me - and nothing more.
For those interested in art, do check out his artwork. Information about that can be found if you search online, very easily.
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