Tony Curtis: The Autobiography [Hardcover]

Tony Curtis (Author), Barry Paris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1993

The uncensored, anecdotal memoirs of a Hollywood legend chronicles Curtis's journey from the streets of New York, to worldwide success, to the insanity of alcohol and drug abuse, to a new life. 125,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Self-serving and related in the argot of a former street kid, this story traces the metamorphosis of Bernie Schwartz, battler against anti-Semitic gangs, into Tony Curtis, screen personality. Leaving his Lower East Side Manhattan neighborhood in 1949 at the age of 23, he arrived in Hollywood with a contract that ultimately led to stardom. Writing with Paris ( Louise Brooks ), the actor dwells equally on his talents and supposedly irresistible appeal to women. To support the latter contention, Curtis lists his many lovers and four wives: first Janet Leigh, mother of two; the second and third wives, who bore two more offspring each; and his recent bride, a young law-school graduate. If Curtis's vanity didn't interfere, one could more readily sympathize with the man as a survivor of a mean childhood and the drug addiction from which he is recovering. Unfortunately, he blames most of his troubles on others, beginning with his parents. Such attacks and small thanks to benefactors ill become the hero of The Defiant Ones , Spartacus , Some Like it Hot and other films. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This is Tony Curtis's story in his own words, and it is a corker. His depiction of a boyhood as a poor New York City street kid, son of Hungarian immigrants, is moving as well as philosophical and is a recurring theme throughout his life and remarkably diverse career. Curtis offers a candid look at many of his films--from Criss Cross to The Vikings to Some Like It Hot. Anecdotes about famous players abound, reading read like a Who's Who of Hollywood. Curtis is pointedly open about his personal life--four marriages, six children, two tragic brothers, drug addiction, sex, art career, friendships, and more. In addition, coauthor Paris intersperses occasional "boxed" comments, quotes, and wonderful photos throughout the text. This is a literate, first-class "star" autobiography, frank and absorbing but not for the prudish. For large entertainment collections.
- Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, N.J.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (November 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688097596
• ISBN-13: 978-0688097592
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent read, even if you're not a fan, August 25, 1999

By 

Mrs M Goody (Bilston, West Midlands Great Britain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tony Curtis: The Autobiography (Hardcover)

This book is perfect if you want to read about TC, other famous people, the movies, or a young boy who went through a lot and grew up to be famous and go through some rough times again. TC tells us about his childhood, his teenage years, his brothers, his women, his kids, his films, he makes us laugh and he makes us cry. He is an amaizing guy. This autobiography, with the help of BP, is a brilliant read. It's not just for people who were around in the sixties either. I'm 16 and have read this book twice. I recomend this book to anyone that is a fan like me, or anyone who likes to read a good book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blunt, Honest, September 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Tony Curtis: The Autobiography (Hardcover)

I have enjoyed reading this book. I find Tony's blunt honesty amusing. I will be reading along and suddenly laugh out loud over something he has said just because it is so plain-spokenly blunt. Of course I would hate for that bluntness to be used against me.

Curtis is kind towards his first wife Janet Leigh. Maybe that is because she has been kind towards him. It seems that he doesn't have much to do with his other ex-wives. At the time this book was published he was married to a girl named Lisa.

Curtis also was/is very sensitive about his being Jewish and how he was picked on as a kid, and as an adult (the stuffed, taped tail-pipe in Germany-read the book to find out what that is about).

Curtis was always a very good-looking man and he knew it, and he's honest about knowing it. His idol was Cary Grant. He wanted to make movies with Marilyn Monroe and Mae West so he could say he and Grant were the only actors to make movies with both. Curtis' tale about filming "Sextette" with Mae West is hilarious.

I love his honesty, but there is alot of anger in him. Too bad he couldn't get therapy to work that out. It probably contributed to the break-down of his marriages, and his drug habits in the past. You have to give him credit for surviving though.

I have to say that his performance in "Sex and the Single Girl" is one of my very favorites. He and Natalie Wood had such a strong on-screen chemistry.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars lots of detail, but WHAT an egomaniac!, January 9, 2010

By 

The Girl Who Loved Books (Hamilton, ONT, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tony Curtis: The Autobiography (Hardcover)

Interesting details about TC's life.

Still, his animosity toward his ex-wives (except for Janet Leigh) is a huge turn-off, as is his constant whining. The worst, though, is the amount of times he talks about what a big star he was (and still thinks he is), and how incredibly handsome he thinks he is. He actually makes the ridiculous statement that people still stop and stare when he walks in the room because of his extreme handsomeness; I think the truth is that they can't believe how AWFUL he looks now!

And as for his "art"...as if anyone would pay $$$ for that crap if it wasn't done by Tony Curtis. I know this is an old cliche, but my four-year-old son could paint just as good.