Tony Curtis was a Hollywood favorite known for his roles in Some Like It Hot and Spartacus. But, also for making the mistake of mixing his personal and professional life. His taste for younger women further complicated his life, leaving his family and fans unhappy. In his 85 years, he was married to six different women, had six children, countless affairs, and numerous scandals. Here are facts you didn't know about the once-Hollywood heartthrob.
Growing Up on an Empty Stomach
Many have the misconception that wealthy movie stars have always been wealthy. However, for Tony Curtis, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The Tony Curtis that Hollywood grew to know and love was actually born Bernard Schwartz, in 1925. He was born and raised in Manhattan, living with his family in a small room at the back of his father’s tailor shop.
Not only did the family have to share a small space, but they often didn’t have enough money for food. At one point, their financial situation got so bad that Tony and his brothers were sent to live in an orphanage for a month. While we would love to say that things only got better for the Schwartz family, that unfortunately isn’t true.
Tragedy Seemed to Follow Tony
Since his very first day on earth, Tony’s life had been difficult. While his family had no money for food, at least they had each other. Unfortunately, soon the stability of his family was taken from him too. When Tony was only 12 years old, he lost his brother when a truck ran over him.
Mental Illness Stole His Family
While a home is supposed to be a person’s safe place, it wasn’t one for Curtis. As the years went on, he began to notice a shift in his mother’s mood. Tony recalled, "When I was a child, Mom beat me up and was very aggressive and antagonistic." He membered countless times when his mother would beat him without fully understanding why.
Tony was a young boy trying to figure out how to deal with such a big loss but the hits just kept coming. As he would later find out, mental illness ran in his family. He had already lost one beloved family member and he was about to lose two more.
Eventually, his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. While his mother got the help that she needed and the family recouped, tragedy struck again. Tony’s brother had inherited his mother’s mental illness and needed to be institutionalized.
e Was Saved From a Different Life
Growing up in Manhattan brought with it struggles of its own. Combine that with the tragedy that constantly loomed over the Schwartzes and you get one tough child. As he grew up, Tony knew how to handle himself on the streets. During his childhood, he joined a neighborhood gang whose main crimes were skipping school and minor theft from the local dime store.
When Curtis was 11, a friendly neighbor saved him from what he felt would have led to a life of delinquency by sending him to a Boy Scout camp. There, he was able to work off his energy and calm down. His former behavior often led him into dangerous street fights, but Tony was smart enough to protect his assets—his handsome face. He was a good-looking teen and he knew it. It paid off.
Saying Goodbye to Bernard Schwartz
Tony got a job as a truck driver to help put food on the table. But, he knew that this wasn’t it for him and that better things were in store for him. So he started taking acting classes. For a moment, the dark cloud looming over Tony’s life seemed to lift when he was spotted and approached by a talent agent.
It wasn't any talent agent—it was David O. Selznick’s niece! Tony moved to Hollywood, changed his name, and signed a contract with Universal Studios. His acting career started with fencing and riding lessons along with small roles in a handful of films. Curtis was overjoyed but was simply chasing a little money and attention from women. He never could have known just how big he would make it.
Tony Was Nothing Like They Had Seen Before
When Tony Curtis first stepped onto the scene, women lost their minds over him. Why, you ask? Well, our best guess would be that it was because Tony was nothing like the other leading men in Hollywood. For starters, he had full lips and blue eyes. He also brought a new feminized male beauty to the industry by plucking his eyebrows and taking extra care of his appearance.
Apart from his dashing good looks, Tony brought an iconic ducktail hairstyle to the screen. As his career went on, Tony made some shocking choices but this hairstyle was never one of them. In fact, it even inspired Elvis Presley enough for him to make it a part of his signature style.
A Legendary Love Story
In 1959, Tony starred alongside Marilyn Monroe in the romantic comedy Some Like It Hot. What many didn’t know at the time was that, according to Tony, the two had actually dated before, in 1949. Tony remembers sharing many happy memories with the star, like having barbeques and more on the beach.
The couple shared many happy memories but sadly they didn’t last very long. While their relationship may have ended, their story carried on for quite a while. Together the couple shared an array of emotions toward each other, most of which weren’t positive. By this time, Curtis had already caught the eye of another film goddess.
