Curtis was a great sight in movies - with his "thick black hair and cerulean eyes" [copyright all hacks: do fuck off]. And his unreconstructed, truck driver's Lower East Side NY accent took nothing away from Spartacus as the sound of Crassus' sexy slave, or any movie much whatever the period. His voice was and is one of America's ownership imprints on celluloid time from Adam 'n' Eve onwards. It's a pity he now professes not to know of his successors like Leonardo DiCaprio or George Clooney. He thinks Robert Downey Jr may have "it" as heir to the big cocked glitter capes of Sinatra and Grant (Cary), as reported in a rather good Sunday Times interview today, click here. Bob's fucked about, done the drugs and repents of his weaknesses half-heartedly in movie promo interviews (a sad form of whorism). So all this may explain Curtis' belated recognition.
Did you know Bob's writing a Broadway musical? Well, you do now.
However three things I'd like to add. First, what's with the Tony Curtis website? Go to Art Gallery & Store and you get "Coming soon". Go to The Art of Tony Curtis and ... "Coming soon". Where You Can See Tony ... ditto. It's simply not good enough. Curtis is a living relic of Heavenly Hollywood: let's make a greater effort to keep the show on the road, guys. Unless of course "coming soon" was Tony's line to all his many, many glitzy sperm depositories, a sort of sneaky homage reference that cineastes love. Website.
Other thing: I greatly admire Tony's wife Jill's work to save horses from slaughter. She runs Shiloh (Horse Rescue & Sanctuary). To read up click here.
And in the absence of any art on Tony's website here's a rather good example. His work has been likened to that of Van Gogh or Matisse, but why don't we just say they're very Curtis. He once said: "I've been painting all my life. I'm not a celebrity fucking painter." Admirable.
4 comments:
One of my childhood crushes! He was so cute, funny and exciting. I specially liked him in Some Like It Hot and I was devastated to see that The Persuaders! was so short-lived. His frankness about who/how he is can be a putt-off, but it only speaks better of him that he doesn’t pretend to be something other than himself and takes responsibility for his actions; and he’s a talented painter!
I like that he has the confidence / lack of gittishness to allow his artworks to be judged entirely on their own merits. Very refreshing. Always liked the look of his paintings.
He was ace in The Persuaders too :)
I can't define Curtis as an actor except as this New Yorker truck driver who wore whatever costume required of him. He is to be admired for not playing up to period stuff. He understood intuitively I think that the New York truck driver is to be found throughout history and at all levels of society. Why has he not be given an honorary Oscar?
Tony Curtis was and IS a great talent and will be legendary in the field of acting... he has entertained me over the years with great pieces of cinematic genius.. a master in his field; in painting you must master the art of drawing in order to execute abstract and expressionism well... though I find his work as whimsical as his dimples... the man and his art(s) evokes a smile and a warm feeling... what more can one want. Especially in these hard times...at least something is...a 'titalliating hard-on...'
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