American Prince: A Memoir
by Peter Golenbock, Tony Curtis
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Book Reviews of American Prince: A Memoir
Book Review: Trauma at home, issues in Hollywood, acting out all the time - honest but ugly book
Summary: 4 Stars
By "acting out" I don't mean acting, but "acting out" either actual or alleged problems of his life through often-random sex.
His mom, it seems, though not a full-blown schizophrenic, likely had schizotypal disorder or something. A brother, four years younger, gets run over by a truck as a child and dies after Tony (born Bernard Schwartz) tells Julius to go away and stop bothering him. His parents later have a "makeup" child, who eventually DOES develop full-blown schizophrenia. (His mom even tried to get Tony to get his brother spots in films.)
Acting of some sort was already an escape then. Then, after World War II and the Navy, Tony goes through actors school and on to Hollywood.
Short story is the usual "studio system" ladder. Small parts, getting bigger, some career stereotyping, etc. Meanwhile, Curtis (probably like a fair chunk of other actors) measures his manhood by how many leading ladies he can bed, especially with his sultry looks and his hair. (That said, it takes two to tango and those ladies weren't just lying there.)
And, he's experiencing actual anti-Semitism, and in some cases, what was either actual, or perceived as such. So, fall into somebody's arms to avoid that, too.
Today, we'd diagnosis this, in all likelihood, as some sort of sexual addiction. Given that Curtis did develop a fairly serious coke habit (and at an older age than many), sex and coke appear to be ways of attempting to deny he was getting older, among other things.
Curtis admits as much in talking about his second marriage. He notes Catherine was 18 to his 37 and says she was too old for him.
That said, we never learn how he felt at the time about all this. But, maybe that's it; maybe he was so empty he didn't feel.
Other than not being apologetic enough to his kids (which may be honesty, too, even if unconscious), I think this was a decent but not great read.
I think Tony overrates himself as an actor; perhaps not hugely but yes, somewhat. I think if, he really had so little feeling about his life 40 years ago, it's odd that the clean/sober Curtis of today offers little more reflection about not feeling more about life then.
This book was on the 3/4 star edge, but because of the number of low ratings, not just 2-stars but 1-stars, I gave it the bump upward.
Book Review: Pulls No Punches...About how wonderful he is
Summary: 2 Stars
I am an avid classic movie fan and as such, I always enjoy a biography - especially an autobiography - of one of the celebrities from this glorious time in movie history. In my opinion, however, I will stick to enjoying Tony in front of the camera and not behind the desk with pen in hand. I usually can forgive a mediocre autobiography if for no other reason than for the tidbits about other celebrities that are inevitably featured. But after reading this, I am fairly certain that these tidbits must be greatly skewed due to the gargantuan ego of the author. I came away from this read with a none too favorable view of Tony Curtis. Every single time he mentions a woman from his life it's with a preface designed for no other reason than to describe her beauty or figure. He also brings up things that are completely irrelevant to the story at hand simply to recite a favorable compliment he might have received from someone. He writes how he believes that Ray Milland and Robert Mitchum were jealous of how spectacular he looked during the filming of "Tycoon." He notes how he only calls his daughter Jamie - never Jamie Lee because "Lee" will forever come out as "Leigh" to him - knocking his former wife and his daughter's mother. He goes on to state that only actors are creative and that being behind the camera is, in his opinion, less noble, noteworthy, and difficult which is why he never had a desire to direct or produce films. And this is only a tiny selection of self congratulatory drivel to be found throughout this book. Guaranteed to amaze. Almost worth reading as one of the most staggeringly self serving and self loving autobiographical accounts I've ever read. I do believe there is a way to relate truth without sounding like a self serving cad. TC seems about as deep as a puddle where this memoir is concerned. Stick to acting, Tony, I'd rather hang on to my belief that you were a debonaire movie great that I can watch and enjoy on screen. Because suave, kind, modest, and humble on the page - you certainly are NOT.Book Review: Bittersweet and honest, had to get 2 copies - here's why
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: Another Hollywood tell-all worth reading for its honesty
Summary: 5 Stars
Bernie Schwartz was born in 1925. Throughout a rough childhood, he went to the movies to escape from everyday reality. After a stint in the navy, he moved to Hollywood and changed his name to Tony Curtis. He became a famous actor who played in titles such as "The Flintstones, Some Like It Hot," and "Spartacus." Later in life he found a passion for painting. He and his current wife, Jill, run a ranch for abandoned and abused horses.
This book was a blast to read! Not only does Tony give all the dirt on himself, he also tells some fabulous stories about his friends and co-workers. I love the stories about Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, James Dean, and Frank Sinatra. He really gives you a feel for not only who he is, but who all of these other icons are and were. He tells what really happened between him and several famous actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Suzanne Pleshette. There is also a section with beautiful pictures of Tony and others.
We also have access to his personal life. He goes in-depth about the mental issues that have plagued his family, including himself. Not only does he go into details about what his childhood was like, he tells us all about the death of his little brother, Julie and the birth of his second brother, Bobby. There is a good glimpse into a life of neglect and abuse. Later he goes on to tell us about all four of his marriages and his children.
Whether you're a fan of Tony Curtis, or you've never even heard of him, this is a great read. It tells the story of a man who climbs from nothing to the top where he finds the dreams he worked so hard for, but along the way he has to sacrifice his other dreams.
If you love actors from this era like I do, then this is a book for your keeper shelf.
Armchair Interviews agrees.
Book Review: An American Bore
Summary: 1 Stars
Tony Curtis was never among my favorite stars but I picked up this book because I love to read anything about Hollywood's Golden Age. There aren't that many surviving stars left to tell how it was to be signed to one of the great studios. Surely, that put you in a terribly rarified world from mere humans.
Alas, Curtis seems to want to prove to the reader--over and over again, in relentless detail--that even more than being a star, he was a l00 percent red hot lover of women. Rarely a page goes by that he doesn't remind us of how over-sexed he was. I'm amazed the birth rate didn't explode whereever he wandered. This type of he-man memoir was typical during the 50s--but today, when stars appear on talk shows and describe everything from their sex lives to their bathroom habits--it simply comes off as yawn-inducing.
I wanted to read more about how some of his famous movies were put together--the technical aspects of famous scenes--and his opinion of his fellow stars. Even here, he remembers all of his co-stars as "wonderful...beautiful..." He even glosses over his notorious remarks about working with Marilyn Monroe. When someone asked him later how he liked working with her, Curtis said: "It was like kissing Hitler." Now, he goes into painful denials that he meant anything negative. Oh, she was wonderful, he now remembers.
Curtis' wandering eye led to his divorce from Janet Leigh and he remarried again and again.
Curtis deserves a good biography from an objective author. We'd love to read more in depth accounts of the making of his classic movies-like The Defiant Ones, Sweet Smell of Success, Trapeze, etc.
American Prince can be read mostly for amusement about why acting wasn't Curtis' great passion in life. It was WOMEN!