American Prince: A Memoir
by Peter Golenbock, Tony Curtis
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Book Reviews of American Prince: A Memoir
Book Review: "Yonda lies the castle of my fodda."
Summary: 4 Stars
I liked Tony Curtis in his heyday, but his memoir makes him look like a perpetually horny little boy with the biggest ego in Hollywood.
He talks about all of his movies but he seems proudest of his trysts with his leading ladies; apparently there were few starlets who could resist his charms. I gave up counting how many affairs he had; they must have numbered in the hundreds.
When his career took a nosedive, he blamed his six wives, his drug addiction, and anti-Semitism. His hubris concerning his desirability is matched only by his inflated opinion of his acting abilities. That said, this book certainly is a page-turner.
Book Review: A hot time in Hollywood!
Summary: 4 Stars
This was a fun book to read. It was especially interesting because Tony really wasn't a huge star like Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas or even Jerry Lewis. He didn't get great roles offered to him even though he was well liked in Hollywood. His many, many 'romantic' conquests were great to hear about, wow, what a time it must have been!
He left out a few details that I would like to know about - like who gave him the name Tony Curtis? Did he almost pick another name instead?
It is a great book if you enjoy reading about this special time in Hollywood. I also enjoyed Jerry Lewis's book Dean & Me.
Book Review: Tony in Hollywood
Summary: 3 Stars
I always thought Tony Curtis to be one of the best looking guys in the movies. I loved him in the Vikings and Spartacus, Trapeze, The Rat Race, and The Sweet Smell of Success. However in the later 60s and 70s he appeared in a bunch of silly forgetable movies and never really had another good role. He never really explains why. He glosses over his drug problems which may be the reason for his best acting years being pre drug days. The book is enertaining but that is all. I suspect we will have to wait until Tony is gone and someone does a biography to get the story behind the story.Book Review: From rags to stardom
Summary: 5 Stars
During that era only in America could one come from rags, a dysfunctional family, verbal abuse, discrimination,and tragedy. This is an amazing story that is brutally honest about a man determined to be in the movies. He perservered through tough times in getting acting parts and taking roles that were not up to standard for most actors. His good looks took him a long way, but during the process he became a fine actor.Tony Curtis was very candid about his flaws and mistakes. I found the book very entertaining especially stories about his relationships with other stars.Book Review: One of the True "Movie Stars"
Summary: 5 Stars
This memoir is written with a very straight forward approach. Tony Curtis writes about himself exactly the way he is and was - flaws, regrets, egos, mistakes - he STILL remains one of the true "movie stars" of our time.
I especially liked Jill Curtis's intro. I feel that, for all the women in his life, she knew him the best. Tony Curtis was part of the Hollywood that "was"...a kind of glamourous Hollywood that doesn't exist anymore. A very good read if one likes the "biographical." Makes Tony Curtis a very memorable person...and INDEED a "Prince."