Bernard Schwartz A.K.A. Tony Curtis June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010, age 85, cardiac arrest
Hunky, Hungarian-American Jew Tony Curtis played both comedic and dramatic roles in his sixty-plus years as an actor, but a WWII veteran and prolific surrealist artist. Before acting, he led a hard life growing up in the Bronx, NY. His parents were so poor, at one point he and his younger brother were put in an orphanage. His mother and older brother were both diagnosed with schizophrenia, and his brother was institutionalized. His younger brother was hit by a vehicle and died. He joined a small-time gang when he was eleven but a concerned neighbor sent him away to the Boy Scouts of America, which put him on the right track. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he joined the Navy. He chose to serve on a submarine, where he met life-long friend, Larry Storch, with whom he worked in films like The Prince Who Was A Thief, Who Was That Lady?, The Rat Race, 40 Pounds of Trouble, Captain Newman, M.D., and Sex and the Single Girl. He made many controversial moves during his career. In 1951, the studio he was contracted to did not want him to marry his first wife, actress Janet Leigh, so they eloped. Their marriage lasted until 1962 and produced two daughters, actresses Kelly and Jamie Lee Curtis. He took the role of the sidekick in Spartacus, which he was advised against, but still maintained a strong career. He also chose to work with Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones and insisted on giving Poitier equal billing, which ruffled a lot of feathers at the time. He also had an affair with Marilyn Monroe, with whom he starred in one of his most memorable roles in Some Like It Hot. They both had schizophrenic mothers and spent time in an orphanage , and he claimed in his autobiography that she miscarried his child. They were both married at the time and didn’t want to damage their careers,, but he claimed he always loved her. He was married a total of six times, and once stated, “I wouldn’t be seen dead with a woman old enough to be my wife.”
He was married to his second wife, German actress Christine Kaufmann, who was 17 at the time, from 1963 to 1968 and had two more daughters, German actresses Allegra and Alexandra Curtis. He was also married to Leslie Allen from 1968 to 1982. They had two sons. Tragically, their son, Nicolas died of a drug overdose in 1994, at the age of 23. He was married to Andria Savio from 1983 to 1992, Lisa Deutsch from 1993 to 1994 and Jill Vandenberg Curtis (42 years younger than he) from 1998 until his death. He also had a well-publicised battle with cocaine and spent time at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, CA in the 1980′s, where he finally kicked the addiction. A few years ago he was quoted as saying that when he died, he wanted his ashes spread over Las Vegas, NV.
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Edwin “Eddie” Fisher August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010, age 82, complications from hip surgery
Gloria Stuart July 4, 1910 – September 26, 2010, age 100, respiratory failure
Arthur Penn September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010, age 88, congestive heart failure
Greg Giraldo December 10, 1965 – September 29, 2010, age 44, drug overdose
Bernard Schwartz A.K.A. Tony Curtis June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010, age 85, cardiac arrest
Stephen J. Cannell, February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010, age 69, complications associated with melanoma
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Arthur Penn September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010, age 88, congestive heart failure
Producer/director Arthur Penn had an illustrious career that spanned over fourty years. He directed such classic films as The Miracle Worker, Bonnie and Clyde, Alice’s Restaurant (which he also wrote the screenplay for), Night Moves, and Little Big Man. He was nominated for several awards and won 12. He was married to Peggy Maurer from 1955 until his death and they had two children together.
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Gloria Stuart July 4, 1910 – September 26, 2010, age 100, respiratory failure
Gloria Stuart was a popular actress in the 1930′s. While married to her first husband, Blair Gordon Newell from 1930-1934, the couple lived in Carmel, CA. She spent time creating art and hanging out with famous artists such as Ansel Adams. In 1934, she married screenwriter Arthur Sheekman, who she was married to until his death in 1978. When his health was deteriorating from Alzheimer’s disease in the mid-’70′s, she attempted a comeback. She had some television appearances and movie roles, but she got an academy award nod, becoming the oldest nominee for best supporting actress for her role as the elderly “Rose” in the 1997 mega hit Titanic. She received the Ralph Morgan award from the Screen Actor’s Guild in July of 2010, honoring her career.
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Edwin “Eddie” Fisher August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010, age 82, complications from hip surgery
Singer/Actor Eddie Fisher was as well-known for his marriages as his career. He was a teen crush for many ’50′s teeny boppers and starlets, as well. He married Debbie Reynolds in 1955. They had two children, Carrie and Todd Fisher (Carrie is well-known for her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy.). In 1959, he divorced Debbie Reynolds amid a major Hollywood scandal. On March 28, 1958, his best friend, Mike Todd, died in a plane crash. What started out as an attempt to comfort his friend’s widow turned into a torrid affair. The same year his divorce finalized, Eddie Fisher married Elizabeth Taylor. Their marriage produced no children and they divorced in 1964. In 1967, he married actress/singer Connie Stevens and had two daughters, Joley and Tricia Leigh Fisher, both actresses. The marriage ended in 1969. He was married to Terry Richard from 1975 to 1976. He was married to Betty Lin from 1993 until her death in 2001.
©Gossip Ain’t Sweet, LLC 2010
