Spring Parade of the Hungarian Book Industry

American Actor Tony Curtis Honors Budapest's 16th Hungarian Book Festival

American actor of Hungarian origin Tony Curtis recently presented his memoires 'American Prince' at the 16th Budapest International Book Festival. In his new autobiography, the 84-year-old Hollywood star, who is perhaps best known for his role in the 1959 comedy classic 'Some Like It Hot,' offers intimate glimpses into his marriages, his drug addiction and his passion as a painter, taking the reader behind the scenes of some of his great films and relationships. "I wanted to give a real insight into the life of a genuine Hollywood star, and also into the darker side of being a celebrity," he said, adding he did not find it difficult at all, as "these stories kept flooding into my brain all the time." Out of his immense body of memories with Frank Sinatra, Laurence Olivier, Jack Lemmon,etc., he fondly remembers actress Marilyn Monroe. "She was a wonderful girl: beautiful, marvelously sexy, and an infinitely kind, pure-hearted person too," Curtis said. "But there was a bit of tragedy with her. She was always falling into places that caused her trouble. She was fragile, and that had a dire effect."

No easy life

Curtis said he became an actor to escape from home, where he did not get on well with his parents. "I hated being at home, and though I didn't have enough education, but because I was handsome enough, acting was the only way out," he said. "I took it seriously and made my best effort to develop," he added. Curtis in fact was born Bernard Schwartz in the Bronx, New York, on June 3, 1925 to Hungarian Jewish immigrants. Helen and Emanuel Schwartz, a tailor, emigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s from Mátészalka. When Curtis was eight, he and his younger brother Julius were placed in an orphanage for a month because their parents could not afford to feed them. Four years later, Julius was struck and killed by a truck. Curtis literally escaped from home to serve in the United States Navy aboard a submarine tender during World War II. On September 2, 1945, he witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay from about a mile away. Following his military service, Curtis studied acting at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York with the German director Erwin Piscator along with Walter Matthau. Arriving in Hollywood in 1948 at age 23, he was placed under contract at Universal Pictures and changed his name to Tony Curtis. Since then, he has appeared in more than 100 films and has made frequent television appearances. He has been married five times, currently to Jill Vandenberg who is 42 year his junior. He nearly died when he contracted pneumonia in 2006 and now uses a wheelchair and can only walk short distances. He loves to paint, using oil, acryl and vibrant colors. His paintings are on display on different galleries from Las Vegas to London and Amsterdam.

Promoting Hungary

Curtis says he is proud of his Hungarian roots and gladly visits Hungary, which he sees as his home. "The Hungarian is my mother language, that we spoke at home until I was 6," he said. The actor shot two commercials for the Hungarian Tourism Agency some years ago, giving Hungary and Hungarians a good name in the U.S. He said he would gladly do so again. "I'm happy to have been born Hungarian," he notes, adding he wants this country to become "hot" again for American tourists. Also, he founded the Emanuel Foundation for Hungarian Culture, and has served as honorary chairperson, for the restoration and preservation of synagogues and some 1300 Jewish cemeteries in Hungary. During his recent stay in Budapest, Curtis opened an exhibition of his paintings at Virág Judit Gallery, first in Hungary. He has decided to volunteer his time and money, and one of his paintings he put on sale went to benefit the 'Mosoly Foundation'.