1925-06-03 Bronx, New York, USA
Tony Curtis (June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances. Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950's he became a notable and strong screen presence. He began proving himself to be a “fine dramatic actor,” having the range to act in numerous dramatic and comedy roles. In his earliest parts he acted in a string of "mediocre" films, including swashbucklers, westerns, light comedies, sports films, and a musical. However, by the time he starred in Houdini (1953) with his wife Janet Leigh, "his first clear success," notes critic David Thomson, his acting had progressed immensely. He won his first serious recognition as a skilled dramatic actor in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with co-star Burt Lancaster. The following year he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in another drama, The Defiant Ones (1958). Curtis then gave what many believe was his best acting, in a completely different role, the comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). Thomson calls it an "outrageous film," and it was voted the number 1 funniest film in history from a survey done by the American Film Institute. It costarred Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, and was directed by Billy Wilder. That was followed by Blake Edwards’ comedy Operation Petticoat (1959) with Cary Grant. They were both “frantic comedies,” and displayed "his impeccable comic timing." He often collaborated with Edwards on later films. His most significant serious part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama The Boston Strangler, which some consider his "last major film role." The part reinforced his reputation as a serious actor with his "chilling portrayal" of serial killer Albert DeSalvo. He gained 30 pounds and had his face "rebuilt" with a false nose to look like the real DeSalvo. Curtis was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.
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From Roger Moore with Love | Self (archive footage) | 2024-12-15 |
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Retratos Fantasmas | Self (archive footage) | 2023-08-24 |
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Rat Pack | Self (archive footage) | 2022-01-11 |
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Amicalement vôtre : Hollywood au service de sa Majesté | Danny Wilde | 2017-07-05 |
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Marlon Brando, un acteur nommé désir | Self - Actor (archive footage) | 2014-09-20 |
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Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe | Self (archive footage) | 2012-05-15 |
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Tony Curtis - le gamin de Bronx | Self | 2012-03-20 |
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That's Insignificance | Self | 2011-06-14 |
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Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff | Eric (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2010-05-05 |
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Tony Curtis erzählt... | Self | 2010-10-03 |
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Marilyn Monroe - Ich möchte geliebt werden | Self | 2010-02-10 |
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Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel | Self | 2009-09-12 |
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Hollywood sul Tevere | 2009-09-07 | |
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David & Fatima | Mr. Schwartz | 2008-06-27 |
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The Jill & Tony Curtis Story | 2008-04-27 | |
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The Making of 'Some Like It Hot' | Self | 2006-06-25 |
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The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot' | Self | 2006-06-25 |
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Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten | Self (archive footage) | 2006-03-15 |
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Hollywood Legenden | Self | 2004-01-01 |
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Hugh Hefner: American Playboy | Self | 2003-11-18 |
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Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration | 2003-07-19 | |
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Reflections of Evil | Host | 2002-03-22 |
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Tony Curtis on 'Some Like It Hot' | Self | 2001-05-22 |
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Nobody's Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot | Self | 2001-12-31 |
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Rescued from the Closet | Self | 2001-05-29 |
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Play It to the Bone | Tony Curtis (Ringside Fan) | 1999-12-25 |
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Stargames | King Fendel | 1998-06-03 |
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Roxanne's Best Christmas Ever | Bernard (voice) | 1998-12-15 |
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Louis & Frank | Lenny Star Springer | 1998-07-08 |
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Elvis Meets Nixon | Tony Curtis | 1997-08-12 |
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Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball | Wald | 1997-03-30 |
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The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man | Jack Steele | 1997-05-13 |
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The Celluloid Closet | Self | 1996-03-15 |
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Roger Moore: A Matter of Class | Self | 1995-11-16 |
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The Immortals | Dominic | 1995-10-05 |
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Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit | Lucky Bergstrom | 1994-04-03 |
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A Century of Cinema | Self | 1994-01-01 |
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Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor | Johnny Steele | 1994-11-09 |
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The Mummy Lives | Aziru / Dr. Mohassid | 1993-07-10 |
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Naked in New York | Carl Fisher | 1993-11-10 |
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Center of the Web | Stephen Moore | 1992-05-15 |
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Christmas in Connecticut | Alexander Yardley | 1992-12-22 |
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Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time | Self | 1992-01-01 |
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Prime Target | Copella | 1991-09-27 |
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Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box | Narrator (voice) / Self | 1991-11-29 |
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Lobster Man from Mars | J.P. Shelldrake | 1990-02-09 |
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Thanksgiving Day | Max Schloss | 1990-11-19 |
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Midnight | Mr. B | 1989-07-01 |
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Tarzan in Manhattan | Archimedes Porter | 1989-04-15 |
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Walter og Carlo: I Amerika | WIlly La Rouge | 1989-11-24 |
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Der Passagier - Welcome to Germany | Mr. Cornfield | 1988-05-04 |
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Sparky's Magic Piano | 1987-01-01 | |
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Mafia Princess | Sam Giancana | 1986-01-19 |
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Club Life | Hector | 1986-02-20 |
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Murder in Three Acts | Charles Cartwright | 1986-09-30 |
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The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal | Self | 1986-07-31 |
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Banter | Charles Foster | 1986-08-25 |
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Insignificance | The Senator | 1985-08-02 |
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Half Nelson | 1985-03-24 | |
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Where Is Parsifal? | Parsifal Katzanella-Boden | 1984-01-01 |
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Balboa | Ernie Stoddard | 1983-01-02 |
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Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
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BrainWaves | Dr. Clavius | 1983-08-05 |
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Magic with the Stars | Harry Houdini (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1982-01-17 |
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Otelo (Comando negro) | Col. Iago | 1982-11-15 |
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Portrait of a Showgirl | Joey DeLeon | 1982-04-09 |
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Inmates: A Love Story | Flanagan | 1981-02-13 |
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The Million Dollar Face | Chester Masterson | 1981-03-12 |
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Little Miss Marker | Blackie | 1980-03-21 |
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The Mirror Crack'd | Martin N. Fenn | 1980-02-06 |
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The Masqueraders | Danny Wilde | 1980-01-01 |
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The Scarlett O'Hara War | David O. Selznick | 1980-05-19 |
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It Rained All Night the Day I Left | Robert Talbot | 1980-08-05 |
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Title Shot | Frank Renzetti | 1979-09-09 |
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Death Becomes Me | Danny Wilde (archive footage) | 1979-01-01 |
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Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration | Self | 1979-05-07 |
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Sextette | Alexei Karansky | 1978-03-03 |
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The Bad News Bears Go to Japan | Marvin Lazar | 1978-06-30 |
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The Manitou | Harry Erskine | 1978-04-28 |
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The Users | Randy Brent | 1978-10-01 |
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Casanova & Co. | Giacomo Casanova / Giacomino | 1977-03-01 |
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The Last Appointment! | Danny Wilde | 1977-06-11 |
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The Switch | Danny Wilde | 1976-06-07 |
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The Last Tycoon | Rodriguez | 1976-11-18 |
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Lepke | Louis 'Lepke' Buchalter | 1975-05-23 |
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The Count of Monte-Cristo | Fernand Morcerf Mondego | 1975-10-31 |
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Sporting Chance | Danny Wilde (archive footage) | 1975-01-01 |
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London Conspiracy | Danny Wilde (archive footage) | 1974-10-04 |
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Mission: Monte Carlo | Danny Wilde (archive footage) | 1974-01-01 |
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The Third Girl from the Left | Joey Jordan | 1973-10-16 |
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The Persuaders! | Danny Wilde | 1973-04-01 |
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Norman Jewison, Film Maker | Self (uncredited) | 1971-01-01 |
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You Can't Win 'Em All | Adam Dyer | 1970-07-23 |
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Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? | Shannon Gambroni | 1970-09-11 |
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Monte Carlo or Bust! | Chester Schofield | 1969-04-28 |
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Rosemary's Baby | Donald Baumgart (voice) (uncredited) | 1968-06-12 |
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The Boston Strangler | Albert DeSalvo | 1968-10-08 |
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La cintura di castità | Guerrando da Montone | 1967-12-01 |
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Don't Make Waves | Carlo Cofield | 1967-06-20 |
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Chamber of Horrors | Mr. Julian | 1966-10-19 |
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Arrivederci, Baby! | Nick Johnson | 1966-12-28 |
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Not With My Wife, You Don't! | Tom Ferris | 1966-11-02 |
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The Legend of Marilyn Monroe | 1966-11-30 | |
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The Great Race | The Great Leslie | 1965-07-01 |
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Boeing, Boeing | Bernard Lawrence | 1965-12-22 |
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Wild and Wonderful | Terry Williams | 1964-06-09 |
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Paris When It Sizzles | Actor Portraying Maurice or Philippe (uncredited) | 1964-03-01 |
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Goodbye Charlie | George Wellington Tracy | 1964-11-18 |
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Sex and the Single Girl | Bob Weston | 1964-12-25 |
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The List of Adrian Messenger | Organ Grinder | 1963-05-23 |
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Captain Newman, M.D. | Cpl. Jackson "Jake" Leibowitz | 1963-12-25 |
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40 Pounds of Trouble | Steve McCluskey | 1962-12-31 |
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Taras Bulba | Andrei Bulba | 1962-11-21 |
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The Outsider | Ira Hamilton Hayes | 1961-12-27 |
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Menschen, Hoffnungen, Medaillen | Self | 1960-03-14 |
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The Rat Race | Pete Hammond Jr. | 1960-07-10 |
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Pepe | Tony Curtis | 1960-12-21 |
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The Great Impostor | Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. / Martin Donner / Dr. Gilbert / Ben. W. Stone / Dr. Joseph Mornay / Robert Boyd Hammnd | 1960-12-23 |
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Spartacus | Antoninus | 1960-10-13 |
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Who Was That Lady? | David Wilson | 1960-04-08 |
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Operation Petticoat | Lieutenant Nicholas Holden | 1959-12-05 |
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Some Like It Hot | Joe (Josephine) | 1959-03-19 |
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The Perfect Furlough | Cpl. Paul Hodges | 1958-11-30 |
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The Defiant Ones | John 'Joker' Jackson | 1958-08-14 |
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The Vikings | Eric | 1958-06-11 |
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Kings Go Forth | Caporal Britt Harris | 1958-06-28 |
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Mister Cory | Cory | 1957-02-23 |
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The Midnight Story | Joe Martini | 1957-06-04 |
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Sweet Smell of Success | Sidney Falco | 1957-07-04 |
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The Rawhide Years | Ben Matthews | 1956-07-01 |
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Nightmare | Tony | 1956-01-01 |
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Trapeze | Tino Orsini | 1956-05-30 |
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Allen in Movieland | Self | 1955-07-02 |
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Six Bridges to Cross | Jerry Florea | 1955-01-21 |
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The Purple Mask | Rene de Traviere / The Purple Mask | 1955-06-15 |
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The Square Jungle | Eddie Quaid / Packy Glennon | 1955-12-30 |
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Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood | 1954-04-18 | |
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Beachhead | Burke | 1954-02-05 |
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The Black Shield of Falworth | Myles Falworth | 1954-09-02 |
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Johnny Dark | Johnny Dark | 1954-06-25 |
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So This Is Paris | Joe Maxwell | 1954-12-15 |
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A Star Is Born World Premiere | Self | 1954-09-28 |
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Houdini | Harry Houdini | 1953-07-02 |
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The World's Most Beautiful Girls | Self | 1953-01-29 |
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Forbidden | Eddie Darrow | 1953-12-02 |
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The All American | Nick Bonelli | 1953-10-01 |
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No Room for the Groom | Alvah Morrell | 1952-06-13 |
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Meet Danny Wilson | Nightclub Patron | 1952-02-08 |
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An Eye for an Eye | 1952-01-02 | |
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Come Back Little Shiksa | 1952-01-01 | |
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Flesh and Fury | Paul Callan | 1952-06-26 |
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Son of Ali Baba | Kashma Baba | 1952-08-15 |
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The Prince Who Was a Thief | Julna | 1951-05-17 |
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The Re-Inforcer | Baffo | 1951-10-04 |
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Fairfax Avenue | 1951-01-01 | |
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Woman in Hiding | Dave Shaw (voice) (uncredited) | 1950-01-06 |
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I Was a Shoplifter | Pepe | 1950-05-13 |
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Sierra | Brent Coulter | 1950-05-26 |
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Kansas Raiders | Kit Dalton | 1950-11-15 |
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Francis | Captain Jones | 1950-02-08 |
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Winchester '73 | Doan | 1950-07-06 |
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Johnny Stool Pigeon | Joey Hyatt | 1949-04-20 |
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Criss Cross | Gigolo (uncredited) | 1949-02-04 |
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How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border | 1949-01-01 | |
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City Across the River | Mitch (as Anthony Curtis) | 1949-04-07 |
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The Lady Gambles | Bellboy (as Anthony Curtis) | 1949-05-20 |
