Tony Curtis WW2 Veteran - The Firearms Forum

Palmetto · 09-30-2010, 07:13 AM

Many of you remember Tony Curtis in the movies, he passed away at age 85. I never knew he was a WW2 veteran and was wounded in Guam.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment...y-curtis-dead/

Jackman · 09-30-2010, 07:42 AM

Saw that too, Navy man surprised I always give those WWII guys alot more respect than the average Joe but when ya read more of his biography a different picture emerges , he had a few wives and kids that don't talk to him and had a drug and alcohol addiction too, for a while did not work just did not have the drive,,, just a little proof that success has made a failure of many

3/2 STA SS · 09-30-2010, 09:57 AM

Probably some issues with battle that ALOT of veterans have. We have all seen alot overseas.

Bubblehead · 09-30-2010, 10:06 AM

From what I've read about him, he spent his time in the Navy serving aboard a Submarine Tender. I'm not sure I believe the "wounded in Guam" story.

I'm not trying to give him a bad rap, I liked him as an actor. But it sounds like something a publicity agent might have used to bolster his resume.

Palmetto · 09-30-2010, 10:26 AM

ony Curtis (USN, Hollywood actor, born Bernard Schwartz, who was inspired to drop out of high school and join the U.S. Navy submarine force after watching Tyrone Power in the 1943 movie Crash Dive. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Dragonette which ran aground on an uncharted coral reef on December 15, 1944, flooding the entire forward torpedo room. It was the only submarine to survive such an accident. Curtis was injured on Guam while loading torpedoes when a chain broke and struck him across the back. The incident paralyzed him for awhile, and he spent seven weeks in the hospital where a nurse read to him from Shakespeare. This rekindled his interest in acting. After he returned to the submarine, he developed an impersonation of Cary Grant from the many times he saw Gunga Din (1939), which was the only movie aboard. After his discharge, he studied acting on the GI Bill and he and Cary Grant later acted together in a submarine movie Operation Petticoat (1959). Curtis also did his Cary Grant imitation in another 1959 movie Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe. In 1964, Tony Curtis took actress Christine Kaufmann as his second wife. During World War II, Christine's father had served as a Luftwaffe pilot.), who earlier had been wounded at Guam, watched the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay through binoculars while serving aboard a submarine tender.

09-30-2010, 07:13 AM	#1
Palmetto V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 188	Tony Curtis WW2 Veteran Many of you remember Tony Curtis in the movies, he passed away at age 85. I never knew he was a WW2 veteran and was wounded in Guam. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment...y-curtis-dead/ -->

09-30-2010, 07:42 AM	#2
Jackman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 446	Re: Tony Curtis WW2 Veteran Saw that too, Navy man surprised I always give those WWII guys alot more respect than the average Joe but when ya read more of his biography a different picture emerges , he had a few wives and kids that don't talk to him and had a drug and alcohol addiction too, for a while did not work just did not have the drive,,, just a little proof that success has made a failure of many

09-30-2010, 09:57 AM	#3
3/2 STA SS Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Area, FL Posts: 1,437	Re: Tony Curtis WW2 Veteran Probably some issues with battle that ALOT of veterans have. We have all seen alot overseas.

09-30-2010, 10:06 AM	#4
Bubblehead V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pioneer, CA Posts: 480	Re: Tony Curtis WW2 Veteran From what I've read about him, he spent his time in the Navy serving aboard a Submarine Tender. I'm not sure I believe the "wounded in Guam" story. I'm not trying to give him a bad rap, I liked him as an actor. But it sounds like something a publicity agent might have used to bolster his resume. __________________ There are only two types of ships: Submarines and Targets.

09-30-2010, 10:26 AM	#5
Palmetto V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 188	Re: Tony Curtis WW2 Veteran ony Curtis (USN, Hollywood actor, born Bernard Schwartz, who was inspired to drop out of high school and join the U.S. Navy submarine force after watching Tyrone Power in the 1943 movie Crash Dive. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Dragonette which ran aground on an uncharted coral reef on December 15, 1944, flooding the entire forward torpedo room. It was the only submarine to survive such an accident. Curtis was injured on Guam while loading torpedoes when a chain broke and struck him across the back. The incident paralyzed him for awhile, and he spent seven weeks in the hospital where a nurse read to him from Shakespeare. This rekindled his interest in acting. After he returned to the submarine, he developed an impersonation of Cary Grant from the many times he saw Gunga Din (1939), which was the only movie aboard. After his discharge, he studied acting on the GI Bill and he and Cary Grant later acted together in a submarine movie Operation Petticoat (1959). Curtis also did his Cary Grant imitation in another 1959 movie Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe. In 1964, Tony Curtis took actress Christine Kaufmann as his second wife. During World War II, Christine's father had served as a Luftwaffe pilot.), who earlier had been wounded at Guam, watched the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay through binoculars while serving aboard a submarine tender.