Celebrity obituaries are always a tricky thing.  It seems sort of unfair to sum up someone’s life based on their resume and their public persona.  We’d love to think we really know these folks, but we don’t.  We only know what they let us see.  So, I am not here today to eulogize the great Tony Curtis, who passed away this morning at his Las Vegas home, but rather to thank him for the joy and entertainment he gave us all and hopefully inspire anyone who doesn’t know his work to investigate all he did and continues to do.  After all, as the father of Jamie Lee Curtis, his legacy will continue on for many years to come.

Obviously, everyone should be on a first name basis with Some Like It Hot, but if you are unfamiliar with the great Curtis where do you start in the career of a man with 130 credits to his name on IMDB?

  Beyond his gender bending career role, Tony was in everything from westerns to WWII flicks to horror and slapstick.  He worked with Billy Wilder, Robert DeNiro, Stanley Kubrick, Cary Grant, Sidney Poitier, Kirk Douglas, Jimmy Stewart, and was married to Janet Leigh.  It is hard to go wrong with any title you pick up, but to get you started, here are five of my personal favorites to start your education:

1.  Operation Petticoat (1959)

Two Words: Pink Submarine!  Highly overlooked comedy gem with Curtis and the legendary Cary Grant.

2.  Spartacus  (1960)

“I’m a singer of songs, master”  Probably the greatest sword & sandals flick ever, Curtis adds a lot of depth in a supporting role.

3.  The Great Race  (1965)

Think Wacky Races live action style.  In the dictionary under “zany.”

4.  The Defiant Ones  (1958)

Powerful character piece about two escaped prisoners shackled together and on the run.

5.  Sex and the SIngle Girl (1964)

Natalie Wood + screwball comedy = classic 60s comedy gold!  Pay attention to all the jabs at Tony looking like Jack Lemmon, hilarious stuff!