A night with Tony Curtis

Some like it hot, and that’s how they got it Thursday evening.

More than 700 people packed the Byrd Theatre for “A Very Special Evening With Tony Curtis” to hear the legendary actor reminisce on his movie career, ask him questions and watch his 1959 film, “Some Like It Hot,” co-starring Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon.

Curtis has starred in more than 100 movies and his career spans half a century. “When white wine is chilled it tastes like a cool glass of water,” Curtis said. “It’s so artful, it’s artless. For me acting is artful.”

The American Film Institute rated his 1959 film “Some Like It Hot” the funniest movie of all time. In the movie, Curtis and Lemmon play Joe and Jerry, struggling musicians who witness a Valentine’s Day hit.

On the run from the mafia, they trade in their suits and ties for dresses, wigs and heels to infiltrate an all-women road band. Waxed, plucked and made-up, Josephine and Daphne must tame their male impulses on a bus filled with young women and try to avert a mafia hot on their heels, literally.

Dilemma arises when Curtis, disguised as Josephine, falls for the band’s sexy, ukulele-playing lead singer Sugar Kane, played by Marilyn Monroe.

To get closer to her Joe masquerades as a millionaire. Curtis said he fashioned this character after his idol, Cary Grant.

While Joe tries his luck at love, Lemmon’s feline character, Daphne, is being heavily courted by an unrelenting real-life millionaire.

And as the mafia catches up, Joe and Jerry must quickly decide when to blow their charade and avoid being killed in the process.

Before showing the movie, Curtis treated the audience to clips from his most popular movies and told stories of his playboy days in Hollywood that would make even Colin Farrell blush.

From down-playing an erection in scenes with sex-kitten Marilyn Monroe to his disappointment for not winning an Academy Award – nothing was off limits for Curtis.

He told the audience that he moonlighted as a self-appointed kissing instructor in Hollywood, a mischievous front that earned him popularity with the ladies.

Curtis talked about a run-in at he had at age 67 with an acquaintance who showed concern over his relationship with a 23-year-old.

When the man asked him if it where dangerous making love to a 23-year-old at his age, Curtis said he replied, “If she dies, she dies.”

Curtis, who turns 80 in June, was every bit the playboy in his early days and his charisma was still evident at Thursday’s show.

Carrie Nieman, a Richmond resident, attended the pre-show reception. Her memento: a picture of her sitting on Curtis’ lap.

“He was very funny and personable and very charismatic. You can see why he was such a successful actor,” Nieman said.

Curtis reflected on his 75-year love affair with the movies, which began when he was a little boy shining shoes in the Bronx.

“It transports us. They’re dreams for 35 cents,” he said, adding that nowadays movies would be called dreams for $10 – the ballpark price of movie tickets.

Born Bernard Scwartz to Hungarian immigrants, Curtis served in the navy during Word War II. He enlisted, he said, after watching a movie in which one of his favorite actors played a naval officer.

After his stint in the navy, Curtis used his G.I. Bill to enroll in an acting school in New York. Universal Pictures in Hollywood offered the actor a seven-year contract and the rest, as they say, is history.

The humor-filled night was interrupted by some tender moments when Curtis mentioned his ex-wife, Janet Leigh, who passed away last month, and his movie-star daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis.

“The most amusing, beautiful actress in the movies today is my daughter,” he said.

He also spoke about conquering racism in Hollywood. In the 1958 movie “The Defiant Ones,” for which he received a Best Actor Academy Award nomination, Curtis demanded that his co-star, Sidney Poitier receive top billing.

It was the first time in history that a black man’s name appeared in top billing. Curtis did not win the Oscar.

Curtis also urged the audience to find the goodness and peace in the everyday chaos that disrupts their lives.

“In life there are 10-second miracles.

“Life to me are these 10-second miracles. I search for them. I look for them. I’d like to pass that on to you,” he told the audience.

Ever the movie-lover, Curtis left the audience with a few words of wisdom.

“Keep going to the movies, and if I’m in it – see it.”

At the end of the evening, one thing was clear to the audience: Tony Curtis’ true love is acting.

Nancy Hallman, a West Henrico County resident, said she grew up watching Curtis’ movies.

“I was very excited to see who he is today, to hear him talk of his experiences of the past,” she said. “I was really touched to see how touched he was by the reception of the audience. It is so obvious that he cares so much about his profession and it’s his life. It’s the audience that makes it work for him.”

For others less familiar with the actor’s work, having a chance to see a celebrity in Richmond was reason enough to come out.

Jeff Smith, a Chesterfield County resident, brought his teenage son to the event. He came, he said, because of “nostalgia, a chance to see a famous star in Richmond.”

“Plus, I love the Byrd Theatre, so they all came together,” Smith added.

Audience members enjoyed Curtis’ stories. Neiman said, “You could tell he had a lot of fond memories and he got a kick out of telling them.”

Smith said at the end of the evening, “I liked the anecdotes. I liked listening to Tony Curtis tell stories of the old days. Sounds like a great life.”