Carolyn Uber and Tony Curtis (Photo by Megan Edwards, Living Las Vegas)
Presented the long-planned Tony Curtis/Norm Clarke event today at the Flamingo branch of the Clark County Library. Started with a private reception for Tony and invited friends. Tony was so charming, taking the time to chat and give each guest undivided attention. Enjoyed chatting it up myself with many friends including Norm and Cara, Sal and Georgeanne, Mark and Megan, Denny and Pam and many others! Following the reception we adjourned to the theater where 400 Tony Curtis fans (and another 100 watching a live video feed in an adjacent room and the lobby). Oscar winner Curtis (The Defiant Ones)acted in over 100 films during Hollywood’s golden heyday. Norm interviewed Tony on stage, and Tony told each story with good humor and dramatic flair. From his very first film role (as a corpse) to auditioning on set to act opposite Yvonne DiCarlo, Tony shared his experiences with wit and joy. Advancing age keeps Tony in a wheelchair, but when telling the story of convincing the director he could rhumba with DiCarlo, Tony rose and strutted his moves to the delight of the crowd. Asked who, among the many leading ladies he’d kissed, was the “best kisser”, Tony grinned and answered “me”. Cary Grant was the actor he admired most, always a “classy gentlemen” while Marilyn Monroe was his favorite actress, a “real” down-to-earth and sweet person who could, nonetheless, be “as tough as Joe DiMaggio” when needed. Following a standing ovation, a book signing (Tony’s American Prince and Norm’s Sinsational Celebrity Tales) took place with over 200 folks waiting patiently. As always, Suzanne and Julie and the rest of the amazing library staff were here, there, and everywhere, and pulled off another successful event.