Yul Brynner
from the trailer for The Ten Commandments (1956)
Born	Yuliy Borisovich Bryner (1920-07-11)July 11, 1920 Vladivostok, Far Eastern Republic
Died	October 10, 1985(1985-10-10) (aged 65) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1941–85
Spouse	Virginia Gilmore (m. 1944–1960) «start: (1944)–end+1: (1961)»"Marriage: Virginia Gilmore to Yul Brynner" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Yul_Brynner) (divorced) Doris Kleiner (m. 1960–1967) «start: (1960)–end+1: (1968)»"Marriage: Doris Kleiner to Yul Brynner" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Yul_Brynner) (divorced) Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume (m. 1971–1981) «start: (1971)–end+1: (1982)»"Marriage: Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume to Yul Brynner" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Yul_Brynner) (divorced) Kathy Lee (m. 1983–1985) «start: (1983)–end+1: (1986)»"Marriage: Kathy Lee to Yul Brynner" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Yul_Brynner) (his death)
Parents	Boris Yuliyevich Bryner Marousia Dimitrievna Blagovidova

Yul Brynner (Russian: Юлий Борисович Бринер, Yuliy Borisovich Bryner; July 11, 1920  – October 10, 1985)^[1] was a Russian-born stage and film actor.^[2] He was best known for his portrayal of Mongkut, king of Siam, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film version; he also played the role more than 4,500 times onstage. He is also remembered as Rameses II in the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille blockbuster The Ten Commandments, General Bounine in Anastasia and Chris Adams in The Magnificent Seven. Brynner was noted for his distinctive voice and for his shaven head, which he maintained as a personal trademark long after adopting it for his initial role in The King and I. He was also a photographer and the author of two books.

Early life[link]

Yul Brynner was born Yuliy Borisovich Bryner in 1920.^[3][4] He exaggerated his background and early life for the press, claiming that he was born Taidje Khan of part-Mongol-Tatar parentage, on the Russian island of Sakhalin.^[5] In reality, he was born at home in a four-storey residence at 15 Aleutskaya Street, Vladivostok, in the Far Eastern Republic (present-day Primorsky Krai, Russia).^[6] He also occasionally referred to himself as Julius Briner,^[1] Jules Bryner, or Youl Bryner.^[3] A biography written by his son, Rock Brynner, in 1989 clarified these issues.

His father, Boris Yuliyevich Bryner, was a mining engineer whose father, Jules Bryner, was Swiss, and whose mother, Natalya Iosifovna Kurkutova, was a native of Irkutsk and was partly of Buryat Mongol ancestry.^[7] His mother, Marousia Dimitrievna (née Blagovidova), came from the intelligentsia and studied to be an actress and singer; she was the granddaughter of a doctor who had converted from Judaism to the Russian Orthodox Church.^[7]

He was also part Romani on his mother's side, and in 1977, he was named Honorary President of the International Romani Union, an office that he kept until his death.^[8][9]

Brynner's declaration of intention form for naturalization in the United States from 1943

After Boris Bryner abandoned his family, his mother took Yul and his sister, Vera Bryner, to Harbin, China, where they attended a school run by the YMCA. In 1934 she took them to Paris. By 1940, Brynner had returned to China and he emigrated from Dairen aboard the S.S. President Cleveland, arriving in the U.S. October 25, 1940.^[3] During World War II, Brynner worked as a French-speaking radio announcer and commentator for the U.S. Office of War Information, broadcasting propaganda to occupied France.^[10]

Career[link]

Yul Brynner began acting and modeling in his twenties and early in his career he was photographed nude by George Platt Lynes.^[11] After his radio work during World War II Brynner moved into the nascent television industry, directing and acting in live productions in New York. In 1949 Brynner made his film debut in Port of New York, his only film with his natural head of hair.^{[citation needed]}

His best-known role remains that of King Mongkut of Siam in the Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical The King and I which he played 4,525 times on stage over the span of his career. He appeared in the original production and later touring productions as well as a 1977 Broadway revival, London Production in 1979 and another Broadway revival in 1985. He also appeared in the film version for which he won an Academy Award as Best Actor and in a short-lived TV version (Anna and the King) on CBS in 1972. Brynner is one of only nine people who have won both a Tony Award and an Academy Award for the same role. His connection to the story and the role of King Mongkut is so deep he was mentioned in the song "One Night in Bangkok" from the 1984 musical Chess whose second act is set in Bangkok.

In 1951^[12] Brynner shaved his head for his role in The King and I.^[13] Following the huge success of the Broadway production and subsequent film, Brynner continued to shave his head for the rest of his life though he would sometimes wear a wig for certain roles. Brynner's shaved head was very unusual at the time and his striking appearance helped to give him an iconic appeal.^[14] Some fans shaved off their hair to emulate him,^[15] and a shaved head was often referred to as the "Yul Brynner look".^[16][17][18]

Brynner made an immediate impact upon launching his mainstream film career in 1956 and quickly gained superstar status after appearing not only in The King and I that year but also in starring roles in The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston which remains one of the top five highest grossing films in history when adjusted for inflation and Anastasia with Ingrid Bergman. Brynner, at 5'10", was reportedly concerned about being overshadowed by Heston's height and physical presence in The Ten Commandments and prepared his impressive physique seen in the film with an intensive weight-lifting program.^{[citation needed]}

He later starred in films such as the epic Solomon and Sheba (1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Taras Bulba (1962) and Kings of the Sun (1963). He co-starred with Marlon Brando in Morituri (1965), Katharine Hepburn in The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969) and William Shatner in a film version of The Brothers Karamazov (1958). He played the titular role of The Ultimate Warrior (1975) and starred with Barbara Bouchet in Death Rage (1976). Among his final feature film appearances were in Michael Crichton's Westworld (1973) and its sequel Futureworld (1976). Brynner also appeared in drag (as a torch singer) in an unbilled role in the Peter Sellers comedy The Magic Christian (1969).^[19]

Photographer, author, and musician[link]

In addition to his work as a performer, Brynner was an active photographer and wrote two books. His daughter Victoria put together Yul Brynner: Photographer (ISBN 0-8109-3144-3) a collection of his photographs of family, friends, and fellow actors, as well as those he took while serving as a UN special consultant on refugees. Brynner wrote Bring Forth the Children: A Journey to the Forgotten People of Europe and the Middle East (1960) with photographs by himself and Magnum photographer Inge Morath and also The Yul Brynner Cookbook: Food Fit for the King and You (1983 ISBN 0-8128-2882-8).

A student of music from childhood, Brynner was an accomplished guitarist and singer. In his early period in Europe he often played and sang gypsy songs in Parisian nightclubs with Aliosha Dimitrievitch. He sang some of those same songs in the film The Brothers Karamazov. In 1967 he and Dimitrievitch released a record album The Gypsy and I: Yul Brynner Sings Gypsy Songs (Vanguard VSD 79265).

Personal life[link]

Brynner was married four times, the first three ending in divorce. He fathered three children and adopted two.

He and his first wife, actress Virginia Gilmore (1944–1960), had one child, Yul Brynner II, who was born on December 23, 1946. His father nicknamed him "Rock" when he was six in honor of boxer Rocky Graziano, who won the middleweight title in 1947. Rock is a historian, novelist, and university history lecturer at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. In 2006, Rock wrote a book about his father and his family history titled Empire and Odyssey: The Brynners in Far East Russia and Beyond. Rock regularly returns to Vladivostok, the city of his father's birth, for the "Pacific Meridian" Film Festival.

His daughter Lark Brynner (born 1959) was born out of wedlock and raised by her mother, Frankie Tilden, who was 20 years old when her daughter was born. Brynner supported her financially. His second wife, from 1960 to 1967, Doris Kleiner, was a Chilean model whom he married on the set during shooting of The Magnificent Seven in 1960. They had one child, Victoria Brynner (born November 1962), whose godmother was Audrey Hepburn.^[20]

His third wife, Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume^[21] (1971–1981), was a French socialite, the widow of Philippe de Croisset (the victim of a car accident; he was the son of French playwright Francis de Croisset and a publishing executive). Brynner and Jacqueline adopted two Vietnamese children: Mia (1974), and Melody (1975). The first house that he ever owned was the Manoir de Cricqueboeuf, a sixteenth-century manor house that he and Jacqueline purchased.^[21]

At the age of 63, he married his fourth wife, Kathy Lee, a 24-year-old ballerina from a small town in Malaysia whom he had met in a production of The King and I in which she had a small dancing role. They remained married for the last 2 years (1983–1985) of Brynner's life.^[22] According to Marlene Dietrich's daughter Maria Riva (as she wrote in her memoir Marlene Dietrich, 1994), he had a passionate affair with the famous actress during the first production of The King and I.

Citizenship[link]

Brynner, a Russian-born citizen, renounced his naturalized US citizenship in June 1965 at the US Embassy in Berne, Switzerland for tax reasons. He had lost his tax exemption as an American resident abroad by working too long in the U.S. and would have been bankrupted by his tax and penalty debt.^[21]

Death[link]

Plaque for Yul Brynner

Brynner died of lung cancer on October 10, 1985 in New York City, the same day as his Battle of Neretva co-star Orson Welles.

Knowing he was dying of cancer, Brynner starred in a run of farewell performances of his most famous role, The King and I, on Broadway from January 7 to June 30, 1985, with Mary Beth Peil as Anna Leonowens. His last performance marked the 4,633rd time he had played the role of the King.^[23]

Throughout his life Brynner was often seen with a cigarette in his hand. In January 1985, nine months before his death, he gave an interview on Good Morning America, expressing his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial.^[24] A clip from that interview was made into a public service announcement by the American Cancer Society and released after his death. It includes the warning "Now that I'm gone, I tell you don't smoke. Whatever you do, just don't smoke. If I could take back that smoking, we wouldn't be talking about any cancer. I'm convinced of that."^[25] This advertisement is now featured in the Body Worlds exhibition.

He is interred in France on the grounds of the Saint-Michel-de-Bois-Aubry Russian Orthodox monastery near Luzé between Tours and Poitiers.

Honors and awards[link]

Brynner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6162 Hollywood Blvd.

Other[link]

His childhood home in Vladivostok is now a museum.

In 1952 he received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of The King in The King and I (musical).

He won the 1956 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the King of Siam in The King and I and made the "Top 10 Stars of the Year" list in both 1957 and 1958.

In 1985 he received a Special Tony Award honoring his 4,525 performances in The King and I.^[26]

Filmography[link]

Features:

• Port of New York (1949)
• The King and I (1956)
• The Ten Commandments (1956)
• Anastasia (1956)
• The Brothers Karamazov (1958)
• The Buccaneer (1958)
• The Journey (1959)
• The Sound and the Fury (1959)
• Solomon and Sheba (1959)
• Once More, with Feeling! (1960)
• Testament of Orpheus (1960)
• Surprise Package (1960)
• The Magnificent Seven (1960)
• Goodbye Again (1961)
• Escape from Zahrain (1962)
• Taras Bulba (1962)
• Kings of the Sun (1963)
• Flight from Ashiya (1964)
• Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)
• Morituri (1965)
• Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
• The Poppy Is Also a Flower (1966)
• Return of the Seven (1966)
• Triple Cross (1966)
• The Double Man (1967)
• The Long Duel (1967)
• Villa Rides (1968)
• The Picasso Summer (1969)
• The File of the Golden Goose (1969)
• Battle of Neretva (1969)
• The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969)
• The Magic Christian (1969)
• Adiós, Sabata (1971)
• The Light at the Edge of the World (1971)
• Romance of a Horsethief (1971)
• Catlow (1971)
• Fuzz (1972)
• Night Flight from Moscow (1973)
• Westworld (1973)
• The Ultimate Warrior (1975)
• Death Rage (1976)
• Futureworld (1976)

Short subjects:

• On Location with Westworld (1973)
• Lost to the Revolution (1980) (narrator)

Stage work[link]

• Twelfth Night (December 2–13, 1941) (Broadway)
• The Moon Vine (February 11–27, 1943) (Broadway)
• Lute Song (February 6 – June 8, 1946) (Broadway)
• The King and I (March 29, 1951 – December 17, 1955) (Broadway and national tour)
• Home Sweet Homer (January 4, 1976) (Broadway)
• The King and I (Revival) (May 2, 1977 – December 30, 1978) (Broadway and national tour)
• The King and I (Revival) (January 7 – June 30, 1985) (Broadway)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yul Brynner

• Yul Brynner at the Internet Broadway Database
• Yul Brynner at the Internet Movie Database
• Yul Brynner at the TCM Movie Database
• Yul Brynner at AllRovi

YUL or Yul may refer to:

• Yul Brynner, Russian-American actor
• Yul Kwon, winner of Survivor: Cook Islands
• Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, an IATA airport code
• IATA railway code for Montreal-Dorval passenger rail station

See also[link]

• Yule
• Yule (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Warrior
Ring name(s)	Warrior[1] The Ultimate Warrior[1] Dingo Warrior[1] The Dingo Blade Runner Rock[1] Jim "Justice" Hellwig[1]
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
Billed weight	275 lb (125 kg)[1]
Born	(1959-06-16) June 16, 1959 (age 53) Crawfordsville, Indiana
Billed from	Parts Unknown[1] Queens, New York (as The Dingo Warrior)
Trained by	Bill Anderson Rick Bassman Red Bastien[1]
Debut	November 28, 1985
Retired	June 25, 2008

Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig on June 16, 1959)^[2] is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1987 to 1991 and again in 1992 and 1996, and in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1998.

He won the WWF World Championship when he pinned Hulk Hogan in the main event of WrestleMania VI.^[3] Hellwig legally changed his name to Warrior in 1993. Warrior retired from professional wrestling in 1999 and embarked on a public speaking career. On June 25, 2008 he returned to wrestle Orlando Jordan in Barcelona, Spain defeating him in a match booked by the Italian Nu-Wrestling Evolution promotion. Warrior was described by World Wrestling Entertainment as having been "the ultimate archetype of strength and intensity",^[4] as well as having been "one of the most intense and physically impressive competitors to ever appear in the WWE".^[5]

Early life[link]

Warrior was born as James Brian Hellwig. He was the eldest of five children and was raised by his mother (along with, later, his stepfather) after his father left his family when young James was 12. He spent a year at Indiana State University. It was also during this time he began to compete in amateur bodybuilding.^[6]

Bodybuilding career[link]

Prior to his career in professional wrestling Hellwig was an amateur bodybuilder,^[7] competing in a number of NPC contests and winning the 1984 NPC Mr. Georgia crown.^[8] Hellwig started training with weights when he was 11 years old and has described himself as "the small, insecure kid who wasn't into any sports".^[7] He moved to California where, after seeing bodybuilder Robby Robinson, decided to take up the sport. His first contest took place in Florida where he placed 5th. Later, while he was attending Life University in Marietta, Georgia, he won the Junior Atlanta contest and placed 5th at the 1981 AAU Collegiate Mr. America. In 1983, he won the AAU Coastal USA, before taking the Mr. Georgia title the following year. His last bodybuilding contest was 1985's Junior USA's, which was won by future IFBB Pro, Ron Love. Hellwig finished 5th.

In 1985, after spending six weeks in California training for a bodybuilding contest, he was invited to join a group of bodybuilders – Garland Donoho, Mark Miller, and Steve "Flash" Borden – who were attempting to make the transition into professional wrestlers. Warrior accepted the invitation and abandoned his bodybuilding career and his plans to become a chiropractor.^[9]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Early career (1985–1986)[link]

Hellwig began his professional wrestling career as Jim "Justice" Hellwig of Powerteam USA, the group of bodybuilders trained by Red Bastien and Rick Bassman.

Hellwig and Steve Borden, who would later go on to success as "Sting", formed a tag team known as the Blade Runners, with Hellwig changing his ring name to "Blade Runner Rock" and Borden changing his name to "Blade Runner Flash". Debuting in the Memphis, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion, run by Jerry Jarrett, the team played baby faces at first, but fans were actually slow to take to the hulking duo in a territory that had featured sympathetic "good guy tag teams" like the Rock 'n' Roll Express and The Fabulous Ones. They were quickly turned heel as The Blade Runners. The Blade Runners went on to wrestle for the Mid-South Wrestling promotion, which became the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) in 1986. They were part of Eddie Gilbert's Hotstuff International group, before disbanding in 1986 when Hellwig left the UWF.^[10] Years later in a TNA interview when Steve Borden was asked about teaming with Hellwig, Borden referred to the relationship with Hellwig as being a "Tense year and when we parted ways it wasn't a friendly part".

World Class Championship Wrestling (1986–1987)[link]

In 1986, Warrior debuted in the Dallas, Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) promotion, where he wrestled for $50 a night. He has stated that he adopted the ring name "Dingo Warrior" after a member of the WCCW locker room remarked that he looked like "a warrior".^[9] Warrior formed a tag team with Lance Von Erich, and the duo began competing for the WCWA World Tag Team Championship. On November 17, 1986, Warrior and Von Erich defeated Master Gee (substituting for champion Buzz Sawyer) and Matt Borne to win the title. They held the Championship until December 1 of that year, when they lost to Al Madril and Brian Adias.^[11]

In 1987, Warrior began competing for the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship, losing to Bob Bradley in a tournament final on January 12. He won the title from Bradley on February 2 of that year. The title was held up in April 1987 after Warrior left the WCCW. He was reinstated as champion upon returning, but vacated it once more upon resigning from WCCW to join the World Wrestling Federation, where he adopted the ring name Ultimate Warrior.^[12] Warrior began appearing on house shows in June and was initially billed as The Dingo Warrior in house card promos by Gene Okerlund, but soon had his name modified. There is dispute over who created the Ultimate Warrior name. Bruce Prichard stated that Vince McMahon did not know what a "Dingo" Warrior would be, but because there was the "Modern Day Warrior" Kerry von Erich and the Road Warriors there should not be one more simple warrior, but The Ultimate Warrior.^[13] However, Warrior claims after one of his first matches, McMahon had him do a pretaped promo. It was there Vince said we want you to do Warrior, but we don't want Dingo. The Warrior then proceeded to cut the promo and stated that he was not this warrior or that warrior, he was The Ultimate Warrior.^[14]

In the late 1980s, while Warrior was still wrestling in Texas, he appeared in several TV ads for Westway Ford, a car dealership in Irving, Texas. Warrior interacted in full wrestling costume with Westway's wacky character, "Mean Joe Greed."^[15][16]

World Wrestling Federation (1987–1991)[link]

As a World Wrestling Federation (WWF) performer, the Ultimate Warrior was known for his high-energy ring entrances, which featured him racing into the arena at full speed, bursting into the ring, and violently shaking the ropes up and down. He was also known for his distinctive pattern of face paint. His first feud was with Hercules Hernandez, who he defeated at WrestleMania IV. Warrior enjoyed two stints as WWF Intercontinental Champion, defeating The Honky Tonk Man (in 13 seconds at the first ever SummerSlam in 1988) and Rick Rude at SummerSlam 1989. The Warrior was heralded as the wrestler to become the biggest star of the 1990s, and the successor to Hulk Hogan, who had remained wrestling's biggest star throughout the 1980s. Following a few confrontations with Hogan, most notably at the 1990 Royal Rumble, the Warrior was written in as Hogan's opponent in the main event for WrestleMania VI at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The match was billed as "The Ultimate Challenge", as both Hogan's WWF World Championship and Warrior's WWF Intercontinental Championship were on the line. Warrior pinned Hogan after a Warrior Splash to become the first wrestler to hold the WWF World Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship simultaneously. Warrior vacated the Intercontinental title, as WWF rules prohibited a wrestler from holding both singles titles.

After WrestleMania VI, Warrior continued to build his popularity with successful defenses against the likes of Haku, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude and Ted DiBiase.^[17] "Macho King" Randy Savage was also introduced as a potential rival after interfering in a Saturday Night's Main Event title match at the behest of DiBiase. In January 1991, Warrior faced Sgt. Slaughter at the Royal Rumble. Slaughter's gimmick at the time was a traitor who had betrayed America by aligning himself with an (kayfabe) Iraqi military general, General Adnan. In the context of the Gulf War, this made Slaughter one of the most hated heels at the time. After rejecting an earlier request to grant a title shot to Savage, Sensational Sherri interjected herself in the Warrior's championship match to distract him. Her interference eventually led to a Savage sneak attack where he eventually struck Warrior over the head with a metal scepter, and Slaughter pinned Warrior to win the WWF World Championship.^[10][18][19] Warrior would go on to feud with Savage, and the rivalry culminated in a 'Career Ending' match at WrestleMania VII with the Warrior victorious, forcing Savage to retire.

The next chapter of Warrior's career was an encounter with The Undertaker, after Undertaker and his manager, Paul Bearer, locked Warrior in a coffin on the set of Bearer's Funeral Parlor. WWF officials worked feverishly to break the casket open, finally revealing Warrior's seemingly lifeless body, and the torn fabric inside of the coffin indicating Warrior's desperate struggle to get out. Warrior was finally revived by the officials performing CPR. This led to Jake "The Snake" Roberts offering to give Warrior "the knowledge of the dark side" in order to prepare Warrior to take his revenge on the Undertaker. This involved Roberts giving Warrior three "tests" shown on WWF TV in consecutive weeks. For the first test, Roberts locked Warrior inside of a coffin for a second time.^[20]

For the second test, Warrior was "buried alive" by Roberts. For the third test, the Warrior entered a room full of snakes, to find "the answer" in a chest in the middle of the room. However, waiting inside the chest was a King Cobra, which (kayfabe) bit Warrior in the face. As Warrior weakened from the effects of the cobra's strike, Roberts was joined by the Undertaker and Paul Bearer, revealing the three were working together all along. Roberts then uttered, "Never trust a snake."^[20] The stage was now set for a feud between the Warrior and Roberts. However, the feud would never take place, as Warrior was involved in an alleged pay dispute with WWF owner Vince McMahon over the SummerSlam main event, where Warrior was teamed with Hulk Hogan in a handicap match against Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa, and General Adnan. The WWF alleged that Warrior threatened to no show the event unless he was paid for his previous WrestleMania appearance. According to Vince McMahon, Warrior was paid that amount then fired immediately after SummerSlam.

Return to the WWF (1992)[link]

With Hulk Hogan about to leave WWF in mid-1992, McMahon contacted Warrior about returning. He made his comeback at WrestleMania VIII (to rescue Hulk Hogan from a beat down at the hands of Sid Justice and Papa Shango). When he made his return, he looked smaller and his hair was shorter, leading to a rumor that Hellwig had died and it was a different person (hinting it was Kerry Von Erich) performing the character.^{[citation needed]}

Upon his return, he received a degree of creative control over his bookings. One storyline involved Papa Shango, a "witch doctor," cast a spell over Warrior, causing him to convulse and vomit in very odd colors, though Warrior says he hated that story and had no control over it.^[10] The Warrior was booked for a WWF Championship match against then-champion, "Macho Man" Randy Savage at SummerSlam in August 1992. The Warrior would win the match by count-out but not the title.

In November 1992 Warrior was scheduled to be the tag team partner of Randy "Macho Man" Savage, to be known as the Ultimate Maniacs to face Ric Flair and Razor Ramon at Survivor Series. However, weeks before the event, Warrior was released for disputed reasons.

Semi-retirement (1992–1996)[link]

Between November 1992 and July 1995, Warrior was semi-retired. During his time away from the WWF, Warrior opened the short-lived "Warrior University", a professional wrestling school based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

In December 1992, he wrestled as the Dingo Warrior against Hercules Hernandez in Billerica, Massachusetts, for Killer Kowalski's International Wrestling Federation.

In 1993, Jim Hellwig played the role of "the swordsman" in the action movie Firepower.

In March 1995, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) introduced The Renegade as Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage's "ultimate weapon", using ring attire and mannerisms that closely resembled Warrior's and many people believe The Renegade either was the Warrior or that WCW pretended he was, neither of which is true. In July 1995, he returned to the ring for the National Wrestling Conference (NWC) promotion in Las Vegas, defeating The Honky Tonk Man. He had also wrestled a tour of Europe for Otto Wanz's Catch Wrestling Association (CWA) promotion.

Return to the WWF (1996)[link]

After three and a half years spent mostly outside the wrestling limelight, Warrior returned to the WWF in March 1996, squashing Hunter Hearst Helmsley at WrestleMania XII. He made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw on April 8, where he gave an in-ring interview and credited the "voices" of the "warriors" (his name for members of the WWF audience) for his return; he was then interrupted by Goldust. Warrior challenged for Goldust's WWF Intercontinental Championship at In Your House 7; Warrior won the match by countout, but did not win the title. The following night on Monday Night Raw, Warrior defeated Isaac Yankem. A rematch with Intercontinental Champion Goldust, on the May 27 edition of the show, ended in a double countout. Warrior defeated Jerry Lawler at the King of the Ring, and defeated Owen Hart by disqualification on the July 8 edition of Monday Night Raw. Warrior was scheduled to team with Shawn Michaels and Ahmed Johnson to face Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Vader at In Your House 9 later that month, but the WWF terminated Warrior's contract when he took time off allegedly to grieve the death of his father. WWF owner Vince McMahon claimed that Warrior had not seen his father in ten years and did not care much for him; therefore, he did not take Warrior's excuse for missing bookings at face value. Warrior disputes McMahon's explanation, claiming that the real reason why he no showed those events was a breach of contract by McMahon, in which WWF sold Warrior's merchandise without giving him a percentage. He was replaced by Sycho Sid at In Your House 9.

World Championship Wrestling (1998)[link]

WCW signed Warrior in 1998 and gave him a degree of creative control over his matches,^[21] He created a storyline where he formed a stable opposing Hogan's (now going under his heelish "Hollywood" gimmick) New World Order: the "One Warrior Nation." The acronym oWn (One Warrior Nation) was a play on the name nWo. Highlights of the storyline included Warrior kidnapping and "converting" The Disciple and frequent instances of "magic smoke" knocking out all of the nWo members except for Hollywood Hogan (and covering Warrior's movement through a trapdoor in the ring).

Warrior only participated in three matches in WCW. The first was the War Games main event, where he and eight other wrestlers including Bret Hart, DDP and Stevie Ray competed for the #1 contender spot to the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Fall Brawl, which Diamond Dallas Page won. On WCW Monday Nitro, he teamed with Sting to defeat Hogan and Bret Hart by disqualification, a match in which he had little participation; he was tagged in for a short exchange with Hart, then singlehandedly chased several nWo members down the entry way, whipping them with Hogan's belt. The third was his loss to Hogan at Halloween Havoc, in what is considered by Eric Bischoff to be one of the worst Main Event pay-per-view wrestling matches ever.^[22] In the Halloween Havoc match, the timing of the maneuvers and hits was poor; an arm injury that Warrior received at WarGames further slowed the action. An attempt to "blind" Warrior with a fireball backfired when Hogan faced complications igniting a piece of flash paper, causing the fire to go up in Hogan's face instead. The match came to an end when Horace Hogan hit Warrior in the back with a chair while Eric Bischoff had referee Nick Patrick distracted. Hogan then scored the pinfall.

WCW claimed that attempts were made to save the storyline though Warrior has claimed in interviews and convention appearances that the only reason he was brought back was so Hogan could get a win over Warrior in return for Hogan's WrestleMania job. Warrior's last appearance in WCW was on the November 9, 1998 edition of Nitro, when he came to the rescue of The Disciple who was being attacked by members of nWo. Warrior announced his retirement the following year.

Nu-Wrestling Evolution (2008)[link]

During an April 19, 2008 Nu-Wrestling Evolution (NWE) event in Madrid, Spain, Warrior was presented with an award celebrating his professional wrestling career in front of over 15,000 attendees. During the presentation, NWE Heavyweight Champion Orlando Jordan mocked a fan of Warrior's, resulting in a heated argument between Warrior and Jordan. As a result of the exchange, a match between Warrior and Jordan was scheduled for June 25, 2008 in the Palau Municipal d'Esports de Badalona in Barcelona, marking Warrior's first match in nearly 10 years. After much hype, On June 25, he finally made his much anticipated return to pro wrestling when he faced Jordan for the NWE Heavyweight Championship. Warrior promoted the show on his website and trained with Rob Van Dam during the summer. Notably, the match lasted over 12 minutes - the Warrior did a top rope flying body press and a top rope superplex and defeated Jordan with his clothesline/shoulder tackle finish. After winning the match and the NWE Championship, Warrior spoke the crowd for a moment and immediately vacated the title.

Personal life[link]

Warrior married Shari Lynn Tyree on October 2, 1982. The couple met in Dallas, Texas at the famous Million Dollar Saloon strip club where Shari was working at the time.^[23] They remained together for the majority of Warriors' WWF career before divorcing on March 22, 1991, two days before WrestleMania VII.^[24] Warrior married for the second time in 2000 to Dana. Together they have two daughters: Indiana Marin "Indy" Warrior (born 2000) and Mattigan Twain Warrior (born December 16, 2002)

Trademark and libel litigation[link]

In 1993, Hellwig legally changed his name to Warrior. This one-word name appears on all legal documents pertaining to Warrior, and his children carry the Warrior name as their legal surname.

Warrior and the WWF engaged in a series of lawsuits and legal actions in 1996 and 1998,^[25] where both parties sought a declaration that they owned the characters, Warrior and Ultimate Warrior, under both contract and copyright law. The court ruled that Warrior was legally entitled to use the gimmick, costuming, face paint designs, and mannerisms of the "Warrior" character.^[3][26]

On September 27, 2005, WWE (formerly the WWF) released a DVD documentary focusing on Warrior's retrospective wrestling career, entitled The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. The DVD featured clips of his more notable feuds and matches along with commentary from WWE stars past and present (most of which are unflattering), with Triple H (by this point one of WWE's top main eventers and the husband of Vince McMahon's daughter Stephanie McMahon) adding that his WrestleMania debut loss against Warrior at WrestleMania XII left him with mixed emotions, saying that Warrior "ruined the experience" for him and was "one of the most unprofessional guys" he's ever fought.^[27] The DVD has provoked some controversy due to Warrior's own allegations of libel by WWE against him. Originally, Warrior was asked to help with the production of the DVD, but as he refused to work with WWE (citing he did not want to be associated with their promotion), there has been some resulting animosity between Warrior and WWE over the Warrior claiming bias on the part of WWE.^[28] In January 2006, Warrior filed another lawsuit against WWE in an Arizona court over the depiction of his wrestling career in The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD.^[29] On September 18, 2009, Warrior's lawsuit in Arizona was dismissed.^[30]

Motivational speaking[link]

Warrior formally retired from wrestling in 1999 and had a short-lived career as a conservative speaker and commentator, partnering with conservative spokesman Daniel Pinheiro, denouncing left-wing politics. In one instance, he mentioned that "queering doesn't make the world work" during a speech at the University of Connecticut.^[31] Warrior explained those comments on his website as meaning that the human race would die out if everyone were a homosexual.^[3][32]

Writing[link]

In May 1996, Warrior began publishing a comic book, titled Warrior, featuring himself as the main character. The series was co-written with Jim Callahan and illustrated by the Sharp Brothers. The title sold well for the first two months, before sales slowed down. The comic was canceled in early 1997.

Warrior maintains a blog on his personal website titled "Warrior's Machete", where he discusses his personal life, his personal views on politics, sexuality, patriotism, and his legacy as a wrestler, amongst other topics. There have been numerous instances where Warrior has used his blog to address his viewpoint on members of his wrestling past (Vince McMahon, Road Warrior Animal, The British Bulldog, Owen Hart, Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger);^[33] historical (Martin Luther King, George Washington) or religious figures (Jesus).^[34] Warrior depicts celebrities who were newsworthy at the time of his blog (Heath Ledger and Paris Hilton). Warrior occasionally references his respect for the Founding Fathers of the United States, and also enjoys books like Homer's "Odyssey" and James Allen "As A Man Thinketh". ^[35][36] He recently started selling off "Weapons of Wisdom", inspirational 6×9 pieces of watercolor paper with drawings, quotes and doodles on them by the Warrior himself.^[37] He has also used the blog to post replies to letters from fans.^[38]

Legacy[link]

Although Warrior's relationship with the WWE has been strained at times, the WWE, in more recent times, has recognized him as one of the Legends of the company.^[39] WWE described him as being "As devastating and intense as any Superstar who stepped through the ropes...", further saying that "The Ultimate Warrior may be the most enigmatic man to ever hold the WWE Championship."^[40] In a recent review of a fantasy match between John Cena and Warrior, the WWE described him as having been "One of the most recognizable Superstars in WWE history", and further spoke of his impact, describing how "The Ultimate Warrior brought Hulkamania to its knees on The Grandest Stage of Them All at WrestleMania VI, retired the Madness at WrestleMania VII and press slammed a slew of the greatest legends of his era."^[41] In WWE All Stars, in which Ultimate Warrior appears as one of the Legends, WWE stated that he was the "ultimate archetype of strength and intensity," and further stated that "without question, the Ultimate Warrior has etched his name in the pantheon of WWE greats".^[42]

Warrior appears in the Mattel Legends figures line in both Series 4 and Series 6. He was also chosen as one of six legends to be included in the Defining Moments series of action figures. Warrior further appears as a playable legend in WWE All Stars and WWE Legends of Wrestlemania.

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Running splash,^[1] sometimes to a face down opponent, and usually preceded by a gorilla press drop^[1]

• Signature moves
  • Atomic drop
  • Big boot
  • Leaping shoulder block^[1]
  • Multiple running clotheslines^[1]
  • Scoop slam
  • Vertical suplex

• Entrance themes
  • World Class Championship Wrestling
    • "The Warrior" by Scandal (1986–1987)
  • World Wrestling Federation
    • "Unstable" by Jim Johnston (1987–1991, 1992, 1996)
  • World Championship Wrestling
    • "One Warrior Nation" (1998)

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Nu-Wrestling Evolution
  • NWE World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Comeback of the Year (1992)
  • PWI Feud of the Year (1991) vs. The Undertaker
  • PWI Match of the Year (1990) vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI
  • PWI ranked him #101 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[43]

• World Class Wrestling Association
  • WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[12]
  • WCWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Lance Von Erich^[11]

• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[19]
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)^[18]

• World Wrestling Superstars
  • WWS Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Most Overrated (1989–1991)
  • Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (1989, 1990)
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1989) vs. André the Giant
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1992) vs. Papa Shango
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1998) vs. Hulk Hogan
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1989) vs. André the Giant on October 31
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1998) vs. Hulk Hogan at Halloween Havoc
  • Worst Wrestler (1988, 1998)

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Warrior on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons

Professional wrestling portal

• Official website

• Warrior's channel on YouTube

• UltimateWarrior TV's channel on YouTube made in 2008 to promote his Barcelona match against Orlando Jordan.

• Warrior on Myspace
• Warrior at the Internet Movie Database
• Warrior on Facebook
• Warrior on Twitter
• Ultimate Warrior's WWE Alumni Profile

Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis in 1955
Born	Bernard Schwartz (1925-06-03)June 3, 1925 Bronx, New York
Died	September 29, 2010(2010-09-29) (aged 85) Henderson, Nevada
Cause of death	Cardiac arrest
Nationality	American
Education	The City College of New York
Alma mater	The New School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1948–2010
Spouse	Janet Leigh (m.1951-1962; divorced) Christine Kaufmann (m.1963-1968; divorced) Leslie Allen (m.1968-1982; divorced) Lisa Deutsch (m.1993-1994; divorced) Jill Vandenberg (m.1998-2010; his death)
Children	6, including Kelly Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis

Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; 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 more than 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 1950s 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.^[1][2]

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.^[3] 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."^[4] 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."^[4] 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^[5] by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.^[6]

Early life[link]

Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz in the Bronx, one of three sons of Helen (Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz.^[7][8] His parents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants from Mátészalka, Hungary. Hungarian was Curtis' only language until he was five or six, postponing his schooling.^[9] His father was a tailor and the family lived in the back of the shop — the parents in one corner and Curtis and his brothers Julius and Robert in another. His mother once made an appearance as a participant on the television show You Bet Your Life, hosted by Groucho Marx.^[10] Curtis said, "When I was a child, Mom beat me up and was very aggressive and antagonistic." His mother was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. His brother Robert was also institutionalized with the same mental illness.

When Curtis was eight, he and his brother Julius were placed in an orphanage for a month because their parents could not afford to feed them. Four years later, Julius was struck and killed by a truck. Curtis joined a neighborhood gang whose main crimes were playing hooky from school and minor pilfering at the local dime store. Aged 11, a friendly neighbor saved him from what he felt would have led to a life of delinquency by sending him to a Boy Scout camp where he was able to work off his energy and settle down. He attended Seward Park High School. At 16, he had his first small acting part in a school stage play.^[11]

Curtis enlisted in the United States Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor and war was declared. After being inspired by Cary Grant's role in Destination Tokyo and Tyrone Power in Crash Dive (1943), he joined the Pacific submarine force.^[9] Curtis served aboard a submarine tender, the USS Proteus until the end of the Second World War. On September 2, 1945, Curtis witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay from his ship's signal bridge about a mile away.^[12]

Following his discharge from US Navy, Curtis attended City College of New York as a result of the G.I. Bill. He then studied acting at the The New School in Greenwich Village under the influential German stage director Erwin Piscator. Fellow contemporaries included Elaine Stritch, Walter Matthau, Bea Arthur, and Rod Steiger. While still at college, Curtis was discovered by Joyce Selznick, the notable talent agent, casting director, and niece of film producer David O. Selznick. He later claimed it was because he "was the handsomest of the boys."

In 1948, Curtis arrived in Hollywood aged 23. When he was placed under contract at Universal Pictures, he changed his name from Bernard Schwartz to Tony Curtis. The first name was from the novel Anthony Adverse and "Kurtz" from a surname in his mother's family.^[13] Although Universal Pictures taught him fencing and riding, in keeping with the cinematic themes of the era, Curtis admitted he was at first only interested in girls and money. Neither was he hopeful of his chances of becoming a major star. Curtis biggest fear was having to return home to the Bronx as a failure:

I was a million-to-one shot, the least likely to succeed. I wasn't low man on the totem pole, I was under the totem pole, in a sewer, tied to a sack.^[11]

Career[link]

With wife Janet Leigh during a break in the filming of Houdini (1953)

Curtis's uncredited screen debut came in Criss Cross (1949) playing a rumba dancer. In his second film, City Across the River (also in 1949), he was credited as "Anthony Curtis".^[14] Later, as "Tony Curtis", he cemented his reputation with breakthrough performances such as in the role of the scheming press agent Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with Burt Lancaster (who also starred in Criss Cross) and an Oscar-nominated performance as a bigoted escaped convict chained to Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones.

He did both screen comedy and drama, and became one of the most sought after stars in Hollywood. Curtis' comedies include Some Like It Hot (1959, although voice actor Paul Frees read his and Jack Lemmon's "Daphne" and "Josephine" dialogues), Sex and the Single Girl (1964) and The Great Race (1965), and his dramas included playing the slave Antoninus in Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (1960) co-starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier,^[15] The Outsider (1961), the true story of WW II veteran Ira Hayes, and The Boston Strangler (1968), in which he played the self-confessed murderer of the film's title, Albert DeSalvo. The latter film was praised for Curtis' performance. He was also part of the all-star ensemble in Elia Kazan's 1976 drama The Last Tycoon. Curtis was nominated for a Golden Globe for Supporting actor for his performance in Spartacus (1960) alongside co star Kirk Douglas.

Curtis appeared frequently on television; he co-starred with Roger Moore in the TV series The Persuaders!. Later, he co-starred in McCoy and Vega$. In the early 1960s, he was immortalized as "Stony Curtis," a voice-over guest star on The Flintstones.

Throughout his life, Curtis enjoyed painting, and since the early 1980s, painted as a second career. His work commands more than $25,000 a canvas now. In the last years of his life, he concentrated on painting rather than movies. A surrealist, Curtis claimed "Van Gogh, [Paul] Matisse, Picasso, Magritte" as influences.^[9] "I still make movies but I'm not that interested in them any more. But I paint all the time." In 2007, his painting The Red Table was on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His paintings can also be seen at the Tony Vanderploeg Gallery in Carmel, California.

Curtis spoke of his disappointment at never being awarded an Oscar. In March 2006, Curtis received the Sony Ericsson Empire Lifetime Achievement Award. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) from France in 1995.

Personal life[link]

Marriages and children[link]

With his first wife, Janet Leigh

Curtis was married six times.^[16] His first wife was actress Janet Leigh, to whom he was married from 1951 to 1962, and with whom he fathered actresses Kelly and Jamie Lee Curtis. "For a while, we were Hollywood's golden couple," he said. "I was very dedicated and devoted to Janet, and on top of my trade, but in her eyes that goldenness started to wear off. I realized that whatever I was, I wasn't enough for Janet. That hurt me a lot and broke my heart."^[16][17]

The studio he was under contract with, Universal-International, generally stayed out of their stars' love lives. However, when they chose to get married, studio executives spent three days trying to talk him out of it, telling him he would be "poisoning himself at the box office." They threatened "banishment" back to the Bronx and the end of his budding career. In response, Curtis and Leigh decided to defy the studio heads and instead eloped and were married by a local judge in Greenwich Connecticut. Comedian and close friend Jerry Lewis came as a witness.^[11]

It was Leigh's third marriage. They divorced in 1962, and in 1963, Curtis married Christine Kaufmann, the 17-year old German co-star of his latest film, Taras Bulba. He stated that his marriage with Leigh had effectively ended "a year earlier".^[9] Curtis and Kaufmann had two daughters, Alexandra (born July 19, 1964) and Allegra (born July 11, 1966). They divorced in 1968. Kaufmann resumed her career, which she had interrupted during her marriage.

Curtis was also married to:

• Leslie Allen (April 20, 1968 – 1982); divorced, two sons: Nicholas Curtis (1970–1994) and Benjamin Curtis (born May 2, 1973)
• Lisa Deutsch (February 28, 1993 – 1994); divorced
• Jill Vandenberg Curtis (November 6, 1998 – September 29, 2010; his death)

His last wife was 42 years his junior. They met in a restaurant in 1993 and married in 1998. "The age gap doesn't bother us. We laugh a lot. My body is functioning and everything is good. She's the sexiest woman I've ever known. We don't think about time. I don't use Viagra either. There are 50 ways to please your lover."^[18]

His son Nicholas (December 31, 1970 — April 2, 1994,^[19] with Leslie Allen) died of a heroin overdose at the age of 23. On his son's death, Curtis remarked, "You never get over that. The death of a child. No. Can't talk about it,"^[20] and that it's "a terrible thing when a father loses his son."^[21]

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Curtis, who had a problem with alcoholism and drug abuse, went though the treatment center of the Betty Ford Clinic in the mid 1980s, which was successful for him.

Philanthropy[link]

Tony Curtis

Beginning in 1990, Curtis and his daughter Jamie Lee Curtis took a renewed interest in their family's Hungarian Jewish heritage, and helped finance the rebuilding of the "Great Synagogue" in Budapest, Hungary.(photo) The largest synagogue in Europe today, it was originally built in 1859 and suffered damage during World War II.^[22] In 1998, he also founded the Emanuel Foundation for Hungarian Culture, and served as honorary chairperson. The organization works for the restoration and preservation of synagogues and 1300 Jewish cemeteries in Hungary. He dedicated this to the 600,000 Jewish victims of the Holocaust in Hungary and lands occupied by the Hungarian Army.^[23] He also helped promote Hungary's national image in commercials.^[24]

Curtis, during a signing of his 2008 memoir, American Prince

Books and appearances[link]

In 1994,^[25] a mural featuring his likeness, painted by the artist George Sportelli, was unveiled on the Sunset Boulevard overpass of the Hollywood Freeway Highway 101 in California. The mural was relocated to Hollywood Blvd and Bronson Ave in Sept 2011.

In 2004, he was inducted into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Hall of Fame.^[26] A street is named after him in the Sun City Anthem development in Henderson, Nevada.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, he was featured in the documentary The Jill & Tony Curtis Story about his efforts with his wife to rescue horses from slaughterhouses.^[27]

In October 2008, Curtis's autobiography American Prince: A Memoir, was published.^[28] In it, he describes his encounters with other Hollywood legends of the time including Frank Sinatra and James Dean, as well as his hard-knock childhood and path to success. It was followed by the publication of his next book, The Making of Some Like it Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Classic American Movie (2009).^[29] Curtis shared his memories of the making of the movie, in particular about Marilyn Monroe, whose antics and attitude on the set made everyone miserable.

On May 22, 2009, Curtis apologized to the BBC radio audience after he used three profanities in a six-minute interview with BBC presenter William Crawley. The presenter also apologized to the audience for Curtis's "Hollywood realism". Curtis explained that he thought the interview was being taped, when it was in fact live.

Later years and death[link]

Curtis was a lifelong Democrat and attended the 1960 Democratic National Convention alongside such liberal performers as Edward G. Robinson, Shelley Winters, Ralph Bellamy, and Lee Marvin^[30].

In 1984 Curtis was rushed to hospital suffering from advanced cirrhosis as a result of his alcoholism and cocaine addiction. He then entered the Betty Ford Clinic and vowed to overcome his "various illnesses".^[31] He underwent heart bypass surgery in 1994.^[32]

Curtis nearly died when he contracted pneumonia in December 2006 and was in a coma for several days. As a result he used a wheelchair and could only walk short distances.^[33]

On July 8, 2010, Curtis, who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was hospitalized in Las Vegas after suffering an asthma attack during a book signing engagement in Henderson, Nevada, where he lived.^[34]

Curtis died at his Henderson home on September 29, 2010, of a cardiac arrest.^{[35][36][37][38]} In a release to the Associated Press, his daughter, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, stated:

"My father leaves behind a legacy of great performances in movies and in his paintings and assemblages. He leaves behind children and their families who loved him and respected him and a wife and in-laws who were devoted to him. He also leaves behind fans all over the world. He will be greatly missed."^[39]

He was interred at Palm Memorial Park Cemetery in Green Valley, Nevada on October 4, 2010.^[40][41] His memorial service was attended by his daughters, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rich Little, and Vera Goulet, Robert Goulet's widow.^[41] Investor Kirk Kerkorian, actor Kirk Douglas and singer Phyllis McGuire were among the honorary pallbearers.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Curtis, Tony; Barry Paris (1993). Tony Curtis: The Autobiography. New York: William Morrow & Company. ISBN 978-0-688-09759-2. 
• Ayres, Ian (2006). Van Gogh's Ear: The Celebrity Edition. Paris: French Connection. ISBN 978-2-914853-07-1.  The book includes Tony Curtis's prose, poetry, and artwork.
• Curtis, Tony; Peter Golenbock (2008). Tony Curtis: American Prince: My Autobiography. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-307-40849-5. 
• Curtis, Tony (2009). Some Like it Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Making of the Classic Movie. New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-470-53721-3. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tony Curtis

United States Navy portal

• CBS news: Tony Curtis 1925-2010 video: 1.5 minutes
• Tony Curtis at the Internet Movie Database
• Tony Curtis at the TCM Movie Database
• Biography and naval service from the California Center for Military History website
• Tony Curtis' Famous Friends - slideshow by Life magazine
• 2009 interview with Dodd Vickers for the Magic Newswire
• 2007 interview by Nick Thomas in Nevada Magazine
• Tony Curtis and Nehemiah Persoff talk about Some Like it Hot
• John Patterson, "Some like it very hot", The Guardian, 18 April 2008
• Alison Jackson, Some tormented Hollywood souls still like their gossip hot, Profile: Tony Curtis, Sunday Times, 20 April 2008
• Documentary film, The Jill & Tony Curtis Story
• Photographs and literature
• Tony Curtis: Life and Times - slideshow by Life magazine
• The Telegraph obituary
• Interview by Michael Hainey for GQ Magazine

This article appears to contradict itself. Please see the talk page for more information. (August 2011)

Taras Bulba (Ukrainian: Тара́с Бу́льба) is a romanticized historical novel by Nikolai Gogol. It tells the story of an old Zaporozhian Cossack, Taras Bulba, and his two sons, Andriy and Ostap. Taras’ sons studied at the Kiev Academy and return home. The three men set out on an epic journey to Zaporizhian Sich located in Ukraine, where they join other Cossacks and go to war against Poland.

Taras Bulba is Gogol’s longest short story. The work is non-fictional in nature with characters that are not exaggerated or grotesque as was common in Gogol's later work, though his characterizations of Cossacks are said by some scholars to be a bit exaggerated. This story can be understood in the context of the romantic nationalism movement in literature, which developed around a historical ethnic culture which meets the romantic ideal.

Plot (1842 revised edition)[link]

Taras Bulba’s two sons, Ostap and Andriy, return home from an Orthodox seminary in Kiev. Ostap is the more adventurous, whereas Andriy has deeply romantic feelings of an introvert. While in Kiev, he fell in love with a young Polish noble girl, the daughter of the Governor of Dubno, but after a few meetings, he stopped seeing her when her family returned home. Taras Bulba gives his sons the opportunity to go to war. They reach the Cossack camp at the Zaporozhian Sich, where there is much merrymaking. Taras attempts to rouse the Cossacks to go into battle. He rallies them to replace the existing Hetman when the Hetman is reluctant to break the peace treaty.

They soon have the opportunity to fight the Poles, who rule all Ukraine west of the Dnieper River. The Poles are accused of atrocities against Orthodox Christians, in which they are aided by Jews. After killing many of the Jewish merchants at the Sich, the Cossacks set off on a campaign against the Poles. They besiege Dubno Castle. Surrounded by the Cossacks and short of supplies, the inhabitants begin to starve. One night a Tatar woman comes to Andriy and rouses him. He finds her face familiar and then recalls she is the servant of the Polish girl he was in love with. She advises him that all are starving inside the walls. He accompanies her through a secret passage starting in the marsh that goes into the monastery inside the city walls. Andriy brings loaves of bread with him for the starving girl and her mother. He is horrified by what he sees and in a fury of love, forsakes his heritage for the Polish girl.

Meanwhile, several companies of Polish soldiers march into Dubno to relieve the siege, and destroy a regiment of Cossacks. A number of battles ensue. Taras learns of his son’s forsaking his Cossack heritage from Yankel the Jew, whom he saved earlier in the story. During one of the final battles, he sees Andriy riding in Polish garb from the castle and has his men draw him to the woods, where he takes him off his horse. Taras then shoots his son from close range. Taras and Ostap continue fighting the Poles. Ostap is captured while his father is knocked out. When Taras regains his composure he learns that his son was taken away by the Poles. Yankel agrees to take him to Warsaw where Ostap is held captive, hiding Taras in a cart of bricks. Once in Warsaw a group of Jews help Yankel dress Taras as a German count. They go into the prison to see his Ostap, but a guard recognizes Taras as a Cossack. He lets them in and out only after being paid 100 gold pieces, and suggests they go to the Cossacks' execution the following day.

During the execution, Ostap does not make a single sound, even while being broken on the wheel, and only near the end calls out to his father, asking if he "can hear this?" Taras calls out that he can. Yankel turns to him terrified, but he had vanished. Taras returns home to find all of his old Cossack friends dead and younger Cossacks in their place. He goes to war again. The new Hetman wishes to make peace with the Poles, which Taras is strongly against, warning that the Poles are treacherous and will not honor their words. Failing to convince the Hetman, Taras takes his regiment away to continue the assault independently. As Taras predicted, once the new Hetman agrees to a truce, the Poles betray him and kill a number of Cossacks. Taras and his men continue to fight and are finally caught in a ruined fortress, where they battle until the last man is defeated.

Taras is nailed and tied to a tree and set aflame. Even in this state, he calls out to his men to continue the fight, claiming that a new Russian Tsar is coming who will rule the earth. The story ends with Cossacks on the Dniester River recalling the great feats of Taras and his unwavering Cossack spirit.

Differences between editions[link]

The original 1835 edition reflects the Ukrainian context of the story. In response to critics who called his The Government Inspector "anti-Russian", and under pressure from the Russian government that considered Taras Bulba too Ukrainian, Gogol was forced to revise the book. The 1842 edition was expanded and rewritten to include Russian nationalist themes in keeping with the official tsarist ideology at the time, as well as the author's changing political and aesthetic views (later manifested in Dead Souls and Selected Passages from Correspondence with his Friends). The changes included three new chapters and a new ending (in the 1835 edition, the protagonist is not burned at the stake by the Poles). The little-known original edition was translated into Ukrainian and made available to the Ukrainian audience only in 2005.^[1][2]

Depiction of Jews and Poles[link]

Felix Dreizin and David Guaspari in their The Russian Soul and the Jew: Essays in Literary Ethnocentrism discuss "the significance of the Jewish characters and the negative image of the Ukrainian Jewish community in Gogol's novel "Taras Bulba," pointing out Gogol's attachment to anti-Jewish prejudices prevalent in Russian and Ukrainian culture."^[3] In Léon Poliakov's The History of Antisemitism, the author states that "The 'Yankel' from Taras Bulba indeed became the archetypal Jew in Russian literature. Gogol painted him as supremely exploitative, cowardly, and repulsive, albeit capable of gratitude. But it seems perfectly natural in the story that he and his cohorts be drowned in the Dnieper by the Cossack lords. Above all, Yankel is ridiculous, and the image of the plucked chicken that Gogol used has made the rounds of great Russian authors."^[4] However, the famous brutality of the Cossack Khmelnytsky Uprising preceded Gogol's lifetime by about two hundred years and in Taras Bulba as in Gogol's work generally, his treatment of the Jews is realistic and sometimes sympathetic, as in the closing lines of "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich." In Yiddish, that character in "The Two Ivans" is referred to as a "balagoola: a well known character in Yiddish literature. In his story "Viy," there is a reference to the Jewish Innkeeper, a common occupation for Jews within the Pale at that time^[5] and even a reference to the Talmud. There is no mass slaughter of Jews in Taras Bulba nor are they reviled by the narrator. There is a scene where Jews are thrown into a river, a scene where Taras Bulba visits the Jews and seeks their aid and reference by the narrator of the story that Jews are treated inhumanely^[6] Certainly Cossacks are portrayed as disparaging Jews in what is obviously serving as comic relief in the story.