Tony Curtis

I’m not usually a person who cries when famous people who I do not know, die (well okay, apart from John Wayne and Elvis) but I couldn’t help feeling saddened to hear of the death of Tony Curtis today. I remember watching him some years ago when he appeared on Clive Anderson’s Chat show.

Anderson in his usual cynical style asked Curtis when he was the most happiest. Curtis, who had had the most incredible life, done the most adventurous things, paused before answering and after this thoughtful period answered: “right now, here, looking at this lovely welcoming and warm audience”.  Anderson sniffed at his answer and accused him of being smarmy and insincere but I got it and so did the audience. Here was a man who had so many regrets, so much guilt following the death of his brother as a child,  that here right now, with warm, happy people smiling at him – “here, right now” seemed true and sincere.  I am sure Parkinson would have got it but then Anderson isn’t Parkinson..

My other memory of Tony Curtis was when I visited Princess Diana’s old school in Kent which Mohammed Fayed had bought and renamed The New School at West Heath and donated to a unit for challenging children who up until then had been housed in a portakabin in a run down part of London.  I was there to work with a very challenging child and when the Head teacher greeted me that morning she  told me that the day before M.Fayed had arrived to visit by helicopter with his friend Tony Curtis and as the Head stood on the green of this beautiful school to receive the visitors, out stepped Tony Curtis who kissed her hand and declared “wow, 15 minutes ago I was in London and now I’m in love”.  I have many regrets in my life and one of them is arriving a day late at the New School at West Heath.