Tony Curtis: Questions His Sanity, Not His Morality

By Alicia Sparks
December 22, 2008

Tony Curtis (Some Like It Hot, father of Jaime Lee - yeah, yeah, I know - like Tony Curtis needs an introduction) is another celeb with a tell-all memoir to recently hit shelves.

From what I gather, American Prince houses Curtis’s narrative on his womanizing ways, his battles with drug abuse, the ups and downs of Hollywood, and the personal tragedies he’s suffered behind the scenes.

Of interest to my little corner of the Internet is Curtis’s comment on his mother’s schizophrenia. When Patricia Sheridan of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette asked Curtis about his mother’s schizophrenia and whether he ever worried he would have the mental disorder, Curtis replied:

Yes, I did. You have to question your own sanity, you know? I know there was nothing wrong with my morality.

Haha - er, wait. What?

I’ve read that quote tens of times now, and I still have no idea what he meant. I get the “you have to question your own sanity” bit, because, really - don’t we? *sigh* But I’m lost on the morality part. I’m pretty sure he’s not comparing schizophrenia and morality on any level - positive or negative - so…what is it?

Does Curtis keep some kind of checklist by his bedside? Does he look at each night and mark off the things he feels are good to go? “Take vitamins - check. Paint interesting picture - check. Keep morality in line - check. Sanity - uh…”

I don’t know.

If you do, feel free to chime in.

In the meantime, you can read reviews of Curtis’s American Prince below:

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2 Comments to
“Tony Curtis: Questions His Sanity, Not His Morality”

Damien at 7:53 pm on December 22nd, 2008

I didn’t know Tony Curtis’ mother was schizophrenic. Just that fact makes me feel better that my wife’s grandmother is. Tony Curtis is a talented guy and so is his daughter. Thanks for dispelling the stigma yet a bit more.

Alicia Sparks at 11:22 pm on December 23rd, 2008

@ Damien - Thanks for chiming in Sometimes when we hear about how “well-known” people have battled mental health problems, it not only makes them seem more “real” (the people, not the problems, haha), but it also makes our own successes seem more reachable. Sure, the rich and famous have access to more resources than most of us, but it’s still somewhat reassuring to see other achieve their goals and manage mental illness, you know? (I don’t guess what I’m saying really relates to Tony’s grandmother, but you know what I mean, ha.)