Tony Curtis Estate Auction includes some stunning items – you can view the online catalog and get a glimpse of what is being offered at the sale! Tony was grateful to Errol for his advise to a young actor just starting out in Hollywood…
— David DeWitt
Anonymous
August 10, 2011 at 6:51 pm
This is SO CRAZY!! I had a quick look at the catalogue… OMG! They're selling EVERYTHING, that's sad somehow! WHO is doing this actually? I didn't have time to go into details, is there a Flynn-related item?
Anonymous
August 10, 2011 at 7:52 pm
Jill VandenBerg Curtis (Tony's wife) is offering these things because she wants his fans to have an opportunity to own something of his. This is a substantial auction catalog with TONS of very valuable stuff in it that collectors will go nuts over!
She is moving into an new home that the two of them planned to build closer to (or on) her Shiloh Ranch Horse Rescue property. This home will be not a large as the one they planned together and she doesn't want Tony's things to rot away in a storage unit.
Presumably, she has offered his children whatever they might like from his estate, or Tony himself made those gifts in his will. In any case, once you see the vast amount of things Tony collected in over 80 plus years you can understand that there wouldn't be enough space for all of this stuff in her new home.
I am sure she has kept whatever is very personal to her and will never part with those items but she said that Tony loved his fans and would rather see what he called (my goods) sold to a fan who would treasure and take care of the items rather than see them end up in storage.
He had said before that everything he owned he got from his fans and so this seems appropriate to me, and something he would like.
The catalog is fascinating! You could spend hours looking at!
I was able to view some of Tony's box art constructions in a Seattle art gallery (missing Tony himself by a mere five minutes!) and you can see he was always collecting items for these constructions. I was surprised to see his had done a couple of glass bottle constructions, too.
An old table he used in his art studio was given to him by Marlene Dietrich, and one of his easels was once owned by Edward G Robinson.
How I wish I had arrived at the art gallery a few minutes early! I would have had Tony Curtis all to myself surrounded by all of his art work! Imagine!
Anonymous
August 11, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Yes, what an awesome idea! Thanks for making the details clear, David!
Anonymous
August 16, 2011 at 3:50 am
Frankly, I am surprised that old Tony isn't being dug up, mumified like Trigger and auctioned off !
Anonymous
August 16, 2011 at 3:54 am
Isn't he?
Anonymous
August 16, 2011 at 4:14 am
Jill VandenBerg Curtis loved her husband Tony Curtis very much, and ran (still runs) a horse rescue operation that gave TC a place to find peace and quiet in an otherwise busy and sometime chaotic life. He loved her very, very much – and she is doing basically what he would want her to do with what he called his “goods”. I am sure very personal things shared with family members or bequeathed to them are missing from the auction items. Moving to Shiloh Horse Rescue from the big house in Henderson (which the two of them planned to do) means there will be no space for all of Tony's things, and so that they do not turn to rot in storage Jill has decided to offer his fans an opportunity to own something of his. This will help support Shiloh Ranch which Tony was dedicated to, as well…
Jill is an extraordinary person, and doing great work saving horses from being turned into dog food or meat for consumption in foreign countries. If she cannot heal and adopt out the horses she saves, they remain for life being cared for on her ranch. While it may seem like everything TC ever owned is on the block I am sure this is what is left over after his family and close friends have had a chance to be given a gift or an inheritance. If you had followed her adventures on the ranch and with Tony as closely as I have you would not criticize her actions in the least manner about this auction.
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 12:37 am
That is some VERY VERY VERY good PR….
I apologize, maybe the corpse shouldn't be up for auction . It should be made audioanimatronic so it could autograph things…
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 2:39 am
tswartz – could you be so kind and give homage and credit to our great stars who pleased so many of us so many times and gave us wonderful pleasures to be able to watch them in their great movies! Why be so negative about Tony Curtis's goods for sale to his fans? I wish there would be an auction of Errol Flynn's goods in this multitude for sale!
What is the purpose of cynical remarks, please explain?
We should be happy that these item are made available to fans of Tony Curtis!
Please see it as an opportunity to fans of Tony Curtis to own something of their idol!
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 3:55 am
Dear Tina,
I think it is obvious “tzwartz” is not trying to say anything bad about Tony Curtis himself. His remarks only seem to indicate a severe distaste for the auction. Personally I would not and could not auction off the possessions of a recently deceased loved one, but everybody is different. Luckily, we live in a free country where people can grieve in any way they like and others can express their opinion. Now if there is ever an auction having Errol Flynn goods, let me know. I don't want his shoes, however.
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 4:16 am
Darn, and I had a pair I was going to offer you.
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 4:46 am
Oh, I know where “tzwartz” is coming from and most certainly he is not saying anything bad about Tony. Far from it – he is expressing sensitivity = I am sure he feels “How can you do such thing so soon after his passing”! But on the other hand don't let's forget that there are fans who are eager to acquire things of their idols, therefore this becomes a venue like “should it be done or not?”
Fans are the support line of “Stars” and therefore Tony Curtis's goods only give back something to his fans who supported him throughout his carrier. It's a very fine line of what is right and what is in good taste. I for one rather see the goods on sale than decay in a storage place and most likely through one thing or another the family had to set their financial priorities which so often is the case when a person is passing on.
What do we know about the needs of the family and the so often associated financial problems occurring when a person has passed away as the good old government wants his share and that is not peanuts. Probate is a harsh reality and very expensive, at least in Canada.
Take care – love to talk to you about it,
Tina
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 4:53 am
Darn – is right! You say you had a pair – how can you offer them? You don't have them anymore – right!
But I have a dark brown pair of Italian moccasins with off white instep tops – eat your heart out!
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 4:57 am
The above is my reply to szuckerman it somehow did not get underneath his post – sorry!
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 5:10 am
Not my style
Anonymous
August 18, 2011 at 4:26 pm
Hi Robert – good to talk to you again!
Re – shoes! I am sure you liked these shoes of Errol – Errol loved moccasins and your style indeed! Oh, yes!
Take care,
Tina
Anonymous
September 10, 2011 at 12:06 am
I like them how they look on his feet.
Anonymous
September 10, 2011 at 5:48 am
I find it fascinating to observe how often he is not wearing socks… oh, trivia again…
Anonymous
September 10, 2011 at 7:42 pm
But would you like how they'd look on his head?
Anonymous
September 17, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Sorry, I do not know his late wife and I'm sure she is a beautiful person, but to auction everything off.. is not correct!!! If it was his wish to give something to his fans back… that's great… but a Museum would be approbiate, because once the values are sold, the rest of the fans who had no chance to bit for smth, have nothing left besides the memory of an great actor. His Kids by the way got nothing …. “just” old pics…. and his late wife who just spent the last 15 years with TC, could really find an other way to get money for the horses… 15 years is nothing…. to be a child should count more… Please be aware that there is possibility of an upcoming court case, because the kids will fight for his legacy and it is not about the money, they just want that his belongings are safe to be seen by everyone who loved and honoured Tony Curtis. I feel for his kids and grandchildren who will never have the chance to see those beautiful things and letters again…if everything is auction off. I do not think this is right… and it does not matter what relationship they had to their father..
Anonymous
September 17, 2011 at 6:29 pm
I agree with you, a museum would be much better because, as you said, it is pretty unfair if the stuff is going into the hands of the rich only again. And no, I do not want to start a jealousy debate here.
Anonymous
September 17, 2011 at 8:02 pm
It turns out that, apparently, the kids did not know about this auction, were not given a chance to obtain anything before the items went up for sale and so I am now conflicted quite a bit about all of this concerning the sale of TC's personal possessions. I understand that he wanted his things to go up for auction – according to the auction house. He gave most of his grand kids $30,000 for college. The bulk of the rest of his estate which is said to be 60 million dollars is going to Jill, his wife. I can't understand why she would not offer to his children whatever they desired from his personal things, treasures they remember from their childhoods. She has always been a highly enlightened woman, and obviously loved Tony very much. She shows this in many, many ways. So I am left to consider that Tony himself wanted things this way, or…
I find myself thinking the worst.