Tony Curtis Autographs and His (Not So) Tricky Secretarial

This month will mark one year since Tony Curtis, the beloved actor, passed away. I decided to post this quick thread after searching through past ones and seeing very little discussed about Tony Curtis' signature. There are a lot of through the mail Tony Curtis signatures on eBay with certificates from both PSA/DNA and JSA. I think it's pretty well known that Tony Curtis' through the mail was secretarial but I'd like to post this for anyone who doesn't know or may be fooled by the PSA or JSA seal of approval.

Tony Curtis Secretarial:

The differences between authentic Tony signatures and this secretarial are very distinctive.

Here's a quick rundown of some differences:

1. Tony Curtis didn't stack his signature. See how the Tony is on top of the Curtis in the secretarial above. That isn't present in authentic examples.

2. Tony Curtis would almost always attach the "y" in Tony to the "C" in Curtis.

3. The "C" in Tony Curtis will almost always have a little loop or attachment at the top. It's most often part of the attachment between the "y" and "C" but it is also present in signatures where there is no attachment.

*4. Tony Curtis' authentic signature was much more varied than this secretarial and more sloppy on average.*

Here are some Tony Curtis signatures we know with absolutely certainty to be real. You can compare them with the secretarial and also the characteristics outlined above:

Now here is some side by side comparison of the secretarial signature versus the authentic Tony Curtis signature. The secretarial version is on the left and the authentic signature is on the right:

Tony Curtis was a very willing signer in-person. He signed right up until the end. He just didn't sign through the mail. Where would he find the time with five wives?

Tags: Curtis, Hollywood, Tony, autograph, classic, secretarial

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Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on September 4, 2011 at 1:39pm

Thanks, Greg.

I'd also like to point out that I believe these are secretarial as well. Even though they're not stacked and the Tony does attach to the Curtis. These are just a little bit better. The letters aren't similar to Tony Curtis' authentic signature. Another indicator of authenticity for these is the break between the "r" and the "t" in Curtis. Tony Curtis' authentic signature doesn't have it and the secretarials do.

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Permalink Reply by Janice Knechtel on September 5, 2011 at 6:37am

Thanks for the info. I bought one of Tony and always wondered if it was real. After reading and looking at these examples, I now know that the one I bought is real. Thank you thank you

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Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on September 5, 2011 at 1:51pm

You're very welcome. I'm glad this could help you. If you wanted any more confirmation, you could post a picture or scan up here and I'd give you my fairly educated opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle M. on September 5, 2011 at 6:29pm

I got him many many times in LA at Spago. He was always wearing that sailor cap and very very nice. One of the last legends!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 5, 2011 at 6:47pm

I used to see Curtis all the time at Spago, but I don't remember the sailor cap! What I remember the most is his full-length fur coat and his spot at the end of the bar by Spago's entrance. He rarely seemed like a happy camper.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle M. on September 5, 2011 at 7:10pm

He always used to sign 2 or 3 for me. He even hit cards for people that didn't have pics.

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Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on September 5, 2011 at 7:57pm

Thanks.

He definitely was one of the last legends from the glitzy era of Hollywood. I've never been to Spago but I caught him at a book signing for American Prince a few years ago. He just about signed everything in sight and went above and beyond.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle M. on September 5, 2011 at 6:30pm

Yes brick, very well done. I would love to see more posts like this.

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Permalink Reply by E.B.G. on September 5, 2011 at 10:15pm

Nice work Brick! I thought everyone knew about Tony Curtis and what came back TTM. I cannot believe that JSA would put their name to such garbage. Such a pity.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle M. on September 5, 2011 at 10:29pm

Brick, I agree! It looks like if it's stacked then it was his secretary.

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Permalink Reply by Kyle M. on September 5, 2011 at 10:30pm

But I also don't understand why he needed one. It's not like he was working his tail off at the end of his life. Does anyone know how many requests a typical person of this era would get a week? 20? 100? I have no idea.

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Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on September 5, 2011 at 11:46pm

I don't think these guys did it with any malice. The Charlton Heston's and Tony Curtis'. It just happens that they can't sign it all.

The stacked signatures are secretarial. Also, the image I posted in response to Greg is secretarial I believe, even though it isn't stacked and the Tony is attached to the Curtis. The break between the "r" and "t" in Curtis is an important trait not present in his authentic signature. It is in the stacked secretarials as well which makes me think it was the same signer.