Alan Curtis

Alan Curtis (born Harry David Ueberroth; July 24, 1909 – February 2, 1953) was an American film actor who appeared in over 50 films.

Early life and career Curtis was born Harry David Ueberroth in Chicago to Christopher Henry Ueberroth and his wife, Ottilie. He began his career as a model before becoming an actor, appearing in local newspaper ads. His looks did not go unnoticed in Hollywood and he began appearing in films in the late 1930s.

Curtis made his screen debut in Winterset (1936). His film activities included a Technicolor appearance in the Alice Faye-Don Ameche film Hollywood Cavalcade (1939) and a memorable role in High Sierra (1941). He was one of the romantic leads in Abbott and Costello's first hit film Buck Privates (1941) and played composer Franz Schubert in The Great Awakening (1941).

His chance for leading-man stardom came when he replaced the unwilling John Garfield in the production Flesh and Fantasy (1943). Curtis played a ruthless killer opposite Gloria Jean. However, the studio cut their performances from the final film version. The footage was later expanded into a B-picture melodrama Destiny (1944). He also portrayed the man framed for murder in Phantom Lady (1944) and the detective Philo Vance. Curtis starred in over two dozen movies.

Personal life Curtis was married to: Actress Priscilla Lawson, Elizabeth Sundmark Dodero (died 1959), a onetime showgirl, former wife of Argentine millionaire Alberto Dodero, and a close friend of Eva Peron. They married in New York City on November 21, 1950, and divorced the following year. She died in 1959, after marrying, in 1952, saloon singer Hugh Shannon.

Death Curtis had a routine kidney operation on January 28, 1953, at Saint Clare's Hospital in Manhattan. Several hours after the surgery, as he sipped some tea, he "died" for four minutes when his heart failed. He was revived and seemed to be improving but died five days later, aged 43. He is buried in the Ueberroth family plot in Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois.

Recognition Curtis has a star at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in the Motion Picture section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes 1936 The Witness Chair Reporter in Courtroom Uncredited 1936 Undersea Kingdom Guardsman Uncredited 1936 The Last Outlaw Convertible Driver Uncredited 1936 Swing Time Minor Role Uncredited 1936 Walking on Air Fred Randolph 1936 Don't Turn 'Em Loose Wedding Attendant with Telegram Uncredited 1936 Without Orders Co-Pilot Uncredited 1936 One Live Ghost Alan Short, Uncredited 1936 Smartest Girl in Town Male Model Who Escorts Cookie Uncredited 1936 Winterset Sailor Uncredited 1937 Don't Tell the Wife Second Stockbroker at Shaw & Allen Uncredited 1937 Sea Devils Radio Operator, Yacht Mona Uncredited 1937 China Passage Ship's Officer Uncredited 1937 The Woman I Love Uncredited 1937 Between Two Women Interne Uncredited 1937 Bad Guy Prison Switchboard Operator Uncredited 1937 The Firefly French Soldier Uncredited 1937 Mannequin Eddie Miller 1938 Yellow Jack Brinkerhof 1938 The Shopworn Angel Thin Lips 1938 The Duke of West Point Cadet Strong 1939 Burn'Em Up O'Connor Jose 'Rocks' Rivera 1939 Sergeant Madden Dennis Madden 1939 Good Girls Go to Paris Tom Brand 1939 Hollywood Cavalcade Nicky Hayden 1940 Four Sons Karl 1941 High Sierra 'Babe' 1941 Come Live with Me Bit Part Uncredited 1941 Buck Privates Bob Martin 1941 Blood and Sand Minor Role (scenes deleted) 1941 The Great Awakening Franz Schubert 1941 We Go Fast Bob Brandon 1942 Remember Pearl Harbor Bruce Gordon 1943 Hitler's Madman Karel Vavra 1943 Two Tickets to London First Mate Dan Driscoll 1943 Crazy House Himself 1943 'Gung Ho!': The Story of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders John Harbison 1944 Phantom Lady Scott Henderson 1944 Follow the Boys Himself Uncredited 1944 The Invisible Man's Revenge Mark Foster 1944 Destiny Cliff Banks 1945 Frisco Sal Rio Jordan aka John Warren 1945 See My Lawyer Charlie Rodman 1945 The Naughty Nineties Mr. Crawford 1945 Shady Lady Marty Martin 1945 The Daltons Ride Again Emmett Dalton 1946 Inside Job Eddie Norton aka Eddie Mitchell 1946 Flight to Nowhere Hobe Carrington 1946 Renegade Girl Capt. Fred Raymond 1947 Philo Vance's Gamble Philo Vance 1947 Philo Vance's Secret Mission 1948 The Enchanted Valley Johnny Nelson 1949 Apache Chief Young Eagle 1949 The Masked Pirate Commodore Van Diel 1951 Amore e sangue Paolo Giacomo (final film role)