Jack Curtis

Who was Jack Curtis?

Jack Curtis Jr. was born to Vaudevilee Dancer Mabel Ford and agent Jack Curtis Sr. in New York on June 16, 1926. He started voice acting as a teenager in the 1940s, performing in a myriad of radio shows, including "Coast to Coast on a Bus", where he first met Peter Fernandez. In 1962, he made the cult classic The Flesh Eaters, that was released in 1964. Although credited as the film's director, he also wrote, edited, and provided camera work.

Curtis was also the half brother to Bea Curtis, who was married to Harry Fox of The Foxtrot. He was also the 1st cousin of magician Roy Benson who appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Jack's longtime friend Peter Fernandez hired him to dub voices for Speed Racer. At the time he also provided voice-overs for the cartoon series, Marine Boy.

In September 1970, at the age of forty-four, Curtis died of pneumonia that he contracted in the hospital, which could not be treated as he was allergic to penicillin, the only antidote in 1970. He was remembered fondly by friends and co-workers alike, particularly for his sense of humor and practical jokes. Corinne Orr recalls, "He was so outrageous, and a warm and giving person."

He was survived by second wife Paulette Rubinstein Curtis, and their daughter Liane Alexandra Curtis who works as an actress and lives in Los Angeles with her family.