Tony Curtis' art collection and memorabilia up for sale

Works by Picasso, Andy Warhol and the late actor head to the auction block

Shaun Curry / AFP - Getty Images

Best known for his acting, Tony Curtis was also an art lover and an artist himself. Here, he poses in 2008 at a showcase for his work in London. Some of his own paintings will be up for sale in September, alongside Picasso sketches.

updated 8/9/2011 9:32:36 AM ET

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LOS ANGELES — Paintings, sculptures and other collectibles that once belonged to Tony Curtis are hitting the auction block.

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Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions, says original artwork by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Henry Miller and Curtis himself will be sold at an auction of property from the actor's estate on Sept. 17.

Slideshow: Tony Curtis (1925-2010) (on this page)

Curtis' own paintings and ceramics are among the items for sale, along with pottery and prints by Picasso, which are expected to fetch more than $3,000 each. Also up for auction is memorabilia from Curtis' many movies, including the sailor jacket he wore during a kissing scene with Marilyn Monroe in "Some Like It Hot."

Story: Hollywood legend Tony Curtis dies at 85

The items will be on view at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif., beginning Sept. 6.

Photos: Tony Curtis

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After serving in the Pacific during World War II and being wounded at Guam, Tony Curtis returned to New York and studied acting under the G.I. Bill. He appeared in summer stock theater and on the Borscht Circuit in the Catskills. Then an agent lined up an audition with a Universal-International talent scout. In 1948, at 23, he signed a seven-year contract with the studio, starting at $100 a week. (AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Related story Hollywood legend Tony Curtis dies at 85
Curtis was born Bernie Schwartz, a name studio executives thought sounded too Jewish for a movie actor. So they gave him a new name: Anthony Curtis, taken from his favorite novel, "Anthony Adverse," and the Anglicized name of a favorite uncle. After his eighth film, he became Tony Curtis. (Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

Related video Remembering the life of actor Tony Curtis

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Curtis, right, played Antonius opposite Sir Laurence Olivier as Crassus in Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film "Spartacus." (Time & Life Pictures via Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

Related video Tony Curtis reflects on life

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Curtis portrayed magician Harry Houdini in the 1953 film, "Houdini." (AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Ernest Borgnine, left, Janet Leigh, front center, Curtis and Kirk Douglas, rear, on the set of "The Vikings" in 1958. (AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Curtis, circa 1960. Asked in a 2008 interview with Matt Lauer on the TODAY show if his good looks were a blessing or a curse, Curtis drew laughs by saying "I never found them a curse. No, I loved it." (Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis dances with his wife Janet Leigh during a party in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 30, 1961. (AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis and Leigh with their daughters Kelly, 2 1/2, and newborn Jamie Lee in Hollywood, Calif., on Jan. 16, 1959. He had married Leigh in 1951, when they were both rising young stars; they divorced in 1963. (AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Burt Lancaster, left, Gina Lollobrigida and Curtis appear in a scene from the 1956 film "Trapeze." (AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis, left, and Jack Lemmon starred together in the 1959 comedy classic "Some Like It Hot." Curtis — famously imitating Cary Grant's accent — and Lemmon play jazz musicians who dress up as women to escape retribution after witnessing a gangland massacre. (Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Marilyn Monroe was their co-star in "Some Like It Hot," and Curtis and Lemmon were repeatedly kept waiting as Monroe lingered in her dressing room out of fear and insecurity. Curtis fumed over her unprofessionalism. When someone remarked that it must be thrilling to kiss Monroe in the film's love scenes, the actor snapped, "It's like kissing Hitler." (AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis' opinion of Marilyn Monroe softened, and in interviews he praised her unique talent. (AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis in 1965. In addition to "Some Like It Hot," Curtis also starred in "Sweet Smell of Success," "Captain Newman, M.D.," "The Vikings," "Kings Go Forth" and "Operation Petticoat." He also found time to do a voice acting gig as his prehistoric lookalike, Stony Curtis, in an episode of "The Flintstones." (AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis, right, and Jack Lemmon, left, joined in a tribute to "Some Like It Hot" director Billy Wilder in this undated photo. (AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis, right, co-starred with Burt Lancaster in "The Sweet Smell of Success" in 1957. (Everett Collection) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Sidney Poitier and Curtis starred in "The Defiant Ones" in 1958. Curtis earned an Oscar nomination for the performance. (Everett Collection) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Curtis and his second wife, Christine Kaufmann, pose with their daughter Alexandra in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 1964. (AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis poses with his daughter, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, on Jan. 1, 1991. Curtis took a fatherly pride in his daughter's success. They were estranged for a long period, then reconciled. "I understand him better now," she said, "perhaps not as a father but as a man." (Time & Life Pictures via Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Curtis takes a turn behind a camera in Cannes during the 38th International Film Festival on May 11, 1985. (AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Curtis showcases his artwork at an exhibition in Harrods in central London on April 17, 2008. (Shuan Curry / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Curtis, author of "American Prince: A Memoir," presents his book in the Millenaris Culture Center of Budapest during an event of the 16th International Book Festival on April 25, 2009. (Gergely Botar / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Tony Curtis' art collection and memorabilia up for sale

Works by Picasso, Andy Warhol and the late actor head to the auction block

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