Another celebrity graces the courthouse with his presence

By Brian Eckhouse (contact)

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007 | 7:14 a.m.

If Tony Curtis really ran a courthouse, story time probably would figure prominently in each day. After all, the 82-year-old actor, a resident of Henderson, has a million of them.

But in his role as honorary judge at the Regional Justice Center on Monday, Curtis didn't have a lot of time to do much more than a star turn.

He may never have had a more grateful audience than the jury pool.

Bailiff Al Fitzgerald had warned Curtis that this was "not a happy crowd."

"So we're not going to try to be happy," Curtis said dryly.

No one, it seemed, had to try very hard, at least once they realized who was in the room.

When Curtis, who has been using a wheelchair since he fought off a nasty case of pneumonia last December, entered the jury room, the group appeared impatient or sleepy.

But as he rolled through, a wave of emotion rolled through the crowd.

"That's Tony Curtis!"

"Hey, it's Tony Curtis."

Fitzgerald joked to the would-be jurors: "He gave me some money. He's getting out of jury duty today."

Some jumped from their seats; most waved to Curtis.

Curtis greeted them and said hello before returning to the lobby.

Rachael Ganatta, Curtis' attorney and a former law clerk at the court, had set up the honorary judgeship.

It is highly unusual, said Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle, who approved the title.

In a court setting and with dark sunglasses and black clothing from cap to sneakers, Curtis had the look of a disgraced celebrity trying to evade the media glare.

In fact, the man who once said he had two professions - acting and celebrity - sought to meet as many people as possible. He kissed women's hands, observed court proceedings from the public pews and intended to visit the jail.

For Curtis' "work," Hardcastle gave him a gavel with his name inscribed on it at an informal presentation outside her office. Mayor Oscar Goodman, who could not attend Monday morning, had bought Curtis three poker chips, which were also presented to him.

Curtis even took the time to tell a charming, slightly off-color story involving himself, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe standing in their skivvies getting ready to be fitted in women's clothing for the 1959 film "Some Like It Hot."

Sorry, the rest of it is not appropriate for a family newspaper. You'll have to wait for the next story time at the courthouse.