The Jill & Tony Curtis Story” proves the key to fulfillment comes from something much more rewarding than fame or fortune. Screen legend Tony Curtis himself claims he’s never been happier than he is now. Meeting the young, beautiful Jill Vandenberg in 1992, he could not have imagined how much she would change his life. An award-winning equestrian, Jill grew up loving horses and broke down in tears at her computer one day upon discovering how each year over a 100,000 horses of all ages, often in the best of health, are being brutally slaughtered for human consumption overseas. Right then and there Jill knew her life’s purpose. And when she told Tony—who rode in many films—the terrifying fate of these horses, he offered to do all he could to help her rescue them.
Jill and Tony Curtis are a fascinating couple whose double-life adventures, though non-stop, never distract them from what matters most. Join them in a great variety of experiences, including an actual slaughter auction in Utah (never before filmed, since cameras are forbidden); Tony’s private art studio in Nevada, where the acclaimed painter transforms a blank canvas into a work as colorful as his conversation; a celebrity convention in Los Angeles that includes Debbie Reynolds and Angie Dickinson; the many happenings at Shiloh, the horse rescue they founded in a desert valley not far from Las Vegas; and their visit to the nation’s capitol—where, along with Bo Derek, Jill and Tony share their compassion to persuade representatives and senators to vote for a bill to stop the slaughter of horses in America. Whether feeding an infant burro with a giant baby bottle or telling anecdotes about Marilyn Monroe to captivated students, Tony never loses his legendary humor. All leads up to Jill and Tony truly knowing fulfillment as they celebrate the rescue of their 400th horse.
Director: Ian Ayres
Producers: French Connection Films, Equidia
Year: 2008
Length: 73 minutes / 52 minutes
Languages: English, French
Partners: CNC (French Film Board)
DVD Distribution: USA, France, Canada
Broadcasters: Equidia (France), RTM (Morocco)
Documentary Prize
Bel Air Film Festival 2008
Official Selection
Montreal World Film Festival 2008
Epona Festival 2008
Mammoth Lake Film Festival 2008
English
Français