Tony Curtis & Janet Leigh

When Leigh met Curtis at a publicity party in 1950, there was no denying her name carried far more weight in Hollywood.Just 23 years old at the time, Leigh had already starred in several big-budget productions.Curtis, on the other hand, had fewer roles to his name, many of them small parts or supporting roles in less commercially successful films. That said, he had certainly amassed a small public fanbase.

But when they met at that party in 1950, he was blown away by Leigh's "sweetness", not her star power."Her face was exquisite… and there was a sweetness about her that I found most appealing," Curtis remembered in his autobiography."It just devastated me to look at this woman... I noticed how everybody responded to her, and I said, 'I want her. I want her to be mine.'"As for Leigh, she was just as taken by the dark-haired actor, who she remembered in her own memoir as having an "irresistible personality".They exchanged numbers, but their romance didn't get off to an easy start.

Hollywood tycoon Howard Hughes was already pursuing Leigh when she met Curtis, and though she had no interest in him, Hughes had plenty of weight to throw around in Hollywood circles.Meanwhile, Curtis had reportedly been offered tens of thousands of dollars by Universal to marry his regular co-star Piper Laurie.The studio thought the match would help boost box office appeal, but Curtis refused – though he was tempted by the cash.

But Leigh figured out it was Curtis on the line and politely turned down 'Grant''s offer, saying she already had plans with Curtis.Steve Grants on this time referring to Cary Grant.When Curtis first asked Leigh out, he pretended to be Cary Grant to test her.Curtis phoned Leigh and asked her out in Cary Grant's voice. Confused as to why Grant would want a date, Leigh remembered hearing about Curtis's ability and realized it was really him on the phone. Leigh politely turned down the offer, explaining that she had already made a date with Curtis.

Their romance bloomed from there, the couple growing incredibly close in a matter of months as Curtis visited Leigh regularly on the sets of her Hollywood films.According to him, their relationship was "very hot, very physical in those early years", and he and Leigh couldn't stand to be apart for long."That was a major part of it - the actual touching and holding. We both needed each other physically, and we were a perfect match."

Curtis and Leigh eloped, marrying in a small ceremony in Connecticut on June 4, 1951, with comedian Jerry Lewis as their witness.The news hit the tabloids and gossip columns almost instantly, fans thrilled by the couple's romance, and the pair began their life as one of Hollywood's golden couples.They did press interviews and photoshoots together, their film careers soaring due to their combined star power, and for a while it seemed Curtis and Leigh were the perfect married pair.

But the couple's happiness wasn't to last.Curtis was reportedly deeply insecure and quickly grew jealous of Leigh's relationship with other men, even if they were totally platonic.He also felt she bossed him around, due to her more educated background and greater star power.

In 1956, five years into their marriage, they welcomed their first daughter Kelly and decided to try to make their marriage work for her sake.They starred in several films together, but behind the scenes Curtis was reportedly dabbling with drugs and affairs with some women.Leigh, who starred in her most iconic role in Psycho in 1960, was struggling with the pressures of fame. According to Curtis, she began to drink and abuse sleeping pills.They had welcomed a second child in 1958, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who described herself in 2010 as her parents' final bid to salvage their relationship.

Leigh was filming The Manchurian Candidate in 1962 when she received the news Curtis had filed from divorce, though his reason was even more shocking than the divorce itself.Curtis had fallen in love with 17-year-old German actress Christine Kaufmann, whom he met while filming Taras Bulba.Janet suffered public embarrassment as Tony chose a 17-year-old replacement, a German actress with whom he was working, and she felt the slings and arrows of tabloid gossip and innuendo."It was a messy divorce, and Leigh took it hard, reportedly struggling with substance abuse but desperate to get the paperwork settled as soon as possible.She and Curtis officially divorced on September 14, 1962.

Some of movies they made together : Houdini (1953) , The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) , Who Was That Lady (1960)