Maurice Curtis is a name shared by several notable individuals, the most historically prominent being the 19th-century American stage actor, producer, and real estate developer.
Maurice Curtis (1849 – c. 1920) — Stage Actor and Producer
Born Mauritz Bertram Strelinger in 1849 in Nagyselmec, Kingdom of Hungary (now Liptovská Štiavnica, Slovakia), he immigrated to the United States with his family in 1856. He adopted the stage name M. B. Curtis and began his acting career in 1870.
Career: Curtis performed in over 200 roles, ranging from low comedy to Shakespeare. He achieved his greatest fame starring as Samuel Plastrick, the lead character in George H. Jessop's 1881 comic melodrama Sam'l of Posen; or, The Commercial Drummer. The play is credited with introducing the first traveling salesman as a hero character in American theatre. The role earned Curtis substantial wealth, estimated at US$250,000 at the time.
Real Estate and the Statue of Liberty: Curtis invested his earnings in developing real estate in Berkeley, California, including the Peralta Park Hotel (opened 1891). He was reportedly the only private citizen to ever personally pay to keep the Statue of Liberty lit.
Murder Trial: In 1892, Curtis was arrested after police officer Alexander Grant was shot and killed during an arrest for drunken behavior. Though witnesses placed Curtis at the scene, he was found not guilty in 1893 after four trials (two hung juries, a procedural dismissal, and a final acquittal). The legal ordeal ruined his finances and reputation.
Later Career: He later founded the M. B. Curtis Afro-American Minstrel Company in 1899, which toured internationally. He died around 1920.
Maurice Curtis — Professor of Neuroscience (University of Auckland)
A contemporary academic, Professor Maurice Curtis is a neuroscientist at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is a Professor of Neuroscience, Co-director of the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank, and a founding Director of the Medical Imaging Research Centre. His research focuses on early brain changes in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Maurice Curtis — Irish Historian and Author
Another Maurice Curtis holds a Ph.D. in Modern Irish History and has authored numerous books on Dublin's history, including To Hell or Monto: The Story of Dublin's Most Notorious District and The Little Book of Rathmines. He has worked as a book buyer for Veritas bookshops and as a tour guide in Dublin.
