Another Visit with an Artist and a Gentleman!

Mickey Curtis. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I paid another visit to Daikanyama Garage to visit with musician-actor-artist Mickey Curtis, who is currently hosting an exhibit of his art (photos of which you can see at the bottom of this blog post).

Mickey-san wasn't there when I arrived, which turned out not to be an issue, as I had plenty of time. It turned out he was doing a radio interview, promoting the gallery. It's absolutely amazing how busy he continues to be!

Kotoha Hiroyama and Mickey Curtis. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I wanted to ask Mickey-san about his time in Studio City, CA, which started in either 1977 or '78 and lasted until 1980. During that time, he created the electronic sound effects for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and John Carpenter's The Fog (1980), using a synthesizer he had at the time. But, because he wasn't in the union, he wasn't credited in those films. When he visa expired, he returned to Japan. Of course, Mickey-san had prior experience living abroad, as he lived in Europe from about 1964 until 1970.

Mickey Curtis with his wife, Yoko. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He also told me about his association with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack when they would visit Japan. (Mickey-san was probably one of the few Japanese who spoke fluent English in the entertainment industry at the time in Japan.) When I asked him about Sinatra's None But the Brave (1965), that's when he mentioned living away from Japan at the time, so he wasn't aware of the movie. Moreover, he talked about getting a call from Yul Brynner out of the blue in which Brynner invited him to dinner. 

Kotoha Hiroyama, Yoko Curtis, and Mickey Curtis. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I could have continued the conversation for a lot longer, but I had to go back to work, so that was that. Right before I left, producer and actress Kotoha Hiroyama showed up again, so I was able to tell her how much I enjoyed her recent film Truth (2022). Before I left, I wanted to photograph Mickey-san with his wife, Yoko, which also caused a few other shutterbugs in attendance to snap some photos, too. 

One of the ladies working the front desk thanked me as I was leaving for suggesting the photo op, as she was apparently very happy to have such a photo. Yoko-san stopped me before I left to talk about their new countryside home, and Hiroyama-san also said her goodbyes to me as I was walking out. With such kind people in attendance, I didn't want to leave! 

Below are some samples of Mickey-san's art. Enjoy!