Ka cika wannan magana: An haifi Curtis a London a watan Disamba na shekara ta 1923 ga Yahudawa da suka ƙaura daga Gabashin Turai, Ada da Manny Brown. Mahaifiyarta da kawunta suna da shagon kayan kwalliya. Curtis ya girma ne a cikin Upper Street, Islington. Lokacin da Yaƙin Duniya na Biyu ya ɓarke, an kwashe ta zuwa Somerset kuma ta haɗu da Ƙungiyar Ilimin Ma'aikata. Ƙungiyar ta taimaka wajen samar da ra'ayinta na zamantakewa mai zaman kanta wanda ya samo asali daga mahaifinta kuma ya jagoranci Curtis ya zama mai ban sha'awa game da ma'aikatan ma'adinai da ke tattara kuɗi a kan tituna a lokacin yakin basasa.
Babban yajin aiki na 1926. Curtis ya haɗu da jami'in sojan ruwa Gerry Curtis a cikin 1943 kuma bayan da su biyun suka fara saduwa, sun shiga cikin gudanar da wasan kwaikwayo na hagu na hagu na Unity. Su biyun sun yi aure a shekara mai zuwa kuma suka kafa mazaunin su a Finchley, inda Curtis ya shiga Jam'iyyar Kwaminis.