December 16, 2012

The Maltese Falcon On-Screen in Decatur, Georgia

As part of their Golden Classic Films series, the Friends of the Decatur Library will screen The Maltese Falcon (1941) on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012, at the DeKalb County Public Library.

The program will begin at 2 pm.

Admission is free and open to the public.

The DeKalb Library is located at 215 Sycamore Street, in Decatur, Georgia. Parking is available at the library.

For more information, please call the library at (404) 370-3070.

The making of The Maltese Falcon is recounted in the pages of the authorized Peter Lorre biography The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005). The movie was Peter’s first at Warner Bros. – and the first of five movies he would make with his co-star Humphrey Bogart.

December 9, 2012

Hyde Park Library Screens The Maltese Falcon

As part of their “Shadow of THE FALCON” series, the Hyde Park Library will present The Maltese Falcon (1941) on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012.

The program begins at 2 pm. Admission is free to the public.

The Hyde Park Library is located at 2 Main Street, at the corner of Main Street and Route 9, in Hyde Park, NY. Directions to the library may be found on the library’s website.

For more information, please contact the library at (845) 229-7791.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, the biography of Peter Lorre, author Stephen Youngkin recounts the making of The Maltese Falcon in the summer of 1941.

Not only was it the first movie Peter made with Humphrey Bogart, who would become his best friend – but it was also the movie on which Peter met Karen Verne, a young German actress who would soon be under contract to Warner Bros., work with Peter in another Warner film All Through the Night (1942) and in 1945, become the second Mrs. Lorre.

December 3, 2012

Casablanca On-Screen at the Center for Jewish History

On Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, the Center for Jewish History will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Casablanca (1942) with a screening of the classic movie and a discussion led by film historian Noah Isenberg.

The program begins at 6 pm.

Admission is $8 for the general public, and $5 for Center members, seniors, and students. Tickets may be purchased online through the Center’s website.

The Center for Jewish History is located at 15 West 16th Street, in New York City, NY. For more information, please call (212) 294-8301.

The Center is easily reached by public transportation. If arriving by car, the Center is able to offer visitors discounted parking at the following locations: Creative Parking LLC, located at 16 West 16th Street; and Universal Parking LLC, located at 55 West 14th Street. More information may be found on the Center website, under “Getting to the Center”.

Peter Lorre was among the many Jews working before and behind the cameras on Casablanca – a roster that included the director Michael Curtiz and screenwriters Philip and Julius Epstein and Howard Koch. Noah Isenberg recently published in the Wall Street Journal an article on the making of Casablanca, Nov. 24, 2012.

November 16, 2012

Arsenic and Old Lace at the Lansing Public Library

On Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, the Friends of Lansing Library will sponsor a showing of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) at the Lansing Public Library.

The program will begin at 1 pm in the library’s Community Room.

Admission is free, but patrons must register for the event through the library’s website or by calling (708) 474-2447. The event is sponsored by Friends of Lansing Library.

The Lansing Public Library is located at 2750 Indiana Avenue, in Lansing, Illinois. Parking is available at the library. For more information, please contact the library at (708) 474-2447.

In his book The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), Stephen Youngkin details the making of Arsenic and Old Lace. The movie was released in the fall of 1944, but filmed in 1941 on the Warner Brothers lot. Not yet under contract to the studio, Peter Lorre was cast in the film after completing The Maltese Falcon and All Through the Night. Peter would work on several more films before the studio would add him to their stable of contract players – and Peter would enter the most productive period of his career with radio and stage appearances in addition to movies.

November 10, 2012

Rare Lorre Film at SPERDVAC Convention

Peter Lorre fans attending the SPERDVAC convention the weekend of November 9 to 11 will have the opportunity to enjoy a rare treat – a color film of Lorre rehearsing and then broadcasting live the Suspense episode “Nobody Loves Me”, which aired originally on Thursday, August 30, 1945.

The film is among the highlights of the weekend convention, which will include guest speakers and re-creations of old-time radio programs such as The Shadow and Suspense. More information about the convention may be found on the SPERDVAC website.

The convention will be held at the Hacienda Hotel, located at 525 North Sepulveda Blvd. in El Segundo, California, 1 mile south of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). A special SPERDVAC convention rate of $79 a night has been arranged. Parking fees are $8 for overnight guests, and $4 for daily guests. For more information, please contact the hotel at (310) 615-0015.

The convention begins at 5 pm on Friday, Nov. 9 and ends on Sunday, Nov. 11. Attendees may choose to include Friday and Saturday night dinners, as well as Sunday brunch, in addition to the Saturday daytime program. Tickets for all events will be available at the door.

SPERDVAC – “The Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy” – was founded with the intent to preserve old-time radio recordings. Members enjoy access to the SPERDVAC library of old-time radio programs and radio scripts, as well as monthly meetings, and The RadioGram, SPERDVAC’s monthly publication.

Information on joining SPERDVAC can be found on the SPERDVAC website.

“Nobody Loves Me” was Peter Lorre’s sixth and final performance on Suspense. Joining Peter before the microphone were Wally Maher, Bill Johnstone, and host Joseph Kearns, “The Man in Black”. On July 31, 1947, Peter re-created the character “Joe Reeze” on his own radio series, the 13-week summer program Mystery in the Air.

In the pages of the Lorre biography The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, author Stephen Youngkin discusses Peter’s radio career, including interviews with fellow radio actors such as Harry Morgan. A complete-to-date list of Peter Lorre’s radio work can be found in the book’s Appendix. A partial list of available radio programs can be found in the Radio section of the book’s official website.

October 26, 2012

Three Strangers at the AFI Silver

Peter Lorre fans in the Silver Spring, MD, area will have an opportunity to catch the preserved print of Three Strangers (1946) at the Noir City film noir fest, presented at the AFI Silver in downtown Silver Spring.

The 35mm preserved print has been shown at Noir City festivals in several U.S. cities this year, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

Note: The arrival of hurricane Sandy in the Silver Spring area forced the AFI to cancel the screening for Monday, Oct. 29. Three Strangers has been rescheduled for Thursday, Nov. 1, at 9:45 pm. Ticket prices for this showing are $11.50 general admission, $7 for children 12 and under, and $9 for seniors 65 and over.

The AFI Silver will show Three Strangers on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 3 pm, and on Monday, Oct. 29, at 5 pm.

On Sunday, Oct. 28, Film Noir Foundation board member Foster Hirsch will introduce Three Strangers.

Ticket prices for Sunday are $11.50 for general admission, $7 for children 12 and under, and $9 for seniors 65 and over.

Ticket prices for Monday’s matinee are $8.50 for general admission and seniors, and $7 for children. AFI member passes will be accepted; admission is $8.50.

AFI member passes will be accepted for all movies in the Noir City festival. Admission for AFI members is $8.50.

Tickets may be reserved on-line through the AFI Silver website. Click the “Buy Tickets” button and select Three Strangers and a show date and time. No booking fee will be charged, but tickets reserved on-line must be claimed at the box office with the same credit card used to make the reservation. The AFI Silver accepts American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards.

Tickets may also be purchased at the AFI Silver box office, which opens 30 minutes before the first film of the day.

Noir City DC runs from October 20 to November 1, 2012. The full schedule can be found on the AFI Silver website.

The AFI Silver Theatre is located at 8633 Colesville Road, at the intersection of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue, in Silver Spring, MD. Directions to the cinema may be found on the AFI Silver website.

Parking is available in several public parking decks close to the theater. Most convenient is the Wayne Avenue garage, located at 921 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. Parking at the Wayne Avenue garage is free on weekends and after 8 pm on weekdays. More information on parking can be found on the AFI Silver website, under Parking.

For The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, author Stephen D. Youngkin interviewed both Geraldine Fitzgerald and Joan Lorring, who recounted their experiences working with Peter on Three Strangers. As one of the title characters, Ms. Fitzgerald described Peter’s advice in handling a stunt sequence. And Ms. Lorring confessed to a huge crush on Peter – which may have informed her portrayal of Johnny West’s loyal girlfriend, Icy Crane!

The Lost One is now available on both the Kindle and the Nook, as well as paperback and hardbound.

October 24, 2012

Celebrate Halloween with Peter Lorre

Only treats – no tricks – for Lorre fans this Halloween season, as theaters in Asheville, North Carolina, and Seattle, Washington, present a couple of classic comedy-murder films.



On Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, the Asheville Film Society will show You’ll Find Out (1940) at the Carolina Asheville Cinema Lounge.

The program will begin at 8 pm. Admission is free, however a $10 membership in the Asheville Film Society helps to support the AFS, as well as offering members invitations to special screenings and discounts on special events. Memberships will be available at the cinema.

The Carolina is located at 1640 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC. Parking is available at the cinema. For more information, please call (828) 274-9500.



From now until Thursday, Oct. 25, The Grand Illusion Cinema will be showing Arsenic and Old Lace (1944).

The film begins at 6:45 pm.

Ticket prices are $8 for regular admission, and $5 for Grand Illusion members. Senior and Student tickets are available for $6. Tickets may be purchased at the box office. Credit cards are not accepted.

The Grand Illusion Cinema is located at 1403 NE 50th Street, Seattle, Washington. For more information, please call (206) 523-3935.

October 22, 2012

Lorre Films on TV This Fall

October, November, and December bring a number of Peter Lorre movies on Turner Classic Movies. All times shown are Eastern Standard.

Peter Lorre's page on the TV Guide Channel website lists the Lorre films scheduled on various television channels over a 2-week period.



October, 2012

Oct. 2 (Tues.), 6:15 pm, Turner Classic Movies channel – The Story of Mankind (1957).

Oct. 8 (Mon.), 2:15 pm, TCM – Silk Stockings (1957).

Oct. 22 (Mon.), 11:30 am, TCM – The Constant Nymph (1943).

Oct. 24 (Wed.), 8 pm, TCM – The Raven (1963). A night of horror films based on Edgar Allan Poe stories includes this American International Pictures entry in their Poe film series of the 1960s.

Oct. 28 (Sun.), 2:45 am, TCM – M (1931).

Oct. 28 (Sun.), 4:30 am, TCM – Hotel Berlin (1945).

Oct. 31 (Wed.), 11:30 am, Antenna TV – Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "The Diplomatic Corpse". A marathon of episodes from the anthology series includes this episode, which originally aired Dec. 8, 1957.



November, 2012

Nov. 3 (Sat.), 7:45 am, TCM – Stranger on the Third Floor (1940).

Nov. 7 (Wed.), 7 am, Antenna TV – Crime and Punishment (1935).

Nov. 9 (Fri.), 5 am, Antenna TV – Crime and Punishment (1935).

Nov. 9 (Fri.), 1:30 pm, TCM – The Conspirators (1944).

Nov. 10 (Sat.), 7 am, Antenna TV – Crime and Punishment (1935).

Nov. 14 (Wed.), 8 pm, TCM – The Maltese Falcon (1944). An evening of Great Adaptations: Novel to Film includes this Dashiell Hammett mystery novel in the category "National Book Award Winners and Finalists".

Nov. 15 (Thurs.), 10 am, TCM – The Mask of Dimitrios (1944). The salute to Great Adaptations: Novel to Film continues with the Eric Ambler mystery novel.

Nov. 18 (Sun.), 2 pm, TCM – Casablanca (1942).

Nov. 29 (Thurs.), 9:45 pm, TCM – Silk Stockings (1957).

Nov. 30 (Fri.), 6 pm, TCM – The Story of Mankind (1957). Peter plays Emperor Nero, who fiddles while Rome burns, and Mr. Scratch (Vincent Price) and the Spirit of Man (Ronald Colman) discuss whether or not mankind is worthy of redemption.



December, 2012

Dec. 6 (Thurs.), 8 pm, TCM – Casablanca (1942). Jim Grant (pen-name Lee Child), author of the Jack Reacher series of adventure novels, is the guest co-host of an evening of his favorite movies – films that influenced his writing.

Dec. 10 (Mon.), 12 midnight, Antenna TV – Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "Man From the South". Peter Lorre plays Carlos, a South American gambler with an unusual wager.

Dec. 24 (Mon.), 3:20 pm, Encore Western – Wagon Train, "The Alexander Portlas Story". Peter Lorre plays Alexander Portlas, an archeologist hunting Incan treasure.



Many of these and other Lorre movies are now available on DVD and VHS – some remastered and packaged with extra features. For more information on the films of Peter Lorre released to home video, head to the DVD — VHS section of The Lost One website.

Happy viewing!

September 8, 2012

Casablanca On-Screen at Saenger Theatre, Pensacola

Peter Lorre fans in the Pensacola, Florida, area will have another chance to catch Casablanca (1942) tonight at the historic Saenger Theatre, as their summer Classic Film Festival comes to a close.

The movie begins at 7 pm.

Admission is $5 for all seats. Tickets are available in advance at the theater’s box office or purchased within an hour before the show. For more information, please call the theater at (850) 595-3882.

The Saenger Theatre is located at 118 South Palafox Place, in Pensacola, Florida. The theater’s box office is located around the corner on Intendencia Street, between the corners of Palafox and Jefferson streets. Driving directions may be found on the cinema’s website.

Parking is available in the Jefferson Street parking garage, located at 53 S. Jefferson Street. A flat rate of $2 is charged after 6 pm. More information about parking may be found on the Park First website.

September 1, 2012

M On-Screen in New York and Canada

Three venues will be showing Peter Lorre’s first sound movie, the classic German film M (1931), in early September, 2012.


Amherst, New York

On Saturday, Sept. 1, The Screening Room will present M as a requested title on the final night of their “Summer Noir” film festival.

M will begin at 9 pm, preceded by the 1951 movie Cause for Alarm.

Admission is $5, and tickets may be purchased at the box office a half hour before the start of the movie.

The Screening Room is located in the Northtown Plaza Business Plaza, 3131 Sheridan Drive, in Amherst, New York. Parking is available in the mall parking lot along the North Bailey side of the building, behind the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Directions to the Screening Room may be found on the cinema’s website.

For more information, please call the theater at (716) 837-0376.



Buffalo, New York

On Tuesday, September 4, the Buffalo Film Seminar will present M at the Market Arcade Film and Arts Center, as part of their fall film festival. The full schedule is available in a downloadable PDF file.

Each movie begins at 7 pm, introduced by English professors Diane Christian and Bruce Jackson. Following the screening and a brief break, Professors Jackson and Christian will lead a discussion of the movie with attendees, who are primarily students in any film class through the University at Buffalo.

Handouts with production details, anecdotes, and critical comments about each film are available in the Market Arcade lobby 45 minutes before the movie begins. The night before each screening, these handouts are also posted on-line as PDF files. Handouts for films such as M, The Maltese Falcon, and Casablanca, in seminars going back to 2000, are also available.

Tickets for each movie in the seminar are $9 for adults, $7 for students, and $6.50 for seniors. Season tickets for the entire seminar may be purchased at any time at a 15% discount on the cost of the remaining films.

The Market Arcade Theater is located at 639 Main Street, in downtown Buffalo, New York. Parking is available for $3 in the M and T fenced-in lot opposite the theater’s Washington Street entrance. Give your parking ticket to the cashier in the Market Arcade, and you’ll get your $3 back. The Arcade may also be reached by Metro; disembark at the Theater Station. Directions to the Market Arcade may be found on the cinema’s website.



Vancouver, British Columbia

Also on Tuesday, September 4, the Vancity Theatre at the Vancouver International Film Centre will present M as part of their Cinema Salon.

The movie will begin at 7:30 pm. Andrew Petter, Q.C., will be the guest speaker. Following the screening, the audience and speaker will retire to the Vancity lounge for drinks and snacks and discussion of the movie.

Attendees must be members of the Vancouver International Film Festival and age 19 or older in order to purchase tickets and attend the movie. A basic membership is $12 and includes one free ticket. For current members of the VIFF, tickets are $13 for adults, and discounts for students 19 and older, as well as senior citizens age 65 and older. Tickets may be purchased on-line through the Vancity website.

The Vancity Theatre is located at 1181 Seymour Street, in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. Paid parking is available at meters outside the cinema, as well as nearby parking lots. The cinema may also be reached by public transportation. Directions to Vancity are available on the theater’s website.

For more information, please call (604) 685-0260.



In Chapter 2 of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, “M is for Morphine”, Stephen D. Youngkin chronicles the making of M, including an interview with director Fritz Lang in Oct. 1973.

The Lost One is now available on both the Kindle and the Nook, as well as paperback and hard-bound.

August 25, 2012

The Maltese Falcon at Midnight in Seattle

Night-owl Peter Lorre fans in the Seattle, Washington, area can flock to a midnight screening of The Maltese Falcon at the Egyptian Theatre this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 24 and 25, 2012.

Long known for its midnight movies, the Egyptian has included The Maltese Falcon on the schedule this season, July 20 through Sept. 1.

Tickets are $8.25 for adults, $8 for children and senior citizens at the midnight show. Tickets may be purchased at the box-office or on-line through the Landmark website; click the button “Buy Advance Tickets OnLine”. If purchased on-line, a $1 service fee will be charged for each ticket.

The Egyptian is located at 805 East Pine Street, in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. Originally built in 1915, the cinema has been part of the Landmark Theatres chain since 1989.

Parking is available on the streets around the cinema, as well as the garage at the Seattle Central Community College, located at 1609 Harvard Avenue. More information about parking at the college and fees can be found on the school’s website.

For more information, please call (206) 720-4560.

August 17, 2012

Lorre Films to be Shown at Chicago Film Noir Fest

Peter Lorre fans attending the 4th annual Noir City film noir festival at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre this week will have the opportunity to enjoy the recently-preserved print of Three Strangers (1946), as well as The Face Behind the Mask (1941) and Black Angel (1946).

Friday, Aug. 17, the schedule salutes Peter, with Three Strangers at 7:30 pm and The Face Behind the Mask at 9:30 pm.

Saturday, Aug. 18, puts the spotlight on film versions of Cornell Woolrich’s novels with Black Angel at 3:30 and 9:30 pm, as well as Phantom Lady (1944) and The Window (1949).

Each movie will be introduced by noir experts Alan K. Rode and Foster Hirsch, who will also lead post-film discussions during the festival.

The festival runs from Friday, Aug. 17, to Thursday, Aug. 23. The full schedule can be found on the Music Box Theatre’s website.

The Festival Pass, with admission to all movies in Noir City, is available for $50. Single Feature tickets are $10. Double Feature tickets, allowing admission to any two films at the festival, are $12. All tickets may be purchased at the box-office or on-line through the Music Box website. If purchased on-line, tickets may be held for pick-up at the box-office or printed at home; a Ticketing Operation Fee of $1.25 will be charged. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted.

The Music Box Theatre is located at 3373 N. Southport Avenue, in Chicago, Illinois. Directions, as well as public transportation options, may be found on the cinema’s website.

Parking is available at Blaine Elementary School, located at 1420 W. Grace Street in Chicago. The lot costs $10 and requires credit cards or exact change. The lot closes at 2 am.

The Music Box also has a valet relationship with Black and White Valet Services. Thursday through Saturday nights, and for special events, valet service is available at the Blue Bayou restaurant, across the street from the cinema. The cost is $10 to $15. The valet closes at 2 am.

Street parking near the cinema is also available both meters and free. More information about parking can be found on the Music Box website.

For more information, please call the theater office at (773) 871-6607. For show times, please call (773) 871-6604.

Film Noir Foundation went to its own expense in producing a preserved 35mm print of Three Strangers to be shown at Noir City festivals across the U.S. Afterwards, the film and television archive at UCLA will accept the print as part of their Film Noir Foundation collection.

Until then, Lorre fans will have the opportunity to enjoy Peter on the big screen in one of his most sympathetic and romantic roles.

July 27, 2012

Stars Overhead – Lorre On-Screen

In this summer of 2012, several cities across the United States are offering outdoor showings of classic Hollywood movies. Here are just a few with Peter Lorre films on the schedule.
  • Syracuse, New York
  • San Diego, California
  • Albany, Oregon


Syracuse, New York:

The Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY, will present their annual “Film Under the Stars” summer series in partnership with On-Center and the Urban Video Project. On the schedule this season are Casablanca (1942) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954).

Friday, July 27, 2012, is “Date Night”, with Casablanca beginning at 8:30 pm.

Friday, Aug. 10 is “Sci-Fi Cult Classics Night”, with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea beginning at 8:30 pm.

All films are shown in the outdoor plaza. Admission is free, and the public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, as well as food and beverages to enjoy during the screening.

In case of rain, the start time will be delayed one hour. However, should the event be rained out entirely that night, the movie will be shown the following day at the same time. Any notice of rescheduling will be posted on the Everson Museum home page.

For more information, please call the museum at (301) 474-6064.

The Everson Museum of art is located at 401 Harrison Street, in Syracuse, NY. Free parking is available at the open lot on the corner of Harrison and State streets, directly across from the Museum.



San Diego, California:

Beat the Devil, Peter Lorre’s final movie with on- and off-screen pal Humphrey Bogart, will be shown on Saturday, July 28, as part of the San Diego Museum of Art’s annual “Screen on the Green” series.

The movie is presented in conjunction with The Invention of Glory, a display of the Pastrana Tapestries from now until Sept. 9, 2012. According to the Museum, the tapestries “depict European traveling to Africa to conquer lands and control resources” – though not in the comic fashion of the movie’s gallery of rogues.

All films will be shown on the Museum’s East Lawn, in the heart of Balboa Park, beginning at sundown, approximately 8 pm. Admission is free, and moviegoers are invited to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets to the screenings.

The San Diego Museum of Art is located in the heart of Balboa Park in San Diego, CA, at 1450 El Prado. Parking is available throughout the park, and the closest lot is the Plaza de Panama, located next to the Museum. Valet parking is also offered in front of the House of Hospitality in the Plaza de Panama.

The Museum’s website includes directions to SDMA, as well as more information on parking in the area. For more information, please call (619) 232-7931.



Albany, Oregon:

On Friday, Aug. 3, the Albany Downtown Association will present My Favorite Brunette (1947) as part of their annual “Movies by Moonlight” series.

Admission is free, and the program begins with seating at 7 pm, followed at dusk by a classic cartoon and an episode of a Superman serial preceding the main feature. Popcorn, ice cream, water, and sodas will be available for purchase.

All movies are shown in the parking lot behind Cappie’s Brewhouse and projected against the back wall of the Eagles Club next door. Cappie’s is located at 211 First Avenue West, in Albany, Oregon.

Pizza King, the Pix Theatre, Cappie’s, and Pacific Power jointly sponsor the “Movies by Moonlight” series. For more information, please call (541) 928-2469.



In the pages of the authorized Lorre biography, The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, author Stephen Youngkin recounts Peter’s experiences working on all these movies, including interviews with directors John Huston and Richard Fleischer, screenwriter Julius J. Epstein, and more. The Lost One is now available in paperback, as well as hard-bound and the Kindle and Nook.

July 17, 2012

The Raven Under the Stars in Camden, Maine

Peter Lorre fans in Camden, Maine, will have an opportunity to enjoy an outdoor showing of The Raven (1963) when the Camden Public Library begins its summer series “Movies in the Amphitheater” on Tuesday, July 17, 2012.

Admission is free, and the public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, in addition to drinks and snacks. The library will serve cheese puffs – as a tribute to the “cheesy” special effects featured in the film, particularly in the final duel between magicians Vincent Price and Boris Karloff.

The program begins after sundown at 8:15 pm. In case of rain, The Raven will move indoors to the Picker Room in the library.

The Camden Public Library is located at 55 Main Street, in downtown Camden, Maine. Directions may be found on the library’s website. The Amphitheatre is located beside the library, along Atlantic Avenue. Parking is available on the streets near the library.

For more information, please contact the library at (207) 236-3440.

In the summer of 1974, Roger Corman reminisced with Lorre biographer Stephen Youngkin on directing Peter Lorre in The Raven, as well as Tales of Terror (1962). In failing health and unable to remember his lines, Peter preferred to ad-lib – to the frustration of the stage-trained Boris Karloff.

The three actors would work together only once more – in 1964’s The Comedy of Terrors – before Peter’s passing on March 23, 1964.

July 14, 2012

Secret Agent at the AFI in Silver Spring, MD

The American Film Institute theater in Silver Spring, MD, presents Spy Cinema, a series of espionage films from June 29 to Sept. 19, 2012 – and included in the retrospective is the Alfred Hitchcock classic Secret Agent (1936).

Show times for Secret Agent:
  • July 14, Saturday – 6:30 pm
  • July 15, Sunday – 11 am
  • July 16, Monday – 7 pm

Tickets are $11.50 for general admission; $9 for seniors 65 years and older, students, and the military (with proper ID); and $7 for children 12 and under. For AFI members, admission is $8.50. AFI Member Passes will be accepted for all movies in the Spy Cinema series.

Tickets for may be reserved on-line through the AFI Silver website. Click the “Buy Tickets” button, then scroll to the title Secret Agent, click the link and select a show date and time. Tickets reserved on-line must be claimed at the box office with the same credit card used to make the reservation. The AFI Silver accepts American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards.

Tickets may also be purchased at the AFI Silver box office, which opens 30 minutes before the first film of the day.

The AFI Silver Theatre is located at 8633 Colesville Road, at the intersection of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue, in Silver Spring, MD. Directions to the cinema may be found on the AFI Silver website.

Parking is available in several public parking decks close to the theater. Most convenient is the Wayne Avenue garage, located at 921 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. Parking at the Wayne Avenue garage is free on weekends and after 8 pm on weekdays. More information on parking can be found on the AFI Silver website, under Parking.

For his book The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, author Stephen D. Youngkin interviewed Alfred Hitchcock on Oct. 17, 1973, as the director recalled working with Peter on Secret Agent and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934).

But while The Man Who Knew Too Much marked the start of Peter’s screen association with Hitchcock,Secret Agent essentially ended it.

Towards the end of his career, Peter Lorre appeared in two episodes of the television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "The Diplomatic Corpse" (Dec. 8, 1957) and "Man From the South" (Mar. 13, 1960). The latter episode was postponed from its original air-date of Jan. 3, 1960, as CBS considered its gruesome storyline inappropriate for the holiday season. Although Hitchcock hosted the episodes, neither was among those he himself directed.

July 7, 2012

Peter Lorre on TV This Summer

July, August, and September bring many Peter Lorre movies on Turner Classic Movies. All times shown are Eastern Standard.

Peter Lorre's page on the TV Guide Channel website lists the Lorre films scheduled on various television channels over a 2-week period.



July, 2012

July 7 (Sat.), 11:30 pm, Antenna TV – Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "Man From the South", originally broadcast Mar. 13, 1960.

July 8 (Sun.), 5:45 am, Turner Classic Movies channel – Around the World in 80 Days (1956).

July 10 (Tues.), 4 am, TCM – Confidential Agent (1945).

July 17 (Tues.), 4:30 am, TCM – The Beast With Five Fingers (1946).

July 24 (Tues.), 1:15 pm, TCM – Around the World in 80 Days (1956).



August, 2012

August brings TCM’s annual “Summer Under the Stars” festival, with each day devoted to a different movie star.

Aug. 29 (Wed.), 10 pm, TCM – Casablanca (1942). For “Ingrid Bergman Day”, TCM presents a 70th anniversary showing of Casablanca.



September, 2012

Sept. 2 (Sun.) – It’s “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” night on “The Essentials”, and TCM celebrates with two “handy” Lorre movies: The Beast With Five Fingers (1946) at 9:45 pm and Mad Love (1935) at 11:30 pm.

Sept. 12 (Wed.), 9 pm, TCM – Confidential Agent (1945). September’s “Star of the Month” Lauren Bacall appears in her only Lorre movie, filmed shortly after her marriage to Humphrey Bogart – and Peter’s marriage to his second wife Kaaren Verne.

Sept. 12 (Wed.), 4:15 am, TCM – Passage to Marseille (1944). Bogart was at work on this movie when Lauren Bacall was brought to the set to meet him, prior to their first picture together, To Have and Have Not. It was also the last time Bogie would work with his pal Peter Lorre while Peter was under contract to Warner Bros.

Sept. 28 (Fri.), 4:30 pm, TCM – Silk Stockings (1957).




Many of these and other Lorre movies are now available on DVD and VHS – some remastered and packaged with extra features. For more information on the films of Peter Lorre released to home video, head to the DVD — VHS section of The Lost One website.

Happy viewing!

July 4, 2012

Casablanca On-Screen This Summer

This summer, Peter Lorre fans in the U.S. will have many opportunities to catch Casablanca (1942) in a variety of venues, all in celebration of the film’s 70th anniversary.
  • Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Elizabeth, North Carolina
  • Lexington, Kentucky
  • Santa Monica, California
  • Tampa, Florida



The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA, presents Casablanca over the 4th of July holiday. The movie is a staple on the Brattle calendar, and according to the cinema’s website, has been shown so many times over the past 50 years, the audience exhibits “cult-like behavior” at presentations – including wedding proposals in the balcony.

Casablanca will be shown July 4 through July 8, Wednesday through Sunday, with matinees at 2 pm and 4:30 pm, as well as an evening show at 7 pm.

Ticket prices for general admission are $7.75 for the matinee and $9.75 for the evening show. For students and Brattle members, tickets are $7.75 for all shows. Admission for senior citizens is $6.75 for all shows. More information on tickets may be found on the Brattle’s website.

Tickets may be purchased over the Brattle website. Brattle Passes will be accepted for this engagement.

The Brattle Theatre is located at 40 Brattle Street inside Brattle Hall, one block from Howard Square, in Cambridge, MA. Sharing the building are the Algiers Café, Casablanca Restaurant, and Harvard Square Optical. The cinema’s entrance is on the left side of the building, marked by a sidewalk poster case and marquee.

Directions to the Brattle and information about parking may be found on the theater’s website.

Parking is available on the street around Harvard Square. The Brattle will also validate parking tickets from these participating garages – the Charles Square Garage, located at the Charles Hotel, 5 Bennett Street; and the University Place Garage, located at 124 Mt. Auburn Street. The Brattle may also reached by public bus and subway.

For more information, please call the cinema at (617) 876-6838.



On Tuesday, July 10, Lorre fans in Elizabeth City, NJ, can experience Casablanca under the stars – on a large screen with quality surround sound audio – as part of the Mariners’ Wharf Film Festival.

The program will begin at 8:30 pm – but in case of inclement weather, the screening will be cancelled and rescheduled at a later date.

Admission is free. Bring lawn chairs or blankets and a picnic dinner.

Mariners’ Wharf is located at South Water Street, along the Pasquotank River in downtown Elizabeth City, N. Carolina. Parking is available at the wharf and along S. Water Street.

For more information, please contact the festival’s founder and producer Simone Cooper at (646) 567-6951 or through her website.



Casablanca is also on the schedule for the Summer Classic Movies Series, shown Wednesdays at the historic Kentucky Theater in Lexington, KY. Although many cinemas are transitioning to digital projection, the Kentucky has been able to acquire a 35mm print of Casablanca, as well as the other movies in the festival.

Casablanca will be shown on Wednesday, July 18, at 1:30 pm and 7:15 pm.

Admission is $5 for all seats.

The Kentucky Theater is located at 214 East Main Street, in Lexington, KY. Directions may be found on the theater’s website.

Parking is available in the Annex Garage, at 150-160 West Main Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and South Limestone, beside the Fayette County Clerk’s office. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 6 pm. After 6 pm, parking is free.

For more information, please call the Kentucky Theater at (859) 231-7924.



On Friday, July 20, the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA, will present Casablanca with another Bogart classic The African Queen (1951) as part of their series of Classics and Restorations on the Big Screen.

The program begins with Casablanca at 7:30 pm.

Ticket prices are $11 for general admission, $7 for Cinematheque Members, and $9 for students with valid ID and senior citizens 65 and over. Tickets may be purchased on-line through Fandango and the Aero website.

The Aero Theatre is located at 1328 Montana Avenue, at 14th Street, in Santa Monica, CA. Parking is available free and at meters on Montana Avenue and other streets around the Aero. Please check posted signs. North of Montana Avenue, parking is generally limited to two hours until 7 pm. After 7 pm, parking is free for the duration of a movie.

For more information, please call the Aero at (310) 260-1528.



The Tampa Theatre is the venue for Casablanca on Aug. 18 and 19, Saturday and Sunday, the final film in that cinema’s popular Summer Classics series, running this year from June 3 to Aug. 19, 2012.

The doors open at 2 pm, at which time interested moviegoers may join a volunteer “Tampa Theatreologist” for a free guided mini-tour of the historic theater.

A 20-minute musical program of popular tunes on the cinema’s restored Wurlitzer Theatre Organ will begin at approximately 2:40, followed by Looney Tunes cartoons and the movie at 3 pm.

Ticket prices for Casablanca and other Summer Classic films are $9 for all ages and $7 for Tampa Theatre members. Tickets may be purchased on-line through the theater’s website, as well as at the box-office. For more information, please call (813) 274-8981.

The Tampa Theatre is located at 711 Franklin Street, in Tampa, FL. Parking is available on-street and close to the cinema. Directions to the cinema are posted on the website.



Casablanca – a classic movie celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Peter Lorre’s experiences on-set are described in the pages of his authorized biography, The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, written by Stephen D. Youngkin and available in paperback, as well as the Kindle, Nook, and hard-bound.

June 26, 2012

Radio Classics Wishes Peter Lorre a Happy Birthday!

Greg Bell, host of Radio Classics, will present a birthday tribute to Peter this week, born June 26, 1904.

For two hours, Lorre fans will enjoy Inner Sanctum, "The Black Seagull" (Mar. 7, 1943); Suspense, "Of Maestro and Man" (July 20, 1944), and two episodes of Peter’s own radio series Mystery in the Air, "The Lodger" (Aug. 14, 1947) and "The Horla" (Aug. 21, 1947).

An interview with Roger Corman will precede the four radio shows. Corman directed Peter in two Edgar Allan Poe films in the early 1960s, Tales of Terror (1962) and The Raven (1963), which co-starred Vincent Price.

The Lorre tribute will air these dates and times:

Tuesday, June 26:
7 am Pacific, 10 am Eastern
3 pm Pacific, 6 pm Eastern

Friday, June 29:
3 am Pacific, 6 am Eastern
5 pm Pacific, 8 pm Eastern

Saturday, June 30:
7 pm Pacific, 10 pm Eastern

Satellite radio providers XM and Sirius air Radio Classics over channel 82. Subscribers may also listen to the programs over the internet. Log-in with your User ID and password. Not a subscriber? A free 30-day trial is also available through the XM radio website.

A full schedule of the week’s programming may be found on Greg Bell’s website.

The life and career of Peter Lorre is chronicled in the pages of his authorized biography The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre by Stephen D. Youngkin, who interviewed many of Peter’s family members, friends, fellow actors, and the directors, producers and crew who worked with him during his career.

The Lorre radio programs airing this week in honor of Peter’s 108th birthday are available through many merchants, including Radio Showcase. The Appendix of The Lost One offers the most complete list available of Peter’s many radio credits – in addition to his appearances on stage, in movies, and on television.

Published in 2005 through University Press of Kentucky, The Lost One is now available in paperback, as well as Amazon’s Kindle, and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and hard-cover.

June 19, 2012

Arsenic and Old Lace at the Groton Public Library, June 19, 2012

As part of their weekly Classic Cinema Series, the Groton Public Library will screen Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) on Tuesday, June 19, 2012.

Admission is free.

The program will begin at 2 pm in Meeting Rooms 1 and 2. For more information, please contact Linda Wallace at (860) 441-6750.

The Groton Public Library is located at 52 Newtown Road, Groton, Connecticut. Directions may be found on the library’s website.

The making of Arsenic and Old Lace is recounted in The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre by Stephen D. Youngkin, who interviewed director Frank Capra.

Filmed in the fall of 1941, Arsenic and Old Lace was one of several movies Peter Lorre made at Warner Bros. before the studio offered a long-term contract. By the time the film was released in 1944, Peter was a member of the Warners stock company and in the midst of one of the most productive periods of his career, which included appearances on most of the classic radio shows of the period and a House Act tour of cinemas.

May 13, 2012

The Face Behind the Mask Onscreen in Palm Springs

The annual Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs, CA, will end its weekend run this year with a showing of The Face Behind the Mask (1941) on Sunday, May 13, at the Camelot Theatres.

The film will begin at 10 am.

Tickets for the matinee showing (10 am) are $11, with a general admission of $13 for the 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7:30 pm shows. Tickets may be purchased at the box office or online, through the theater’s website.

The Camelot Theatres is located at 2300 East Baristo Road in the Palm Springs Mall parking lot in Palm Springs, CA. Parking is available in the mall lot. Directions may be found on the cinema’s website.

The making of The Face Behind the Mask is detailed in the authorized Lorre biography The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, by Stephen D. Youngkin, who interviewed director Robert Florey and actor Don Beddoe.

Paul Mantz, a stunt pilot who worked on the film, later flew Peter and his fiancée Karen Verne to Las Vegas in 1945 for their wedding on May 25. After standing up as a witness (with actress Patricia Shay) to the ceremony, Mantz flew the newlywed couple back to Hollywood.

April 26, 2012

Encore, Encore – Restored Casablanca Returns to Theaters, April 26, 2012

Peter Lorre fans who missed the initial 70th anniversary showing of the restored Casablanca (1942) – or fans who want to catch Peter on the big screen again – will have another opportunity on Thursday, April 26, when Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies present an encore of the event.

As with the previous showing on March 21, a new documentary on the making of Casablanca, hosted by TCM’s own Robert Osborne, will precede the film.

The program will begin at 7 pm, local time. Some theaters will also have matinee showings.

Participating movie theaters are listed by State and City on the Fathom Events website. Updates to the list are being made daily, and theater locations are subject to change.

Ticket prices are $12.50 for all seats, however, some cinemas may offer a discount for students, children, and seniors. Tickets may be purchased at the theater, as well as on-line through the Fathom Events website and Fandango.

April 24, 2012

Shelter Island Library Screens Arsenic and Old Lace on April 24

The Shelter Island Public Library series “Movies at the Library” will continue on Tuesday, April 24, 2012, with a screening of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). However, while renovations to the library’s facilities on the lower level continue, the film will be shown at the Center Firehouse, which is generously providing their training room with its large screen and surround sound.

The program begins at 7 pm. Admission is free, and free bottled water and popcorn will be available.

The Center Firehouse is located at 49 North Ferry Road, in Shelter Island, NY.

Parking is located at the rear of the firehouse, with stairs and an elevator to the screening room.

Arsenic and Old Lace was Peter Lorre’s third movie at Warner Bros., following The Maltese Falcon and All Through the Night, shot in the fall of 1941, but not released until October of 1944. Not yet under contract to the studio, Peter would be called back to the studio for a few more movies before finally becoming a member of the Warners stock company.

In September 1978, Stephen Youngkin interviewed director Frank Capra for the authorized Lorre biography The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (University Press of Kentucky, 2005). The director discussed the making of Arsenic and Old Lace and working with Peter, who was Capra’s first choice for the role of the plastic surgeon Dr Einstein to Raymond Massey’s killer, Jonathan Brewster.

Years later, Peter Lorre would reprise the character for television’s The Best of Broadway (Jan. 5, 1955) – opposite Boris Karloff as Jonathan, who had created the role on Broadway in the early 1940s.

April 21, 2012

Black Angel, Three Strangers at L.A. Film Noir Fest

Peter Lorre fans attending the Noir City Film Festival at the Egyptian in Los Angeles will be in for a special treat – a showing of both Black Angel (1946) and the preserved print of Three Strangers (1945).

Hosted by Eddie Muller and Film Noir Foundation co-director Alan K. Rode, the 14th annual festival of film noir will run from Friday, April 20, to Sunday, May 6, 2012.

Black Angel (1946) will be shown on Sunday, April 22, in a triple feature of movies based on Cornell Woolrich novels beginning at 5 pm with Phantom Lady (1944).

And on Saturday, May 5, Three Strangers (1945) will begin at 7:30 pm, followed by Nobody Loves Forever (1946) in a double-feature tribute to actress Geraldine Fitzgerald. A discussion with the actress’ son, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, will follow Three Strangers.

Tickets for the triple feature with Black Angel are $15 for the general public, $12 for students and seniors, and $10 for American Cinemateque members.

Tickets for the double feature with Three Strangers are $12 for the general public, $10 for students and seniors, and $8 for American Cinemateque members.

Tickets may be purchased on the day or in advance at the Egyptian Theatre’s box-office, which opens 90 minutes before the first show of the day. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through Fandango. Fandango processing fees will apply. More information on tickets may be found on the cinema’s website.

The Egyptian is located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, between Las Palmas and McCadden, and just east of Highland Avenue, in Hollywood, CA. Directions to the cinema can be found on the Egyptian’s website.

Parking is available on the streets off Hollywood Blvd., as well as nearby parking garages, including the complex at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. More information on parking can be found on the Egyptian Theatre website. Please note – the Egyptian no longer validates parking tickets.

For the past 14 years, Eddie Muller has been programming the film noir festival at the Egyptian Theater. Since the formation of the Film Noir Foundation, Eddie has made reclamation and restoration of lost noir films an official crusade. For this event, as well as two previous film noir fests in San Francisco and Seattle, the Film Noir Foundation went to the personal expense of producing a preservation print of Three Strangers.

With several U.S. cities holding film noir festivals this year, more Lorre fans may have an opportunity to see Three Strangers – before UCLA acquires this preserved print for their Film Archive.

April 15, 2012

Peter Lorre on Television This Spring

April, May, and June bring many Peter Lorre movies on Turner Classic Movies. All times shown are Eastern Standard.

Peter Lorre's page on the TV Guide Channel website lists the Lorre films scheduled on various television channels over a 2-week period.



April, 2012

Apr. 13 (Fri.), 8 pm, Turner Classic Movies channel – Casablanca (1942). TCM salutes films celebrating a major anniversary in 2012, including Casablanca, which was released 70 years ago this November.

Apr. 14 (Sat.), 7:30 am, TCM – You”ll Find Out (1940). The only film Peter made with both “horror boys” Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.

Apr. 19 (Thurs.), 10 pm, TCM – Muscle Beach Party (1964). TCM celebrates “Spring Break” week with an evening of American International Pictures’ Beach Party movies from the 1960s.

Apr. 30 (Mon.) – TCM salutes director Jean Negulesco with two Lorre movies: The Conspirators (1944) at 10 pm and The Mask of Dimitrios (1944) at 4:30 am



May, 2012

May 15 (Tues.), 12 midnight, Antenna TV – Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "The Diplomatic Corpse", originally broadcast Dec. 8, 1957.

May 25 (Fri.), 12 midnight, TCM – Strange Cargo (1940).



June, 2012

June 6 (Wed.), 3:30 pm, TCM – Mad Love (1935)

June 8 (Fri.), 8:30 am, TCM – The Constant Nymph (1943)

June 12 (Tues.), 1:30 am, TCM – The Mask of Dimitrios (1944). TCM presents an evening of movies with "Flashbacks in Noir", including The Mask of Dimitrios, in which the device is used to tell the backstory of the evil Dimitrios (played by Zachary Scott in his film debut).

June 13 (Wed.), 4:15 pm, Encore Westerns Channel – Wagon Train, "The Alexander Portlass Story", originally broadcast over NBC on Mar. 16, 1960.

June 16 (Sat.), 1:15 pm, TCM – All Through the Night (1942).

June 24 (Sun.), 8 am, TCM – Hollywood Canteen (1944).

June 24 (Sun.), 9:30 pm, TCM – The Big Circus (1959). TCM will "Send in the Clowns" with an evening of circus films, including Peter's turn as Skeeter the Clown in The Big Circus, his second Irwin Allen-directed film, as well as his second movie with Vincent Price.

June 30 (Sat.), 1:15 pm, TCM – Passage to Marseille (1944).



Many of these and other Lorre movies are now available on DVD and VHS – some remastered and packaged with extra features. For more information on the films of Peter Lorre released to home video, head to the DVD — VHS section of The Lost One website.

Happy viewing!

April 11, 2012

The Man Who Knew Too Much on April 11 in Fayetteville, GA


On Wednesday, April 11, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) will be the first feature in a months-long film series “Evenings with Sir Alfred: A Hitchcock Retrospective” at the Fayette County Public Library. The series will continue with two screenings each month through October.

The program begins at 6:30 p.m.  Admission is free – and free popcorn will also be provided.

Because the movies will be shown free of charge, the library is not permitted to publish the other titles in the “Evenings with Sir Alfred” series.  However, flyers with the complete schedule, plus descriptions of the movies, are available at the library.

Screening dates are:  April 11 and 25, May 9 and 23, June 6 and 20, July 11 and 25, Aug. 8 and 22, Sept. 5 and 19, and Oct. 3 and 17.  For more information, please call the library at (770) 461-8841.

The Fayette County Public Library is located at 1821 Heritage Parkway, behind the Fayette County administration complex in downtown Fayetteville, Georgia.  Directions to the library may be found on the library’s website.


In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, the authorized biography of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin chronicles the making of The Man Who Knew Too Much – Peter’s first English-language movie and first film with Alfred Hitchcock.  It was a role that led Peter to a contract with Columbia Studios in Hollywood and passage to America for himself and his wife Celia Lovsky.

Peter would soon return to England to work with Hitchcock again on Secret Agent (1936) – a film that may also be included in the “Evenings with Sir Alfred” series.

April 7, 2012

M On-Screen in Savannah, GA, April 14, 2012

As part of their Cinema Circle Film Services, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will present M (1931) in the Trustees Theater on Saturday night, April 14, 2012.

The SCAD Cinema Circle features pre-show discussions highlighting the importance of the film – cultural, cinematic, and historic. Following the screening will be an in-depth review of the film. Moderating M will be Dr. Tracy Cox-Stanton, SCAD Cinema Studies professor, as well as Winoma Caesar and Meg Sneed, two of SCAD’s cinema studies graduate students.

The program begins at 7 p.m.

The Trustees Theater is located at 216 E. Broughton Street, in Savannah, Georgia. Directions can be found on the SCAD website.

The State Street parking garage, located at the intersection of Abercorn and State streets, is open daily until 1 a.m. The Bryan Street parking garage, located between Bay and Bryan streets, with entrances on Drayton and Abercorn streets, is open 24 hours a day. Both garages charge $1 for the first hour and 50 cents for each additional hour. Off-street parking is also available on Broughton Street and the surrounding streets.

Tickets are $8 for the general public and $6 for military, seniors, and students. Admission is free for anyone with a SCAD ID. Tickets may be purchased at the SCAD box-office or charged by phone at (912) 525-5050. The box-office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Trustees Theater.

Tickets may also be purchased through the Savannah Box Office website. A processing fee of $4 will also be charged.

March 18, 2012

Restored Casablanca in Theaters Mar. 21, 2012

On Wednesday, Mar. 21, Peter Lorre fans across the U.S. will have the opportunity to enjoy the restored print of Casablanca (1942) in movie theaters.

In celebration of the classic film’s 70th anniversary, Fathom Events, Warner Bros., and the Turner Classic Movies channel are joining together for the special showing – which includes a new documentary on the making of Casablanca, presented by TCM’s movie host Robert Osborne.

The program will begin at 7 pm, local time. Some theaters will also have matinee showings at 2 pm.

Participating movie theaters are listed by State and City on the Fathom Events website. Updates to the list are being made daily, and theater locations are subject to change.

Ticket prices are $12.50 for all seats, however, some cinemas may offer a discount for students, children, and seniors. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the theater, as well as on-line through the Fathom Events website and Fandango.

In the small but pivotal role of black marketeer Ugarte, Peter Lorre sets in motion the film’s events by acquiring – through murder – a pair of valuable exit visas that he intends to sell to Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman). It was a part to which Peter attached no importance. He later claimed he made more money playing the roulette wheel on the “Café Americain” set than he did in the four days he worked before the camera.

Casablanca did, however, give Peter the opportunity to work with his pal Humphrey Bogart. Not yet a contract player at Warner Bros., Peter was hired back for his third Bogart-starring movie, as the studio considered how he might fit in with their stable of actors. By the time he joined Bogart on Passage to Marseille (1944) in late 1943, Peter had appeared in several Warner Bros. films as a member of the Warners stock company.

The making of Casablanca and the on- and off-screen friendship of Bogie and Peter is documented in the authorized Lorre biography The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (University Press of Kentucky, 2005), by Stephen D. Youngkin – now available on the Kindle and Nook, as well as paperback and hard-back.

February 23, 2012

Preserved Print of Three Strangers On-Screen in Seattle

Beginning Friday, Feb. 24, and running through Thursday, Mar. 1, Eddie Muller and the Seattle International Film Festival will host the annual film noir festival “Noir City” at the SIFF Cinema at the Uptown, and on the schedule will be the newly-preserved 35mm print of Three Strangers. Muller and the Film Noir Foundation recently went to the expense of producing the print for the “Noir City” festival at the Castro Theater in San Francisco.

On Sunday, Feb. 26, Three Strangers will be shown on a double-bill with The Great Gatsby (1949). The matinee begins at 2 pm with The Great Gatsby; Three Strangers follows at 4:30 pm. The evening show begins at 7 pm with The Great Gatsby, and Three Strangers begins at 9:30 pm.

Tickets for both matinee and evening are $12 for adults, $11 for Youth and Seniors (with valid ID), and $7 for SIFF Members. Purchase a ticket for The Great Gatsby at 4:30 or 7 pm, and the ticket stub is admission to Three Strangers at 4:30 or 9:30 pm.

Passes for the entire festival are also available – at $60 or $35 for SIFF members. To receive the discount on all tickets and passes, SIFF members must log into their account first and then order tickets.

Tickets may be purchased through the SIFF website or over the telephone at (206) 324-9996. An additional fee of $1.25 per ticket, up to $5, will be charged for web and phone orders. There is no fee to redeem Early Bird ticket packages, ticket vouchers, or for membership purchases.

Tickets purchased are available for pick-up at Will-Call at the Uptown on the day of the show. The box office and Will-Call open 30 minutes before the first show of the day and remain open during scheduled film screenings. Seating is guaranteed until 10 minutes prior to screening. Late seating is not available.

The SIFF Cinema at the Uptown is located at 511 Queen Anne Avenue North, Seattle, Washington. The Uptown may be reached by both bus and monorail. Public transportation information is available on the SIFF website.

For his book The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), Stephen Youngkin interviewed Joan Lorring, who plays Peter Lorre's love interest in both Three Strangers and The Verdict a year later in 1946. Then-21-year-old Ms. Lorring developed a tremendous crush on Peter and began wearing short skirts to the studio rather than slacks. "I can't tell you how that looked," she commented.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is now available in paperback, as well as the Kindle, Nook, and hard-back.

February 11, 2012

Lorre Lovers, Spend Valentine’s Day with Peter and Casablanca


Peter Lorre fans around the world will have many opportunities to catch Casablanca (1942) in theaters this Valentine’s Day.



SGC Dungarvan

Casablanca begins a week-long run at this cinema in Waterford, Ireland, on Friday, Feb. 10, and ending on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012.

The film begins at 5:30 p.m. each day, with an additional showing at 11 a.m. on Valentine’s Day.

Ticket prices are 7 Euros for adults, 5.50 for children, and 6.50 for seniors. A family ticket pack is available at 4 tickets for 24 Euros. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through the cinema’s website. Please note that a booking fee of 80 cents will be charged per on-line order.

The SGC Dungarvan is located beside the Dungarvan shopping center, in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. Directions to the cinema are available on the cinema’s website.



The Screening Room

The Screening Room, located in Amherst, NY, will also begin a week-long showing of Casablanca in celebration of the film’s 70th Anniversary.

Casablanca is scheduled for the following dates and times:

  • Friday, Feb. 10 – 7 p.m.

  • Saturday, Feb. 11 – 7 p.m.

  • Monday, Feb. 13 – 7 p.m.

  • Tuesday, Feb. 14 – 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9:15 p.m.

  • Friday, Feb. 17 – 7:30 p.m.

  • Saturday, Feb. 18 – 7:30 p.m.


Tickets for Casablanca are $6 and are available at the box-office on a first-come basis, beginning 30 minutes before the movie begins.

The Screening Room is located within the Northtown Plaza, in the Northtown Plaza Business Center, at 3131 Sheridan Drive, Amherst, NY. The Business Center faces N. Bailey Avenue, behind the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Parking is available on the N. Bailey side of the building.



Dearborn Public Library

The Blockbusters Free Film Series this season will include Casablanca on Monday, Feb. 13.

The program begins at 7 p.m. in the Henry Ford Centennial Library Auditorium. Admission is free.

The Dearborn Public Library is located at 16301 Michigan Avenue, in Dearborn, Michigan.



British Film Institute, Southbank —

On Saturday, Feb. 11, Casablanca begins an extended run until Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Southbank theater of the BFI in London, England.

Tickets may be purchased online through the BFI website or by calling the box-office at 020 7928 3232. The box-office is open daily between 11:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The BFI, Southbank, is located on Belvedere Road, near Waterloo Bridge. Directions and visitor information are available on the BFI website. Parking is available nearby under the Hayward Gallery, the Royal National Theatre, and Jubilee Gardens. Closest train and underground stations are Waterloo (South Bank exit), Embankment, and Charring Cross (cross over the Hungerford Bridge to South Bank).



TCM Classic Film Festival

Lorre fans attending the 3rd annual Turner Classic Movies Film Festival in Hollywood over April 12 to 15, 2012, will be treated to a showing of a restored print of Casablanca. The theme this year is “Style in Movies”, and Casablanca is among “The Essentials” on the program, including All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and Cabaret (1970).

Passes are available in four categories – The Matinee, The Classic, The Essential, and The Spotlight – but quantities are limited and may be purchased through the festival website. Individual tickets may also be available for most films.

Although the schedule has not yet been announced, venues for the various events include Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the Chinese Six Theaters, The Egyptian Theater, and the Cinerama Dome – all within an easy walking distance along Hollywood Blvd.



On May 28, 1942, Peter Lorre joined the cast of Casablanca for a total of four days shooting. It was his third film with his off-screen pal Humphrey Bogart, and it added up to about four minutes of screen-time. Between takes, Peter joined the others in playing the roulette wheel on the "Rick’s Café Américain" set. Later, he claimed he had won more at roulette than he earned before the cameras – his salary was $2,333.

And like his co-stars, he never thought the movie would amount to anything – certainly not the revered classic is has become since its release in November, 1942.

Stephen D. Youngkin details the making of Casablanca in his authorized Lorre biography The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), now available in paperback and the Kindle and Nook, as well as hard-bound.