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.