December 13, 2013

Bijou Metro Presents Special Showings of M

As part of their Bijou Classic Series, the First National Taphouse presents M (1931) at the Bijou Metro in Eugene, Oregon, beginning Friday, Dec. 13, and ending Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013. But in addition to the evening showings of Peter Lorre’s first sound movie, the Bijou Metro will include two special presentations.

On Sunday, Dec. 15, syndicated film critic Doug Hennessy will host “How to Watch a Movie Like a Film Critic”. Hennessy will go scene by scene through the movie, discussing every sequence, analyzing how tension and suspense are built, and director Fritz Lang’s particular use of sound.

The movie will begin at 10:30 am, take a lunch break at noon, then continue until 2:30 pm.

On Monday, Dec. 16, Tom Blank will host a screening of M at the Bijou Metro. A retired Hollywood movie and television director, Tom Blank regularly conducts seminars on film at venues such as the Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts (DIVA) in Eugene, Oregon.

The program will begin with a showing of M at 5 pm, followed by a discussion of the movie with Tom Blank.

Regular showtimes for M during the week are listed on the Bijou Metro website.

Admission for Doug Hennessy’s program on Sunday, Dec. 16, is $5 for all seats. Admission for Tom Blank’s program on Monday, Dec. 17, is $5 for all seats. Admission for regular showings are also $5 for all seats.

Tickets may also be purchased through the Bijou Metro website. Select a date and a number of tickets. The Bijou Metro accepts Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Tickets will be held at the cinema box-office. To collect the tickets, present either the 12-digit confirmation number or the credit card used to purchase them.

The Bijou Metro is located at 43 West Broadway, in Eugene, Oregon.

For more information, please contact the cinema at (541) 686-2458.

In his book The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of M, including interviews with director Fritz Lang and Peter’s brother Andrew Lorre, who visited the set during filming.

The Lost One is available on the Kindle Nook, as well as hard-back and soft-bound editions.

November 30, 2013

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at the George Eastman House

As part of their salute to the birth of the CinemaScope process 60 years ago, the Dryden Theatre presents a series of landmark CinemaScope movies. On Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, the program continues with a showing in 35mm of the Walt Disney Productions film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), co-starring Peter Lorre with James Mason, Kirk Douglas and Paul Lukas.

The movie will begin at 8 pm.

Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for students and Dryden Theatre members. Tickets may be purchased at the theater box-office, which opens 45 minutes before a given screening.

Tickets may also be purchased online through the theater website. Click the “Tickets” tab on the theater website, then scroll to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and click the “Purchase” button. A $2 convenience fee to benefit the George Eastman House will be charged for each online ticket order.

The Dryden Theatre is located at 900 East Avenue, within the George Eastman House, in Rochester, New York. The Dryden Theatre is served by public transportation. A map of the theater’s location, as well as PDF files for the bus routes, is available at the Dryden Theatre website.

Free parking is available at the George Eastman House. Visitors may enter the museum grounds by either the East Avenue entrance or the University Avenue entrance.

In conjunction with the CinemaScope movie program, the George Eastman House presents an exhibit on the groundbreaking process – “Bigger Than Life: CinemaScope at 60”, which will run from Nov. 2, 2013, until Jan. 12, 2014.

The exhibit includes original artifacts from the museum’s collection, as well as multimedia and interactive displays, enabling visitors to explore the history, technology, and promotion of CinemaScope.

The exhibit is located in the Brackett Clark Annex.

Admission to the George Eastman House is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors age 65 and older, and $5 for students with proper ID. Children age 12 and under, as well as members, may visit for free. More information on the George Eastman House, including hours, may be found on the museum’s website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discussed the making of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with actors James Mason and Kirk Douglas, who recounted their experiences working with Peter on the film.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available in both soft-bound and hard-back editions, as well as the Kindle and Nook.

November 21, 2013

Casablanca Showing at William Monroe High This Friday

As part of their monthly classic movie series, the William Monroe High School Theater Department and the Academic Events committee has selected Casablanca (1942) for Friday, Nov. 22, 2013.

The program will begin at 7 pm in the Cinema at the WMHS Performing Arts Center.

Admission is free and open to the public, as well as WMHS students and faculty.

Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. All concession stand purchases will benefit the performing arts department and the spring musical.

William Monroe High School is located at 254 Monroe Drive, in Standardsville, VA. The school may be contacted at (434) 985-5273.

The committee’s goal is to select movies that are culturally significant, as well as family-friendly, in order to educate the community about the history and importance of film.

Though originally released over Thanksgiving in 1942, Casablanca went into wide release in January 1943 and took the Oscar for “Best Picture of 1943”.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin details the making of Casablanca. It was a movie to which Peter attached little importance but remains one of his best-inown – even though his actual screen time is approximately 8 minutes and his character is dispatched within the first half hour.

The Lost One is available in both hard-back and soft-bound, as well as the Nook and Kindle.

October 23, 2013

Roger Corman Tribute Includes Lorre Film

On Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, director Roger Corman will receive the George Eastman Award at the Dryden Theatre in Rochester, New York. On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Dryden Theatre will show The Raven (1963) as part of its two-month salute to Corman.

The Raven will begin at 8 pm.

Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for students and Dryden Theatre members. Tickets may be purchased at the theater box-office, which opens 45 minutes before a given screening.

Tickets may also be purchased online through the theater website. Click the “Tickets” tab on the theater website, then scroll to The Raven and click the “Purchase” button. A $2 convenience fee to benefit the George Eastman House will be charged for each online ticket order.

The Dryden Theatre is located at 900 East Avenue, within the George Eastman House, in Rochester, New York. The Dryden Theatre is served by public transportation. A map of the theater’s location, as well as PDF files for the bus routes, is available at the Dryden Theatre website.

Free parking is available at the George Eastman House. Visitors may enter the museum grounds by either the East Avenue entrance or the University Avenue entrance.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discussed with Roger Corman his experiences working with Peter on two of the movies in AIP’s Edgar Allan Poe series – Tales of Terror (1962) and The Raven (1963).

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available in both soft-bound and hard-back editions, as well as the Kindle and Nook.

October 22, 2013

Lorre Horror-Comedies Scheduled for Washington D.C. Libraries

Peter Lorre fans in the Washington, D.C., area will be treated to free showings of You’ll Find Out (1940) and The Raven (1963) at regional libraries this week.

You’ll Find Out will be shown at the Bull Run Regional Library in Manassas, Virginia, on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, as a wrap-up of the 5-week “Pre-Halloween Scary Movie” series. Gary Crawford will host the program, which will include wartime movie previews, at 7 pm in the Bull Run Community Room A and B.

The Bull Run Regional Library is located at 8051 Ashton Avenue, in Manassas, Virginia. For more information, please call the library at (703) 792-4500.

The Raven will be shown at the Francis A. Gregory Library in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Oct. 25, as part of the library’s Friday matinee Vincent Price Film Series. The program will begin at 3 pm.

The Francis A. Gregory Library is located at 3660 Alabama Avenue, SE, in Washington, D.C. For more information, please call the library at (202) 645-4297.

Charlotte Library Includes 2 Lorre Films

Peter Lorre fans in Charlotte, North Carolina, will have the opportunity to catch free showings of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) and The Man Who Knew Too Much at several branches of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Arsenic and Old Lace will be shown at the Hickory Grove branch on Wednesday, Oct. 23, as part of the library’s “Movie Classics” series, presented on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The movie will begin at 1 pm in the Community Room.

Registration for Arsenic and Old Lace is required. To register online, complete the form on the event’s website. You may also register by contacting the Hickory Grove branch at (704) 416-4400.

The Hickory Grove branch is located at 5935 Hickory Grove Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, please call the library at (704) 416-4400.

The Man Who Knew Too Much will be shown at the library’s Main branch on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013. The movie will be presented by Sam Shapiro in the Francis Auditorium, beginning at 2 pm.

The Main branch of the library is located at 310 North Tryon Street, in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, please call (704) 416-0100.

The Man Who Knew Too Much will also be shown at the Beatties Ford Road Regional Library on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, as part of that branch’s series “It Happened One Year: Classic Movies from 1934”, which will run on the second Saturday of every month from Oct. 12, 2013, to May 10, 2014. The Man Who Knew Too Much will begin at 2 pm in Community Room B.

The Beatties Ford Road Regional library is located at 2412 Beatties Ford Road, in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, please call the library at (704) 416-3000.

October 21, 2013

Hitchcock Fest at Red Barn Includes Lorre Film

The Red Barn Theater’s series of movies directed by Alfred Hitchcock continues on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013 in Saugatuck, Michigan, with Secret Agent (1936), the second Lorre-Hitchcock collaboration. The full schedule is available on the Red Barn website.

The program will begin at 6:30 pm upstairs in the Big House with a television show from the classic era of TV. Secret Agent will follow at 7 pm.

Tickets are available at the door. The suggested donation is $5.

Free popcorn will be available. Other concessions are $1.

The Red Barn Theater is located at 3657 63rd Street, in Saugatuck, Michigan. A Google map of directions to the theater is available on the Red Barn website. Parking is available at the theater.

For more information, please contact the theater at (269) 857-5300.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of Secret Agent through interviews with director Alfred Hitchcock. The Gaumont-British film was Peter’s second and final movie with Hitchcock. Peter would not work again on a Hitchcock production until the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he appeared in two episodes of the TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

The Lost One is available in hard-back and soft-bound, as well as the Kindle and Nook.

October 16, 2013

AFI Silver Noir Fest Includes The Chase

Peter Lorre fans in the Silver Spring, Maryland, area will have an opportunity to catch a restored print of The Chase (1946) at the Noir City DC film festival at the AFI Silver Theatre in downtown Silver Spring.

Based on the Cornell Woolrich novel The Black Path of Fear, The Chase (1946) co-stars Peter Lorre as Gino, personal bodyguard to gangster Eddie Roman (Steve Cochran). The 35mm restored print is courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

The Chase will be shown twice – on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 1:10 pm; and on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7:20 pm. On Sunday, Oct. 27, noted film noir scholar Alan K. Rode will introduce the film.

Admission for both matinee and evening shows is $12 General Admission, $10 for seniors, $7 for children. AFI member passes will be accepted; 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 The Chase 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.

A Big Combo card is also available. The Big Combo card is valid for six admissions to any screenings in the 2013 Noir City DC series. The Big Combo card may be purchased for $55 through the AFI Silver website.

Noir City DC will run from Saturday, Oct. 19 to Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013. The full schedule for the film noir festival is available 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, Maryland. 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, Maryland. 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 discussed the making of The Chase, including an interview with actor Robert Cummings.

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

October 9, 2013

Casablanca with Live Music in Nashville

Peter Lorre fans in Nashville, Tennessee, will have the opportunity to enjoy Casablanca (1942) with the musical score performed live by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, October 10, 2013.

The performance will begin at 7 pm at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Tickets may be purchased on-line through the Nashville Symphony website. Ticket prices range from $25 to $61. Click the “Buy Ticket” button to select seats and purchase tickets.

The Schemerhorn Symphony Center is located at One Symphony Place in Nashville, Tennessee. Directions to the venue are available through the Nashville Symphony website.

Parking is available in Lot R at LP Field. Parking is free, and shuttles are available to and from the lot for just $3 a person, round-trip, cash only. For Nashville Symphony season ticket holders, the shuttle is free, too. Please contact the Patron Services Specialist to request shuttle passes.

A map to Lot R is available through the Nashville Symphony website. For assistance and more information, please call the Box Office at (615) 667-6400.

Parking is also available across the street from the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in the Pinnacle at Symphony Place. The fee at the Pinnacle is $15 to $20, but a discounted rate is available by purchasing parking through the Nashville Symphony. A pre-paid voucher may be required to park at the Pinnacle. For more information, please call (615) 687-6400.

Valet parking in front of the Schemerhorn Symphony Center is also available for most events. The price for valet parking is $20.

More information about parking options may be found on the Nashville Symphony website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, author Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of Casablanca through the recollections of such participants as screenwriter Julius J. Epstein and actor Dan Seymour (who played Abdul, the doorman at Rick’s private gambling room).

In the small but pivotal role of Ugarte, Peter Lorre gets the action going in the movie by leaving with lead character Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) a pair of letters of transit he planned to sell to escaping freedom fighter Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his lady Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman).

It was a role to which Peter attached little importance. In fact, he told others he made more money playing roulette on the “gambling room” set than he did working before the cameras. Peter did, however, have the opportunity to work on a third movie with Bogart, his off-screen buddy.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available through on the Kindle and Nook, as well as soft-bound and hard-bound editions.

October 1, 2013

Brattle Theatre Bogart Fest Includes 3 Lorre Films

The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, celebrates its 60th anniversary this month with a Humphrey Bogart Fest that will include three films featuring Peter Lorre – The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), and Beat the Devil (1954).

The festival will begin on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, and end on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

Showtimes for the Lorre films include:

Sunday, Oct. 6:
  • Casablanca – 2:30 pm and 7 pm
  • The Maltese Falcon – 4:45 pm and 9:15 pm

Sunday, Oct. 13:
  • Beat the Devil – 9:30 pm

Monday, Oct. 14:
  • Casablanca – 2:30 pm and 7 pm
  • The Maltese Falcon – 4:45 pm and 9:15 pm

The full schedule may be found on the Brattle website.

Admission to the Brattle is $10 for evening films and $8 for matinees before 5 pm. For students with a valid student ID, admission is $8 for all films. Seniors and children under 12 will be admitted for $7. Double Features are $12 for general admission, $10 for students, seniors, and children. Brattle Member passes will also be accepted.

Double Feature tickets are available only at the box office on the day of the double feature. Advance tickets may be purchased through the Brattle website. From the “Best of Bogart” webpage, click on a film title. On that film’s page, click the “Buy Tickets” button. Tickets will be at the Will-Call window for pick-up.

In addition to the film festival, the annual Brattle Film Foundation Gala will include a special tribute to Casablanca. The Gala will take place from 6 to 9 pm on Sunday, Oct. 6, at Regattabar at the Charles Hotel.

This Casablanca-inspired event will include a signature cocktail, a light supper, a silent auction, casino tables, and surprise entertainment. Tickets are $150 for a single, $250 for two. Tickets may be purchased through the Brattle website.

The Charles Hotel is located on Harvard Square at 1 Bennett Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A map and directions to the hotel are available on the Charles Hotel website.

The Brattle Theatre is located at 40 Brattle Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one block from Harvard Square. 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.

Parking is available at meters on the streets around the cinema. The Brattle Theatre will validate parking tickets at these participating garages – the Charles Square Garage, located at 5 Bennett Street in Cambridge; and the University Place Garage, located at 124 Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge. The Brattle Theatre is also served by public transportation. More information about parking is available on the cinema’s website.

For more information, please contact the cinema at (617) 876-6837.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the friendship between Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart through the recollections of the people who knew both men, including directors John Huston and Vincent Sherman. Peter counted his pal Bogie as one of his two closest friends – the other being the German playwright Bertolt Brecht.

During the years Peter worked at Warner Brothers, the two actors made a total of four movies together – The Maltese Falcon, All Through the Night, Casablanca, and Passage to Marseille. Their fifth and last movie, Beat the Devil, came 10 years after Passage to Marseille in 1954.

They were also well-known for their practical jokes and hell-raising off-screen.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available on the Kindle and Nook, as well as hard-back and soft-bound editions.

September 27, 2013

Peter Lorre on TV This Fall


Fall is on the way, and with it, a number of Peter Lorre movies on television and Turner Classic Movies during October, November, and December. 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, 2013

October means Halloween and horror movies, and with Vincent Price as TCM’s “Star of the Month” on Thursdays, a few of the films Price made with Peter Lorre are included in the schedule.

Oct. 1 (Tues.), 11:35 am, Fox Movie channel – Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962).

Oct. 1 (Tues.), 12:30 pm, Encore Suspense channel – Tales of Terror (1962). Peter stars in the second of the three Poe stories, as a man who “hated a cat – a black cat”.

Oct. 2 (Wed.), 9:30 am, Fox Movie channel – Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962).

Oct. 4 (Fri.), 6:15 pm, Retro Movie channel – The Patsy (1964). Peter Lorre’s death on March 23, 1964, came three days after Peter finished work on this film.

Oct. 5 (Sat.), 8:05 am, Retro channel – The Patsy (1964).

Oct. 10 (Thurs.), 9:20 am and 4:30 pm, Retro channel – The Patsy (1964).

Oct. 12 (Sat.), 12:30 am, Turner Classic Movies channel – Crime and Punishment (1935). The theme is “Crisis of Conscience”, and Peter Lorre stars in his second American film as Roderick Raskolnikov, a student of crime who commits murder.

Oct. 13 (Sun.), 12:30 am, Antenna TV channel – Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "Man From the South". A scary tale suitable for Halloween about a bet involving fingers, a car – and a lighter that will light 10 times in a row without fail.

Oct. 14 (Mon.), 9 am, Antenna TV channel – The Face Behind the Mask (1941). Peter plays Janos Szabo, an Humgarian immigrant watch-maker whose face is horribly burned in a fire, turns to crime to finance a mask and then plastic surgery, but discovers love with a blind woman and a new life that unfortunately ends in tragedy.

Oct. 17 (Thurs.), 9 am, TCM – Beat the Devil (1954). The theme is “Americans Abroad”, and Peter co-stars with Humphrey Bogart in their final movie together as conmen bound for a uranium mine in South Africa.

Oct. 17 (Thurs.), 1:15 pm, Encore Suspense channel – Tales of Terror (1962).

Oct. 17 (Thurs), TCM – A Lorre double-feature with October star Vincent Price in The Story of Mankind (1957) at 9:45 pm and The Big Circus (1959) at 11:30 pm.

Oct. 20 (Sun.), 6:30 am, Antenna TV channel – The Face Behind the Mask (1941).

Oct. 20 (Sun.), 7:40 am, Encore Suspense channel – Tales of Terror (1962).

Oct. 25 (Fri.), 8:15 am, TCM – The Raven (1963). The Vincent Price festival continues with an entry in AIP’s Poe series. Peter Lorre and Vincent Price play 16th century sorcerers facing off against fellow sorcerer Boris Karloff.

Oct. 29 (Tues.), noon, THIS channel – The Raven (1963).

Oct. 30 (Wed.), 10:15 am, TCM – You’ll Find Out (1940). A day of “Thrills and Chills” includes this “old mansion” musical horror comedy with Peter, Karloff, and Bela Lugosi.

Oct. 31 (Thurs.), 10 am, THIS channel – The Comedy of Terrors (1964). Spend Halloween with Peter and his friends Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Basil Rathbone, in this horror-comedy about an undertaker (Price) and his assistant (Lorre) who are unable to dig up profitable business in the usual way and so decide on an unusual way – "creating" their own customers.



November, 2013

Burt Lancaster is November’s “Star of the Month” on Turner Classic Movies. Unfortunately, Rope of Sand (1949), the only film Lancaster made with Peter Lorre, is not on the schedule, but two Lorre / Bogart films are.

Nov. 1 (Fri.), 2:50 am, Antenna TV channel – The Jack Benny Show (Jan. 22, 1963).

Nov. 6 (Wed.), 2:50 am, Retro TV channel – Tales of Terror (1962).

Nov. 7 (Thurs.), 9:45 pm, Retro TV channel – Tales of Terror (1962).

Nov. 10 (Sun.), 4 pm, TCM – Casablanca (1942).

Nov. 14 (Thurs.), 1 pm, Fox Movie Channel – Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961).

Nov. 19 (Tues.), 8 pm, TCM – The Maltese Falcon (1941). The falcon statuette is among several famous movie props up for auction at Bonhams Auctioneers on Nov. 25, 2013, in New York City. Tonight, Dr. Catherine Williamson, Bonhams' Director of Entertainment Memorabilia, will join TCM host Robert Osborne for an evening of programming related to the auction.

Nov. 23 (Sat.), 9:30 am, Fox Movie Channel – Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962).

Nov. 29 (Fri.), 11:15 am and 9:30 pm, Retro TV channel – Tales of Terror (1962).

Nov. 29 (Fri.), 3 am, MeTV channel – Wagon Train, "The Alexander Portlass Story" (Mar. 16, 1960).



December, 2013

December’s “Star of the Month” on Turner Classic Movies is Fred Astaire, and on the schedule is Silk Stockings, the only movie Peter Lorre made with the classic dancer.

Dec. 6 (Fri.), 12 midnight, TCM – Casablanca (1942). Turner Classic Movies turns their Friday Night Spotlight on "The Hollywood Costume", and included in the line-up is costume designer Orry-Kelly (Orry George Kelly) and his work on Casablanca.

Dec. 11 (Wed.), 1:30 am, TCM – Silk Stockings (1957). Peter joins Jules Munshin, Joseph Buloff – and Fred Astaire – in this musical from MGM.

Dec. 24 (Tue.), 10:15 am, Fox Movie Channel – Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962).

Dec. 27 (Fri.), 2 pm, TCM – Three Strangers (1945). Peter joins Sydney Greenstreet in their eighth film together as two of the title characters who, with Geraldine Fitzgerald, make a wish on a statue of the Chinese goddess Kwan Yin.

Dec. 28 (Sat.), 1 pm and 4 am, Fox Movie Channel – Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961).

Dec. 29 (Sun.), 2 pm, TCM – The Constant Nymph (1943). Turner Classic Movies remembers Joan Fontaine, who passed at age 96 in mid-December, with an afternoon of movies, including The Constant Nymph, in which Peter romances her sister, played by Brenda Marshall.



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 on over to the DVD — VHS section of The Lost One website.

Happy viewing!

Two Venues Screen The Maltese Falcon This Weekend

West Coast fans of Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart will have a couple opportunities to catch the two actors onscreen in The Maltese Falcon (1941) this weekend – in San Diego, California, and Cañon City, Colorado.



San Diego, California

Cinema Under the Stars will present The Maltese Falcon in their unique open-air theater for three nights, from Thursday, September 26, to Saturday, September 28, 2013.

The movie begins at 8:30 pm each night. Doors open at 6 pm.

General admission is $15 for all seats, and $14 for Cinema Under the Stars members. Cash or check is accepted at the box-office. Seats may be selected and reserved on-line through the Cinema website, up to 5 pm the day of the screening. A fee of $2 will be charged for non-members.

Cinema Under the Stars features a 20-foot screen with high-definition projection and surround sound; single and double zero-gravity recliners, love seat cabanas, and deck chairs and ottoman with tables; a retractable cover, blankets, and space heaters. More information may be found on the cinema’s website.

Refreshments include coffee, tea, soda, bottled water, popcorn, and candy. Outside food and drinks are not permitted in the theater.

Cinema Under the Stars is located behind the Tops Salon at 4040 Goldfinch Street, in the Mission Hills area of San Diego, California.

For more information, please call (619) 295-4221.



Cañon City, Colorado

On Friday, September 27, The Maltese Falcon will end the Frames FCA Film Club’s “Bogart Month” at the Fremont Center for the Arts in Cañon City, Colorado.

The movie will begin at 6 pm in the Christie Theatre, located on the lower level of the Fremont Center for the Arts.

Admission is free to FCA members and guests. Membership information may be found on the FCA website. Children will not be admitted.

Metal folding chairs will be provided – but the Frames Film Club recommends bringing a cushion or your own chair.

The Fremont Center for the Arts is located at 505 Macon Avenue in the historic downtown area of Cañon City, Colorado. Built as a post office in 1933, the FCA is across the street from the public library and close to the Museum of Colorado Prisons. Enter the Christie Theatre through the west door on North Fifth Street.

Parking is available in the lot at the FCA.

For more information, please call the FCA at (719) 275-2790.



In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the on- and off-screen friendship of Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart through interviews with the actors and directors who worked with both men.

The two actors met while working on The Maltese Falcon and remained friends to the end of Bogart’s life, making a total of five movies together – four during Peter’s years at the Warner Bros. studio.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available for the Nook and Kindle, hard-bound and soft-bound editions.

September 25, 2013

Bogart Fest in Medford, Oregon, Includes Lorre Films

A trio of Humphrey Bogart films will be shown by the Friends of the Medford Library in Medford, Oregon, and on the schedule are two Peter Lorre movies – The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Casablanca (1942).

The Maltese Falcon will be shown on Wednesday, September 25, 2013.

Casablanca will be shown on Wednesday, October 8, 2013.

Both films will begin at noon. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact the Medford library at (541) 774-8679.

The Medford Branch Library is located at 205 South Central Avenue, in Medford, Oregon.

Parking is available in several locations around the library. The Evergreen Parking Structure, located on 8th and Main Street, provides three-hour free parking on the first three levels. “Pay to Park” lots include the lot at the corner of 10th Street and Riverside, as well as a lot on Central Avenue, across the street from the library building. More information on parking may be found on the library’s website.

September 19, 2013

The Maltese Falcon Onscreen at City Honors School

The City Honors School in Buffalo, New York, will kick off their monthly “Cinema on the Hill” film series with The Maltese Falcon (1941) on Thursday, September 19, 2013. The series will benefit the film program at the school. The complete series schedule may be found on the School website.

The program will begin at 7 pm in the Auditorium at City Honors School.

Admission is $3 for all seats. Popcorn will be available for purchase for $1, and beverages for $2 – however, a ticket, popcorn, and beverage combo is available for $5. A series ticket, including refreshments, may be purchased for $40.

The City Honors School is located at 186 East North Street, in Buffalo, New York. Directions, including a map, may be found on the school’s website.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of The Maltese Falcon, as well as the on- and off-set friendship between Peter Lorre and Humprey Bogart.

The two actors met while working on Falcon and remained friends to the end of Bogart’s life, making a total of five movies together – four during Peter’s Warner Bros. period.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available for the Nook and Kindle, hard-bound and soft-bound editions.

September 18, 2013

Passage to Marseille at Larchmont Public Library

Rob Goldstone, well-known “Movie Man” in Larchmont, NY, will present Passage to Marseille (1944) at the Larchmont Public Library, on Wednesday, September 18, 2013.

The movie will be shown at 2:30 pm. Attendees should meet in the Village Center.

Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.

The Larchmont Public Library is located at 121 Larchmont Avenue, in Larchmont, New York.

Directions to the library are available on the library’s website.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of Passage to Marseille.

Released in February, 1944, it was the final movie Peter Lorre made with Humphrey Bogart while Peter was still under contract to Warner Bros. The movie’s unusual flashback-within-flashback structure, criticized then and now by film critics and film fans alike, actually follows the outline of the original novel, Men Without a Country, written by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall and published in the June 1942 issue of The Atlantic Monthly.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available at the Larchmont Public Library, as well as the Nook and Kindle, hard-bound and soft-bound editions.

September 16, 2013

Northern Arizona University Screens Two Lorre Movies

As part of the College of Arts and Letters Film Series “In Support: Unforgettable Supporting Actors and Actresses”, Northern Arizona University will include two Peter Lorre movies – The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Arsenic and Old Lace.

The Maltese Falcon will be shown on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013.

Arsenic and Old Lace will be shown on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013.

All films in the series will be shown at 7 pm in the Cline Library Assembly Hall. A cartoon will be shown with both The Maltese Falcon and Arsenic and Old Lace. A list of all films in the series is located on the NAU website.

Admission to the film series is free and open to the public.

Northern Arizona University is located on South San Francisco Street in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Cline Library is located in Campus Building 28 at the University.

Free parking is available behind the Cline Library in lot P13. Parking is also available in Parking Garage P96A at a fee. More information about parking, including maps of the Northern Arizona University campus, may be found on the NAU website.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of The Maltese Falcon and Arsenic and Old Lace through interviews with directors John Huston and Frank Capra.

Both movies were shot in mid-1941, while Peter was still freelancing at all the Hollywood studios. By the time Arsenic and Old Lace was released in the fall of 1944, Peter was in the midst of the most creative and lucrative period of his career, with radio work and a “House Act” tour of downtown movie theaters, in addition to films at Warner Brothers as a member of their stable of contract players.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available on the Nook and Kindle, as well as hard-bound and soft-bound editions.

September 12, 2013

The Maltese Falcon Onscreen at Bow-Tie Cinemas This Weekend

Lorre fans in the northeast will have an opportunity to catch Peter in theaters when the Bow-Tie Cinemas chain screens The Maltese Falcon (1941) on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15, 2013, as part of their “Movies and Mimosas” classic movies series.

At most locations, the film will begin at 11 am on both Saturday and Sunday. In New Haven, Connecticut, the movie will begin at 11:30 am.

Admission is $5 for all seats, and $4 for Criterion Club members. Mimosas may be purchased for $2.

Bow-Tie Cinemas are located in Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. A list of cinemas, including addresses, phone numbers and schedules, is located on the Bow-Tie Cinemas website.

The making of The Maltese Falcon is discussed in The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, by Stephen D. Youngkin, including interviews with director John Huston and featured player Lee Patrick.

As the first movie Peter Lorre made for Warner Bros., The Maltese Falcon led Peter to a contract with the studio, a lifelong friendship with star Humphrey Bogart – and to Karen Verne, who became the second Mrs. Lorre.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available on the Nook and Kindle, as well as hard-bound and soft-bound editions.

August 31, 2013

Salt Lake City Hitchcock Fest Includes Peter Lorre

The Salt Lake Film Society in Salt Lake City, Utah, winds down its “Summer Chills Hitchcock Retrospective” with a showing of the original The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), on a triple bill with North by Northwest (1959) and Vertigo (1958), at the Tower Theatre.

The Man Who Knew Too Much will be shown at noon, beginning Friday, August 30, until Thursday, September 5, 2013.

Admission is $6.75 for the matinee (programs beginning before 6 pm) and $9.25 general public admission for programs at 6 pm or later). $8.25 for Super 8 members. $7.25 for Panaflex members. $6.75 Monday through Thursday for kids 20 years or younger. $6.75 for seniors 65 years and older and children 12 years and younger. The Hitchcock films are not eligible for Chronik admission.

The Tower Theatre is located at 876 East 900 South, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The historic cinema has been in operation in Salt Lake City’s 9th & 9th neighborhood since 1921 and features both a 35mm projector and a digital projector.

Parking is available on the streets in front of the Tower, as well as in the Smith’s parking lot at 800 East 900 South. Parking is also available along Windsor Street, west of the Tower.

Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Peter Lorre’s work with the famed director Alfred Hitchcock, in the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005).

Peter’s success in his first English-speaking role led to a Hollywood contract with Columbia Studios and first-class tickets to America aboard the Majestic for himself and his wife Celia Lovsky. It was also the start of his long career in mystery and suspense movies, radio, and television.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is now available in both hardback and soft-bound, as well as the Nook and Kindle.

August 19, 2013

Strand Theatre Screens Casablanca August 24

Casablanca (1942) represents the 1940s when the historic Strand Theatre in Rockland, Maine, celebrates 90 years with a nine-movie film festival, August 17 to September 22, 2013.

Each of the nine movies will represent a decade the Strand has been in operation, beginning with the 1923 silent classic Safety Last. The full schedule may be found on the Strand’s website.

Casablanca will be shown on Saturday, August 24, at 3 pm. Most movies shown at the Strand in the traditional format – 35mm film with side-by-side projectors, attended by a projectionist in the booth.

Admission is $7.50 for all seats. Tickets may be purchased at the box office 30 minutes prior to each screening. For more information, please call the Strand at (207) 594-0070.

The Strand Theatre is located at 345 Main Street, in Rockland, Maine.

Parking is available close to the cinema in the free Tillson Avenue / Winter Street public lot. Parking is also available on the streets near the Strand, however, street parking is limited to 2 hours before 6 pm.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of Casablanca with screenwriter Julius J. Epstein and actor Dan Seymour, who played Abdul the doorman at Rick’s Café Americain.

The pivotal role of Ugarte, who initiates the movie’s action by leaving with Rick (Humphrey Bogart) a pair of letters of transit he plans to sell to freedom fighter Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), was one to which Peter attached little importance. Between takes, Peter played the “gambling room” set’s roulette wheel – and declared he won more money there than he earned while working on the film.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available on the Kindle and Nook, as well as hard-bound and soft-bound.

August 15, 2013

Stanford Theatre Screens Beat the Devil Aug. 17 to 20

The historic Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, California, will show a Humphrey Bogart double-feature of Beat the Devil (1954) and The African Queen (1951) over this weekend, beginning Saturday, August 17, 2013, and ending Tuesday, August 20.

Beat the Devil will be shown at 5:50 and 9:25 pm. The African Queen will be shown at 7:30 pm, with additional showings at 3:55 pm on Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18. Before and after the 7:30 show, one of the Stanford’s “Masters of the Mighty Wurlitzer” will play the Wurlitzer theater organ during the intermission.

Admission is $7 for adults, and $5 for youth (18 and under) and seniors (65 and over). Tickets may be purchased at the box office on the day of the show.

The Stanford Theatre is located at 221 University Avenue in Palo Alto, California. Look for the cinema’s large neon marquee – a landmark along University Avenue in the downtown area. For more information, please call

Parking is available at meters along the street in front of the cinema, as well as two parking garages within two blocks of the Stanford. The Bryant / Lytton Parking Garage is located at 445 Bryant Avenue, one block north of University Avenue. The High Street Parking Garage is located at 528 High Street, one block south of University Avenue.

Opening in 1925, the Stanford Theatre was Palo Alto’s premier movie theater. Most of the classic films the Stanford now plays – including many Lorre movies – appeared in this cinema on their initial run, when the program changed two or three times a week. In 1987, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation purchased and restored the cinema.

Now owned by the Stanford Theatre Foundation, the cinema presents classic Hollywood movies. The full schedule is located on the theatre’s website.

In the pages of his book The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of Beat the Devil. Shot in location in Italy, it was the final on-screen collaboration of Peter, his long-time pal Humphrey Bogart, and John Huston, who directed the two actors in 1941 in their first film together, The Maltese Falcon.

The Lost One is now available in soft-bound and hard-back, as well as eBook editions on the Nook and Kindle.

August 13, 2013

Casablanca on Many Screens This Month

Peter Lorre fans across the U.S. and in England will have an opportunity this week and into early September to catch Casablanca (1942) in a variety of venues.



Deutsches Haus – Metairie, Louisiana

On Wednesday, Aug. 14, the Deutsches Haus will present a unique print of Casablanca as part of their Wednesday night “Das Kino” (The Cinema) program – the German-dubbed release with English subtitles.

Admission is free and open to the public. Food will also be available.

The program will begin at 7 pm with a showing of “You Must Remember This”, a documentary starring Lauren Bacall on the making of Casablanca. The documentary is in English with German subtitles and will be shown again following Casablanca.

The Deutsches Haus is located at 1023 Ridgewood Drive, in Metairie, Louisiana. For more information, please call (504) 522-8014.

Parking is available at the Deutsches Haus and on surrounding streets.



Texas Tech Museum – Lubbock, Texas

Beginning Tuesday, August 13, the Museum of Texas Tech will present a week of Humphrey Bogart matinees, ending with Casablanca on Friday, August 16.

The program begins at 2 pm in the Helen DeVitt Jones Auditorium.

Admission is free and open to the public.

The Museum of Texas Tech University is located at 3301 4th Street, on the southeast corner of 4th Street and Indiana Avenue, in Lubbock, Texas. For more information about the free screenings, please call (806) 742-2432.

Directions to the museum, as well as a map, may be found on the museum’s website. Scroll down to the “Location” section.

Free parking is available in the 4th Street and Indiana Avenue lots.



Three Rivers Winery – Walla Walla, Washington

On Friday, August 23, the Three Rivers Winery will present Casablanca as part of their “Movie in the Vineyard” series. The theme for the evening is “Classics Night”.

All movies are shown on the winery’s large outdoor screen. Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets.

The program begins at dusk at approximately 8 pm. Doors open 30 minutes before the show.

Admission is free for everyone, and all ages may attend. No reservations are required, however, pets are not allowed.

Wine may be purchased by the glass or bottle, as well as an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages. Popcorn will be included with any wine purchase. Snacks available for purchase include cheese plates and sweets. No outside alcohol is permitted.

The Three Rivers Winery is located at 5641 Old Highway 12, in Walla Walla, Washington. Directions to the winery are available on the Three Rivers’ website.

For more information, please call the winery at (509) 526-9463, extension 1.



Luna Cinema – England

Over the summer, the Luna Cinema has presented Casablanca on outdoor screens at a number of famous locations around England. On Saturday, September 7, the movie will make its final appearance of the season at Leeds Castle, near Maidstone, Kent.

The program begins at 7:45 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Admission is £15 for adults, and £12 for children age 5 to 15. Tickets may be purchased through the Luna website by clicking the “Buy Tickets” button. Capacity is limited.

Bring picnic chairs or blankets. Luna Inflatable Wedges and Luna Blankets will also be available for purchase.

Picnic dinners may also be brought. Häagen-Dazs will treat audience members with a free Secret Sensations mini-cup. Cock ‘N’ Bull Rotisserie is the official caterer for Luna Cinema events this year. Cock ‘N’ Bull will provide Spatchcock Chickens and Hickory Smoked Rump Beef.

Leeds Castle is located 7 miles east of Maidstone, just off Junction 8 of the M20, in Kent, England. Directions to the castle, as well as public transportation options, are available on the Leeds Castle website.

Free parking is available at the castle.



In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of Casablanca, as well as the off-screen friendship between Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart, through interviews with actors, writers, and behind-the-scenes crew on the picture.

The Lost One is available on the Kindle and Nook, as well as hard-bound and soft-bound editions.

August 12, 2013

Dallas Film Society Screens M on Aug. 15

Dallas Morning News film critic Chris Vognar will kick off his Screening Room series on Thursday, August 15, 2013, with a showing of M (1931) at the Angelika Film Center – Dallas. This year’s theme is “Around the World: Classics of International Cinema”.

Chris Vognar will introduce each movie in the series and host a post-screening discussion, presenting insights about the film and answering questions.

Each screening is free, but reservations are required. Registration for M is currently open and may be completed through the Dallas Film Society website by clicking on the image of Peter Lorre and the blind beggar. Once on the “Screening Room Reservations” screen, complete the information and click the “Send” button. When the reservation is accepted, a PDF pass may be downloaded to your mobile device or printed.

Each pass will admit two people. Seating is first come, first served. The Dallas Film Society recommends arriving at the Angelika Film Center by 6:15 pm.

The screening begins at 7:30 pm.

The Angelika Film Center & Café is located in Mockingbird Station at 5321 East Mockingbird Lane, in Dallas, Texas. Directions to the Angelika, including a map of Mockingbird Station, are available through the Film Center’s website.

Parking is available in the free parking garage adjacent to the Angelika. To access the garage, take the Northbound Central Expressway Service Road. The entrance to the Angelika is on the second floor across from Trinity Hall.

The Angelika may also be reached by train and bus. Information on public transportation may be located on the Angelika website.

August 10, 2013

Digitally-Restored M On-Screen in San Francisco

On Sunday, August 11, 2013, the Castro Theatre in San Francisco will present a double-feature of digitally-restored Fritz Lang masterpieces – M (1931) and Metropolis (1927).

M will be shown at 1 pm and 6 pm. Metropolis will be shown at 3:15 pm and 8:05 pm.

Admission is $11 for adults, $8.50 for seniors age 61 and older, and $8.50 for children 12 and under. More information about tickets may be found on the Castro Theatre website.

The Castro Theatre is located at 429 Castro Street, in San Francisco, California. Directions to the Castro, as well as public transportation options, can be found on the cinema’s website.

Parking is available in two small lots and on the street near the cinema. For more information, please call the cinema at (415) 621-6120.

As of this writing, additional screenings of the restored M, distributed through Kino Lorber, include the following dates and locations:
  • Gene Siskel Film Center – Chicago, IL – Sept. 6 and 9, 2013
  • SIFF Cinema – Seattle, WA – Sept. 6 through 12, 2013
  • The Loft Cinema – Tucson, AZ – Oct. 25 and 27, 2013
  • Winnipeg Film Group – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Oct. 25 through 27, 2013
More information about theaters and showings, including links to participating venues, may be found on the Kino Lorber website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of M and Peter Lorre’s experiences working with Fritz Lang on what was to be the first sound movie for both Lorre and Lang.

The Lost One is available in both hard-back and soft-bound, as well as the Kindle and Nook.

July 28, 2013

Egyptian Theatre Screens 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The American Cinematheque and the Art Directors Guild Film Society will salute Harper Goff, famed Hollywood production designer, with a special screening of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) on Sunday, July 28, 2013, at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. For more information, please contact the theater at (323) 461-2020.

The program begins at 5:30 pm with a presentation by production designer Thomas A. Walsh on the movie’s art direction. Following 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Walsh will lead a discussion about Harper Goff’s accomplishments with Marty Sklar, Tony Baxter, Harrison Ellenshaw, and Stephen Berger, all of whom worked for the Disney studio in the Imagineering or creative effects departments.

Tickets are $11 for general admission and $7 for members of the American Cinematheque. Tickets may be purchased at the cinema box office or on-line through Fandango. Please note that Fandango will charge a fee for purchasing tickets More information about purchasing tickets may be found on the cinema’s website.

The Egyptian Theatre is located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, between Las Palmas and McCadden, in Hollywood, California. Directions are available on the cinema’s website.

Parking is available at several lots near the Egyptian, including the Hollywood & Highland complex. The Egyptian Theatre does not validate parking for any lot.

The Egyptian Theatre is also served by public transportation. The Metro Red Line’s Hollywood/Highland station is a short walk from the cinema. More information about parking, directions, and public transportation may be found on the theater’s website.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, author Stephen Youngkin interviewed Harper Goff on the making of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, as well as the casting of Peter Lorre as Conseil, apprentice to Paul Lukas’ Prof. Arronax. Goff was inducted into the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame in 2013. He was named a Disney Legend following his death in 1993 at the age of 81.

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

Harvard Film Archive Screens Two Lorre Hitchcock Films

The Harvard Film Archive’s summer film series “The Complete Alfred Hitchcock” will include two movies Peter Lorre made with the famed director – The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and Secret Agent (1936).

The Man Who Knew Too Much will be shown Sunday, July 28, 2013, at 7 pm, followed by The Skin Game (1931).

Secret Agent will be shown the following Sunday, Aug. 4, at 7 pm, followed by Rich and Strange (1931).

Both films will be shown in 35mm film. The series will run from July 11 to September 28 and includes nine silent movies recently restored by the British Film Institute and accompanied by live piano. The full schedule may be found on the Harvard Film Archive’s website.

The Harvard Film Archive Cinematheque is located in the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at 24 Quincy Street, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Directions to the HFA are available on the HFA website. For more information, please call the HFA at (617) 495-4700.

Tickets may be purchased at the Cinematheque on the lower level of the Carpenter Center 45 minutes before showtime. Members of the Harvard Film Archive may reserve tickets in advance for special event screenings.

Ticket prices are $9 for regular admission and $7 for Non-Harvard students, Harvard faculty and staff, and senior citizens. Special Event Ticket Prices are $12 for all patrons. Discounts are available for Harvard Film Archive members. More information about tickets may be found on the HFA website.

Parking is available at meters on Broadway and Harvard streets. The metered parking is free after 8 pm. The Harvard Film Archive is easily reached by public transportation, particularly the MBTA Red Line. More information about parking, including a map, is located on the HFA website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), Stephen D. Youngkin discusses Peter Lorre’s experiences working with Alfred Hitchcock at Gaumont-British in the early 1930s. During filming of The Man Who Knew Too Much, Peter was able to take a break and marry his long-time love Celia Lovsky. Still in scar make-up and frosted hair for the part of Abbott, leader of the anarchists in London, Peter exchanged marriage vows with Celia at Caxton Hall in the West End. Although the marriage ended in 1945 with Peter's marriage to second wife Karen Verne, Peter and Celia remained close friends to the end of Peter’s life on March 23, 1964.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available on the Kindle and Nook, as well as hard-bound and soft-bound.

July 6, 2013

Summer Film Series Includes Mr. Moto

For the 16th annual University of the Pacific Summer Film Series, organizer Tom Connor includes Peter Lorre as the Japanese detective Mr. Moto in Mr. Moto’s Last Warning (1938), the only one of the eight Moto films in the public domain.

The film will be shown on Saturday, July 6, in the Janet Leigh Theater at the University of the Pacific. The doors open at 6:30 pm. The program begins at 7 pm, and includes newsreels, trailers, and cartoons – the features moviegoers in 1938 would have enjoyed when Mr. Moto’s Last Warning was originally shown in cinemas.

Students, faculty, and staff of the University of the Pacific may attend for free. Admission is $3 for University alumni. General admission for adults and children is $5.

The University of the Pacific is located at 3601 Pacific Avenue, in Stockton, California. The Janet Leigh Theater in located in the McCaffrey Center complex in the center of the Stockton campus.

Parking lots 31 and 32 are located closest to the Janet Leigh Theatre. A campus map is available on the University website.

The Summer Film Series runs until August 17, 2013. The full schedule may be found on the University website.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), Stephen D. Youngkin details the making of the Mr. Moto series of movies at 20th Century-Fox from 1937 to 1939, including interviews with Norman Foster, who directed six of the eight films, co-stars Leon Ames and Chick Chandler, and stuntman Harvey Parry, who doubled Peter in all the judo and fight sequences.

Considering Moto a welcome change from the villain roles he was usually assigned, Peter initially loved playing the diminutive hero – but his interest disappeared as the series wore on, and he found himself appearing as Moto and no one else, including Moto sketches on several radio shows of the period.

All eight of the Mr. Moto movies have been remastered and released in two box-sets, which include several documentaries on the series, the Moto character, and Peter Lorre. More information about ordering the Moto films may be found in the DVD-VHS section of The Lost One website.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available through University Press of Kentucky in both hard-bound and soft-bound, as well as the Kindle and Nook.

Lorre on TV This Summer

Summer is here, and with it, a number of Peter Lorre movies on television and Turner Classic Movies during July, August, and September. 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, 2013

Paul Henreid is TCM’s “Star of the Month” on Tuesdays in July, and a number of the films Henreid made with Peter Lorre are included on the schedule.

July 2 (Tues.), 4:30 am, Turner Classic Movies channel – Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956). Peter Lorre makes a cameo appearance in this musical starring Cyd Charrise and Dan Dailey, and co-starring Paul Henreid.

July 6 (Sat.), 2:20 pm, Retro TV channel – The Patsy (1964). Peter’s final movie was released several months after his death on Mar. 23, 1964.

July 16 (Tues.), 4 am, Retro TV channel – The Patsy (1964).

July 17 (Wed.), 10:55 am and 11:15 pm, Retro TV channel – The Patsy (1964).

July 23 (Tues.), 12 am, TCM – Hollywood Canteen (1944). Peter Lorre and Paul Henreid are just two of the many Warner Bros. contract players appearing in this salute to the Canteen frequented by servicemen and women during World War II.

July 25 (Thurs.), 12:40 pm and 8 pm, Retro TV channel – The Patsy (1964).

July 30 (Tues.), 3:45 pm, TCM – Silk Stockings (1957).

July 30 (Tues.), TCM – Paul Henreid Month ends with a Henreid / Lorre double-feature: The Conspirators (1944) at 8 pm, and Casablanca (1942) at 10 pm.



August, 2013

August brings TCM’s annual “Summer Under the Stars” festival, and although Peter Lorre is not one of the “Stars”, a number of the Stars he worked with are featured.

Aug. 1 (Thurs.), TCM – On “Humphrey Bogart Day”, TCM presents the first and last movies Peter made with his old friend Bogie: The Maltese Falcon (1941) at 9 am, and Beat the Devil (1954) at 4:15 pm.

Aug. 2 (Fri.), 8:15 am and 4:05 pm, Retro TV channel – The Patsy (1964).

Aug. 6 (Tues.), 2:15 am, TCM – The Constant Nymph (1943). On “Joan Fontaine Day”, Peter Lorre plays the romantic Fritz Bercovy, who loves and marries one of the Sanger sisters.

Aug. 8 (Thurs.), 7:05 am, Encore Suspense channel – Tales of Terror (1962). Peter Lorre appears in "The Black Cat", the second tale of this trilogy.

Aug. 12 (Mon.), 5:20 am and 11:30 am, Encore Suspense channel – Tales of Terror (1962).

Aug. 13 (Tues.), 11:35 am and 4 am, Fox Movie Channel – Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962).

Aug. 13 (Tues.), 5 pm, TCM – Quicksand (1950). On “Mickey Rooney Day”, Peter co-stars with Rooney in an independent film made under their own production company.

Aug. 17 (Sat.), noon, Fox Movie Channel – Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961).

Aug. 21 (Wed.), 7:30 am, Encore Suspense channel – Tales of Terror (1962).

Aug. 22 (Thurs.), 11:30 am and 9:45 pm, Retro TV channel – The Patsy (1964).

Aug. 23 (Fri.), 6:30 am, Retro TV channel – The Patsy (1964).

Aug. 25 (Sun.), 12 am, TCM – Strange Cargo (1940). On “Clark Gable Day”, TCM presents the first of two movies Peter appeared in with Clark Gable.

Aug. 25 (Sun.), 3 am, Fox Movie Channel – Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961).

Aug. 26 (Mon.), 2 am, Antenna TV Channel – The Jack Benny Show, originally broadcast Jan. 22, 1963.

Aug. 28 (Wed.), 9 am and 4:40 pm, Retro TV channel – The Patsy (1964).



September, 2013

Sept. 3 (Tues.), 4:15 pm, TCM – Around the World in 80 Days (1956).

Sept. 26 (Thurs.), 3:35 am, Encore Suspense channel – Tales of Terror (1962).

Sept. 27 (Fri.), 9:35 pm, Encore Suspense channel – Tales of Terror (1962).



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 on over to the DVD — VHS section of The Lost One website.

Happy viewing!

June 18, 2013

Happy Birthday, Peter Lorre! – from Sirius XM and Greg Bell

“Love for László” – Greg Bell has named his annual birthday salute to Peter Lorre on Sirius XM Radio’s Radio Classics channel. Though Peter was born June 26, the tribute runs a little early this year, as Greg Bell will be at sea on the first ever Radio Classics cruise next week.

For two hours, Lorre fans can enjoy four programs – an episode of Peter’s own series Mystery in the Air, “The Queen of Spades” (Sept. 11, 1947); Suspense, "Of Maestro and Man" (July 20, 1944); an episode of Peter’s series Mystery Playhouse, “Lady in the Morgue” (May 15, 1945), which originally aired on Mollé Mystery Theater; and finally an episode of Jack Benny’s series The Lucky Strike Program, “I Stand Condemned” (Mar. 24, 1946).

In addition, a brief telephone interview with actress Peggy Webber is included. Webber, who appears as “Lizavieta” in “The Queen of Spades”, recalls working with Peter on the episode and how he felt about seeing himself on film, whether in the daily rushes or in a cinema.

The Lorre tribute will air these dates and times:

Monday, June 17:
11 pm Pacific

Tuesday, June 18:
2 am Eastern
2 pm Eastern, 11 am Pacific

Friday, June 21:
4 am Eastern, 1 am Pacific
4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific

Saturday, June 30:
6 pm Eastern, 3 pm Pacific

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.

Stephen Youngkin discusses Peter’s extensive radio career in the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, including an interview with Harry Morgan, who worked with Peter as the narrator “The Voice of Mystery” on Mystery in the Air in the summer of 1947.

The Lorre radio programs airing this week in honor of Peter’s 109th 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 and Noble’s Nook, and hard-cover.

May 30, 2013

The Man Who Knew Too Much On-Screen in Amherst, NY

As part of their “Alfred Hitchcock Movie Series 2013”, the Screening Room in Amherst, NY, will screen The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) on Friday, May 31, and Saturday, June 1.

The film will begin at 7:30 pm.

Admission is $5 for all seats. Tickets may be purchased on a first-come basis at the theater box-office 30 minutes before the show. Reservations for groups of six or more can be accepted by phone or eMail at least two hours before the screening.

The Screening Room is located in the Northtown Plaza Business Plaza, 3131 Sheridan Drive, in Amherst, New York. The cinema faces North Bailey Avenue.

Parking is available in the mall parking lot along the North Bailey Avenue 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, or contact them by eMail at info@screeningroom.net.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of The Man Who Knew Too Much. While the Hitchcock-directed movie was not the first time Peter spoke English on-camera, it was his first major English-speaking role – and brought him a Hollywood contract with Columbia Studios and a First Cabin ticket for himself and his wife Celia Lovsky aboard Cunard’s Majestic.

The Lost One: The Life of Peter Lorre is now available on the Kindle and Nook, as well as soft-bound and hard-bound.