Lorre Biographer Stephen Youngkin Interviewed

The “Warrior Filmmaker” Jack Marino hosted Stephen Youngkin, author of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, on the April 12, 2013, installment of his internet radio show, broadcasting at 8 pm PST over Channel 2 on LA Talk Radio.

Peter Lorre was a humble, shy man, said Stephen Youngkin during the interview, who called himself a “facemaker” because he didn’t want others to know how seriously he took acting – and he took the craft of acting very, very seriously.

During the hour-long program, Jack and Stephen chatted about Peter Lorre’s life and career, covering such topics as:

• Peter’s thoughts on the movies he made towards the end of his career
• His work with director Fritz Lang on M
• The making of the Mr. Moto series in the late 1930s
• His start at Warner Bros. in The Maltese Falcon and the studio’s reluctance to sign Peter to a contract, considering him already typecast and wondering how he would fit in with their stable of contract players
• Peter’s interest in directing movies
• Peter’s problems with addiction to morphine
• Peter’s three marriages

Stephen also discussed the writing of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, the authorized Lorre biography published by University Press of Kentucky in 2005. He began by interviewing many of the directors, actors, and behind-the-scenes crew in the early 1970s, as well as Lorre friends and family members. Vincent Price, who worked with Peter on five movies, including Irwin Allen pictures and the Poe series of the 1960s, was an early contact who put Stephen in touch with other Lorre co-workers.

The resulting 613-page biography covers the life of Peter Lorre from his birth on June 26, 1904, to his death on Mar. 23, 1964, of a massive stroke. Included are a list of interviews taken, extensive Chapter Notes, and a complete-to-date list of Peter’s theater, film, radio, and television credits.

Jack Marino’s interview with Stephen Youngkin can be heard over the Warrior Filmmaker’s page on the LA Talk Radio website. Scroll to “Friday, April 12, 2013”, and click the “Play” link. The installment can also be downloaded as an MP3 button by clicking the “Download” link.

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