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.