February 11, 2014

Lorre Lovers, Spend Valentine’s Day with Peter

Peter Lorre fans will have many opportunities to spend Valentine’s Day – and beyond – with Peter as Ugarte when the classic film Casablanca (1942) is shown at a variety of venues.




It’s an annual tradition at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts – a showing of Casablanca.

This year, a 35mm print of the film will be shown three days, beginning Thursday, Feb. 13, and ending on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014. Show times for all three days are 4:15 pm, 7 pm, and 9:45 pm.

Admission prices are $10 evening general admission, $8 for any showing before 5 pm. For Brattle members and students with proper ID, tickets are $8 for any show. For seniors and children, admission is $7 for any show.

Special Tickets are also available at all showings for $25; these tickets include reserved seating and a gift bag. Brattle Passes will also be accepted as seating allows, however, the cinema strongly recommends you purchase the discount member ticket in advance. More information about tickets may be found on the Brattle website.

Tickets may be purchased through the Brattle Theatre website. From the “Calendar” drop-down menu, or the Casablanca webpage, click the “Buy Tickets” link.

The Brattle Theatre is located in Brattle Hall at 40 Brattle Street, a block from Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Also located in Brattle Hall are Algiers Cafe, Casablanca Restaurant, and Harvard Square Optical. The cinema’s entrance is on the left side of the building – look for the sidewalk poster case and marquee.

The cinema is well-served by public transportation – MBTA bus routes and the subway.

Parking is available at meters around Harvard Square, as well as both validated and non-validated parking garages. The Brattle Theatre box office will validate parking tickets at the Charles Square Garage and the University Place Garage. More information on getting to the Brattle, as well as parking, is available on the cinema’s website.

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



The ABC Microbrewery, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, will present Casablanca on Thursday, Feb. 13.

The film will begin at 7 pm.

Special snacks for the evening will be available, as well as Happy Hour prices on drinks. No cover will be charged for the event.

The ABC Microbrewery is located at the corner of Forest and Norris streets, one block north of historic Depot Town, at 720 Norris Street, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Look for the vintage 1969 Mercedes Benz Fire Truck in front of the brewery.

For more information, please call the microbrewery at (734) 480-2739.

Parking is available in the microbrewery’s parking lot.



Selected Alamo Drafhouse Cinema locations will host a special Valentine’s Day Feast screenings of Casablanca with a four-course menu of “Moroccan-inspired cuisine”.

Participating Drafthouses include –
Casablanca will be shown in the evening of Feb. 14, 2014. Times vary by location and are posted on each cinema’s website. The theaters advise arriving approximately 30 minutes early in order to find a good seat and enjoy the pre-show.

Since Casablanca is on the “Alamo 100” list, free collectible button pins themed to the title will be available, while supplies last.

Tickets may be purchased through each cinema’s website.

Parking information is also available on each cinema’s website.



Lorre fans in the Los Angeles area can catch Casablanca at the classic movie theater the Egyptian on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. It’s one of several movies in their Valentine series “Movie Valentines: Love on the Big Screen 2014”, running from Friday, Feb. 14, to Wed., Feb. 19. The full schedule is posted on the Egyptian website.

The film begins at 7:30 pm – but get there early! The first few dozen audience members to arrive will receive Godiva chocolates.

Admission prices are $11 for general, $7 for Cinematheque members, and $9 for Seniors and Students.

Tickets may be purchased at the box office. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through the Egyptian’s website. From the Casablanca page, click the button “Tickets”, and you will be taken to Fandango. There is a small surcharge for ordering tickets through Fandango.

The Egyptian Theatre is located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, in Los Angeles, California, between North Las Palmas Avenue and North McCadden Place.

The cinema is served by public transportation, including the Hollywood & Highland Metro station. Parking is available in several parking garages near the theater. Closest is the Hollywood & Highland complex. Although the Egyptian does not validate parking, several businesses in the parking complex, as well as the Visitors Booth, do validate. More information on parking, as well as directions to the Egyptian, are available on the cinema’s website.

For more information, please contact the Egyptian at (323) 466-3456.



Lorre fans in the Detroit, Michigan, can enjoy a free showing of Casablanca on Valentine’s weekend when the Redford Theatre opens its doors in appreciation and gratitude for the loyal support of its patrons. The showing is also sponsored by Joseph Kowalsky for the Organ Cryopreservation Prize, which helps to make organ transplants safer, as well as less costly and more available.

The movie will be shown on Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 pm, as well as 2 pm and 8 pm on Saturday, Feb. 15. A half hour before each show, Justin LaVoie will play an overture on the cinema’s historic and original Barton Theatre Pipe Organ.

The Redford Theatre is located at 17360 Lahser Road, in Detroit, Michigan. Directions to the cinema are available on the Redford’s website.

Parking is available in a free and supervised lot north of the theatre building.

For more information, please call the Redford’s 24-hour information line at (313) 537-2560.



Those Lorre fans who like to plan ahead should mark their calendars for Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2014, when twenty movie theaters across the United States will present a free showing of Casablanca.

It’s one of several free events planned to celebrate the Turner Classic Movies channel’s 20th anniversary.

Information on getting the free tickets will be posted on Tuesday, Feb. 18, on the Turner Classic Movies website.

Cities selected, so far, include Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, Atlanta, Detroit, Seattle, Miami, and Denver. Visit the TCM 20th birthday page to participate in the selection of the remaining 10 cities.



In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), author Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of Casablanca through interviews with writers, cast members, and crew. Not yet under contract to the Warner Bros. studio, Peter did not consider Casablanca a very important film and claimed he made more money playing roulette on the “casino room” set than he did working before the cameras. The movie also gave Peter a third opportunity to work with Humphrey Bogart, one of his closest friends.

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