February 24, 2016

Lorre at Marys River Grange Movie Night. Feb. 25

Peter Lorre fans in the Philomath, Oregon, area can enjoy a free showing of My Favorite Brunette (1947) at the Marys River Grange on Thursday, February 25, 2016. It’s this month’s feature at the Grange’s Movie Night, held every Thursday.

Introduced by curator Ygal Kaufman, who is a Peter Lorre fan, the program begins at 7 pm and includes short subjects, cartoons, newsreels, and commercials originally shown when the feature was first released.

Admission is free for everyone. And fresh, unlimited popcorn is available for $1.

The Marys River Grange is located at 24707 Grange Hall Road, in Philomath, Oregon.

Parking is available in the lot in front of the Grange.

For more information, please call 415- 994-2188.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of My Favorite Brunette, the only movie Peter Lorre made with Bob Hope. On May 13, 1947, while the movie was in release, Peter appeared on Bob Hope’s radio variety program. The Pepsodent Show, broadcast over NBC.

The Appendix of The Lost One includes a list of Peter’s credits on film and radio, as well as stage and television.

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

February 18, 2016

Fathom Events Presents The Maltese Falcon, Feb 21 and 24

In 2016, Fathom Events and the Turner Classic Movies channel will expand their popular “Big Screen Classics” series from a few times a year to once a month, and in February, Lorre fans can enjoy The Maltese Falcon (1941) in cinemas on Sunday, February 21, with an encore showing on Wednesday, February 24. Warner Brothers salutes the movie’s 75th anniversary.

The program begins at 7 pm, local time, with a special introduction by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz. Some theaters will also have a 2 pm matinee.

Participating movie theaters are listed by State and City on the Fathom Events website. Updates to the list are being made daily, and theater locations are subject to change.

Ticket prices are $12.50 for all seats, however, some cinemas may offer a discount for students, children, and seniors. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the theater, as well as on-line through the Fathom Events website and Fandango.

As Joel Cairo, one of the international criminals in search of the fabulous jewel-encrusted statuette of the title, Peter Lorre is the bridge between the movie’s two story lines – the murder of Miles Archer, Sam Spade’s (Bogart) partner in their detective agency, and the hunt for the Maltese Falcon. This was Peter’s first movie for Warner Brothers, and his first film with Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the on-screen and off-screen friendship of Peter and Bogie through numerous interviews with their mutual friends and co-workers.

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

Arsenic and Peter Lorre in Jersey City

With the annual Academy Awards coming up in Los Angeles, the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre, located in Jersey City, New Jersey, salutes three actors who never won an Oscar – Cary Grant, Peter Lorre, and Raymond Massey – with a showing of their Warner Bros. movie Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. The film is part of the cinema’s festival “Oscar Oversights”, which begins on Friday, Feb. 19.

Arsenic and Old Lace will begin at 8:30 pm.

The festival’s schedule is available on the Landmark Loew’s website.

Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors (age 65 and over), and $6 for children (age 12 and younger). Discounts are available for multiple screenings.

Tickets may be purchased at the cinema’s box-office.

The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre is located at 54 Journal Square, in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Parking is available at several nearby parking garages and lots. Directly behind the Landmark is the Square Ramp Parking Garage, located at 801 Pavonia Avenue, in Jersey City. Enter this garage from Magnolia Avenue (via Tonelle Avenue. The garage offers moviegoers discount parking for most movies. Ask at the theater box office or concession stand for coupons and further details.

More information on parking, as well as directions to the Landmark, may be found on the cinema’s website.

For more information, please contact the Landmark at (201) 798-6055.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of Arsenic and Old Lace, which Peter made in the fall of 1941, soon after working on The Maltese Falcon (1941) and All Through the Night (1942). Not yet under contract with Warner Bros., Peter was hired to the Arsenic cast on a picture-by-picture basis. By the time the movie was released to theaters in October of 1944, Peter had hit his personal and professional stride, with a Warner Bros. contract and a busy career on radio.

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

February 13, 2016

Lorre Lovers, Spend Valentine’s Day with Peter

In cinemas around the United States, Valentine’s Day means special showings of Casablanca (1942), considered by many as one of the most romantic movies in cinema history.

And although Peter Lorre doesn’t get much screen time, it’s always a treat for Lorre fans to catch him in a movie theater, including these ~

  • Amherst Screening Room – Amherst, New York
  • Bay Ridge Jewish Center – Brooklyn, New York
  • Lucas Theatre for the Arts – Savannah, Georgia
  • Granada Theater – Dallas, Texas
  • Prytania Theatre – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Music Box Theatre – Chicago, Illinois



Amherst Screening Room ~ The Amherst Screening Room, in Amherst, New York, will present Casablanca on the following dates and times:
  • Feb. 13, Saturday – 7:30 pm
  • Feb. 14, Sunday – 5 pm and 7:30 pm
  • Feb. 16, Tuesday – 7:30 pm
  • Feb. 19, Friday – 7:30 pm
  • Feb. 20, Saturday – 7:30 pm

Admission on Valentine’s Day will be $7, with special advance tickets for two for $25, including the movie, champagne, and popcorn. Tickets for all other showings will be $6.

The Amherst Screening Room is located in the Northtown Business Center, 3131 Sheridan Drive, in Amherst, New York. For more information, please call the theater at 716-837-0376.



Bay Ridge Jewish Center ~ The Bay Ridge Jewish Center, in Brooklyn, New York, will host a showing of Casablanca on Saturday, February 13, at 7 pm.

Admission is $20 and includes dinner.

The Bay Ridge Jewish Center is located at Fourth Avenue and 81st Street, in Brooklyn, New York. For more information, please call the BRJC at 718-836-3103.



Lucas Theatre ~ The Lucas Theatre for the Arts, in Savannah, Georgia, offers a special Valentine’s package for their showing of Casablanca on Saturday, February 13, at 8 pm.

For $20, couples may purchase two movie tickets, two soft drinks, and one large popcorn. General admission is $9, with $6 for military, students, and seniors.

The Lucas Theatre is located at 32 Abercom Street, in Savannah, Georgia. For more information, please contact the cinema at 912-525-5050.



Granada Theatre ~ The Granada Theatre, in Dallas, Texas, will present a special Valentine’s Day Double Feature – crooner Ricki Derek and his Cupid Quartet performing love songs by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett among others, followed by a screening of Casablanca. The program begins at 8 pm on Sunday, February 14.

Tickets are $30 to $53 for everyone age 14 and over.

The historic Granada Theatre, built in 1946, is located at 3524 Greenville Avenue, in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please call the cinema at 214-824-9933.



Prytania Theatre ~ The Prytania Theatre, in New Orleans, Louisiana, will present Casablanca on Sunday, February 14, and Wednesday, February 17, at 10 am, as part of their Classic Movie Series.

Admission is $5.75 for all seats.

The historic Prytania Theatre is located at 5339 Prytania Street, in the heart of uptown New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information, please contact the cinema at 504-891-2787.



Music Box Theatre ~ At the Music Box Theatre, in Chicago, Illinois, you and your Valentine can sing along to a selection of love songs, such as “Bicycle Built for Two” and “You Are My Sunshine” complete with on-screen lyrics and accompaniment by the Music Box organ – followed by a screening of Casablanca. The annual “Valentine’s Sweetheart Sing-Along” begins at noon on Saturday, February 13.

Tickets are $13 for general admission, $11 for children age 12 and under, and $10 for Music Box members.

The Music Box Theatre is located at 3733 N. Southport Avenue, in Chicago, Illinois.



Can’t get out to a movie theater to see Casablanca?

Fear not!

You can still spend Valentine’s Day with Peter at home – when the Turner Classic Movies channel presents Casablanca on Sunday, Feb. 14, as part of their annual “31 Days of Oscar” film festival. The movie begins at 8 pm EST, 7 pm Central, 6 pm Mountain, and 5 pm Pacific.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 8, 2016

Robert Osborne Gettysburg Event Canceled

Due to illness, Turner Classic Movies channel host Robert Osborne has cancelled his upcoming appearance at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016.

The 83-year-old Osborne was originally scheduled to host a screening of Casablanca (1942) and discuss with Majestic Founding Executive Director Jeffrey Gabel the importance of movie theaters in small towns such as Gettysburg.

The Majestic Theater hopes to reschedule his appearance later this year. More information, including refunds to ticket holders, is available on the cinema’s website.

Get well soon, Mr. Osborne!

February 6, 2016

Robert Osborne Event in Gettysburg Sold Out

The Majestic Theater, located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, reports their upcoming presentation “An Evening with Robert Osborne” and special showing of Casablanca (1942) is now sold out.

Mr. Osborne, a long-time host of the Turner Classic Movies channel, will discuss with the Majestic’s Founding Executive Director Jeffrey W. Gabel the importance of movie theaters in small towns such as Gettysburg. Mr. Osborne will also take questions from the audience before the screening.

Attending the program and curious about classic movies or the stars Mr. Osborne has interviewed during his long career? You may submit your question before the screening by eMail to the Majestic Theater at majestictheater@gettysburg.edu.

Your question should be 20 words or less and include your first name and the name of your town. Questions should be submitted no later than 5 pm EST on Wednesday, February 10, 2016.

Unable to catch Casablanca at the Majestic Theater? You can still spend Valentine’s Day with Peter Lorre when the Turner Classic Movies channel presents Casablanca on February 14 as part of their annual “31 Days of Oscar” film festival. The movie begins at 8 pm, EST.

Happy Valentine’s Day!