June 26, 2016

Sirius XM Radio Wishes Peter Lorre a Happy Birthday!

One hundred and twelve years ago, on June 26, 1904, Alois and Elvira Loewenstein welcomed the birth of their son László, in Rozsahegy, Hungary.

Today, László Loewenstein is known as Peter Lorre, a European and American actor who enjoyed a decades-long career, beginning with the stage and moving on to radio, screen, and finally television from the 1920s up to his death on March 23, 1964.

Beginning Sunday, June 26, 2016, and continuing throughout the week, Radio Classics channel host Greg Bell salutes Peter with his annual “Love for Lorre” birthday tribute.

For two hours, Lorre fans can enjoy four of Peter’s old-time radio performances – two episodes from Peter’s own 13-week summer series Mystery in the Air, "The Mask of Medusa" (Sept. 4, 1947) and "The Queen of Spades" (Sept. 11, 1947); an episode of the anthology series Suspense, "Of Maestro and Man" (July 20, 1944), and finally, a guest appearance on Jack Benny’s show The Lucky Strike Program, "I Stand Condemned" (Mar. 24, 1946).

The Lorre tribute will air these dates and times –

Sunday, June 26 ~
7 pm Pacific, 10 pm Eastern

Tuesday, June 28 ~
1 am Pacific, 4 am Eastern

Thursday, June 30 ~
1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern

Satellite radio providers XM and Sirius air Radio Classics over channel 148. 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.

The life and career of Peter Lorre is chronicled in the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre by Stephen D. Youngkin, who began his research in the 1970s and interviewed Peter’s brothers Andrew and Francis, his first wife Celia Lovsky, his sister-in-law Barbara through his second wife Karen Verne, his daughter Catherine Lorre, friends, fellow actors, and the directors, producers, and crew who worked with him throughout his career.

These interviews shed light on Peter’s childhood, his early days in theater, his career on film, radio, and television, and his sad final days.

The Appendix of The Lost One includes the most complete list available of Peter’s credits – radio, film, stage, and television.

The Lorre radio programs airing this week in honor of Peter’s birthday are available through many merchants. Many of Peter’s movies, as well as some of his television appearances, are available on DVD.

Published in 2005 through University Press of Kentucky, The Lost One is available in hard-cover, soft-cover, Amazon’s Kindle, and Barnes and Noble’s Nook.

June 15, 2016

Dallas Outdoor Film Series Includes Peter Lorre

The South Alley Film Series, held at the West Village shopping complex in the Uptown neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, will continue its outdoor summer film series with Casablanca (1942) on Wednesday, June 15, 2016.

Live entertainment will begin at 7 pm, with Casablanca beginning at 8:30 pm, around sundown.

Admission is free for everyone. Bring chairs and blankets. Food and drinks may be purchased from restaurants at West Village, but please do not bring your own refreshments.

Films in the South Alley Film Series are shown in the outdoor plaza in South Alley, located between the Magnolia Theatre and Mi Cocina Tex-Mex restaurant, at 3699 McKinney Avenue in Dallas, Texas.

Parking closest to South Alley is Parking Garage 1, located along Center Drive, within the West Village shopping complex. Center Drive may be reached by enterting the shopping complex from the McKinney Avenue entrance into West Village.

A map of the shopping complex is available on the West Village website.

Films in the South Alley Film Series will be shown the third Wednesday of every month until October. The full schedule is available on the West Village website.

June 11, 2016

Lorre at Capitol Theatre in York, PA

Located in the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in downtown York, Pennsylvania, the historic Capitol Theatre will screen The Maltese Falcon (1941) on Saturday, June 11, 2016.

The program will begin at 6:30 pm with a performance of the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, courtesy of the Susquehanna Valley Theatre Organ Society. The Maltese Falcon will begin at 7 pm.

Admission is $7 for all seats. Tickets may be purchased at the box office, which opens one hour before the movie begins. Tickets may also be purchased in advance through the venue’s website. An account with the Capitol Theatre is required before ordering tickets.

The Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center is located at 50 N. George Street, at the corner of N. George Street and W. Philadelphia Street, in York, Pennsylvania.

Parking is available in several garages near the theater. Most convenient is the Philadelphia Street Parking Garage, located across the street from the venue at 12 West Philadelphia Street. More information about parking options, as well as directions to the venue, is available on the Strand-Capitol website.

For more information, please call the box office at 717-846-1111.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of The Maltese Falcon, the first movie Peter made at the Warner Bros. studio, as well as his first film with Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet, with whom he would make many more movies at the studio.

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

June 7, 2016

Bergman Tribute Includes Lorre

As part of its June “Ingrid Bergman Retrospective”, the Amherst Cinema in Amherst, Massachusetts, will present Casablanca (1942) on Tuesday, June 7, 2016.

The program will begin at 7 pm.

Admission is $9.75 for adults, $8.75 for seniors and students with a valid ID, and $6.50 for members of the Amherst Cinema. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are all accepted.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at the box office. Tickets are also available for purchase through the cinema’s website.

The Amherst Cinema is located in the Amherst Cinema Building at 28 Amity Street in Amherst, Massachusetts. Parking is available evenings and weekends in several business parking lots close to the cinema. More information about parking is available on the Amherst Cinema website.

For more information, please contact the cinema at (413) 253-2547.

The making of Casablanca (1942) is discussed in the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), by Stephen D. Youngkin. Although Peter Lorre attached little importance to his role as Ugarte, whose theft of a pair of valuable letters of transit is the catalyst for the movie’s action, his performance led to a contract with Warner Bros. and the busiest and most successful period of his career.

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