February 22, 2017

Ohio Library Schedules Classic Lorre Film

As part of its “Classic Movie Afternoon” series, the Sylvania Branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library system in Ohio presents The Maltese Falcon (1941) on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017.

The program will begin at 2 pm in the Meeting Room. Refreshments will be provided.

Admission is free for everyone.

The full schedule for the “Classic Movie Afternoon” series, from January to May, is available on the branch library’s website.

The Sylvania branch is located at 6749 Monroe Street in Sylvania, Ohio. Directions to the library are available on the branch's website.

Parking is available in the library’s parking lot.

For more information, please contact the library at 419-882-2089.

February 17, 2017

Restored Beat the Devil at New York City’s Film Forum

In an interview, Peter Lorre recalled Beat the Devil (1954) as “a delicious sardonic comedy” that was “a flop first in New York” because the studio opened it with “a blood-and-thunder campaign”. Hastily re-edited by director John Huston before its release, with a tacked-on opening voice-over by lead actor Humphrey Bogart and four minutes trimmed from its running time, the movie fell into public domain years ago and has been seen only in this form – until now.

A new restoration has gone back to the original 35mm camera negative, as well as other sources, to re-create the longer version. And the Film Forum, located in New York City, will screen the uncensored and unseen version of Beat the Devil, from Friday, Feb. 17, to Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017.

Beat the Devil will be shown on the following dates and times ~
  • Friday, Feb. 17 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
  • Saturday, Feb. 18 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
  • Sunday, Feb. 19 – 2:10 pm, 6:40 pm, and 8:40 pm
  • Monday, Feb. 20 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, and 8:20 pm
  • Tuesday, Feb. 21 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
  • Wednesday, Feb. 22 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
  • Thursday, Feb. 23 – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:40 pm, 7 pm, and 9:10 pm
Admission is $14 for adults, and $8 for children under the age of 12. Seniors age 65 and older attending shows before 5 pm, Monday to Friday, may purchase tickets for $8. Tickets for Film Forum members are $8 for all showings.

Tickets may be purchased at the Film Forum box office. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through the Film Forum website. Click the “Buy Tickets” button on the Beat the Devil page. On-line registration is required to purchase tickets through the venue’s website. More information on tickets is available on the Film Forum website.

The Film Forum is located at 209 West Houston Street, between 6th Avenue and Varick Street, in New York City, New York.

Parking, both metered and non-metered, is available on many of the streets close to the Film Forum. Parking on 6th Avenue, 7th Avenue, and Varick Street is metered.

The Film Forum is well-served by subway and bus lines. Directions to the theater, as well as parking and public transportation information, are available on the venue’s website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the chaotic making of Beat the Devil, the fifth and final movie Peter made with his old pal, Humphrey Bogart. Working on location in Italy, the two pranksters welcomed celebrity visitors such as George Sanders to the set, played practical jokes on cast-mates, and enjoyed the ping-pong-playing form of co-star Gina Lollabrigida.

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

Purchase The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre from Amazon.

February 5, 2017

Maltese Falcon Events at California Libraries

The National Education Association continues their "Big Read" events at several libraries in Southern California in 2017.

From Monday, February 6, to Saturday, May 27, events involving The Maltese Falcon, both the 1929 novel and the 1941 movie, will be held at these libraries – Manhattan Beach Library, Lancaster Library, Stevenson Ranch Library, Angelo M. Iacoboni Library, and Norwalk Library.

The Shakespeare At Play company will present a showing of the movie, with a discussion, at these libraries ~
Library book clubs will discuss the Hammett novel on these dates and times ~
The complete schedule of Big Read Events at these libraries is available on the Southern California Library website.

The Angelo M. Iacoboni Library is located at 4990 Clark Avenue, in Lakewood, California. For more information, please call the library at 562-866-1777.

The Lancaster Library is located at 601 W. Lancaster Boulevard, in Lancaster, California. For more information, please call the library at 661-948-5029.

The Manhattan Beach Library is located at 1320 Highland Avenue, In Manhattan Beach, California. For more information, please call the library at 310-545-8595.

The Norwalk Library is located at 12350 Imperial Highway, in Norwalk, California. For more information, please call the library at 562-868-0775.

The Stevenson Ranch Library is located at 25950 The Old Road, in Stevenson Ranch, California. For more information, please call the library at 661-255-2707.

February 2, 2017

Lorre on Harrisburg IMAX Screen

Peter Lorre fans in Central Pennsylvania are in for a special treat in the month of February – Casablanca (1942) will be shown in the IMAX theater of the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Beginning Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, and running until Sunday, Feb. 26, the Whitaker Center will present several Oscar-winning movies. The full schedule is available on the venue’s website.

Casablanca will be shown on the following days and times ~
  • Feb. 4, Saturday – 7:30 pm
  • Feb. 10, Friday – 7:30 pm
  • Feb. 18, Saturday – 7:30 pm
  • Feb. 24, Friday – 7:30 pm
Admission is $9.50 for adults age 18 to 54, and $8 for Military personnel, Juniors age 3 to 17, and Seniors age 55 and older. Members of the Whitaker Center can receive a $2 discount on each ticket. Tickets may be purchased at the Whitaker Center box office. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through the venue’s website. Scroll to Casablanca on the "Oscar-Winning Films Series" page and click the "Buy Tickets" button.

The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is located at 222 Market Street, between the indoor shopping mall Strawberry Square and the Hilton Hotel in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Parking is available in the Walnut Street Parking Garage, located at 215 Walnut Street, in downtown Harrisburg. Parking is also available at meters on the streets near the Whitaker Center. Meters are free after 7 pm, Monday through Saturday, and all day on Sundays.

For more information, pleas contact the Whitaker Center at 717-214-2787.