March 26, 2019

Lorre Films Scheduled for Noir Fest

In 1946, Peter Lorre appeared in Black Angel (1946) and The Chase (1946) – two movies adapted from the works of mystery author Cornell Woolrich. At Columbia University, in New York City, both films will be shown during the second annual Dr. Saul and Dorothy Kit Film Noir Festival.

Beginning Wednesday, March 27, and ending on Sunday, March 31, 2019, “Into the Night: Cornell Woolrich and Film Noir” includes 12 films, plus discussions with film scholars Ann Douglas, Frank Krutnik, James Naremore, Francis M. Nevins, and Pamela Wojcik.

Black Angel will be shown Friday, March 29, 2019. The program begins at 7:30 pm. Following the movie will be a conversation between Ann Douglas and Francis M. Nevins.

The Chase will be shown Saturday, March 30, 2019, beginning at 9:15 pm. J. Hoberman, of Columbia University, will introduce the 35mm print, courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Unable to attend the festival in person? All events will be streamed live, through the Columbia University website.

Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 for seniors (age 65 and older), and $8 for students, who will have access to free rush tickets 30 minutes before each screening, with proper Columbia University ID. Advance ticket sales are available online only.

Two packages are also available – $40 for four movies, or $75 for all movies in the festival

Movies will be shown in the Katharina Otto Bernstein Screening Room, in the Lenfest Center for the Arts, located at 615 West 129th Street, in New York City, New York.

The Lenfest Center for the Arts is well served by public transportation. Find out more on the Center’s website.

For more information, please contact filmnoir@columbia.edu.

March 25, 2019

Hitchcock Festival Includes Lorre

Lorre fans in the area of Palo Alto, California, will have the opportunity to catch Peter in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and Secret Agent (1936) on the screen of an historic movie theater when the Stanford Theatre presents “Hitchcock, Master of Suspense” – a month-long salute to British director Alfred Hitchcock.

Secret Agent will be shown Wednesday and Thursday, March 27 and 28, on a double-bill with The 39 Steps (1935). Secret Agent will begin at 7:30 pm.

The Man Who Knew Too Much will be shown Wednesday and Thursday, April 3 and 4, on a double-bill with Sabotage (1936). The Man Who Knew Too Much will begin at 5:55 pm and 9:10 pm.

The Hitchcock festival runs from Friday, March 8, to Sunday, April 14, 2019. The complete schedule is available on the Stanford Theatre website.

Before and after the 7:30 pm showings of Secret Agent and Sabotage, 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.

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.

For more information, please call the Stanford Theatre at 650-324-3700.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the making of The Man Who Knew Too Much and Secret Agent, including interviews with director Alfred Hitchcock and executives at Gaumont-British, the studio producing the movies.

Although he spoke no English other than “yes” and “no”, Peter Lorre convinced Hitchcock he commanded the language by laughing uproariously at the director’s jokes when they first met. During the making of The Man Who Knew Too Much, Peter had the help of a tutor in English. He also translated all of his dialogue into German to understand the meaning.

And while filming The Man Who Knew Too Much, Peter sent for his long-time German girlfriend Celia Lovsky to come to England from France. They became husband and wife at Caxton Hall in London.

In addition to two movies directed by Hitchcock, Peter also made two appearances on the 1950s and 1960s anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre may be purchased from Amazon U.S., Amazon Canada, and Amazon U.K, as well as other booksellers.

March 18, 2019

Sonoma Theater Classic Film Series Includes Lorre

Located in Sonoma, California, the Sebastiani Theatre presents a classic movie every Monday night as part of its “Vintage Film Series”, and on Monday, March 18, 2019, Arsenic and Old Lace is the featured film.

Doors to the cinema open at 6:30 pm. Arsenic and Old Lace will begin at 7 pm.

Cinemagoers are encouraged to dress in the era of the early 1940s, as the movie was filmed in 1941 and released in 1944.

Admission is $10 for all seats. Proceeds benefit the Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, which hosts the film series. Tickets may be purchased at the box-office or on-line through the cinema's website. Tickets may also be purchased over the telephone by calling the cinema at 707-996-8756.

The Sebastiani Theatre is located at 476 1st Street East, on the Plaza in Sonoma, California.

Parking is available on the streets near the cinema.

For more information, please contact the theater at 707-996-9756.

March 14, 2019

Nicholson Film Fest Includes Lorre

At the historic Somerville Theatre, the "Jack Attack Retrospective" celebrates the career of actor Jack Nicholson, and on Thursday, March 14, 2019, the cinema will present one of Nicholson’s early movies at American International Pictures, The Raven (1963), a comedy-horror movie in which he plays Rexford Bedlo, the son of magician Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre).

The Raven, shown in 35mm, will begin at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $11 for general admission, and $8 for senior citizens age 65 and older. Tickets may be purchased at the box-office, which opens 10 minutes before the first show of the day. Tickets may also be purchased through the cinema’s website.

The Somerville Theatre is located at 55 Davis Square, in the Davis Square area of Somerville, Massachusetts.

Parking is limited in the Davis Square area, including on-street metered parking and two small municipal lots. One lot is located at Holland and Buena Vista streets, and the other is located at Herbert and Day streets.

The Somerville Theatre is also served by public transportation, with the MBTA Red Line subway immediately next door to the cinema. More information about parking is available on the venue’s website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of The Raven, including interviews with director Roger Corman and co-star Vincent Price.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre may be purchased from Amazon U.S., Amazon Canada, and Amazon U.K, as well as other booksellers.