AFI Silver Presents Restored Beat the Devil

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 2017.

A new restoration went back to the original 35mm camera negative, as well as other sources, to re-create the longer version, which has been shown in some venues since February 2017.

And now, Lorre fans in the area of Silver Spring, Maryland, will have the opportunity to enjoy this uncensored version when the AFI Silver Theatre screens Beat the Devil (1954) on July 1, 2, and 3, 2019, as part of its series “United Artists Centennial Retrospective”.

Beat the Devil will be shown on the following days and times ~

• Monday, July 1 – 2:30 pm
• Tuesday, July 2 – 7 pm
• Wednesday, July 3 – 12 noon

Tickets are $13 general admission; $11 for seniors (age 65 and over) and military (with valid ID); and $8 for children (age 12 and under). AFI members, 2-star level and higher, may purchase tickets for $11. Matinee showings – weekdays before 5 pm, and Saturday and Sunday before 12 noon – are $10. Tickets may be purchased at the box-office, as well as through the AFI Silver website.

The series “United Artists Centennial Retrospective” begins Sunday, June 30, 2019, and runs until Friday, July 12, 2019. The full schedule is available on the AFI Silver Theatre website.

The AFI Silver Theatre is located at 8633 Colesville Road, at the intersection of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue, in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Parking is available in several public parking decks close to the theater. Most convenient is the Wayne Avenue garage, located at 921 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. Parking at the Wayne Avenue garage is free on weekends and after 8 pm on weekdays.

Directions to the cinema, as well as information about parking and public transportation, may be found on the AFI Silver 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-playing form of co-star Gina Lollabrigida. For Peter, the experience of working on Beat the Devil with Bogart and director John Huston turned back the clock to a happier time and memories of filming The Maltese Falcon (1941).

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.

Click on any of these links, and the order page will open.

The Rio Grande Theatre, located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, ends its summer classic film series with a showing of The Maltese Falcon (1941) on Saturday, June 29, 2019.

The movie begins at 7 pm. Cinema doors open at 6 pm.

Admission is $8 for all seats. Tickets may be purchased at the box-office or on-line through the cinema’s website.

Built in 1926, the historic Rio Grande Theatre is located at 211 Main Street, in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Parking is available in the lot behind the cinema, on N. Water Street.

For more information, please call the theater at 575-541-2290.

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Accompanies Casablanca

Lorre fans in the area of St. Louis, Missouri, are in for a special treat on Sunday, June 23, 2019, when a showing of Casablanca (1942) is accompanied by a live musical score provided by Norman Huynh conducting the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

The program begins at 2 pm at Powell Hall. Doors open at 1 pm.

Tickets range in price from $27 for Orchestra Rear to $67 for Dress Circle Box. Tickets may be purchased through the SLSO website. On the Casablanca event page, click the "Purchase" button.

Powell Hall is located at 718 North Grand Boulevard, in the Grand Center Arts District of St. Louis, Missouri.

Parking is available in the Grand Center Blue Lot, directly behind Powell Hall, and located at 3501 Samuel Shepard Drive, in St. Louis, Missouri. The lot may be entered from Delmar Boulevard. More information on parking, as well as directions to the venue, are available on the SLSO website.

For more information, please contact the Powell Hall box-office at 314-534-1700.

SiriusXM Birthday Tribute to Peter Lorre

Every week, the Radio Classics channel, broadcast over channel 148 on the SiriusXM radio dial, celebrates actors’ birthdays with special 2-hour programming blocks.

But for a third year, since June 2017, Peter Lorre gets a double dose of “Happy Birthday” wishes from host Greg Bell with two different blocks of Lorre radio programs.

Beginning late Sunday night, June 23, 2019, in the Pacific time zone, and continuing throughout the week, Lorre fans can enjoy eight of Peter’s old-time radio performances.

“Peter Lorre Special” includes two episodes from Peter’s own 13-week summer series Mystery in the Air, “The Marvelous Barastro” (August 7, 1947) and “Crime and Punishment” (Sept. 25, 1947); an episode of the anthology series Suspense, “Nobody Loves Me” (Aug. 30, 1945); and finally a guest appearance on Jack Benny’s show The Lucky Strike Program, “I Stand Condemned” (Mar. 24, 1946).

“More Peter Lorre B-Day” includes guest appearances on Fred Allen’s show The Texaco Star Theater (Jan. 3, 1943) and Duffy’s Tavern (Oct. 19, 1943), an episode of the anthology series Inner Sanctum, “The Black Seagull” (Mar. 7, 1943), and finally, an episode of Peter’s Armed Forces Radio Services series Mystery Playhouse, “Lady in the Morgue” (Mollé Mystery Theater, May 15, 1945).

The Lorre programs and tributes will air on these dates and times ~

Sunday, June 23 ~
Peter Lorre Special ~
9 pm to 11 pm Pacific
Mystery in the Air, “The Marvelous Barastro”
Mystery in the Air, “Crime and Punishment”
Suspense, “Nobody Loves Me”
The Lucky Strike Program


Monday, June 24 ~
Peter Lorre Special ~
12 midnight to 2 am Eastern
Mystery in the Air, “The Marvelous Barastro”
Mystery in the Air, “Crime and Punishment”
Suspense, “Nobody Loves Me”
The Lucky Strike Program

More Peter Lorre B-Day ~
5 am Pacific, 8 am Eastern
The Texaco Star Theater
Duffy’s Tavern
Inner Sanctum, “The Black Seagull”
Mystery Playhouse, “Lady in the Morgue”


Wednesday, June 26 ~
Peter Lorre Special ~
5 pm Pacific, 8 pm Eastern
Mystery in the Air, “The Marvelous Barastro”
Mystery in the Air, “Crime and Punishment”
Suspense, “Nobody Loves Me”
The Lucky Strike Program

More Peter Lorre B-Day ~
7 pm Pacific, 10 pm Eastern
The Texaco Star Theater
Duffy’s Tavern
Inner Sanctum, “The Black Seagull”
Mystery Playhouse, “Lady in the Morgue”

Friday, June 28 ~
More Peter Lorre B-Day ~
11 pm Pacific
The Texaco Star Theater
Duffy’s Tavern
Inner Sanctum, “The Black Seagull”
Mystery Playhouse, “Lady in the Morgue”


Saturday, June 29 ~
More Peter Lorre B-Day ~
2 am Eastern
The Texaco Star Theater
Duffy’s Tavern
Inner Sanctum, “The Black Seagull”
Mystery Playhouse, “Lady in the Morgue”

Peter Lorre Special ~
3 am Pacific, 6 am Eastern
Mystery in the Air, “The Marvelous Barastro”
Mystery in the Air, “Crime and Punishment”
Suspense, “Nobody Loves Me”
The Lucky Strike Program

The full schedule for the week of Monday, June 24, to Sunday, June 30, 2019, is available on the SiriusXM Radio website.

Satellite radio provider SiriusXM airs 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 SiriusXM 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, 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.

Click on any of these links, and the order page will open.

BFI Film Fest Includes Lorre

The British Film Institute, located in London, England, continues its film festival “Beyond Your Wildest Dreams: The Weimar Cinema 1919 to 1933” with showings of M (1931), Peter Lorre’s first sound movie.

M will be shown these dates and times ~

• Thursday, June 20, 2019 – 6:15 pm
• Tuesday, June 25 – 6:15 pm
• Wednesday, June 26 – 6:10 pm

The June 25 showing is sold out, but tickets are still available for the June 20 and June 26 showings.

Admission is open to non-members of the BFI, as well as members. Non-members will be charged a per-ticket booking fee of £1 for each ticket sold, to a maximum of £3 per transaction.

Evening and weekend prices are £10.50 for BFI members, £12.50 for non-members, and £6 for children 16 and under. For senior citizens, students, unwaged and disabled visitors who are also BFI members, admission is £8.20, and for non-members £10.20.

More information about ticket prices may be found on the BFI website.

Tickets may be purchased through the BFI box office, located in the main foyer. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through the BFI website. From the page about M, click the “Buy” button. A Booking Fee will be added to all on-line purchases.

The BFI Southbank is located on Belvedere Road, on the South Bank of the Thames in London, England. Directions to the BFI are available on the cinema’s website.

Parking is available at the Hayward Gallery, National Theatre, and Jubilee Gardens. The BFI is also well served by public transportation. The closest underground station is Waterloo. Exit Waterloo by the South Bank exit. More information about public transportation is available on the venue’s website.

Casablanca Kicks off Columbus Summer Film Fest

Every summer since 1969, the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) presents "Summer Movie Series", the longest-running classic film series in America, and the weekend of Friday, June 14, to Sunday, June 16, 2019, CAPA begins its 50th series with Casablanca (1942).

Also a treat for movie fans – admission over the opening weekend is 50 cents for all seats.

Casablanca will be shown on these dates and times ~

• Friday, June 14 – 7:30 pm
• Saturday, June 15 – 7:30 pm
• Sunday, June 16 – 2 pm and 7:30 pm

And for 30 minutes before each screening, as well as during the intermission, Clark Wilson will provide musical entertainment at the keys of the "Mighty Morton" theater organ.

Casablanca, as well as all other movies in the summer series, will be shown at the historic Ohio Theatre, located at 39 East State Street, between South 3rd and South High streets, in Columbus, Ohio.

Parking is available in the underground parking lot below the Columbus Statehouse, located at 1 Capitol Square. The Columbus Statehouse is located directly across the street from the Ohio Theatre. More information about parking, as well as directions to the cinema, are available on the CAPA website.

The CAPA Summer Movie Series begins Friday, June 14, and runs until Sunday, August 11, 2019. All films in the series will be shown at the Ohio Theatre. The complete schedule is available on the CAPA website.

Also in celebration of CAPA’s 50th year of summer classic films, student filmmakers at the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) will present their film, video, and animation shorts every Sunday of the festival before both the 2 pm and the 7:30 pm showings.

Interested in a look behind-the-scenes of the Ohio Theatre? On selected Saturdays, beginning June 15, CAPA will offer free hour-long guided tours, complete with a light show and organ demonstration by Clark Wilson on the “Mighty Morton” theatre organ. The tours begin at 4 pm. Space is limited, and reservations are required. More information is available on the CAPA website.

“Summer Movie Series” ticket strips are now available for the 2019 summer series. A strip of 10 tickets may be purchased for $30 – a savings of $2 per ticket – at the CAPA Ticket Center or through the Ticketmaster website. Ticket Strips may also be ordered by phone – 614-469-0939.

Thomaston Library John Huston Fest Includes Lorre

The Friends of the Thomaston Public Library – located in Thomaston, Maine – continues their festival of movies directed by John Huston with Beat the Devil (1954) on Friday, June 14, 2019.

The program begins at 7 pm in Room 200.

Local Thomaston film fan Erika Pfander selects the movies for the library’s “Friday Night Film Series” and provides free, freshly-popped popcorn and light refreshments.

Admission is free for everyone, and donations are cheerfully accepted.

The Thomaston Public Library is located at 60 Main Street in Thomaston, Maine. Parking is available in the library parking lot.

For more information, please contact the library at 207-354-2453.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of Beat the Devil through interviews with cast and crew working on the picture, including director John Huston.

Beat the Devil was the final movie teaming Peter Lorre with his old friend Humphrey Bogart and director Huston. Both Huston and Bogart considered Peter a “good luck charm” and invited him to join the cast for filming on location in Italy, with additional work in England.

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.

Click on any of these links, and the order page will open.

Istanbul Museum Screens M

Lorre fans in Istanbul, Turkey, will have an opportunity to catch a screening of M (1931) when the Pera Museum presents Peter’s first sound movie during the series “Berlin – A City Called Home”.

M will be shown on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at 7 pm, and again on Friday, June 28, 2019, at 9 pm.

M will be shown in German with Turkish subtitles.

The Berlin Film and Television Museum, one of the foremost film museums in Germany, has partnered with the Pera Museum in Turkey on the series “Berlin – A City Called Home”. The series began on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, and continues on to Wednesday, July 3, 2019. The full schedule is available on the museum’s website.

Admission for each movie is 10 Turkish Lira (TL), reduced museum admission. Tickets may be purchased through Biletix. Admission to the film program is restricted to persons age 19 and older.

The Pera Museum is located at Number 65 Meşrutiyet Cd., in the historic quarter of Tepebaşı in Istanbul, Turkey.

Free Lorre Movie in Roanoke

The Grandin Theatre, located in Roanoke, Virginia, will present a free showing of Arsenic and Old Lace on Saturday, June 8, 2019, as part of their monthly “Classic Film Series”.

The movie will begin at 10 am.

Admission is free for everyone.

Opening in 1932, the historic Grandin Theatre is located at 1310 Grandin Road Southwest, in the Grandin Village area of Roanoke, Virginia.

Parking is available in the lot adjoining the Roanoke Co+Op, located at 1319 Grandin Road, across the street from the Grandin Theatre. More information about parking, as well as directions to the cinema, is available on the Grandin website.

For more information, please call the Grandin at 540-345-6377.

Dinner with Lorre at Galway Cinema

Lorre fans in the area of Galway, Ireland, may enjoy a special treat on Thursday, June 6, 2019, when Casablanca (1942) will be the classic film featured at the Pálás Cinema’s monthly “Supper Club”.

The Pálás Supper Club begins at 7 pm with dinner at Merrow Restaurant, located on the ground floor of Pálás Cinema. Merrow chefs will create an exclusive menu inspired by the cuisine in Casablanca.

Casablanca follows dinner at 9 pm. Planning to skip dinner and attend the movie only? Tickets for the film are available at Merrow.

Admission to the Supper Club is €30 and includes the meal, a Micil gin and tonic, and admission to the movie.

Reservations are required. Please call 091 394 076 to book a table.

The Pálás Cinema is located at 15 Merchants Road Lower, in Galway, Ireland.

Parking is available in the Park Rite Hynes Yard Car Park, located at 35 Merchants Road. Car park tickets may be validated at the cinema. Please present both your car-park ticket and your movie ticket at the cinema box-office.

More information about parking, as well as directions to the cinema, is available on the Pálás website.