June 28, 2025

Cemetery Summer Movies Includes Lorre

On Saturday, June 28, 2025, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, located in Los Angeles, California, will host a showing of Casablanca (1942) as part of the annual Cinespia summer film series.

The cemetery gates open at 7:15 pm. Casablanca begins at 9 pm.

Films are shown on Fairbanks Lawn, an open grassy field located inside the cemetery.

Spread a small tarp on the ground in case of dampness as the sun goes down, and bring blankets and pillows. Acceptable chair height in the “chair zone” is 6 inches from the ground to the seat, and 21 inches from the seat to the top of the chair. Chairs with a seat that rests on the ground with a low back are also allowed.

Food and refreshments are available at the event. Picnic baskets, with wine or beer, are also allowed.

Tickets may be purchased online through the Cinespia website. General admission, parking not included, is $29.99 – $25 for the ticket and $4.99 for fees.

Parking must be purchased separately. Three parking areas are available. Parking on-site at Hollywood Forever is $37.94 – $32 plus $5.94 for fees. Parking at the Lemon Grove parking lot is $31.02 – $26 plus $5.02 for fees. Parking at the Hollywood Production Center is $24.11 – $20 plus $4.11 for fees. More information about parking is available on the Cinespia website.

The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard, in Los Angeles, California.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of Casablanca through interviews with actors and behind-the-scenes crew who worked on the picture. The pivotal role of Ugarte, who holds two valuable exit visas he plans to sell to escaping freedom-fighter Victor Laszlo and his lady Ilsa Lund, was a part to which Peter Lorre attached little importance. He said he made more money playing roulette on the casino set than he did working before the cameras.

On March 25, 1964, Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery became the actor’s final resting place when he was laid to rest in the Abbey of the Psalms, Corridor C in the Alcove of Reverence. Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery later became known as Hollywood Forever.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available online and in brick-and-mortar bookshops everywhere. More information about purchasing The Lost One is available on the book’s official website.

June 24, 2025

Happy Birthday, Peter Lorre, from SiriusXM!

Every week, Radio Classics channel Greg Bell celebrates the birthdays of actors and actresses with a block of their best-known radio appearances. During the week of Monday, June 23, Peter Lorre fans have the opportunity to enjoy two different birthday blocks of Peter’s radio work.

“Peter Lorre Birthday (1)” includes guest appearances on Fred Allen’s show The Texaco Star Theater (January 3, 1943) and Duffy’s Tavern (October 19, 1943); an episode of the anthology series Inner Sanctum Mysteries, “The Black Seagull” (March 7, 1943); and finally, an episode of Suspense, “Of Maestro and Man” (July 20, 1944).

“Peter Lorre Birthday (2)” includes two episodes from Peter’s own 13-week summer series Mystery in the Air, “The Marvelous Barastro” (August 7, 1947), and “The Mask of Medusa” (September 4, 1947); an episode of the anthology series Suspense, “Nobody Loves Me” (August 30, 1945); and an episode of the Armed Forces Radio Services anthology series Mystery Playhouse, “The Dilemma”, originally airing on Mollé Mystery Theater (November 21, 1944).

And in between the programs, Greg Bell discusses Peter’s life and career.

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

Monday, June 23 –
Peter Lorre Birthday #1
11 pm Pacific

Tuesday, June 24 –
Peter Lorre Birthday #1
2 am Eastern

Peter Lorre Birthday #2
2 am Pacific, 6 am Eastern

Thursday, June 26 –
Peter Lorre Birthday #1
5 pm Pacific, 8 pm Eastern

Peter Lorre Birthday #2
7 pm Pacific, 10 pm Eastern

Saturday, June 28 –
Peter Lorre Birthday #1
7 am Pacific, 10 am Eastern

Peter Lorre Birthday #2
11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern

The full schedule for the week of Monday, June 23, to Sunday, June 29, is available on Greg Bell’s website. Satellite radio provider SiriusXM airs Radio Classics over channel 148. Subscribers may also listen to the programs over the internet or through the SiriusXM app on a Smart Phone or Smart Speaker. Not a subscriber? A 3-month trial is available for one dollar through the SiriusXM radio website.

For more information on Peter Lorre, as well as links to Stephen D. Youngkin’s book The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), please visit the biography’s official website.

Happy birthday, Peter Lorre!

June 18, 2025

East Meadow Library Hosts Lorre Program

On Friday, June 20, 2025, longtime movie fan Keith Crocker will host a showing of The Beast with Five Fingers (1946) at the East Meadow Public Library, located in East Meadow, New York.

The presentation will begin at 1 pm in the library’s Community Room.

Admission is free for everyone. Registration is required. Attendees may register on the library’s website by clicking on the blue button “Begin Registration” on the page for this event.

The program is part of the series “Pop Culture Films with Keith Crocker”, held regularly at the library.

The Beast with Five Fingers stars Peter Lorre as Hilary Cummins, a librarian to a reclusive concert pianist (Victor Francen) in an Italian villa at the turn of the century. When the pianist dies in a fall down the staircase, Hilary starts to see the pianist’s hand roaming around the villa, murdering anyone who attempts to change the pianist’s will. Director Robert Florey had worked with Peter earlier in The Face Behind the Mask (1940).

The East Meadow Public Library is located at 1886 Front Street, in East Meadow, New York.

Parking is available in the parking lot behind the library.

Unable to attend Keith Crocker’s program? The Beast with Five Fingers is now available on Blu-Ray, with many extra features, including audio commentary by film historian Steve Haberman. Order it from Amazon – United States.

June 8, 2025

Lorre Movies on Television in June

Summer is here, but even though June brings Peter Lorre's birthday on June 26, only a handful of Lorre movies are scheduled on the Turner Classic Movies channel, the Talking Pictures TV channel in England, and Movies! Network in the United States.

American times shown are Eastern Standard.



June, 2025

A Lorre double-feature on TCM is the only event on television this month.

June 9 (Mon), 6 am, TCM – The Constant Nymph (1943). The daytime theme is "Sister Sister", featuring a day of movies starring alternately sisters Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland, including the first movie Joan Fontaine made with Peter Lorre.

June 9 (Mon), 2 am, TCM – Hotel Berlin (1945). The primetime theme is "Director Peter Godfrey", featuring an evening of movies directed by Godfrey, including the only movie he directed featuring Peter Lorre.



Sneak Peek at July, 2025

TCM's July schedule includes only a couple of Lorre movies.

July 1 (Tues), TCM – Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). Happy Canada Day from TCM! The classic movie channel salutes actors from Canada, including Raymond Massey, born in Toronto, Canada, who plays the murderous nephew of two sweet, charming little old ladies in this dark comedy.

July 17 (Thurs), TCM – Strange Cargo (1940). TCM presents a day of "Strange Events" – movies with the word "Strange" in their titles.



Many of these and other Lorre movies and television programs are now available on DVD and Blu-Ray – many remastered and packaged with extra features. For more information on the films of Peter Lorre released to home video, head on over to the DVD – VHS section of The Lost One website.

In The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of Peter’s movies, including interviews with many of the directors, writers, actors, and crew who worked with Peter.

A complete list of Peter’s movies and television credits is available in the book’s Appendix.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre may be purchased from many brick-and-mortar shops, as well as these online merchants ~ Happy viewing!