March 11, 2025

Der Verlorene Comes to Blu-Ray


On June 23, 2025, Peter Lorre’s only directorial effort – the German film Der Verlorene (The Lost One, 1951) – will be released to a limited edition Blu-ray box-set with special features, including audio commentary by Lorre biographer Stephen D. Youngkin and film noir expert Alan K. Rode.

Radiance Films, a boutique company based in the United Kingdom, will release Der Verlorene in the box-set World Noir Vol. 3, along with two other European noir films – Not Guilty (Non Coupable, France, 1947) and Girl With Hyacinths (Flicka Och Hyacinter, Sweden, 1950).

The Region-free Blu-ray box-set will be available through the Radiance Films website, as well as the website for Diabolik DVD, an online merchant specializing in “demented discs from the world over”.

Extras for Der Verlorene include –
  • High-definition digital transfer of the movie, with English subtitles
  • Audio commentary by Stephen D. Youngkin and Alan K. Rode
  • Interview with programmer and historian Margaret Deriaz on post-war German cinema
  • Trailer for Der Verlorene
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
Order the Blu-ray from Radiance Films – price in British pounds.

Order the Blu-ray from Diabolik DVD – price in American dollars.

The troubled history of the making of Der Verlorene is recounted in the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005). In Chapter 8, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”, Stephen Youngkin devotes a full chapter to the only movie Peter Lorre directed, co-produced, and co-wrote, interviewing actors and crew before and behind the cameras.

Disappointed in the movie’s reception in 1951, Peter Lorre considered the experience a closed chapter in his life, as he returned to the United States to resume his career in American movies, television, and radio programs. No doubt he would be very pleased at the attention Der Verlorene has received since his passing in 1964 – especially this Blu-ray disc with special features.

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

March 8, 2025

Time to Vote in the Annual Rondo Awards!


It doesn’t look like much – a small gray bust of a 1940s horror-film actor – but to those lucky enough to win one, it’s as precious as any other award statuette.

It’s the Rondo – a yearly award where the voters are ordinary fans of science-fiction, horror, and fantasy, and the categories include Movies, TV, Blu-Rays, Restorations and Upgrades, DVD Extras, Documentaries, Articles, Books, Magazines, Magazine Covers, Websites, Blogs, Fan Events, and more.

The statuettes are modeled on and named after 1940s actor Rondo Hatton, whose facial disfigurement by the disease Acromegaly led to a career in Hollywood horror films.

Now in its 23rd year, the Rondos will wrap up at midnight on Sunday, April 20, 2025, Eastern Standard Time.

In 2006, Stephen D. Youngkin won the Best Book of 2005 Rondo for The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (University Press of Kentucky).

This year, there are a few Lorre items on the ballot for the Best of 2024 –

#4 – Best Blu-Ray Collection – Among the nominees are two collections with Peter Lorre films.

Columbia Horror, from Indicator, includes Island of Doomed Men (1940). This is a Region B/2 box-set, packed with extras, such as audio commentary on Island of Doomed Men, as well as the other films in the set, and a documentary on Peter Lorre.

Order the Blu-Ray here from Amazon – United Kingdom.

Thrillers From the Vault, from Mill Creek Entertainment, includes The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942). This is a Region 1 Blu-Ray box-set, with some extras, including audio commentary on The Boogie Man Will Get You.

Order the Blu-Ray here from Amazon – United States.

#6 – Best DVD Extras – Among the nominees is “Darkness of the Morbid Brain”, a documentary on Peter Lorre by Jonathan Rigby. This documentary is available as an extra feature on the Columbia Horror Blu-ray box-set.

#17 – Best Cover – Among the nominees is the cover for Monster Bash #55, a portrait of Peter Lorre as Dr. Gogol by Micah Carey. This issue of Monster Bash was released December 4, 2024.

The official ballot is available on the Rondo Awards website.

Voting is done by eMail. To vote, simply cut and paste the ballot into an eMail, mark your choices, include your name, and send the eMail to David Colton at –

taraco@aol.com

Ballots will be accepted until midnight on Sunday, April 20, 2025, Eastern Standard Time.

More information on the Rondos, including the ballot and instructions, the history of the award, and past winners, may be found on the Rondo website.

Winners will be announced on the Rondo website as well as the Classic Horror Film Board, in the folder “Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards”.

Happy voting!

March 1, 2025

March Into Spring with Lorre Movies

It's March, and as the days grow longer, Lorre movies are on the schedule of 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.



March, 2025

TCM's annual "31 Days of Oscar" continues to Monday, March 3, but March brings only a handful of Lorre movies.

Mar 18 (Tues), 8:30 am, Talking Pictures TV – The Chase (1946).

Mar 20 (Thurs), 3:30 am, Talking Pictures TV – Casbah (1948).

Mar 21 (Fri), 6 am, TCM – Mad Love (1935). The daytime theme is "March Madness", and a day of movies featuring insane doctors includes Peter's first American movie in which he plays a brilliant Parisian doctor driven mad by his unrequited love of an actress (Frances Drake). Note – In Canada, Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) will be shown instead of Mad Love.



Sneak Peek at April, 2025

April brings a couple of Lorre movies to TCM.

Apr 11 (Fri), TCM – The Maltese Falcon (1941). TCM turns the primetime spotlight on "Pulp Fiction", including this classic noir that introduced Peter Lorre to Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet.

Apr 24 (Thurs), TCM – Around the World in 80 Days (1956). TCM celebrates the birthday of Shirley MacLaine with a day of her movies, including this all-star extravaganza featuring cameos by many celebrities.



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!

February 1, 2025

Oscar Month with Lorre

February brings the annual "31 Days of Oscar" on the Turner Classic Movies channel with a few Lorre Oscar-winners, plus movies on the Talking Pictures TV channel in England, and Movies! Network in the United States.

American times shown are Eastern Standard.



February, 2025

TCM's annual "31 Days of Oscar" begins on February 1 and continues to March 3. Although Peter Lorre never won an Academy Award, he did work in several movies that won or were nominated for the coveted statuette.

Feb 1 (Sat), 6:15 am, Talking Pictures TV – Double Confession (1950). Once thought lost, this movie is one of the few Peter Lorre made in England.

Feb 11 (Tues), 6 am, Movies! Network – Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961).

Feb 11 (Tues), 9:05 am, Talking Pictures TV – Beat the Devil (1954).

Feb 14 (Fri), 8 pm, TCM – Casablanca (1942). It's "31 Days of Oscar", and the TCM primetime theme is "Romance", including Best Picture winner considered the most romantic movie of all time, and a Valentine's Day favorite.

Feb 15 (Sat), 4:45 pm, TCM – Around the World in 80 Days (1956). It's "31 Days of Oscar", and the TCM daytime theme is "Best Picture", including this all-star extravaganza about the Victorian gentleman (David Niven) who travels around the world to win a bet with his club members.

Feb 22 (Sat), 12 noon, TCM – The Maltese Falcon (1941). It's Day 22 of "31 Days of Oscar", and the TCM daytime theme is "Best Picture", including this classic whodunit about a private detective in San Francisco and a hunt for a jewel-encrusted statuette.



Sneak Peek at March, 2025

TCM continues the annual "31 Days of Oscar" to March 3, then returns to regular programming, with only one Lorre film.

Mar 21 (Fri), TCM – Mad Love (1935). The TCM daytime theme is "Horror", including Peter Lorre's first American film. Note – This film will not be shown in Canada.



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!

January 12, 2025

SiriusXM Celebrates Poe Birthday

During the week of January 13 to January 19, 2025, classic American writer Edgar Allan Poe gets the birthday treatment on SiriusXM when Radio Classics channel host Greg Bell schedules two separate two-hour blocks of old-time radio shows adapted from his work.

And “Poe Man’s Radio Special 1” includes “The Black Cat” episode of Peter Lorre’s 1947 summer series Mystery in the Air, as well as these programs ~
  • Inner Sanctum, “The Tell-Tale Heart” – August 3, 1941
  • Mystery in the Air, “The Black Cat” – September 18, 1947
  • The Weird Circle, “Murders in the Rue Morgue” – January 2, 1944
  • Suspense, “The Pit and the Pendulum” – January 12, 1943
“The Black Cat” episode of Mystery in the Air will air these dates and times ~

Monday, January 13 ~
11:30 am Pacific, 2:30 pm Eastern

Thursday, January 16 ~
1:30 am Pacific, 4:30 am Eastern

Sunday, January 19 ~
5:30 pm Pacific, 8:30 pm Eastern

The full schedule of the week’s programming 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? SiriusXM offers special trial deals through their website.

January 9, 2025

Lorre Noir Classic at Los Angeles Cinema

Lorre fans in the area of Los Angeles, California, can enjoy Peter on the big screen when the New Beverly Cinema presents a Dan Duryea double-feature of Black Angel (1946) and Larceny (1948) on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Both films will be shown as 35mm prints.

Black Angel will begin at 6:30 pm. Larceny will follow at 8:30 pm.

Admission is $13 for the double-feature. Tickets may be purchased online through the New Beverly website. A nominal fee will be added to each ticket purchased online.

The New Beverly Cinema is located at 7165 Beverly Boulevard, one block west of La Brea Avenue, in Los Angeles, California.

Parking is available on Beverly Boulevard and Formosa Avenue. The New Beverly is also served by public transportation. More information about parking and MTA lines is available on the theater’s website.

January 7, 2025

Lorre Classic on SiriusXM Radio

During the week of January 6, 2025, Lorre fans with access to the Radio Classics channel on the satellite radio service SiriusXM can catch Peter and his Maltese Falcon co-stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet when host Greg Bell celebrates the 86th anniversary of the Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater with a 2-hour block of programs, including “The Maltese Falcon”.

The scheduled block includes “Between Americans” (December 7, 1941); “The Maltese Falcon” (September 20, 1943); “The Gay Divorcee” (March 6, 1944); and “Vivacious Lady” (December 3, 1945).

“The Maltese Falcon” will air these dates and times –

Monday, January 6 –
5:30 am Pacific, 8:30 am Eastern

Wednesday, January 8 –
7:30 pm Pacific, 10:30 pm Eastern

Friday, January 10 –
11:30 pm Pacific

Saturday, January 11 –
2:30 am Eastern

The full schedule for the week of January 6 to January 12, 2025, 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? SiriusXM offers special trial deals through their website.

January 1, 2025

A New Year of Lorre Movies

As the year 2025 begins, Lorre fans can enjoy a number of Peter's movies on the Turner Classic Movies channel, Talking Pictures TV channel in England, and Movies! Network in the United States.

American times shown are Eastern Standard.



January, 2025

In January, the Turner Classic Movies channel salutes George Raft, Alfred Hitchcock, and Conrad Veidt.

Jan 1 (Wed), 6:30 am, Rewind TV – Beat the Devil (1954). The British TV channel Rewind TV kicks off 2025 with a showing of the last movie Peter Lorre made with actor pal Humphrey Bogart and director John Huston.

Jan 2 (Thurs), 6:25 am, Rewind TV – The Chase (1946). The British TV channel Rewind TV continues with this Lorre film noir, co-starring Robert Cummings, Michele Morgan, and Steve Cochran.

Jan 3 (Fri), 1 pm, London Live – Beat the Devil (1954). The British TV channel London Live airs this caper movie reuniting Peter Lorre with a couple of his Maltese Falcon associates, Humphrey Bogart and director John Huston.

Jan 3 (Fri), 3:45 am, TCM – Stranger on the Third Floor (1940). Every Friday in January, TCM turns the primetime spotlight on "It Was All a Dream?", with an evening of movies with dream sequences, including the classic film noir about the newspaper reporter (John McGuire) who encounters a stranger (Peter Lorre) in a long white scarf and soon suspects he may be a murderer.

Jan 5 (Sun), 12 noon, London Live – Beat the Devil (1954).

Jan 21 (Tues), 8 pm, TCM – Background to Danger (1943). Every Tuesday in January, TCM celebrates "Star of the Month" George Raft, including the first of two movies Raft made with Peter Lorre.

Jan 21 (Tues), 2:14 am, TCM – Around the World in 80 Days (1956). TCM continues an evening of George Raft with this all-star extravaganza about the Victorian gentleman (David Niven) who travels around the world to win a bet with his club members.

Jan 22 (Wed), 8 pm, TCM – The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934). TCM's Primetime theme takes a look at the work of director Alfred Hitchcock.

Jan 23 (Thurs), 4:15 pm, TCM – All Through the Night (1942). TCM salutes the birthday (January 22) of Conrad Veidt with a day of movies starring Veidt, including the wartime comedy-drama about Nazi spies operating in New York City.

Jan 29 (Wed), 10 pm, TCM – Silk Stockings (1957). TCM celebrates actress/dancer Cyd Charisse with an evening of her musical films, including this outing with Fred Astaire – and a singing and dancing Peter Lorre.

Jan 29 (Wed), 4 am, TCM – Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956). TCM continues an evening of Cyd Charisse films with this romp in Las Vegas, including Peter Lorre in a cameo appearance.

Jan 30 (Thurs), 7:55 am, Movies! Network – The Chase (1946).



Sneak Peek at February, 2025

TCM's annual "31 Days of Oscar" begins on February 1 and continues to March 3. Although Peter Lorre never won an Academy Award, he did work in several movies that won or were nominated for the coveted statuette.

Feb 14 (Fri), TCM – Casablanca (1942). On Valentine's Day, TCM Primetime salutes "Romance", kicking off the evening with a movie considered the most romantic movie ever.

Feb 15 (Sat), TCM – Around the World in 80 Days (1956). TCM presents a day of "Best Picture" winners, including this all-star extravanga about the Victorian gentleman (David Niven) who bets his friends at London's Reform club that he can travel around the world in 80 days.



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!

December 27, 2024

TCM Celebrates Greenstreet Birthday

The Turner Classic Moves channel often celebrates the birthdays of their popular actors with a day devoted to their films, and on Friday, December 27, 2024, Sydney Greenstreet gets the star treatment on what would have been his 145th birthday.

And Lorre fans are treated, too – during the marathon, five of the nine movies Peter and Sydney made together are on the schedule.

The movies include ~
  • That Way With Women (1947) – 8:45 am
  • The Maltese Falcon (1941) – 10:15 am
  • Background to Danger (1943) – 12 noon
  • Conflict (1945) – 1:30 pm
  • The Mask of Dimitrios (1944) – 3 pm
  • Three Strangers (1946) – 4:45 pm
  • The Verdict (1946) – 6:30 pm
Happy birthday, Sydney Greenstreet!

December 23, 2024

Christmas Wishes from Peter Lorre and SiriusXM Radio

This year, Christmas Day falls on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, and as the holiday season draws to a close, host Greg Bell wraps up another December on the Radio Classics channel with a week filled with Christmas-themed episodes from many old-time radio series.

From Monday, December 23 to Sunday, December 29, Peter Lorre’s Suspense episode, “Back for Christmas” (1943) will air as part of a 2-hour block of Yuletide dramas, including ~
  • Dark Fantasy, “House of Bread” (December 26, 1941)
  • Suspense, “Back For Christmas” (December 23, 1943)
  • Mysterious Traveler, “Christmas Story” (December 25, 1951)
  • Romance of the Ranchos, “Christmas as San Gabriel” (December 24, 1941)
“Back for Christmas” will air these dates and times ~

Tuesday, Dec. 24 ~
1:30 am Pacific, 4:30 am Eastern

Thursday, Dec. 26 ~
3:30 pm Pacific, 6:30 pm Eastern

Sunday, Dec. 29 ~
3:30 am Pacific, 6:30 am Eastern

The full schedule of the week’s programming 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? SiriusXM offers special trial deals through their website.

Originally airing December 23, 1943. “Back for Christmas” was Peter’s fourth of six appearances before the microphone of the anthology series, broadcast over CBS every Thursday night.

In the John Collier short story, Hubert Schumacher (Lorre), a Swiss professor of botany, digs a Devil’s Garden as a bed for rare orchids in the cellar of his estate. While his overbearing wife Hermione plans their trip to America and Hubert’s lecture tour, Hubert makes plans of his own – involving a new Mrs. Schumacher and the disposal of Hermione.

Plans go awry . . . . on all fronts.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses Peter’s radio career. The book’s appendix includes a complete-to-date list of his radio work, much of which airs on the Radio Classics channel.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year!