Actor Dave Bresnahan Cast as Peter Lorre for Bogart/Bacall Film

Peter Lorre played a significant part in the early-1940s romance between his closest friend Humphrey Bogart and a young actress named Lauren Bacall, with whom Bogart co-starred in the Warner Bros. film To Have and Have Not (1944).

Bogart was concerned about the age difference – when they began work on her film debut, he was 44, and she was 19. It won’t last, he told Peter; she’s just a kid.

Said Peter, “What’s the difference? It’s better to have five good years than none at all.”

The advice was taken.

Bogie and Bacall eventually married, had a son and a daughter, and remained very happy together to the end of Bogart’s life.

So in a film version of this Hollywood romance, Peter Lorre could hardly be left on the cutting-room floor. Dave Bresnahan has been tapped to portray Peter in the upcoming movie Bogie and Bacall.

Says the multi-talented Bresnahan, "Peter Lorre is without question the finest character actor of all time, and it is an honor to portray him in this film. His friendship with Humphrey Bogart led to his appearance in the classic films The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. There is always more to learn about acting, and I am learning as I study Peter Lorre's films to prepare for this role. He was a great actor, a master of the craft."

In addition to his work as an actor, Bresnahan has a quite-varied background in the fields of journalism, sports, and broadcasting. He also served one term in the Utah House of Representatives. His complete biography may be found on his page on IMDB.com.

Filming on Bogie and Bacall is scheduled to begin in August, 2014, with a release date in 2015, according to IMDB.com. Also in the cast are Rosanne Barr as columnist Louella Parsons; Tracy Reiner as Bogart’s third wife, Mayo Methot; Charles Wesley, as Howard Hawks, who directed Bogie and Bacall in To Have and Have Not; Paul Moreno as Bogie’s favorite restaurant owner “Prince” Michael Romanoff; and Jason Leal as Truman Capote, who wrote the screenplay for Beat the Devil (1954), the final movie Peter and Bogart made together.

Although the part of Humphrey Bogart has not been cast as of this writing, Roxana Condurache will portray Lauren Bacall.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, author Stephen Youngkin recounts the on-screen and off-screen friendship between Peter and Bogie, through interviews with their friends and co-workers, such as directors John Huston and Vincent Sherman, and actor Dan Seymour.

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