May 30, 2018

Lorre Film Next in Connecticut Movie Series

The classic mystery The Maltese Falcon (1941) is next on the schedule of the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission’s film series "Someday Cinema" in Newtown, Connecticut, on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

The film will be shown at 2 pm and 7 pm. The 2 pm matinee will be shown with captions for the benefit of the hearing impaired. The 7 pm evening show will be introduced by Dr. Mark Schenker, of Yale.

Attendees of both screenings will have a chance to win a copy of the Dashiell Hammett novel and a modern graphic poster of the Bogart-Astor-Lorre-Greenstreet movie The Maltese Falcon, donated by artist Michael Gelen of Inkwell Studios, located in Buffalo, New York.

Admission is $3 for all seats.

The Edmond Town Hall Theatre is located in the Newtown Town Hall, 45 Main Street, in Newtown, Connecticut. For more information, please call 203-270-4285.

Parking is available in front of the Newtown Town Hall, as well as the lot behind the building.

Movies in the “Someday Cinema” series are sponsored by local businesses and organizations. The C.H. Booth Library is the sponsor of The Maltese Falcon.

Coming up later in the fall – a Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff double-feature of The Beast with Five Fingers (1946) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935), on Sunday, October 29, 2018.

May 24, 2018

Summer Film Fests Include Lorre

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and many movie theaters around the world host classic film festivals. During the summer of 2018, Casablanca (1942) will be shown at a number of cinemas, including ~



Paramount Theatre – Austin, Texas

Now in its 34th year, the annual Paramount Summer Classic Film Series, held at the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, includes two Peter Lorre films.

Casablanca (1942) kicks off the fest on Thursday, May 24, 2018, with a Film Fan Opening Night Party at 6:30 pm and the movie at 7:30 pm.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) will be shown on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 9 pm, and on Thursday, Aug. 9, at 7 pm.

Tickets may be purchased at the box-office or on-line through the Paramount website, with discounts for Film Fan Club members. A FLIX-TIX pass, good for any 10 admissions during the festival, is also available.

The Paramount Theatre is located at 713 Congress Avenue, in Austin, Texas. Directions to the venue, as well as parking information, are available on the Paramount website.



Prince Charles Cinema – London, England

The Prince Charles Cinema, located in London, England, will present a 35mm print of Casablanca on Saturday, May 26, 2018, as part of their Classic Film Series, as well as their series of 35mm Presentations.

Casablanca will begin at 2:45 pm.

Tickets may be purchased at the box-office or on-line through the cinema’s website.

The Prince Charles Cinema is located at 7 Leicester Place, in London, England. Directions to the cinema, as well as information on public transportation, are available on the venue’s website.



Rio Grande Theatre – Las Cruces, New Mexico

As part of its annual Classic Film Series, the historic Rio Grande Theatre, located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, will present Casablanca on Saturday, May 26, 2018.

Casablanca will begin at 7 pm.

Tickets may be purchased at the box-office or on-line through the cinema’s website. A Season Pass for the festival, which runs from September to September, is also available.

The Rio Grande Theatre is located at 211 North Downtown Mall, in Las Cruces, New Mexico.



Cinespia – Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California

On March 25, 1964, Peter Lorre was laid to rest in the Abbey of the Psalms, Corridor C in the Alcove of Reverence, in Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery.

On Sunday, May 27, 2018, the cemetery, now known as Hollywood Forever Cemetery, will show Casablanca as part of its Cinespia outdoors series of movies.

Doors open at 6:45 pm, and the movie will begin at 8:30 pm.

Tickets may be purchased in advance through the Cinespia website.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard, in Los Angeles, California. Directions to the cemetery, as well as public transportation options, are available on the Cinespia website.




Prytania Theatre – New Orleans, Louisiana

Every Sunday and Wednesday, the historic Prytania Theatre, located in New Orleans, Louisiana, features classic Hollywood films of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. For more than 6 years, Rene Brunet, Jr, selected the movies himself, and now the Prytania staff continues the tradition he began by featuring some of his favorite movies.

Casablanca will be shown on Sunday, June 3, and Wednesday, June 6, 2018. The film will begin at 10 am both days.

Tickets may be purchased at the box-office or on-line through the venue’s website.

The Prytania is located at 5339 Prytania Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.



Majestic Theater – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Every Wednesday in the summer months of June through August, the historic Majestic Theater, located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, presents classic movies, including introductions by the Majestic’s movie buff Jeffrey Gabel and raffle prizes.

On Wednesday, June 6, 2018, the cinema kicks off this year’s fest with a showing of Casablanca, beginning at 7:30 pm.

Tickets may be purchased at the box-office, by phone, or through the venue’s website.

The Majestic Theater is located at 25 Carlisle Street, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Directions to the theater, as well as information about parking, are available on the cinema’s website.



Saenger Theatre – Mobile, Alabama

Beginning a little later in the summer season, the Saenger Theatre will kick off its “Summer Classic Movie Series” with Casablanca on Sunday, July 15, 2018.

The movie will begin at 3 pm.

Tickets may be purchased at either the Saenger Theatre Box Office or the Mobile Civic Center Box Office.

The Saenger Theatre is located at 6 South Joachim Street in Mobile, Alabama. Directions to the theater, as well as information about parking, are available on the venue’s website.



Tampa Theater – Tampa, Florida

The Tampa Theater ends its “Summer Classics Movie Series” with Casablanca on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018.

Casablanca will begin at 3 pm. Immediately following the movie, retired Sarasota Herald Tribune film critic George Meyer will lead a discussion of Casablanca and a question-and-answer session with the audience.

Tickets may be purchased at the cinema box-office, as well as on-line through the venue’s website.

The Tampa Theatre is located at 711 North Franklin Street in Tampa, Florida. Directions to the cinema, as well as information about parking, are available on the cinema’s website.



In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), Stephen D. Youngkin details the making of Casablanca, a movie that gave Peter the opportunity to work with his good friend Humphrey Bogart for a third time.

As the pivotal character Ugarte, Peter gets the action going by leaving with Rick Blaine (Bogart) a pair of valuable exit visas. It was a part to which Peter attached little importance – but it was the part that led him to a contract with Warner Bros. and the most productive period of his career.

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.

May 23, 2018

Annapolis Movie Series Includes Lorre

The historic 1747 Pub, located in Annapolis, Maryland, continues its Sunday night series of free movies in the Beer Garden with Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) over the Memorial Day holiday weekend on Sunday, May 27, 2018.

The movie will begin at dusk, approximately 8:30 pm.

Admission is free, and showings are open to the public.

Come between 3 and 7 pm and enjoy Happy Hour or a meal at the 1747 Pub. Food and beverage service continues throughout the screening. Scheduled movies are listed on the Events Calendar page of the pub’s website.

The Beer Garden at the 1747 Pub is located directly behind Reynolds Tavern and has an entrance on Franklin Street. Reynolds Tavern is located at 7 Church Circle, in Annapolis, Maryland.

Parking is available in the South Street Lot, located at 134 South Street, off Church Circle, in Annapolis, Maryland. More information about the South Street Lot is available on the Annapolis Parking website.

For more information, please call the Reynolds Tavern at 410-295-9555.

May 1, 2018

Summer Fun with Lorre on TV

Summer brings many Lorre movies to television and Turner Classic Movies – with a special treat for Lorre fans in June.

All times shown are Eastern Standard.

Peter Lorre's page on the TV Guide Channel website lists the Lorre films scheduled on various television channels over a 2-week period.



May, 2018

A handful of Lorre films for May, plus one of his many television appearances.

May 3 (Thurs), 2 pm, Starz Westerns channel – Wagon Train, “The Alexander Portlass Story” (originally broadcast over NBC, Mar. 16, 1960).

May 6 (Sun), 10:20 pm, Movies! Network – Quicksand (1950).

May 12 (Sat), 1 am, Movies! Network – Quicksand (1950).

May 20 (Sun), 4 am, Movies! Network – Quicksand (1950).

May 21 (Mon), 10:15 pm, Turner Classic Movies channel – Casablanca (1942). TCM’s primetime theme is “The Four Freedoms” with a series of five movies, including this wartime classic. Harvey J. Kaye, author of The Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great (2014), co-hosts the evening with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and discusses the two freedoms associated with Casablanca – the Freedom of Worship and the Freedom of Speech.

May 24 (Thurs), 6 am, Movies! Network – Quicksand (1950).

May 27 (Sun), 7:45 am, TCM – Hollywood Canteen (1944). Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet appear as themselves in this star-studded extravaganza about the famed servicemen’s canteen.

May 29 (Tues), 7:45 am, TCM – My Favorite Brunette (1947). TCM salutes Bob Hope’s birthday with the only movie Bob made with Peter – a comic take-off on mystery and suspense movies.



June, 2018

June 26 is the 114th anniversary of Peter Lorre’s birth – June 26, 1904 – and for Lorre fans, June brings many Lorre movies on the Turner Classic Movies channel.

June 2 (Sat), 2 pm, TCM – Around the World in 80 Days (1956).

June 2 (Sat), 8 pm, TCM – Three Strangers (1946). The primetime theme is “Stranger Danger”, with a double-feature of movies involving strangers. Peter joins Sydney Greenstreet and Geraldine Fitzgerald as the title characters, who make a wish on a Chinese statue, with unfortunate results.

June 4 (Mon), 6:15, TCM – They Met in Bombay (1941). TCM wishes Rosalind Russell a happy birthday with a morning and afternoon of her films, including the only movie she made with Peter, who plays the Chinese skipper of a tramp steamer bound for Hong Kong and who takes the escaping jewel thieves Rosalind Russell and Clark Gable as passengers – for a price.

June 8 (Fri), 11:30 am, TCM – Hotel Berlin (1945). Check in to TCM’s daytime theme of “Five Star Hotels”.

June 14 (Thurs), 2 am, TCM – Hollywood Canteen (1944). Every Tuesday and Thursday in June, TCM turns the spotlight on movie musicals with their series "Mad About Musicals". Today, the focus is on musicals of the 1940

June 18 (Mon), 9:15 am, TCM – Muscle Beach Party (1964). TCM's daytime theme is "Summer at the Drive-In", including this entry in the popular Beach Party series of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello films.

June 19 (Tues), 12 noon, TCM – Silk Stockings (1957). TCM's spotlight series continues with "Mad About Musicals: The 1950s".

June 25 (Mon), 4 pm, MeTV channel – Wagon Train, "The Alexander Portlass Story" (originally broadcast over NBC, Mar. 16, 1960).

June 29 (Fri), TCM – Although June 26 is Peter Lorre's birthday, TCM celebrates his 114th birthday today with a daytime theme of "Peter Lorre" and a morning and afternoon of Lorre movies, beginning at 9 am and continuing until 8 pm, including ~
  • 9 am, TCM – M (1931). Peter's first sound movie.
  • 11 am, TCM – The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934). Peter’s first English-language film.
  • 12:30 pm, TCM – Mad Love (1935). Peter’s first American film.
  • 1:45 pm, TCM – Stranger on the Third Floor (1940). Peter plays the title character in the movie considered the first film noir.
  • 3 pm, TCM – The Maltese Falcon (1941). Peter’s first film at the Warner Bros. studio.
  • 4:45 pm, TCM – The Conspirators (1944). Peter teams up with Sydney Greenstreet as Allied agents working in Lisbon.
  • 6:30 pm, TCM – The Beast with Five Fingers (1946). "Lorre Day" concludes with Peter’s final movie at Warner Bros.
June 30 (Sat), 8 pm, TCM – The Mask of Dimitrios (1944). TCM's primetime theme is "Mystery Writers", including this fjilm with Peter as a Dutch mystery writer who gets much more than he bargained for he starts to investigate the life and death of a notorious international criminal.



July, 2018

July brings several Lorre movies and TV shows, including one of his final performances.

July 2 (Mon), 4 am, MeTV – 77 Sunset Strip, “5” (originally broadcast over ABC, Sept. 20, 1963). The 1963-64 season opened with a 5-part series of episodes with numerous guest stars, including Peter Lorre as “The Gypsy”.

July 4 (Wed), 1:30 am, MeTV – Alfred Hitchcock Presents, “The Diplomatic Corpse” (originally broadcast over CBS, Dec. 8, 1957). As Tomas Salgado, Peter helps an American couple (George Peppard, Mary Scott) locate their stolen car – and Scott’s aunt.

July 10 (Tues), 6 am, Movies! Network – Quicksand (1950).

July 15 (Sun), 11:30 am, TCM – Casablanca (1942).

July 22 (Sun), 12 noon, TCM – Arsenic and Old Lace (1944).



Many of these and other Lorre movies 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 Amazon U.S., Amazon Canada, and Amazon U.K, as well as other booksellers.

Happy viewing!

April 28, 2018

The Maltese Falcon on SiriusXM Radio Classics

The Radio Classics channel will air the Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater episode “The Maltese Falcon” during the week of April 29 to May 5, 2018, Sunday to Saturday.

The program will air on the following dates and times –

Tuesday, May 1 ~
2 pm Pacific, 5 pm Eastern

Thursday, May 3 ~
6 am Pacific, 9 am Eastern

Friday, May 4 ~
12 midnight Pacific

Saturday, May 5 ~
3 am Eastern

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 SirusXM radio website.

Originally airing over CBS on Sept. 20, 1943, this episode reunited the cast of the classic 1941 movie The Maltese Falcon in their original roles – Humphrey Bogart as detective Sam Spade, Mary Astor as his client Brigid O’Shaughnessy, Sydney Greenstreet as “the Fat Man” Kasper Gutman, and Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen Youngkin discusses the radio career of Peter Lorre. A natural for the medium, Peter loved performing on radio and unlike many other actors, played to the microphone rather than the studio audience and gave what co-star Harry Morgan ("The Voice of Mystery", Mystery in the Air) described as a “great vocal performance”.

A complete-to-date list of Peter’s radio credits, along with his theater, film, and television credits, is available in the Appendix of The Lost One.

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

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.

April 22, 2018

Have a Drink with Lorre in Brooklyn Tonight

In Casablanca (1942), everybody comes to Rick’s for drinks, music, and roulette, with a side order of plotting to escape the North African town. And in the small but pivotal role of Ugarte, Peter Lorre is one who makes escape possible by selling exit visas on the black market.

Saturday night, April 22, 2018, Lorre fans in the Brooklyn, New York, area will have the opportunity to enjoy a French 75 cocktail and a showing of Casablanca at the Videology Bar and Cinema as part of the venue’s regular series “Classic Films, Classic Cocktails”.

The film will be shown at 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm. At 5:30 pm, Noah Isenberg, author of We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie, will host a question-and-answer period following the movie. At 8:30 pm, Isenberg will introduce the film.

Admission is $24 for everyone. Tickets may be purchased at the door beginning 30 minutes for showtime. Tickets may also be purchased online through the cinema’s website. Each ticket includes a French 75 cocktail. Because alcohol is served, the Videology has strict rules about who may attend the showings. More information about tickets is available on the venue’s website.

The Videology Bar and Cinema is located at 308 Bedford Avenue, at the corner of Bedford Avenue and South 1st Street, in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York.

Parking is available on the streets near the cinema.

For more information, please contact the Videology at 718-782-3468.

April 21, 2018

German Film Series at Harvard Includes Lorre

As part of their series on German films from 1945 to 1957, the Harvard Film Archive presents the only movie Peter Lorre ever directed – Der Verlorene (1951) – on Saturday, April 21, 2018.

The film begins at 9:15 pm. The print is in German, with English subtitles.

Tickets are available at the Harvard Film Archive Cinematheque 45 minutes before show time. More information about tickets is available on the archive’s website.

The Harvard Film Archive is located in the lower level of the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, located at 24 Quincy Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Metered parking on Broadway and Harvard streets is free after 8 pm. The archive is also well-served by public transportation, including the MBTA Red Line. More information about parking and public transportation, as well as directions to the archive, is available on the venue’s website.

Der Verlorene is shown as part of the film series "The Management of Shattered Identity: German Films, 1945 – 1957", which began Friday, April 20, and will run until Monday, April 23, 2018. The schedule is available on the archive website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), Stephen D. Youngkin devotes a full chapter to a discussion of the making of the film, including interviews with actors and crew. Der Verlorene, which Peter Lorre translated to The Lost One, was the only film Peter directed, co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in.

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.

April 20, 2018

Denver Midnight Madness With Lorre

The Maltese Falcon (1941) is on the schedule this weekend – Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21, 2018 – in the “Midnight Madness” series of movies at the Esquire Theatre in Denver, Colorado.

The movie will begin at 11:59 pm each night.

Admission is $9.50 for all seats. Tickets may be purchased at the box-office. Tickets may also be purchased on-line through the Esquire’s website. A nominal fee of $1 will be added to each ticket purchased on-line.

The historic Esquire Theatre, now one of the Landmark chain of cinemas, is located at 590 Downing Street, at the corner of Downing Street and East 6th Avenue in the Capitol Hill area of Denver, Colorado.

Parking is available in the lot adjoining the cinema. Parking is also available on the streets after 6 pm. More information, as well as directions to the Esquire, is available on the cinema’s website.

For more information, please contact the theater at 303-733-0148.

April 17, 2018

Boston Library Circus Movie Series Includes Lorre

The circus has come to the South Boston Public Library!

Circus movies, that is. And included in April’s three-movie series is The Big Circus (1959), Peter Lorre’s second movie with Vincent Price and director Irwin Allen. The film will be shown on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. The full schedule is available on the library’s website.

The Big Circus begins at 1 pm.

Admission to the movie is free for everyone.

The South Boston branch of the Boston Public Library system is located at 646 East Broadway, in South Boston, Massachusetts.

Parking is available in the lot adjoining the library. Directions are available on the library’s website.

For more information, please call the library at 617-268-0180.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of The Big Circus, including interviews with actor Vincent Price, director Irwin Allen, and costume designer Paul Zastupnevich, who all discussed Peter’s fascination with clowns and how much he enjoyed playing Skeeter in The Big Circus.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available in paperback and hardback, as well as the Kindle and Nook.

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

April 16, 2018

TCM Film Fest 2018 Includes Lorre

Turner Classic Movies has announced the full schedule for their annual Classic Film Festival, to be held in Hollywood from Thursday, April 26 to Sunday, April 29, 2018 – and Lorre fans attending the event will be treated to showings of Silk Stockings (1957) and The Raven (1963), as well as many special guests.

The Raven – Saturday, April 28 – 9:30 pm.

Silk Stockings – Sunday, April 29 – 3:30 pm.

Both films will be shown at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex, located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, in Hollywood, California. Built in 2001, the Chinese Multiplex is next door to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, home of the handprints and shoeprints of the famous in the theater’s courtyard.

This year’s festival theme is "Powerful Words: The Page On Screen".

The Raven, loosely based on the poem by Poe, will be shown as part of the "Poet's Corner". Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris Karloff, who co-starred with Peter in several movies, including The Raven, will be the special guest.

Silk Stockings is shown as one of the "Essentials". Special guest is Dr. Vanessa Ament, who will be the teacher/facilitator for TCM’s free online course on Hollywood movie musicals this coming summer.

Festival passes are still available in these three categories – Palace, Classic, Essential, and Spotlight – and may be purchased through the festival website.

Individual tickets may also be purchased for $20 for most screenings and events. Students with valid Student ID will receive a 50% discount off all individual tickets.

More information about tickets and passes is available on the festival website.

Venues for the various events include the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX (formerly known as Grauman’s Chinese), The Egyptian Theater, and the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres multiplex – all within an easy walking distance along Hollywood Boulevard.

Parking is available in several lots near Hollywood Boulevard. Most convenient to the Chinese 6 Multiplex is the Hollywood and Highland lot, located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, with entrances on Highland Avenue and Orange Drive. More information about the Hollywood and Highland lot is available on the parking lot’s website.

In the pages of The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, Stephen D. Youngkin discusses the making of these movies scheduled during the TCM festival, including interviews with many of the actors and crew who worked with Peter throughout his career. The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre is available for the Kindle and Nook, as well as hard-bound and soft-bound editions.

Purchase The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre from Amazon U.S..

Purchase The Lost One from Amazon U.K.

Purchase The Lost One from Amazon Canada.