Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre | |
---|---|
Born | László Löwenstein June 26, 1904 |
Died | March 23, 1964 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 59)
Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1929–1964 |
Spouses |
|
Children | 1 |
Peter Lorre (German:
Lorre, of Jewish descent, left Germany after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. His second English-language film, following the multiple-language version of M (1931), was Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), made in the United Kingdom.[1][2] Eventually settling in Hollywood, he later became a featured player in many Hollywood crime and mystery films. In his initial American films, Mad Love and Crime and Punishment (both 1935), he continued to play murderers. He was later cast playing Mr. Moto, the Japanese detective, in a series of B-pictures.
From 1941 to 1946, he mainly worked for
In 2017,
Early life
Lorre was born László Löwenstein (Hungarian: Löwenstein László) on June 26, 1904, the first child of Alajos Löwenstein and his wife Elvira Freischberger, in the town of Rózsahegy in Liptó County, Kingdom of Hungary (German: Rosenberg; Slovak: Ružomberok, now in Slovakia). His parents, who were German-speaking Jews, had only recently moved there[a] following his father's appointment as chief bookkeeper at a local textile mill. Alajos also served as a lieutenant in the Austrian Army Reserve, which meant that he was often away on military maneuvers.[4][5]
László's mother died when he was four years old, leaving Alajos with three very young sons, the youngest several months old. He soon married his wife's best friend Melanie Klein, with whom he had two more children. However, Lorre and his stepmother never got along, and this colored his childhood memories.[4] At the outbreak of the Second Balkan War in 1913, anticipating that this would lead to a larger conflict and that he would be called up, Alajos moved the family to Vienna. He served on the Eastern Front during the winter of 1914–15, before being put in charge of a prison camp due to heart trouble.[6][7]
Acting career
In Europe (1922–1934)
Lorre began acting on stage in Vienna aged 17, where he worked with Viennese
The actor became much better known after director
When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Lorre took refuge first in Paris and then London, where he was noticed by
Michael Newton wrote in an article for The Guardian in September 2014 of his scenes with Leslie Banks in the film: "Lorre cannot help but steal each scene; he's a physically present actor, often, you feel, surrounded as he is by the pallid English, the only one in the room with a body."[13] After his first two American films, Lorre returned to England to feature in Hitchcock's Secret Agent (1936).[14] Lorre and his first wife, actress Celia Lovsky, boarded the Cunard-White Star Liner RMS Majestic in Southampton on July 18, 1934, to sail for New York a day after shooting had been completed on The Man Who Knew Too Much, having gained visitor's visas to the United States.[15][16][17]
First years in Hollywood (1935–1940)
Lorre settled in Hollywood and was soon under contract to
For MGM's Mad Love (1935), set in Paris and directed by Karl Freund, Lorre's head was shaved for the role of Dr. Gogol, a demented surgeon. In the film, Gogol replaces the wrecked hands of a concert pianist with those of an executed knife throwing murderer. An actress who works at the nearby Grand Guignol theater, who happens to be the pianist's wife, is the subject of Gogol's unwelcome infatuation.[19] "Lorre triumphs superbly in a characterization that is sheer horror", The Hollywood Reporter commented. "There is perhaps no one who can be so repulsive and so utterly wicked. No one who can smile so disarmingly and still sneer. His face is his fortune".[20]
Lorre followed Mad Love with the lead role in Crime and Punishment (also 1935) directed by Josef von Sternberg. "Although Peter Lorre is occasionally able to give the film a frightening pathological significance," wrote Andre Sennwald in The New York Times on the film's release, "this is scarcely Dostoievsky's drama of a tortured brain drifting into madness with a terrible secret."[21] Columbia offered him a five-year contract at $1,000 a week (equivalent to $22,223 in 2023), but he declined.[22]
Returning from England after appearing in a second Hitchcock picture (
Late in 1938,
After a brief period as a freelance, he signed for two pictures at
Mainly at Warner Bros. (1941–1946)
In 1941, Lorre became a naturalized citizen of the United States.[31] Director John Huston effectively ended a period of decline for the actor and saved him from more B-pictures by casting him in The Maltese Falcon.[32][33] Although Warner Bros. was lukewarm about Lorre at first, Huston was keen for him to play Joel Cairo. Huston observed that Lorre "had that clear combination of braininess and real innocence, and sophistication... He's always doing two things at the same time, thinking one thing and saying something else."[33] Lorre himself reminisced fondly in 1962 about the "stock company" he now found himself working with: Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet and Claude Rains. In his view, the four of them had the rare ability to "switch an audience from laughter to seriousness."[34] Lorre was contracted to Warner on a picture-by-picture basis until 1943 when he signed a five-year contract, renewable each year, which lasted until 1946.[32]
The year after Maltese Falcon, he portrayed the character Ugarte in Casablanca (1942). While Ugarte is a small part, it is he who provides Rick with the "Letters of Transit", a key plot device. Lorre made nine movies with Sydney Greenstreet counting The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca, a team which came to be called "Little Pete-Big Syd", although they did not always have much screen time in joint scenes.[35] Most of these motion pictures were variations on Casablanca, including Background to Danger (1943, with George Raft); Passage to Marseille (1944), reuniting them with Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains; The Mask of Dimitrios (1944); The Conspirators (1944, with Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid); Hollywood Canteen (1944); Three Strangers (1946), a suspense film about three people who are joint partners on a winning lottery ticket, with third-billed Lorre cast against type by director Jean Negulesco as the romantic lead, also starring Geraldine Fitzgerald; and Greenstreet and Lorre's final film together, suspense thriller The Verdict (1946), director Don Siegel's first feature, with Greenstreet and Lorre finally billed first and second, respectively.
Lorre returned to comedy with the role of Dr. Einstein in Frank Capra's version of Arsenic and Old Lace (released in 1944) starring Cary Grant and Raymond Massey. Writing in 1944, film critic Manny Farber described what he called Lorre's "double-take job", a characteristic dramatic flourish "where the actor's face changes rapidly from laughter, love or a security that he doesn't really feel to a face more sincerely menacing, fearful or deadpan."[36]
Lorre's last film for Warner was The Beast with Five Fingers (1946), a horror film in which he played a crazed astrologer who falls in love with a character played by Andrea King. Daniel Bubbeo, in The Women of Warner Brothers, thought Lorre's "wildly over-the top performance" had "elevated the movie from minor horror to first-rate camp."[37]
Lorre said his continuing friendship with Bertolt Brecht, in exile in California since 1941, had led studio head Jack L. Warner to 'graylist' him, and his contract with Warner Bros. was terminated on May 13, 1946. Warner would be a "friendly" witness at his appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee in May 1947.[38] Lorre himself was sympathetic to the short-lived Committee for the First Amendment, set up by John Huston and others, and added his name to advertisements in the trade press in support of the committee.[39]
After World War II (1947–1964)
After World War II and the end of his Warner contract, Lorre's acting career in Hollywood experienced a downturn,
In February 1952, Lorre returned to the United States,
In Lorre's last years, he worked with Roger Corman on several low-budget films, including two of the director's Edgar Allan Poe cycle: Tales of Terror (1962) with Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone; and The Raven (1963), again with Price, as well as Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson. He again worked with Price, Karloff and Rathbone in the Jacques Tourneur-directed The Comedy of Terrors (1963). He also appeared in a memorable 1962 episode of Route 66, "Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing", with Lon Chaney Jr. and Boris Karloff.
Marriages and family
Lorre was married three times:
Failing health and death
Lorre had suffered from chronic gallbladder troubles, for which doctors had prescribed morphine. Lorre became trapped between the constant pain and addiction to morphine to ease the problem. It was during the period of the Mr. Moto films that Lorre struggled with and overcame his addiction.[46] Having quickly gained 100 lb (45 kg) and not fully recovering from his addiction to morphine, Lorre suffered personal and career disappointments in his later life.[43]
He died in Los Angeles on March 23, 1964, from a stroke.[47] His body was cremated and his ashes were interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood. Vincent Price read the eulogy at his funeral.[48]
Legacy and honors
Lorre was inducted into the Grand Order of Water Rats, the world's oldest theatrical fraternity, in 1942.[49] Lorre was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6619 Hollywood Boulevard in February 1960.
Being
Actor Eugene Weingand, who was unrelated to Lorre, attempted in 1963 to trade on his slight resemblance to the actor by changing his name to "Peter Lorie", but his petition was rejected by the courts. After Lorre's death, however, he referred to himself as "Peter Lorre Jr.", claiming to be Lorre's son.[53] He obtained a few small acting roles as a result, including a brief uncredited appearance as a cab driver in Alfred Hitchcock's Torn Curtain (1966) starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews.
Filmography
Film
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1954 | Climax! | Le Chiffre | S1:E3 "Casino Royale" |
1957 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Tomas Salgado | Season 3 Episode 10: "The Diplomatic Corpse" |
1960 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Carlos | Season 5 Episode 15: "Man from the South" |
1960 | Wagon Train | Alexander Portlass | Season 3 Episode 23: "The Alexander Portlass Story" |
1960 | Rawhide | Victor Laurier | S3:E5, "Incident of the Slavemaster" |
1962 | Route 66 | Peter Lorre | S3:E6, "Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing" |
Notes
- Slovaktown. Cf. Friedemann Beyer: Peter Lorre. Seine Filme – sein Leben, München 1988, p. 8 ("Sie waren Juden, und sie sprachen deutsch in einer Gegend, in der überwiegend Slowaken lebten.")
References
- ^ "Multiple-Language Version Film Collectors' Guide: M (1931)". Brenton Film. August 4, 2015.
- ^ "Alfred Hitchcock Collectors' Guide: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)". Brenton Film. November 19, 2019.
- ^ Robey, Tim (February 1, 2016). "20 great actors who've never been nominated for an Oscar". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Youngkin 2005, p. 5.
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 6.
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 7.
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 8.
- ^ "Per Lorre FAQ", Stephen D. Youngkin's Peter Lorre website
- ^ a b Sharon Packer Movies and the Modern Psyche, Westport, CN: Praeger, 2007, p. 88
- ^ Barry Keith Grant (ed.) Fritz Lang: Interviews, University Press of Mississippi, 2003, p. 78
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 64.
- ^ "The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)". Tcm.com. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
- ^ .com/film/2014/sep/12/peter-lorre-master-macabre-bfi "Peter Lorre: master of the macabre"], The Guardian, September 12, 2014
- ^ a b Philip French "Peter Lorre: a great screen actor remembered", The Observer, August 31, 2014.
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 98.
- ^ https://www.peterlorrebook.com/faq01.html
- ^ https://epdf.pub/the-lost-one-a-life-of-peter-lorre.html
- ^ Sarah Thomas Peter Lorre, Face Maker: Stardom and Performance Between Hollywood and Europe, Berghahn Books, 2012, p. 56
- ^ Bartłomiej Paszylk The Pleasure and Pain of Cult Horror Films: An Historical Survey, Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2009, pp. 34–36
- ^ Gregory William Mank Hollywood Cauldron: Thirteen Horror Films from the Genre's Golden Age, Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1994 [2001], p. 147
- ^ John Baxter Von Sternberg, Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 2010, p. 197
- ^ a b David Shipman The Great Movie Stars: 2, The International Years, London: Macdonald, 1989, pp. 336–38
- ^ Youngkin 2005, pp. 156–57.
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 156.
- ^ Leonard Lyons. "The New Yorker". The Washington Post (1923–1954) [Washington, D.C] July 1, 1939, p. 6
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 164.
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 163.
- ^ Youngkin 2005, pp. 164–68.
- ^ Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, New York & WoodstocK: Overlook Press, 1992, p. 269
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 170.
- ^ Jennifer Fay Theaters of Occupation: Hollywood and the Reeducation of Postwar Germany, Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2008, p. 65
- ^ a b Sarah Thomas Peter Lorre, Face Maker: Stardom and Performance Between Hollywood and Europe, Berghahn Books, 2012, p. 90
- ^ a b Youngkin (2005), p. 178
- ^ Youngkin (2005), p. 162
- ^ Wesley Alan Britton Onscreen and Undercover: The Ultimate Book of Movie Espionage, Westport, CT: Praeger, 2006, p. 46
- ^ Farber, Manny, The New Republic, July 10, 1944
- ^ Daniel Bubbeo The Women of Warner Brothers: The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies, Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2002, p. 124
- ^ Youngkin (2005), p. 244
- ^ Youngkin (2005), pp. 298–99
- ^ a b Anne Billson "Peter Lorre: one of cinema's most deliciously sinister presences", The Sunday Telegraph, March 23, 2014
- ^ Youngkin (2005), p. 309
- ^ a b Gerd Gemünden Continental Strangers: German Exile Cinema, 1933–1951, New York: Coluimbia University Press, 2014, pp. 161–62
- ^ a b Scheuer, Steven H. (February 24, 1960). "Peter Lorre Says He's Very Well / Stars Tonight On Playhouse 90". Mansfield News Journal. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ISBN 1-884956-37-8
- ISBN 9780786479924.
- ^ "Peter Lorre" on Classic Images past issues, 1998
- ^ "From the Archives: Movie Villain Peter Lorre Found Dead in His Hollywood Apartment". LA Times. March 24, 1964.
- ^ Youngkin 2005, p. 448.
- ^ Younkin (2005), p. 312. "The Grand Order of Water Rats ... inducted Lorre into the oldest theatrical fraternity in the world the following day. Having developed a close friendship with the actor (Lockwood), and feeling that he would fit the requirements (two years' experience as a professional entertainer; no objections from any other Rat; fund-raising activities for charity), Lockwood proposed Lorre for membership in the elite charitable organization."
- ^ a b c Youngkin 2005, pp. 214, 451–453.
- ^ Meisler, Andy (August 16, 1992). "TELEVISION; Ren and Stimpy's Triumphant Return". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2009.
- ^ "Re-VIEW: 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' – Simply a Delight". Animation World Network. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ Younkin (2005), p. 443. "After the actor's death, however, he began passing himself off as Lorre's son, repeatedly contradicting his earlier testimony."
- ^ Pegasus Awards − I Want To Be Peter Lorre
- ^ Sisario, Ben (January 8, 2009). "Addicted to Peter Lorre (That Voice, Those Eyes)". The New York Times.
Bibliography
- Svehla, Gary (1999). Peter Lorre. Midnight Marquee Actors Series. Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 1-887664-30-0.
- Thomas, Sarah (2015). Peter Lorre: Face Maker: Constructing Stardom and Performance in Hollywood and Europe. ISBN 978-0-85745-441-6.
- Youngkin, Stephen (2005). The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre. The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-7185-2.
Further reading
- Alistair, Rupert (2018). "Peter Lorre". The Name Below the Title : 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age (softcover) (First ed.). Great Britain: Independently published. pp. 157–160. ISBN 978-1-7200-3837-5.
External links
- Peter Lorre at IMDb
- Peter Lorre at AllMovie
- Peter Lorre at the TCM Movie Database
- Peter Lorre at the better source needed]
- The Peter Lorre Companion
- Photographs of Peter Lorre
- Peter Lorre (in German) from the online-archive of the Österreichischen Mediathek