Review of The Maltese Falcon Nov 30, 2008
A story of greed, corruption and murder, the 1941 production of The Maltese Falcon stars some of the biggest names in film noir, Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre ... The character of Joel Cairo is performed by Peter Lorre who was in Casablanca with Bogart and is known for his unique characters in classic horror films with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. (Suite101.com)
All flame, no fire Nov 13, 2008
So another fine actor, Mathieu Amalric, also goes wasted, scaring no one with his Peter Lorre eyes. As for the principal babe, that would be Camille (Olga Kurylenko), she of the badly burned back but the very fetching front. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Quantum of Solace: Smart Bond Oct 27, 2008
Choose the one that's best for you. HOME DELIVERY: Variety Print Subscriptions Daily Variety and Weekly Variety print subscriptions delivered to your home. (Variety)
Reaping a Sad Harvest: A "Narcotic Farm" That Tried to Grow Recovery [Slide Show] Oct 25, 2008
A federal prison in Kentucky was a temporary home for thousands, including Sonny Rollins, Peter Lorre and William S. Burroughs as well as a lab for addiction treatments such as LSD ... Along the way, Narco was frequented by legendary jazz musicians such as Chet Baker and Sonny Rollins, as well as actor Peter Lorre and beat generation writer William S. Burroughs, who recounted his experience in his first novel, Junkie. (Scientific American)
'Star Wars': New chapter in the saga Aug 15, 2008
He sounds like Peter Lorre crossed with Truman Capote, and looks like a slimmed-down Jabba, if Jabba had a Capt. Jack Sparrow thing going for him. Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Daniels are the only actors from the previous movies who supply voices for their character (Dooku, Mace Windu and C-3PO, respectively). (Florida Times-Union)
Critic's Corner Wednesday Aug 13, 2008
TCM's Summer Under the Stars continues with a marathon salute to one of Hollywood's great character actors, Peter Lorre. The evening offerings are Mad Love (8 ET/5 PT), Stranger on the Third Floor (9:15 ET/6:15 PT), The Maltese Falcon (10:30 ET/7:30 PT) and The Mask of Dimitrios (12:15 a.m. ET/ 9:15 PT). (USA Today -- Life)
Movie: Voyage to the Bottom of the ... Aug 10, 2008
Movie: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Peter Lorre Star in 1961 Sci-Fi Film ... Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Peter Lorre Star in 1961 Sci-Fi Film ... Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Peter Lorre and Barbara Eden star. (Suite101.com)
What's the big deal with million-dollar baby photos? Aug 3, 2008
In the meantime, I have a few a genuine photos of the love child born from the unholy union of Peter Lorre and Joan Crawford, and I'll open the bids at a very reasonable $1. 2 million. (Tallahassee.com)
AFI Names Top Ten Mystery Films of ... Jul 26, 2008
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Aston, Gladys George and Peter Lorre. Director John Huston. (Suite101.com)
Beat the Devil Jul 21, 2008
Bogart, Robert Morley and Peter Lorre supply the deadpan insults, with tart observations courtesy of Jennifer Jones and Gina Lollobrigida. "Doctor's orders are that I must have a lot of money," declares Bogart's Billy Dannreuther, "otherwise I become dull, listless and have trouble with my complexion." [an error occurred while processing this directive. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Giving voice to the villain presents quite the acting challenge Jul 16, 2008
"You think about the great ones: Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter, or the great Peter Lorre or the granddaddy of them all, Darth Vader. In a way, those characters are defined by that voice.". But what makes for an effective one. (USA Today)
Don't Misunderestimate Obama Jul 8, 2008
too bad, Location: IA Reply # 17 Date: Jul 8, 2008 - 7:15 AM EST He Can Beat Peter Lorre on Tranquilizers Let's remember that Obama beat the Clinton criminals against all odds ... e., a Kristol liberal), who now gives speeches and talks like Peter Lorre on tranquilizers, a stark contrast to the purple-faced, foul-mouthed, raging McAmnesty last summer during his amnesty sellout. (Townhall.com)
TCM's Popular SUMMER UNDER THE STARS Festival Returns for Sixth Year Jul 2, 2008
12), Peter Lorre (Aug. 13), Greer Garson (Aug. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
PICKPOCKETS, GIANT SUPERHEROES AND SCHIZOPHRENIC COPS Jun 19, 2008
M: June 27 & July 1 Directed Lee Myung-se (Korea) No, this has nothing to do with Fritz Lang, Peter Lorre or the Peer Gynt Suite. Lee Myung-se follows up his superbly disjointed Duelist (NYAFF 2006) with M, an equally spastic, labyrinthine exercise in clashing styles. (New York Press)
Huckabee comments portend dirty GOP assault May 20, 2008
al., and there I can feel a little like the first singer of 'Mack the Knife,' the great Jewish German actor Kurt Gerron in 1944 -- should've got out when I could, when Peter Lorre offered to help. " Michael Welch Why I Fight -- I Uh Love My Country... wrote on May 19, 2008 1:23 PM:" Well I think the 'Johnny-Tess' stuff would be marginal if its cockroachy 'spirit' hadn't been dominating this blog so lately. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
"Hazel Court -- Horror Queen" dies of heart attack Apr 18, 2008
While she had a substantial acting career both in England and on American TV, Court was perhaps best known for her work in such films as 1963's "The Raven." She co-starred with Price, Karloff and Peter Lorre in director Roger Corman's take on the classic Edgar Allan Poe poem. Corman directed her in five movies. (Xinhuanet, China)
Raven scream queen Hazel Court dies at 82 Apr 17, 2008
She co-starred with Price, Karloff and Peter Lorre in a Roger Corman take on the classic Edgar Allan Poe poem. advertisement. (MSNBC -- News)
Horton Hears a Who!: Rated G for Glorious Mar 15, 2008
" This time, his mission is even more perilous. He must fend off the agnostic scorn of prime jungle bureaucrat Jane Kangaroo and her simian minions the Wickersham brothers. Kangaroo charges a "black-bottomed eagle" to fly the speck to a remote spot and dump it in a giant field of clover, where Horton would have to overcome tremendous odds just to locate it. Actually, the Who-ville speck would be quite safe in that field (which might be home to three billion tiny worlds). For Horton to bring the... (Time.com)
Weirdos: a love story Jan 20, 2008
He was always a fan of early horror actors, such as Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Peter Lorre ... "When Peter Lorre looked at you, you saw all sorts of things going through the guy's head, both positive and negative. But even in a monster, there is a humanity that comes through." Sweeney Todd may be a musical - indeed, the music never stops - but at heart it is perhaps the last of the old silent melodramas, full of quivering eyebrows and broken hearts ... Budget $50 million Gross so... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Murder by numbers Jan 19, 2008
He was always a fan of early horror actors such as Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Peter Lorre ... "When Peter Lorre looked at you, you saw all sorts of things going through the guy's head, both positive and negative. But even in a monster, there is a humanity that comes through.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Just Asking: Tim Burton Dec 29, 2007
Johnny and I have talked since we did "Edward Scissorhands" about the old Lon Chaney, Peter Lorre movies. They had an acting style that seemed rooted in silent movies. (Wall Street Journal)
The Man Behind 'Sweeney' Dec 23, 2007
It goes back to this old horror-movie acting style, like Peter Lorre in "Mad Love," or Lon Chaney or Boris Karloff. It's something Johnny and I talked about for a long time, and it was fun to have the opportunity to do a character like that. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Burton re-invents the movie musical Dec 18, 2007
"There's a certain style to those old horror movies -- starring Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre -- that you don't see much anymore," Burton said. "This was an opportunity to try to do characters like that, and the music really fit.". (Los Angeles Times)
Letters: More favorite character actors Dec 17, 2007
From "Casablanca," I'd pick Peter Lorre, Claude Rains and Paul Henreid ... Favorite Peter Lorre role: "Casablanca." ... Also: Peter Lorre in "The Maltese Falcon": Lorre had an amazingly long career in movies and television. (San Francisco Chronicle)
'Sweeney' showcases artistic mayhem of Depp & Burton Dec 14, 2007
In fact, Burton's approach was inspired by old horror movies and spooky actors like Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre. "We took cues from silent movies," he says. (USA Today -- Life)
Boxed-Set Bonanza Nov 25, 2007
Hitchcock attracted an amazing array of talent to work on the series: "The Glass Eye," with Tom Conway as a ventriloquist and Billy Barty as his dummy (also in the cast: Jessica Tandy, Rosemary Harris and William Shatner); "The Perfect Crime," with Vincent Price; seven episodes directed by "Casablanca" actor Paul Henreid (including "The Diplomatic Corpse," co-starring Peter Lorre); "The Young One," featuring Carol Lynley and directed by Robert Altman; and "The Foghorn," an uncanny love story... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Bertolt Brecht's playwriting genius didn't translate to film Sep 17, 2007
The struggle between Mack the Knife (Rudolf Forster), lord of the underworld, and Peachum (Fritz Rasp), "the poorest man in London," sits uncomfortably with spoken and sung pronouncements like "this truth you cannot shirk/ man lives exclusively by dirty work." Mack and Peachum, like nearly all of Brecht's protagonists, are intended to be scoundrels, but Pabst, perhaps influenced by American gangster films, makes Mack into a charmer - a villain we cannot help but admire for his pluck and dash,... (Boston Globe -- Living)
The Reel Queens: Moving Image lays out Fritz Lang's dark vision Sep 14, 2007
The film, which featured an early Peter Lorre performance, made remarkable use of sound and shadows to create suspense, as well as incorporating the theme of mob mentality, a plot device he would also use in "Fury," his first Hollywood film, which starred Spencer Tracy. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Lang churned out 21 studio films, many of which were films noir that were often bleak and brutal in their delivery. (Forest Hills Ledger, NY)
Tim Burton basks in Venice glow Sep 6, 2007
He added that pics with "people like Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre" are among vintage scary works he drew on for inspiration. "It's quite uncharted territory. I don't think there are that many horror movie musicals out there these days," Burton noted. (Variety)
Christopher Walken, Steve Zahn, More Scene-Stealers Explain Role Of Supporting Actor Aug 1, 2007
The fact of the matter is that, ever since there have been movies, there have been two types of supporting stars: Those who support the lead actor (from Walter Brennan to Ned Beatty to Danny Huston) and those who steal the movie away from them (from Peter Lorre to Ernest Borgnine to Christopher Walken). Which is the better method. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Harry Potter's Latest Has Us Conjuring Up Top 10 Movie Wizards, In Rewind Jul 11, 2007
Dr. Craven (Vincent Price) is mourning his dead wife Lenore when he meets a smart-aleck raven that turns out to be a transformed Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre), a magician who was turned into a bird by the evil Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff). When Craven discovers that Lenore is still alive and shacking up with Scarabus, a battle of the dark arts ensues, and it's as fun and funny as it is cheesy. (VHI.com -- Music News)
DVD watch: What's in a Cole Porter musical? Jun 26, 2007
A rare Peter Lorre musical to be sure, but more significant, it's Fred Astaire's last big-screen musical for 11 years. A Porter-scored remake (co-starring Cyd Charisse) of Greta Garbo's Ninotchka, this sometimes oddball spoof of American-Soviet tensions was first done on stage. (USA Today -- Life)
Secret Agent Jun 4, 2007
Peter Lorre is at his most energised in this early Hitchcock thriller ... But Peter Lorre is at his most energised and Madeleine Carroll is incandescent. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
London theater: Staging, and watching, mostly what's comfortable May 22, 2007
With use of little more than a soft, high-pitched voice resembling a feminized Peter Lorre, he shows a societal outsider who against the odds finds a real home in the jail cell he is sharing with the young revolutionary, Valentin (Rupert Evans). Is Molina's release at the final curtain, then, good news or bad, given the prison posed for such a person by society at large. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
The suspense is killing them May 20, 2007
From Peter Lorre in M through Tony Curtis's Albert DeSalvo in The Boston Strangler and Richard Attenborough's Reginald Christie in 10 Rillington Place to Anthony Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter, the chief roles in such pictures have been the killers. In this case, however, the murderer who styled himself Zodiac was never brought to justice and the film is concerned with the men who pursued him and the effect that this day-to-day involvement over several years had on their lives. (The Observer)
Domestic bliss with art's Hinge and Bracket May 9, 2007
With his unplaceable accent, Gilbert looked and sounded like Peter Lorre playing the part of a worried vole, while George affected the manner of an understanding headmaster at a posh boy's school. They were lovely, really, Hinge and Bracket in bespoke suits, the sort of couple you could genuinely imagine saying: "Forty years together, and never a cross word.". (Scotsman)
50 Festival Years Apr 24, 2007
" Charisse told an odd story about the very odd Peter Lorre, her co-star on "Silk Stockings," which had just been screened. "He was taking a little something he shouldn't have been taking, and we saw little drops of it fall to the ground as he walked across the stage. " When interviewer Jan Wahl asked if it was alcohol, Charisse shook her head no, leaving everyone to ponder Lorre's substance of choice. E-mail Ruthe Stein at . This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Joel Grey Looks At "Unexamined Things" Apr 23, 2007
"My idea was to be Laurence Olivier, or Peter Lorre, or some great classical actor. I thought I'd be a character actor.". It was the character of "Cabaret"'s M.C. that made Grey a star. (CBS News)
First Screen James Bond Dies Apr 14, 2007
The live broadcast on October 21, 1954 featured Peter Lorre as the card player Le Chiffre. "I was doing a series for CBS called 'My Favorite Husband,'" Nelson told "Entertainment Tonight" in 1987. (CBS News)
Barry Nelson, 89; first actor to play 007 Apr 14, 2007
He said he had doubts about playing the role until he learned who was playing the villain: Peter Lorre. "That," he said, "was the clincher.". (Los Angeles Times)
Giovanni Ribisi: Better Known Than Another 'Perfect Stranger,' Balki Bartokomous? Apr 13, 2007
transformed himself into a hulking, tattooed, sexually adventurous grocery clerk; in "Heaven," he shaved his head and delivered his lines in Italian; in "Basic," he was a gay soldier with a tic; and in the 2004 remake of "Flight of the Phoenix," he channeled Peter Lorre to masterfully craft a timid, nasally voiced architect with a secret. This is a man who even changes the way he walks from movie to movie. (VHI.com -- Music News)
50SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Apr 1, 2007
" At his retrospective, Vincent Price also expresses only gratitude for being typecast -- in his case as scary. He recalls sitting around with Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone, saying, "How are we going to scare the little bastards this time. " While working for Howard Hughes at RKO in the 1950s, Price says, a flunky gave him the script for "Son of Sinbad" and asked whether he liked it. "I think it's the worst script I ever read," Price told him, to which the guy replied, "It is,... (San Francisco Chronicle)
DVD Review: Casino Royale Mar 14, 2007
Id never heard of Mads Mikklesen (think a smashup of Peter Lorre, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lee, and Henry Silva), but I thought that he was the perfect embodiment of the role. Eva Green is also acceptable as Vesper, but does not rise to the heights of Dame Diana Rigg. (Monsters and Critics.com)
'Zodiac' is darkly evocative re-creation of an era Mar 9, 2007
Zodiac' is darkly evocative re-creation of an era - The Lexington Dispatch (Foster's Daily Democrat)
SIGN OF THE TIMES Mar 2, 2007
They've been part of movies at least since Fritz Lang's 1931 film "M," starring Peter Lorre as a murderer of little girls who whistles Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from "Peer Gynt." In expressionist Berlin, Lang's serial killer pleads for understanding of his compulsion. In 21st century America, we know better. (Buffalo News -- Entertainment)
'Long Distance Runner' tracks ... Feb 22, 2007
98) assembles a quartet of that singing star's musical showcases Lillian Russell, On the Avenue, That Night in Rio and The Gang's All Here while The Mr. Moto Collection Volume Two showcases Peter Lorre as the no-nonsense Japanese sleuth in Mr. Moto on Danger Island, Mr. Moto's Gamble, Mr. Moto's Last Warning and Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation. Both sets include new featurettes and other bonus material. (Washington Times, DC)
A history of Chinese restaurants in L.A. Feb 21, 2007
" apparently miffed that the diners did not appreciate the gastronomic masterpieces they were eating. She genuinely loved the cook's chop suey, putting away two or three bowls a night. But after all, it was just chop suey, not at all a dish for connoisseurs. As another sign that Chinese food was joining the mainstream, Chinese American restaurants started opening in the downtown business district around 1905. The menus were literally Chinese American you could get steak or roast chicken there as... (Los Angeles Times)
In a Case Worthy of Spade, the Falcon Has Flown Again Feb 15, 2007
When the movies came calling in 1941, Mr. Bogart played Sam Spade opposite Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. The replica was given to Mr. Konstin in the mid 1990s by Elisha Cook Jr., the actor who played a fist-magnet mobster in the movie. (Foster's Daily Democrat)
Adrift in Macao Feb 14, 2007
Scene is a dock in Macao, where a ship has just deposited several characters familiar to anyone who ever saw "The Man Who Knew Too Much," "Thank You, Mr. Moto," "Casablanca" or any movie starring Peter Lorre, Robert Mitchum or Bogie and Bacall. Before the gangplank is even rolled up, one of these iconic types (the platinum blonde in white raincoat and dark glasses) greets another (the guy in the snappy fedora) and shoots him dead. (Variety)
Rewind: Sometimes Take Two Is Better — 10 Great Movie Remakes Jan 16, 2007
While the original (featuring a chilling Peter Lorre) is great, the remake benefits from more exotic locations (Morocco replaces Switzerland), a terrific Bernard Herrmann score and perfectly cast leads in Hitchcock fave James Stewart and Doris Day (getting to stretch beyond her apple-pie image). 2. (VHI.com -- Music News)
A drop of poison | Jan 8, 2007
Balanced tenuously somewhere between Mortimer, who wants to call the police, and Jonathan, who wants to torture his brother to death, is the good doctor, played by Peter Lorre. Lorres performance is almost too good for comedy. (iAfrica.com)
'Falcon' invites contrast (Gary Arnold) Jan 4, 2007
The 1941 ensemble: Humphrey Bogart as Spade, Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaugnessy (aka Miss Wonderly), Sydney Greenstreet as Kaspar Gutman, Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo, et al, appears even more heaven-sent if you watch the three versions in chronological order. I'm not as inclined to scorn "Satan Met a Lady," directed by William Dieterle, as I once was. (Washington Times, DC)
The comfort of deja vu Jan 1, 2007
And we enjoy these rules because they are the schemes by which we know we should be wary of Peter Lorre or Sydney Greenstreet but trust Bogart and Bergman. You see, we say we go to the movies to hear stories we never heard before. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)
