Happy Birthday, Peter Lorre, Master of Menace

[nytemare]

He was a wonderful actor, with such range he could be utterly creepy, to funny, to sweet and charming, to smartly enigmatic, to sophisticated and malevolent.

His life was interesting as well, emigrating here via Paris then England to escape Hitler, he said "For two murderers like Hitler and me, there's not enough room in Germany." Footage from his work in "M" was later used in the German propaganda film "The Eternal Jew". While in Paris, he was rumored to sneak back into Germany at night to aid intellectuals to escape to Paris.

Anyway, he is my latest strange crush, so I hope you'll join me in honoring his work. I've included some youtube clips below.




Explaining his affliction in "M"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvxBvqvuY7I

In disguise as "Mr Moto"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb4Ks8sLtX0


Practically fellating his umbrella handle in "Maltese Falcon"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upX5deBgroM

He likes coffee with his sugar in "I Was an Adventuress"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4uI9RpYHZ8

In a wine tasting battle with Vincent Price in "Tales of Terror"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjmeAmKz0wM

[csziggy]

1. I loved him in a comedy best

Arsenic and Old Lace
http://youtu.be/yw-zxxvEB_c

[Graybeard]

2. Dr. Einstein!

Loved him in that. And how about his "dancing" in Silk Stockings? He could do it all.

[nytemare]

6. I just watched that again on Netflix.

I loved the way he tried to hold back Jonathan's arm to calm him down when he started to get riled up. Even when he didn't have dialogue, he would eat up the camera's eye.

[DinahMoeHum]

3. Who can forget "Casablanca" ??? ". . .Poor devils. . ."

(with regard to the 2 German couriers Ugarte murdered)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmdijelLwFs

Lorre/"Ugarte": "You despise me, don't you?"

Bogart/"Rick": "If I gave you any thought, I probably would."

----------------------------------

Bogart/"Rick": "I don't mind a parasite - I object to a cut-rate one".


Classic!

[nytemare]

5. I was always sad that the Ugarte character died so early in that film.

It had such potential.

[pink-o]

4. Maltese Falcon....

When Bogy roughs him up, then Lorre stands up, glances down and says: "Look what you've done to my shirt." The original metrosexual...?

[nytemare]

7. Actually, his character, Greenstreet's and Elisha Cook's were all gay

They couldn't just come out and say it back then. In that scene, when Lorre starts to search him, the first place he grabbed for was Bogie's ass...LOL. I'm surprised that one got by the censors.


I like the scene where Bogie meets Greenstreet, and Greenstreet is jabbering on about "I like a man who talks, I like a man who....". I couldn't find a clip.

[nolabear]

8. One of a kind. "M" is one of the most amazing movies ever.

There's also a Twilight Zone (I think) episode where Steve McQueen is a compulsive gambler who bets his finger against a mysterious man's car. Lorre plays the man's "assistant" who has the most understatedly hilarious response to the job.

Love him. Wish he was still around.

[nytemare]

9. Ah yes, the Alfred Hitchcock Presents show.

Lorre was so sad when his wife walked in and spoiled all the finger fun.

[cemaphonic]

10. That was based on a Roald Dahl story

The Man From the South.

[cemaphonic]

11. aw, that Maltese Falcon clip leaves out the best part.

After Spade knocks out Cairo he rifles through his stuff. When Cairo wakes up, they have a little chat, smooth over their mutual suspicions, and Cairo politely asks for his gun back. Then he calmly sticks up Spade again, in the exact same way he did before. Little creep had moxie

[nytemare]

12. "You will please clasp your hands togeder at de back of your neck!"

:)