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Peter Lorre was a Hungarian and American actor, known for his roles as a serial killer in M (1931) and a detective in Mr. Moto series. He worked in Europe and Hollywood, and was frequently caricaturized for his appearance and voice.
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- Sydney Greenstreet
- He Was A Loner
- He Grew Up with A Villain
- His Mother’s Passing Was Suspicious
- He Ran Away
- He Fell in Love
- He Was to Make It Big
- He Was A Vampire
- He Worked Overtime
- He Did His Own Stunts
- He Couldn’T Whistle
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Peter Lorre was born to Hungarian Jewish parents in June of 1904. His real name was László Löwenstein, which would have made for a much cooler stage name. His father was a bookkeeper but also a lieutenant, so he was rarely home. As a result, Lorre spent a lot of time alone. From the very beginning, his life was something of a nightmare. Flickr, one...
It’s little wonder that Lorre knew how to portray a villain on screen—he grew up with one. Lorre’s mother passed away he was just four years old and his father remarried his deceased wife’s best friend. Lorre’s new stepmother was so cruel to him that he used to hide underneath the bed to escape her. And it wasn’t just because she was mean. His fear...
By all accounts, Lorre’s mother had been healthy up to the point of her sudden demise and her quick end raised some eyebrows. In all likelihood, Lorre’s mother had succumbed to food poisoning. It’s only speculation, but her untimely passing benefited Lorre’s new monster of a stepmother more than anyone else. He had to escape. Wikipedia
Peter Lorre ran away from home at the age of 17 to get away from his stepmother—in case she made him a suspect “family dinner”. Lorre found his way to Germany and began working as a bank clerk but took stage acting lessons as well. He soon found stage work in Vienna, Berlin and Zurich. But bigger, scarier things were right around the corner. Wikipe...
While working on the stage in Berlin, Lorre met fellow stage actress, Celia Lovsky. Despite his funny looks, it must have been love at first sight because the two began dating. Even though their romance wouldn’t last for very long, their friendship would. In fact, Lovsky might have been the only one who saw the hero in Lorre. Wikimedia Commons
Lorre clearly had a knack for acting. Early in his stage acting career, Lorre attracted the attention of famed German director, Fritz Lang. Up to that point, Lorre had mostly featured in comedies on the stage—but Lang knew that there was something darker lurking beneath Lorre’s awkward face. Lorre was about to get famous for all the wrong reasons. ...
Without a second thought, Lang cast Lorre as the villainous star of his 1931 German-language masterpiece, M. Lorre might not have agreed to the role, however, if he knew what he was getting himself into. Allegedly, Lang had drawn inspiration for Lorre’s character from the macabre actions of the real-life Vampire of Dusseldorf. M (1931), Nero-Film A...
There was no guarantee for Lorre that Lang’s experimental film, M, would earn him any money. So, to pay his bills, Lorre continued working on the stage during the filming of M.During the days, he played a deranged mind and then by nights he graced the stage and made audiences laugh. Filming was harder work than Lorre had initially anticipated. M (1...
Lang praised Lorre’s performance throughout the making of M, but from the sounds of it, there wasn’t much acting involved. There was a scene in which Lorre’s character had to fall down the stairs. In the age before stuntmen, this meant that Lang directed Lorre to throw himself down a flight of stairs. It only took twelve takes. M (1931), Nero-Film ...
Lang couldn’t get Lorre to do all of his own stunts on the set of M. Lang wanted Lorre’s character to have a menacing whistle to the tune of “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” but there was just one issue.Lorre could throw himself down the stairs but he couldn’t whistle. Lang actually recorded himself whistling and Lorre just had to mouth the tune...
Learn about the life and career of Peter Lorre, Hollywood's favorite bad guy who starred in M and The Maltese Falcon. Discover his tragic childhood, his encounter with a serial killer, his escape from Nazi Germany, and his post-mortem stalker.
Actor Peter Lorre, the Carpathian mountain boy who became a professional ogre, sleepy-voiced comedian, and bon vivant, died Monday of an apparent stroke in his tiny Hollywood apartment.
Learn about the life and career of Peter Lorre, a Hungarian-born actor who starred in films such as M, The Maltese Falcon, and Casino Royale. Find out his birth name, nicknames, family, trademarks, trivia, and more.
- June 26, 1904
- March 23, 1964
IMDb provides a comprehensive overview of the life and career of Peter Lorre, a Hungarian-born actor, writer and director who starred in many classic films and TV shows. Learn about his roles, awards, trivia, photos and videos on IMDb.
- January 1, 1
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- January 1, 1
- 1.60 m
Learn about the life and career of Peter Lorre, a Hungarian-American actor who played many foreign characters in movies. Find out his roles in "M", "Casablanca", and "The Maltese Falcon".
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Learn about Peter Lorre, a Hungarian-born American actor who played sinister villains in thrillers such as M, The Maltese Falcon, and Casablanca. Find out his biography, filmography, and legacy in this Britannica article.
