Classic Movie 10: Peter Lorre Films

Classic horror has its own set of icons, with stars like Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Christopher Lee serving as some of its most beloved A-listers, but Peter Lorre deserves a spot among them, as well, even though he made far fewer horror movies than the others, partly due to his poor health and early death at the age of 59. While Lorre's work in horror is more limited than most people might realize, his saucer eyes and slightly sinister look made him a perfect fit for the genre, and he was also often cast as oily, suspicious characters in less gruesome fare. 

Born in Austria-Hungary in 1904, Lorre worked in Germany until the rise of the Nazis, which caused the Jewish stage and screen actor to depart and eventually relocate to Hollywood, where he continued to appear in films right up until his passing in 1964. Between 1937 and 1939, Lorre starred as the title character in a series of Mr. Moto mysteries, but the yellowface casting of Lorre as the Japanese detective makes those movies a complicated legacy. Because Lorre's death cut his career short, my list is divided between his horror and other genre roles, with five for each. Mix and match some favorites with others you haven't seen before to appreciate Lorre's unique screen presence!

Five Peter Lorre Horror Films 

1) MAD LOVE (1935)

Lorre's first American horror movie is a Grand Guignol spectacle that recycles the story of the 1920 novel and 1924 silent adaptation of The Hands of Orlac. Lorre plays the brilliant but deranged surgeon who replaces the mangled hands of a gifted pianist (Colin Clive) with those of a recently executed killer.

2) ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944)*

This fan-favorite from director Frank Capra is a delightful mix of screwball comedy, crime, and horror, with Lorre in a supporting role as the plastic surgeon who assists dangerous criminal Jonathan Brewster (Raymond Massey). Cary Grant stars as Jonathan's brother, Mortimer, who finds himself surrounded by the criminally insane on Halloween, just as he's trying to tie the knot with his sweetheart (Priscilla Lane).   

3) THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS (1946)

Lorre plays a psychologically distressed secretary who is haunted by the appearance of his dead employer's murderous severed hand in this entertaining chiller with great special effects work. Fans of Thing in The Addams Family TV shows and movies will not want to miss this one!

4) TALES OF TERROR (1962)

Lorre appears in the second segment of this Poe-inspired anthology film from director Roger Corman, which is a loose adaptation of "The Black Cat" combined with other Poe story elements. Vincent Price stars in all three stories, and Basil Rathbone co-stars in the third. Lorre also appears with Price and Karloff in Corman's 1963 horror comedy, The Raven. 

5) THE COMEDY OF TERRORS (1963)

This Jacques Tourneur horror-comedy, co-starring Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, and Boris Karloff, was the last Lorre picture to be released before his death. Lorre plays the long-suffering assistant to Price's homicidal undertaker, with Rathbone as one of their intended victims.

 

Five Peter Lorre Non-Horror Films

1) M (1931)*

This German thriller from director Fritz Lang made Lorre a movie star even though it also cast him as a serial killer who targets children. Lorre gives a riveting performance as the title character, but it's a disturbing picture and not for the faint of heart, even today. 

2) THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)

The quintessential American detective tale starring Humphrey Bogart is certainly one of the most iconic films to feature Lorre, and it helped to cement his reputation for playing sly, unscrupulous characters. Lorre plays Joel Cairo, one of several criminals scheming to get their hands on the fabled falcon statue. Lorre's scenes with Sydney Greenstreet were so good that the pair appeared in numerous movies together, including Passage to Marseille (1944), The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), Three Strangers (1946), and, of course, Casablanca (1942).

3) CASABLANCA (1942)

Along with The Maltese Falcon, this is probably the film where most people see and remember Peter Lorre, even though he has a relatively small role that quickly ends with his character's death. Humphrey Bogart's world-weary Rick doesn't like Lorre's larcenous Ugarte, but Ugarte trusts Rick partly because of that, which is how the bar owner ends up with the coveted letters of transit that drive the main plot.

4) BLACK ANGEL (1946)

Lorre plays a nightclub owner in this film noir that also stars Dan Duryea and June Vincent. Directed by Roy William Neill, the story comes from a novel by noir great Cornell Woolrich. It's a good follow-up to The Maltese Falcon if you want to see more of Lorre's noir roles, along with The Chase (1946), Rope of Sand (1949), and Quicksand (1950).

5) 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954)

Disney made this live-action adaptation of the 1870 Jules Verne adventure tale with a host of big stars, including Kirk Douglas, James Mason, and Lorre. It's a rare foray into family fare for Lorre, who plays the assistant to Professor Aronnax (Paul Lukas). The movie was a big hit when it appeared, becoming the third highest-grossing picture of the year.

Peter Lorre trivia: The worm character, Maggot (voiced by Enn Reitel), in Tim Burton's 2005 film, Corpse Bride, is very clearly inspired by Lorre's typical movie persona. 

* These films don't have links to other posts because my original discussions were included in my 2012 book, Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching (still available as an ebook on Amazon Kindle).