Peter Lorre
Highest Rated: 100% Silk Stockings (1957)
Lowest Rated: 67% Invisible Agent (1942)
Birthday: Jun 26, 1904
Birthplace: Rózsahegy, Austria-Hungary
A product of Berlin's post World War I experimental theatre scene, Peter Lorre honed his craft in plays by Shakespeare, Goethe and Shaw, but achieved international fame as a child killer in Fritz Lang's incendiary "M" (1931). After making his English language debut for Alfred Hitchcock in "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934), Lorre was lured to Hollywood with the promise of a studio contract. Warehoused for a year by Columbia Pictures, Lorre was loaned out to play more maniacs in "Mad Love" (1935) and "Stranger on the Third Floor" (1940). Against the better judgment of the Warner Brothers front office, first time filmmaker John Huston took a chance on Lorre by casting him as the villainous Joel Cairo to Humphrey Bogart's steely shamus Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941). Lorre and Bogart became frequent co-stars in such World War II era fare as "Across the Pacific" (1941), "Casablanca" (1942) and "Passage to Marseilles" (1944). Despite playing the occasional heroic role, Lorre remained typecast as misfits and miscreants. Plagued by ill health and drug addiction, Lorre capped his career with a run of tongue-in-cheek horror films, including "The Raven" (1963) and "Comedy of Terrors" (1963) with horror kings Boris Karloff and Vincent Price. Dead at 59, Lorre's legacy survived him, due to his roles in iconic Bogart films and the devotion of horror film fans who echoed the late actor's designation as The Lord High Minister of All That is Sinister.
Photos
Highest Rated Movies
Filmography
Movies
| Credit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | 40% | Muscle Beach Party | Mr. Strangdour (Character) | - | 1964 |
| 82% | 63% | The Patsy | Morgan Heywood (Character) | - | 1964 |
| 89% | 70% | The Comedy of Terrors | Felix Gillie (Character) | - | 1964 |
| 87% | 64% | The Raven | Dr. Adolphus Bedlo (Character) | - | 1963 |
| No Score Yet | 35% | Five Weeks in a Balloon | Ahmed (Character) | - | 1962 |
| 71% | 63% | Tales of Terror | Montresor (Character) | - | 1962 |
| 76% | 40% | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | Comm. Lucius Emery (Character) | - | 1961 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Left Fist of David | Unknown (Character) | - | 1960 |
| No Score Yet | 20% | Scent of Mystery | Smiley (Character) | - | 1960 |
| No Score Yet | 38% | The Big Circus | Skeeter (Character) | - | 1959 |
| 100% | 68% | Silk Stockings | Brankov (Character) | - | 1957 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Buster Keaton Story | Kurt Bergner (Character) | - | 1957 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Sad Sack | Abdul (Character) | - | 1957 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hell-Ship Mutiny | Commissioner Lamoret (Character) | - | 1957 |
| No Score Yet | 12% | The Story of Mankind | Nero (Character) | - | 1957 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Congo Crossing | Colonel John Miguel Orlando Arragas (Character) | - | 1956 |
| 69% | 57% | Around the World in 80 Days | Steward (Character) | - | 1956 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Operation Cicero | Moyzisch (Character) | - | 1955 |
| 89% | 74% | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Conseil (Character) | - | 1954 |
| 71% | 54% | Beat the Devil | Julius O'Hara (crook No. 2) (Character) | - | 1953 |
| No Score Yet | 59% | The Lost One |
Dr. Karl Rothe (Character), Director, Writer |
- | 1951 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Double Confession | Paynter (Character) | - | 1950 |
| No Score Yet | 56% | Quicksand | Nick Dramoshag (Character) | - | 1950 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rope of Sand | Toady (Character) | - | 1949 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Casbah | Slimane (Character) | - | 1948 |
| 75% | 70% | My Favorite Brunette | Kismet (Character) | - | 1947 |
| No Score Yet | 42% | The Chase | Gino (Character) | - | 1946 |
| No Score Yet | 60% | Black Angel | Marko (Character) | - | 1946 |
| 89% | 60% | The Beast With Five Fingers | Hilary Cummins (Character) | - | 1946 |
| No Score Yet | 56% | Three Strangers | Johnny West (Character) | - | 1946 |
| No Score Yet | 76% | The Verdict | Victor Emmric (Character) | - | 1946 |
| No Score Yet | 71% | Confidential Agent | Contreras (Character) | - | 1945 |
| No Score Yet | 67% | Hotel Berlin | Johannes Koenig (Character) | - | 1945 |
| 83% | 78% | The Mask of Dimitrios | Cornelius Leyden (Character) | - | 1944 |
| No Score Yet | 56% | The Conspirators | Jan Bernazsky (Character) | - | 1944 |
| No Score Yet | 57% | Passage to Marseille | Marius (Character) | - | 1944 |
| No Score Yet | 53% | The Cross of Lorraine | Sgt. Berger (Character) | - | 1944 |
| 81% | 92% | Arsenic and Old Lace | Dr. Einstein (Character) | - | 1944 |
| No Score Yet | 52% | Background to Danger | Nikolai Zaleshoff (Character) | - | 1943 |
| No Score Yet | 72% | The Constant Nymph | Fritz Bercovy (Character) | - | 1943 |
| 99% | 95% | Casablanca | Ugarte (Character) | - | 1942 |
| 67% | 33% | Invisible Agent | Baron Ikito (Character) | - | 1942 |
| 100% | 70% | All Through the Night | Pepi (Character) | - | 1942 |
| No Score Yet | 60% | The Boogie Man Will Get You | Dr. Lorentz (Character) | - | 1942 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mr. District Attorney | Paul Hyde (Character) | - | 1941 |
| No Score Yet | 62% | They Met in Bombay | Captain Chang (Character) | - | 1941 |
| 100% | 91% | The Maltese Falcon | Joel Cairo (Character) | - | 1941 |
| No Score Yet | 65% | The Face Behind the Mask | Janos "Johnny" Szabo (Character) | - | 1941 |
| 75% | 59% | Strange Cargo | M'sieu Pig (Character) | - | 1940 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | I Was an Adventuress | Polo (Character) | - | 1940 |
| 86% | 65% | Stranger on the Third Floor | The Stranger (Character) | - | 1940 |
| No Score Yet | 0% | Island of Doomed Men | Stephen Danel (Character) | - | 1940 |
| No Score Yet | 52% | You'll Find Out | Professor Karl Fenninger (Character) | - | 1940 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Danger Island | Mr. Moto (Character) | - | 1939 |
| No Score Yet | 43% | Mr. Moto's Last Warning | Mr. Kentaro Moto (Character) | - | 1939 |
| No Score Yet | 45% | Mr. Moto in Danger Island | Mr. Moto (Character) | - | 1939 |
| No Score Yet | 67% | Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation | Mr. Moto (Character) | - | 1939 |
| No Score Yet | 36% | Mr. Moto Takes a Chance | Mr. Moto (Character) | - | 1938 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | I'll Give a Million | Louie 'The Dope' Monteau (Character) | - | 1938 |
| No Score Yet | 33% | Mr. Moto's Gamble | Mr. Moto (Character) | - | 1938 |
| No Score Yet | 42% | Mysterious Mr. Moto | Mr. Moto (Character) | - | 1938 |
| No Score Yet | 65% | Thank You, Mr. Moto | Mr. Moto (Character) | - | 1937 |
| No Score Yet | 59% | Think Fast, Mr. Moto | Mr. Moto (Character) | - | 1937 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lancer Spy | Maj. Sigfried Gruning (Character) | - | 1937 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nancy Steele Is Missing | Professor Sturm (Character) | - | 1937 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Crack-Up | Colonel Gimpy (Character) | - | 1937 |
| 86% | 48% | Secret Agent | The General (Character) | - | 1936 |
| No Score Yet | 100% | Crime and Punishment | Roderick Raskolnikov (Character) | - | 1935 |
| 100% | 82% | Mad Love | Doctor Gogol (Character) | - | 1935 |
| 88% | 67% | The Man Who Knew Too Much | Abbott (Character) | - | 1934 |
| 100% | 95% | M | Hans Beckert (Character) | $29.6K | 1931 |
TV
| Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 77 Sunset Strip | The Gypsy (Guest Star) | 1963 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Route 66 | Himself (Guest Star) | 1962 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Checkmate | Alonzon Pace Graham (Guest Star) | 1961 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rawhide | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1960 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wagon Train | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1960 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | I've Got a Secret | Guest | 1960 1954 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | What's My Line? | Guest | 1960 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Unknown (Character) | 1960 1957 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Climax! | Unknown (Character) | 1954-1957 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Red Skelton Show |
Unknown (Guest Star), Guest |
1957 1955 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The 20th Century-Fox Hour | Unknown (Character) | 1956 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Screen Directors Playhouse | Unknown (Character) | 1956 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Star and the Story | Unknown (Character) | 1955 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The United States Steel Hour | Unknown (Character) | 1953 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Suspense | Unknown (Character) | 1952 |
QUOTES FROM Peter Lorre CHARACTERS
Joel Cairo says: You will take say, $100.
Sam Spade says: No, I will take say $200.
Cornelius Latimer Leyden says: Goodbye Mr. Peters. Au revoir. Sorry you won't be able to go to the Indies now.
Mr. Peters says: You see, there's not enough kindness in the world.
Vera Novak cafe cashier says: Give me a nickel, Danny. I'll show you how to beat this game. [After less than a minute at a pinball machine, Dan is highly impressed.] One ball. Hey Nick, pay me! I hit the jackpot.
Nick Dramoshag Penny Arcade Owner says: Here. [Nick gives Vera a couple dollars as a prize - then puts up an 'Out of Order" sign.] That's all for you.
Dan Brady auto mechanic says: Hey, wait a minute. [Dan flips the sign back out of sight.] Go ahead honey, play it as much as you want.
Vera Novak cafe cashier says: Take it easy, Danny; I can handle Nick myself. I used to work here, didn't I Nick?
Nick Dramoshag Penny Arcade Owner says: [mumbling] yeah. you come back, huh?
Vera Novak cafe cashier says: [referencing a mink coat by running her fingers along the lapel of her own plain coat.] It's still in the window, Nick, just like yesterday.
Nick Dramoshag Penny Arcade Owner says: You crazy? - what do you think I am; a millionaire?
Dan Brady auto mechanic says: What's going on here?
Vera Novak cafe cashier says: Oh let's skip it. [taking Dan by the arm] Let's have our pictures taken. C'mon. See you later, Nick.
Ugarte says: Heh, you know, watching you just now with the Deutsche Bank, one would think you've been doing this all your life.
Rick Blaine says: Oh, what makes you think I haven't?
Ugarte says: Oh, n-n-n-nothing, but when you first came to Casablanca, I thought...
Rick Blaine says: You thought what?
Ilsa says: You thought what?
Ugarte says: What right do I have to think?
Ugarte says: You despise me don't you?
Rick Blaine says: Well if I gave you any thought I probably would.
Joel Cairo says: You always have such a smooth explanation.
Sam Spade says: What to you want me to do, learn to stutter?
Joel Cairo says: You. . . you bungled it. You and your stupid attempt to buy it. Kemedov found out how valuable it was, no wonder we had such an easy time stealing it. You . . . you imbecile! You bloated idiot! You stupid fat-head you!
Joel Cairo says: You... you bungled it. You and your stupid attempt to buy it. Kemedov found out how valuable it was, no wonder we had such an easy time stealing it. You... you imbecile! You bloated idiot! You stupid fat-head you!
Dr. Gogol says: Why are you afraid of me? I love you, I love you. You came to life for me.
Dr. Einstein says: You shouldn't have killed him. Just because he know something about us, what happens?
Jonathan Brewster says: We come to him for help, and he tries to shake us down. Besides, he said I looked like Boris Karloff!
Dr. Einstein says: No, no, Johnny. You cannot count him. You got twelve, they got twelve. The old ladies is just as good as you are!
Ugarte says: Heh, you know, watching you just now with the Deutsche Bank, one would think you've been doing this all your life.
Rick Blaine says: Oh, what makes you think I haven't?
Ugarte says: Oh, nothing, but when you first came to Casablanca, I thought...
Rick Blaine says: You thought what?
Ugarte says: Huh, what right do I have to think?
Ugarte says: You know, Rick, I have many a friend in Casablanca, but somehow, just because you despise me, you are the only one I trust.