Talking about Peter Lorre last time made me want do more about him.
This (above) is a terrific still, but films that go this far over the top may not use Lorre to best advantage.
Lorre has a unique face that seems baby-like and thoroughly adult at the same time. He's like an old baby.
Just like a baby he finds the world confusing. He innocently desires to bring pain to the world and can't understand why anybody would resent that.
He's hunted, despised...treated like an animal.
Backed up against the wall, he snaps. "If they want violence, I'll give them violence!!!"
In real life Lorre always wanted be known as "Pete" Lorre and longed to join a bowling league and be one of the guys. Well, I made up the bowling thing, but you know what I mean.
He got a few roles that were intended to be played almost normal....
...but they came out skewered. Lorre was not born to play the guy next door.
I love it (above) when Lorre smiles. It's a terrific smile but the face nearly cracks with the effort.
Poor Lorre was short.
Maybe because he was self-conscious about his height, he was always asking women to sit on his knee.
Either that, or he would sit on their knees.
One of Lorre's closest friends was Humphrey Bogart. Here (above) they are in a sauna playing cards. Unbelievable! Lorre is hairy and well-built, and Bogart is pink with an average build!
Want to hear one of Peter Lorre's radio's radio shows? Try this link to The Old Time Radio Network: http://www.otr.net/?p=mita
He's in all the shows shown above, and in a few more that aren't listed. For more info see Cheryl's comment in the comments section, and visit her site for a complete rundown on what Loore we can expect to see on Turner in October.
BTW: Thanks to the Peter Lorre Book site for some of the pictures used here: http://www.peterlorrebook.com/photos03.html
38 comments:
He would have made a great Benjamin Button!
Ed, I havn't looked in on you for awhile, but I dig the new layouts for The Corner... your newly articulated editorial raison d'etre, however, once again excludes politics from an array of subjects all of which have great political implications or were directly motivated for political reasons, (aesthetics, literature, fine art, and yes, science). Thus how can The Corner really gain any traction or depth, theoretically speaking, without this forbidden dimension? I understand why fear of political discourse arises,-- violent dispute. Yet, as you say, The Corner still sets commentors at each others throats. Whither theory?
Nacht: Interesting question. The problem with politics is that it's not discussable in a short space. People sometimes take the stands they do because of deep-seated prejudices and assumptions that they're often not even aware of, and peeling away the layers to get to the real reasons for belief is a time-consuming process. A sympathetic friend can do it, or a book, but nothing you could say briefly on a blog is likely to change minds about this subject.
Of course I could be wrong about this, and for that reason I'm glad that other people have political blogs, but it's not for me. Besides, a lot of the really important issues in every era aren't even addressed by politics.
You should check out Lorre in a rare musical role: Silk Stockings. He sings, he tries to dance, but he's still Peter Lorre. He can't help it.
I think it's best if Theory Corner does not get involved national and global political issues. It's such a mundane subject and there are far more colourful things to talk about.
As for Peter Lorre, he was one of those very rare people in hollywood that was truely a great personality instead of actor. It's a blessing and a curse.
wikipedia entry on Lorre is interesting.
Among other things, it lists cartoons characters modeled after him.
Lorre
While he was filming Fritz Lang's classic drama M during the day, Lorre was doing knockabout farce in Berlin cabarets at night!
He was one of the few friends Bela Lugosi had in Hollywood; bot spoke Hungarian and since Lugosi's command of English was never very strong, there were few people he could talk to.
When Lorre came to Lugosi's funeral to pay his last respects, he stepped up to the coffin and said, "Stop fncking around, Bela!"
Hey, Eddie, thanks for the plug to The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre website! Glad you enjoyed the photos. As to the Mystery in the Air episodes you listed, yes, Peter Lorre plays the lead character in all of them. There were actually 13 total, but these 8 are commercially available. If you're interested in Peter's radio work -- which he loved doing and had a terrific voice for -- you'll find a nearly-complete list of his shows in the Appendix of his authorized biography, The Lost One.
Thanks again for the plug!
Cheryl
Cheryl: Many thanks for the nice comment, and for the useful Lorre info. I'll go back and change the post to fit what you wrote about.
You have a great fan site, by the way. Interesting photos and facts, and the dates of all the Lorre films on Turner this October...I'm in heaven!
Anon: Silk Stockings!? I'll remember to look for it!
Thomas: I'm going to save that list!
Buzz: Fascinating!!!
Matt: Benjamin Button? I almost watched a library copy of that last night. Is it worth seeing?
If it's free Eddie, why not!
I was disappointed with it, but the overall idea of reverse age is fascinating.
There is a difference between discussing current events via the political scene, and the political implications or motivations related to art, literature, mass culture, and science.
Think Delacroix and republicanism, (or Beethoven's 3rd Symphony); Courbet's Realism and his activities in the Paris Commune; Goya's Disasters of War; Why Hitler declared the Modernist Avant-Garde "degenerate"; why the Surrealist movement disintegrated due to fractured members joining the Communist party; The socialism of the famed Mexican Muralists (Orozco, Diego Rivera); theoretical physics, the atom bomb and American Global Primacy; the development of military technology and engineering; the employment of major studio animation in the second world war for the purposes of propaganda. Etc.
It is possible to discuss subjects of a political nature without it being reduced to partisan bickering. Punto!
Besides, a lot of the really important issues in every era aren't even addressed by politics.
Name one?
Benjamin Button is very well done if you like that sort of thing. I don't.
IDRC: I could be specific, but I'd prefer to leave that vague so as not to get sucked into a political discussion.
If you can name one, how could it lead to a political discussion?
Eddie, sorry to derail discussion of the marvelous Lorre, and far be it from me to lure you into a political discussion. Thanks nonetheless for allowing me to make a point.
I want to say how much I enjoyed your Worm cartoon (from post below)... not being versed in your entire curriculum vitae, it is nice to see your work, (I was too old for Tiny Toons and too disengaged from cartoon culture to be aware of it--I was only peripherally aware of Ren and Stimpy during it's heyday!)... nonetheless, the Bakshi Mighty Mouse introduced me to yourself and Mr. Kric as a lad (perhaps still too old to be taking in Saturday Morning fare) and I'm still a fan of that over-criticized cartoon, whose writing and whimsey I don't think has been equalled at Spumco even if the form and style of the art have been refined, improved or made Absolutely Right in the Name of God, Objectivity, and Everything, as Our Father John doth profess.
Was the voice actor for the Worm the very same for Petey Pate? I also think I remember laugh tracks from Mighty Mouse recycled in The Worm... Anyway, Hopes you'll spoil us with some more of your work in the future.
"Hey, whatta great Idea for a gag!!"
"Eddie, Your fired!"
One of the other things that stuck out in the wiki entry was:
"In his youth he was a student of Sigmund Freud."
The bio probably says more about this.
He was not so old when he died...59
Hey Eddie, I found a documentary about Peter Lorre's life. I never knew he felt so type casted for most of his career. This dosen't surprise me though, even James Cagney got sick of gangster pictures.
Peter Lorre Master of Menace
One of my favourite actors! I recently heard an episode of the Spike Jones show where he was a guest, and the whole gag was that the band was terrified of him. At one point Spike asks for some appropriate background music for mr. Lorre, and they play a funeral march, to which he says "no no no!! That's much too gay!!" (In the original sense of course).
They also played their arrangement of My Old Flame, which features a Lorre impersonation.... and later Lorre himself acts out the lyrics.
Nacht: Yeah, it was the same voice John used in the Mighty Mouse cartoons...Patrick...Patrick...Good Grief! I've forgotten Patrick's last name!!! Patrick's a genius! I love the guy!
Sally Worm was played by Mary Good from Saturday Night Live. I LOVE Mary's voice!
Rick: Thanks much for The documentary link!!!! I'll watch it tomorrow! I love Lorre's first line, something like: "Can it be that they are mad themselves, who call me mad?" It's an ignorant sentense construction, but sometimes deliberate ignorance is the right way to do a line.
Thomas: I noticed the Wiki mention of Freud. Like you, I'd be curious to know more about it.
Nacht: I have no problem with discussing politics in a historical context, I just try to steer away from what's in the headlines now. True, politics is the easiest, most natural, and most discussable of all subjects, but its also the one most likely to degenerate into name calling.
IDRC: * * * * *
Charles: Haw!!
Matt: Thanks! I saw the first few minutes on a library rental and thought it was too slick, over-produced, but then I wondered if I misjudged it.
I can answer the "Student of Sigmund Freud" question -- it's not true. Peter never studied under Freud. Not everything on Wikipedia is correct, but just try to change anything . . . Just recently, there was some discussion of Peter's citizenship when he became famous. This one guy kept arguing there was no such place as Hungary when Peter was born, that it was part of Austria and not a separate nation, and he put down "Austrian". Someone else would change it to Hungarian. He'd put it back. Someone else would change it back. Back and forth, back and forth. You can read it in the "History" section of Peter's Wikipedia article. But the guy apparently thought I started the disagreement -- and as "punishment" removed my link to the Stephen Youngkin's "Lost One" website, calling it a "spam site". It's not -- it's a Lorre information site, and another Wikipedia editor had allowed the link, saying it added a lot of information about Peter Lorre that wouldn't fit in the Wikipedia article. Just my experience with Wikipedia. Almost as bad as IMDB!
I'd like to figure out what name you just called me. Can I get one letter?
Cheryl: So Lorre had nothing to do with Freud. I'm glad Thomas mentioned it, because I wouldn't have known about the controversy otherwise, but it's nice to get that straightened out. I keep forgetting that Wikipedia has that vulnerability.
I know IMDB is the same way. My own entry (put up by a fan) is woefully short and contains many errors, but I hesitate to correct them because a true list of my jobs would give the impression that I was a formula artist who could only do Saturday Morning. I wonder how many other people have the same problem.
IDRC: Those five symbols didn't represent a word. I got that from Charles Schulz.
Eddie, did you ever get around to reading The Lost One? The Lorre biography(please don't tell me if you only "skimmed" it, either!)?
I recall you write a post on Peter when it came out and I had just finished reading it. It's great, very expansive. You really feel an increased respect for the man and his tremendous intellect and drive(especially considering his struggles with addiction--talk about a pro; he worked through incredible pain at times-often, in fact).
I was on a real Lorre/Mr. Moto kick a while back-some of the Moto films are terrific. That man could take literally anything and make something cool out of it. Highly recommended for film buffs.
I'd have given anything to hang out at Ciro's or Romanoff's with Lorre for an evening.
Eddie: Your welcome Eddie and yes sometimes bad setence structure does help in film dialogue. One that immidiately comes to mind is Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront saying "Instead of being a bum, which is what I am". You don't need the "which is what I am" but that clunky bit just adds to the line and reflect's Brando's character.
They don't make Hollywood movie stars like they used to. Most of them were so distinctive, and Peter Lorre was no exception.
Peter Lorre had a look and voice that could scare the bejeezus out of anyone, yet in some photographs, the hang-dog look makes him look sympathetic.
Have you ever seen "M"? Lorre's performance is so chilling and sinister.
Cheryl -Thanks for the wiki clarification.
Thanks Eddie. The Freud reference stuck out in the wiki entry. I guess it was a bit of a red herring.
I have always thought Lorre's preformance in M was only meant to be sinister and menacing when he was in the shadows, when his face isn't revealed. When you see shown on the streets and his desperate plea for mercy at the mob's trial, it's apparent he isn't a monster. He is a normal man trying to surpress monstrous tendecies.
As for the film itself, Fritz Lang plays his biggest strengths, creating a world with three dimensons. Other film makers tend to make the mistake of stopping their world just for one threat or cause. Lang, like in M and While The City Sleeps, always made sure that other things happened in his pictures so you could believe what was going on.
A few months ago I was listening to an old episode of the Fred Allen show, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he was the guest star. He seemed to have a very good sense of humour, despite his natural creepiness.
My favourite Lorre performances (out of those I've seen so far) are as Joe Cairo in the Maltese Falcon, because he's so pitiful and pathetic, and in Mad Love. Although it is an over-the-top role, you can't deny that he plays it well.
And of course Birth of a Notion. One of his career highlights. :P
Standing next to that tall, handsome galoot, Fess Parker, poor Peter Lorre does indeed look small and pathetic. All things being relative, though, Lorre fares pretty well compared to the strange looking, bucktoothed Arnold Stang. (Cartoon fans note: Stang was the voice of Hanna-Barbera's "Top Cat"!)
Bogart wasn't too tall either, about 5' 7" and wore lifts all the time.
Cynthia
Anon:
Was Bogey that short ? How high were his lifts ? They had to be 3 inches at least if that was the case.
Peter Lorre book site?! Very exciting!
Great post, Eddie. Lorre's one of my favorite actors.
Jennifer: "M" is terrific, but IMHO Lorre's acting at the end of "Stranger on the Third Floor" is even better.
Jenny: We must be thinking of different books. The one i read more than a year ago was pretty tame stuff. The newer biography sounds a lot better.
Lorre's role as Roskolnicov from Crime and Punishment wasn't necessarily hallmark, (they reduced the iconic work to a slop detective story in the movie) but I do love his line:
"Soon they will place a plaque stating that I, Roskolnikov, had the privilege of starving here."
A great comparative study of Lang's "M" should also accompany the depictions of Wiemar era Berlin by George Grosz and Otto Dix, (two german painters who spanned the social realist and expressionist schools of modernist painting, which were also cartoons of a sort, and the forefathers of Bakshi's darkness!) and of Course Brecht's Threepenny Opera!
Think-:The Association of Beggers, and the dissolution of the differences of established Law and criminal culture found in "M"-!!
OT Eddie but I would love for you to cover Klaus Kinski next.
I could've sworn I once read that near the end of his life Peter Lorre was hoping to play Martin Luther in a television bio-film. (That'd been something) I can't find that reference now, though over at the IMDB site for "The Raven" someone pointed out Roger Corman dressed Lorre as Martin Luther and Boris Karloff as the Pope!
Post a Comment