User Reviews

This Halloween 1996 edition of A&E's Biography pays tribute to Peter Lorre, the first in depth video biography of the actor since his 1964 death at age 59 from a fatal heart attack, abetted by Stephen D. Youngkin, coauthor of the 1982 publication "The Films of Peter Lorre." Aspiring to the stage from a young age, his disapproving martinet father soon relented once he saw how dedicated his eldest offspring was, relocating to 1920s Berlin for a bohemian lifestyle that earned plaudits from his debut. Playwright Bertolt Brecht made him a household name in Germany, while director Fritz Lang's 1931 feature "M" achieved international success that soon saw Lorre making the rounds in Hollywood, first under contract at Columbia ("Crime and Punishment") then 20th Century-Fox, where the Mr. Moto series established his versatility as a mysterious globetrotting figure who could take out enemies with his prowess at judo. His happiest years were spent at Warners opposite good friends Humphrey Bogart and Sidney Greenstreet, all gathered together under first time director John Huston for 1941's "The Maltese Falcon," but by decade's end personal and financial setbacks forced him to accept just about anything, his once lauded skills now reduced to self parody as simply 'making faces.' Lorre felt that the best actors had to be adept psychologists to achieve the utmost in characterization, and remained on good terms with his first two wives, Celia Lovsky best remembered as Vulcan matriarch T'Pau in STAR TREK's "Amok Time" (she died in 1979).

Peter Lorre: The Master of Menace (1996)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Another excellent entry in the series, this one taking a look at character actor Peter Lorre. The documentary starts off talking about how Lorre's father objected to him becoming an actor only to give in after his son was fired from being a bank clerk. From here we learn about Lorre's training on the stage, becoming a star there and eventually becoming known for Fritz Lang's M. From here we hear about the actor being thrown out of Germany by Hitler and this is when he began work with Alfred Hitchcock, which led to him coming to America. We learn how the actor struggled for a small time before getting roles in films such as MAD LOVE and eventually becoming a star with the Mr. Moto films. Lorre would hit the highest period of his career with work in THE MALTESE FALCON and CASABLANCA but at the end of WWII the actor tried to go independent and soon he was broke. Down on his luck he managed to make a comeback with television and he eventually got involved with low-budget horror films but things weren't to end well for Lorre. Fans of the actor will certainly enjoy seeing the film clips as well as new interviews with the likes of David Skal, Stephen Youngken, Kathy Barnett, Vincent Sherman, Barbara Eden and Hazel Court among others. If you're unfamiliar with the man then this really gives you a great look at his entire career and also shines a light on his troubled personal life.