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Peter Lorre

File:Peter_Lorre_Portrait_Still.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Peter Lorre

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Also known as László Löwenstein, Laszlo Lowenstein

Hungarian and American actor (1904–1964)

AI overview

Peter Lorre was a Hungarian-American actor who worked in film and theater from the early 20th century until his death in 1964, becoming known for distinctive character roles that made him memorable to audiences. He matters because he was an influential figure in cinema history whose unique presence and performances helped shape the development of character acting in Hollywood's golden age.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Works
5

Top works

  • Classic Radio's Greatest Mystery Shows, Vol. 1 Lib/E
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via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Acting · Rózsahegy (now Ružomberok), Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia)

Peter Lorre (June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner. He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M. Later he became a popular featured player in Hollywood crime films and mysteries, notably alongside Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet, and as…

Known for

  • Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies — Self - (archive footage)2022
  • A Physical History of 'M' — Hans Beckert (archive footage)2015
  • Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film — Doctor Gogol (archive footage)2014
  • Moto Is Missing — Mr. Moto (archive footage)2007
  • Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb — Mr. Jekyll (archive footage)2007
  • Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman — Self (archive footage)2007
  • Cole Porter in Hollywood: Satin and Silk — Self (archive footage)2003
  • Heroes of Horror — (archive footage)2001
  • Bogart: The Untold Story — Self (archive footage)1997
  • Peter Lorre: The Master of Menace — Self (archive footage)1996

via TMDB

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person
Gender
Male
Origin
United States
Active from
1904-06-26
Active to
1964-03-23

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
224
Total plays
600

Tags

oldies

Peter Lorre (June 26 1904–March 23 1964), born László Löwenstein, was a Hungarian - Austrian - American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner. He made an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M. Later he became a popular featured player in Hollywood crime films and mysteries, notably alongside Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet, and as the star of the successful Mr. Moto detective series. <a href="https

via Last.fm · Peter Lorre

Quotes

  • [Speaking of his horror roles] You know I can get away with murder. The audience loves me.
  • For a lazy man I work awfully hard, I couldn't live without acting. In fact anybody who can live without that feeling is a complete idiot.

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Key facts

Born
László Löwenstein , ( 1904-06-26 ) June 26, 1904, Rózsahegy , Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary
Died
March 23, 1964 (1964-03-23) (aged 59), Los Angeles, California, US
Resting place
Hollywood Forever Cemetery , Los Angeles, California, US
Citizenship
US (from 1941)
Occupation
Actor
Years active
1922–1964
Spouses
Celia Lovsky ​ ​ ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1934 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1945 ) ​ Kaaren Verne ​ ​ ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1945 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1950 ) ​ Anne Marie Brenning, ​ ​ ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1953 ) ​

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
PeterLorre.jpg
Height
160
Number of children
1
Show 8 more facts
Commons category
Peter Lorre
date of birth
1904-06-26
date of death
1964-03-23
name in native language
Peter Lorre
start of work period
1922-00-00
end of work period
1964-00-00
birth name
László Löwenstein
Sources (10)

via Wikidata · CC0

~20 min read

Article

Peter Lorre ( German: [ˈpeːtɐ ˈlɔʁə]; born László Löwenstein, Hungarian: [ˈlaːsloː ˈløːvɛ(n)ʃtɒjn]; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, active first in Europe and later in the United States. Known for his timidly devious characters, appearance, and accented voice, he was frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner. He was caricatured throughout his life and his cultural legacy remains in the media today.

He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before moving to Germany, where he worked first on the stage, then in film, in Berlin during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Lorre, who was Jewish, left Germany after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. Lorre caused an international sensation in the Weimar Republic–era film M (1931), where he portrayed a serial killer who preys on little girls. His first English-language film was Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), made in the United Kingdom.

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