Peter Lorre

Biography

Peter Lorre was a Hungarian-born actor who became an American citizen and began on the stage in Vienna before moving to Berlin for theater and film work. His portrayal of a child killer in Fritz Lang's M (1931) caused an international sensation. He made his first English-language picture, Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much, in 1934, then settled in Hollywood and became a featured player in Warner Bros. crime and mystery films including The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He also played the Japanese detective Mr. Moto in a string of B-pictures released between 1937 and 1939, and was the first actor to take a James Bond villain, Le Chiffre, in a 1954 television Casino Royale. Later credits included 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Silk Stockings (1957), and Roger Corman's Tales of Terror (1962). In 2017, The Daily Telegraph placed him among the finest actors never nominated for an Academy Award.

59years old at death

Born June 26, 1904Ružomberok
Died March 23, 1964Los Angeles
Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
László Löwenstein (birth name)Also credited as Laszlo Lowenstein

Movie Career

Films: 50
Career span: 83 years1931 to 2014

Genres

Drama42%, 21 films
Crime40%, 20 films
Comedy30%, 15 films
Mystery30%, 15 films
Thriller30%, 15 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A first
Lorre portrayed Le Chiffre in a 1954 television version of Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale, making him the first actor to take on a James Bond villain. Barry Nelson played an American James Bond called "Jimmy Bond".
About the name
A theater manager gave Lorre his stage name after comparing his appearance to the children's book character Struwwelpeter, also called Shock-headed Peter.
First role
Lorre started acting on stage in Vienna when he was 17, and there he worked with a Viennese Art Nouveau artist and puppeteer.
Big break
Fritz Lang had Lorre in mind for the child-killer Hans Beckert in M (1931), so he cast him without a screen test, already sure Lorre was perfect for the part.
Languages
Lorre overcame his limited command of English for The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) by learning much of his part phonetically.
Behind the camera
Lorre co-wrote, directed and starred in the film noir Der Verlorene (The Lost One, 1951), which he made on a trip to West Germany in the autumn of 1950.

Peter Lorre movies on Netflix

Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film2014IMDb rating 6.7as Doctor Gogol
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1974IMDb rating 7.0as Himself
The Patsy1964IMDb rating 6.2as Morgan Heywood
The Comedy of Terrors1963IMDb rating 6.5as Felix Gillie
The Raven1963IMDb rating 6.5as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo
Five Weeks in a Balloon1962IMDb rating 5.7as Ahmed
Tales of Terror1962IMDb rating 6.8as Montresor (segment "The Black Cat")
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea1961IMDb rating 6.0as Comm. Lucius Emery
Silk Stockings1957IMDb rating 6.8as Brankov
The Sad Sack1957IMDb rating 5.8as Abdul
The Story of Mankind1957IMDb rating 4.8as Nero
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea1954IMDb rating 7.2as Conseil
Beat the Devil1953IMDb rating 6.4as Julius O'Hara
Quicksand1950IMDb rating 6.6as Nick Dramoshag
Rope of Sand1949IMDb rating 6.6as Toady
My Favorite Brunette1947IMDb rating 6.7as Kismet
The Beast with Five Fingers1947IMDb rating 6.5as Hilary Cummins
Black Angel1946IMDb rating 6.9as Marko
The Chase1946IMDb rating 6.4as Gino
The Verdict1946IMDb rating 7.2as Victor Emmric
Three Strangers1946IMDb rating 6.9as Johnny West
Confidential Agent1945IMDb rating 6.5as Contreras
Arsenic and Old Lace1944IMDb rating 7.9as Dr. Einstein
Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8as Marius
The Mask of Dimitrios1944IMDb rating 7.2as Cornelius Leyden
Background to Danger1943IMDb rating 6.4as Nikolai Zaleshoff
The Constant Nymph1943IMDb rating 6.7as Fritz Bercovy
The Cross of Lorraine1943IMDb rating 6.6as Sergeant Berger
All Through the Night1942IMDb rating 7.1as Pepi
Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5as Ugarte
Invisible Agent1942IMDb rating 5.9as Baron Ikito
The Boogie Man Will Get You1942IMDb rating 5.8as Dr. Arthur Lorentz
The Face Behind the Mask1941IMDb rating 7.1as Janos 'Johnny' Szabo
The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9as Joel Cairo
They Met in Bombay1941IMDb rating 6.6as Captain Chang
Island of Doomed Men1940IMDb rating 5.8as Stephen Danel
Strange Cargo1940IMDb rating 6.9as M'sieu Pig
Stranger on the Third Floor1940IMDb rating 6.8as The Stranger
You'll Find Out1940IMDb rating 6.1as Professor Karl Fenninger
Mr. Moto's Last Warning1939IMDb rating 6.4as Mr. Kentaro Moto
I'll Give a Million1938IMDb rating 6.7as Louie 'The Dope' Monteau
Mr. Moto's Gamble1938IMDb rating 6.6as Kentaro Moto
Thank You, Mr. Moto1937IMDb rating 6.9as Mr. Moto
Think Fast, Mr. Moto1937IMDb rating 6.7as Kentaro Moto
Secret Agent1936IMDb rating 6.4as The General
Crime and Punishment1935IMDb rating 6.9as Roderick Raskolnikov
Mad Love1935IMDb rating 7.2as Doctor Gogol
The Man Who Knew Too Much1934IMDb rating 6.7as Abbott
F.P.1 Doesn't Answer1932IMDb rating 6.2as Bildreporter Johnny
M1931IMDb rating 8.3as Hans Beckert

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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M1931 Crime, Drama, Mysteryas Hans Beckert
IMDb rating 8.3184K votes
Casablanca1942 Drama, Romance, Waras Ugarte
IMDb rating 8.5661K votes
The Maltese Falcon1941as Joel Cairo
IMDb rating 7.9175K votes
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea1954as Conseil
IMDb rating 7.240K votes
Arsenic and Old Lace1944as Dr. Einstein
IMDb rating 7.978K votes
The Man Who Knew Too Much1934as Abbott
IMDb rating 6.724K votes
The Raven1963as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo
IMDb rating 6.515K votes
Tales of Terror1962as Montresor (segment "The Black Cat")
IMDb rating 6.89.5K votes

Most often with

Irwin Allen directed three of these films, Norman Foster three and Michael Curtiz two. Sydney Greenstreet appears in seven of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Sydney Greenstreet

John Carradine

Boris Karloff

Vincent Price

Humphrey Bogart

Eduardo CiannelliIrwin AllenDirector, 3 films

Norman FosterDirector, 3 films Michael CurtizDirector, 2 films

Films together

Sydney Greenstreet7 films together, 1941 to 1946
Sydney Greenstreet's page
- The Verdict1946IMDb rating 7.2Lorre as Victor EmmricGreenstreet as Supt. George Edward Grodman
- Three Strangers1946IMDb rating 6.9Lorre as Johnny WestGreenstreet as Jerome K. Arbutny
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Lorre as MariusGreenstreet as Maj. Duval
- The Mask of Dimitrios1944IMDb rating 7.2Lorre as Cornelius LeydenGreenstreet as Mr. Peters
- Background to Danger1943IMDb rating 6.4Lorre as Nikolai ZaleshoffGreenstreet as Colonel Robinson
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Lorre as UgarteGreenstreet as Signor Ferrari
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Lorre as Joel CairoGreenstreet as Kasper Gutman
John Carradine6 films together, 1937 to 1974
John Carradine's page
- The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1974IMDb rating 7.0Lorre as HimselfCarradine as Himself
- The Patsy1964IMDb rating 6.2Lorre as Morgan HeywoodCarradine as Bruce Alden
- The Story of Mankind1957IMDb rating 4.8Lorre as NeroCarradine as Khufu
- Mr. Moto's Last Warning1939IMDb rating 6.4Lorre as Mr. Kentaro MotoCarradine as Danforth / Richard Burke
- I'll Give a Million1938IMDb rating 6.7Lorre as Louie 'The Dope' MonteauCarradine as Kopelpeck
- Thank You, Mr. Moto1937IMDb rating 6.9Lorre as Mr. MotoCarradine as Pereira
Boris Karloff6 films together, 1940 to 2014
Boris Karloff's page
- Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film2014IMDb rating 6.7Lorre as Doctor GogolKarloff as Various roles
- The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1974IMDb rating 7.0Lorre as HimselfKarloff as Himself
- The Comedy of Terrors1963IMDb rating 6.5Lorre as Felix GillieKarloff as Amos Hinchley
- The Raven1963IMDb rating 6.5Lorre as Dr. Adolphus BedloKarloff as Dr. Scarabus
- The Boogie Man Will Get You1942IMDb rating 5.8Lorre as Dr. Arthur LorentzKarloff as Prof. Nathaniel Billings
- You'll Find Out1940IMDb rating 6.1Lorre as Professor Karl FenningerKarloff as Judge Spencer Mainwaring
Vincent Price5 films together, 1957 to 1974
Vincent Price's page
- The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1974IMDb rating 7.0Lorre as HimselfPrice as Himself
- The Comedy of Terrors1963IMDb rating 6.5Lorre as Felix GilliePrice as Waldo Trumbull
- The Raven1963IMDb rating 6.5Lorre as Dr. Adolphus BedloPrice as Dr. Erasmus Craven
- Tales of Terror1962IMDb rating 6.8Lorre as Montresor (segment "The Black Cat")Price as Locke
- The Story of Mankind1957IMDb rating 4.8Lorre as NeroPrice as Mr. Scratch / The Devil
Humphrey Bogart5 films together, 1941 to 1953
Humphrey Bogart's page
- Beat the Devil1953IMDb rating 6.4Lorre as Julius O'HaraBogart as Billy Dannreuther
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Lorre as MariusBogart as Jean Matrac
- All Through the Night1942IMDb rating 7.1Lorre as PepiBogart as 'Gloves' Donahue
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Lorre as UgarteBogart as Rick Blaine
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Lorre as Joel CairoBogart as Samuel Spade
Eduardo Ciannelli5 films together, 1940 to 1944
Eduardo Ciannelli's page
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Lorre as MariusCiannelli as Chief Engineer
- The Mask of Dimitrios1944IMDb rating 7.2Lorre as Cornelius LeydenCiannelli as Marukakis(Edward Ciannelli)
- The Constant Nymph1943IMDb rating 6.7Lorre as Fritz BercovyCiannelli as Roberto
- They Met in Bombay1941IMDb rating 6.6Lorre as Captain ChangCiannelli as Giovanni Riccio, the Hotel Manager
- Strange Cargo1940IMDb rating 6.9Lorre as M'sieu PigCiannelli as Telez
Irwin AllenDirector, 3 films, 1957 to 1962
All films by Irwin Allen
- Five Weeks in a Balloon1962IMDb rating 5.7Lorre as Ahmed
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea1961IMDb rating 6.0Lorre as Comm. Lucius Emery
- The Story of Mankind1957IMDb rating 4.8Lorre as Nero
Norman FosterDirector, 3 films, 1937 to 1939
All films by Norman Foster
- Mr. Moto's Last Warning1939IMDb rating 6.4Lorre as Mr. Kentaro Moto
- Thank You, Mr. Moto1937IMDb rating 6.9Lorre as Mr. Moto
- Think Fast, Mr. Moto1937IMDb rating 6.7Lorre as Kentaro Moto
Michael CurtizDirector, 2 films, 1942 to 1944
All films by Michael Curtiz
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Lorre as Marius
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Lorre as Ugarte

Box office

What Peter Lorre's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$56.8 million

9 of the 50 films have a worldwide figure.

9Worldwide figure
1US gross only
1Never in cinemas
39Figure not found

Top grosser

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea1954Conseil$28.2 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea1954as Conseil
$28M49.7% of the total
2
Casablanca1942as Ugarte
$10M18.4% of the total
3
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea1961as Comm. Lucius Emery
$7.0M12.3% of the total
4
Arsenic and Old Lace1944as Dr. Einstein
$4.8M8.4% of the total
5
All Through the Night1942as Pepi
$2.0M3.5% of the total
6
The Maltese Falcon1941as Joel Cairo
$1.8M3.1% of the total
7
The Raven1963as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo
$1.5M2.6% of the total
8
Invisible Agent1942as Baron Ikito
$1.0M1.8% of the total