David Shipman's Peter Article

[Mrs Vindecco]

I got this book about 20 years ago, in the days when there wasn't that many mini biography Film reference books available. I was so happy when I got this and then found it at my parents. However having read the Peter article, I know how poorly researched and clueless the author was. I'm only posting this because it's out of print and maybe of interest to someone.







What's a wife or two?

[Violet]

Thanks for posting this, Mrs V. I had never seen it before.

Yes, a few inaccuracies. The part that got me was "in Rope of Sand, he was appropriately named Toady. " Um, pardon? I'm so tired of seeing the words fat or bug-eyed used to describe Peter. The other day I stumbled upon a review for a certain horror film, entirely by accident, it read, "With his bulging Peter Lorre eyes, corpulent belly and dirty fingernails he's one truly repulsive-looking character." Nice.

[Mrs Vindecco]

So many things got to me in this article! I'm rather dubious about anyone that merely dismisses Peter as "bug-eyed" and creepy because it's like their entire perception is based on the Warner Bros cartoons and nothing else. Even my husband, who only knew Peter from his "screen persona" commented (and without any probing from me) that he didn't look weird, he loked quite normal and "wasn't an ugly guy".

I really have to ask how many Lorre movies had Shipman watched and out of those was he actually watching Lorre, or paying more attention to the leads.


I also find it weird that he mentions rather unknown films like You'll Find Out and Double Confession, but completely misses out Arsenic and Old Lace.