Peter Lorre

[Mrs Vindecco]

OK, I have to admit I am cheating on Dwight with Peter Sorry Dwight, please forgive me.

I have attempted to start colourize some black and white images on photoshop. I actually attend to go through some old family photos but wanted to practice on Peter. I would have used Dwight but other people have done such an awesome job, I didn't want to tread on any toes.

Please note this is the first time I have done this and any advice from anyone that knows the photoshop method would be really appreciated.







This is my latest one and I think the best

[Violet]

Oh Mrs V, these are beautiful!!
The one of Peter from All through the night is so gorgeous. I love that photo and you did an amazing job! I love that one of him on the wall. I think Peter looked adorable when he was a little heavier, extra huggable. You did a fantastic job, the plants and terracotta pots look so pretty. And Joel... wow! I can't believe this is the first time you have done this, the detail is exquisite.

I think Steviebaby is our resident expert on colourization. I have never tried it.

[Mrs Vindecco]

I know that only Violet and I are fans of Peter Lorre on this board, but I wanted to post this review (I say that in the loosest sense) that I wrote on the book, Peter Lorre: Facemaker. I had originally drafted this privately, however having read various comments from around the web, regarding the price and dismissing it as it as there is not enough photos or biographical details, I wanted to share my thoughts publicly and as I can no longer get into my blog, I wanted to post it on here in the meantime.

I could have posted on Amazon, but thought it is a bit to raw and basic to post there.



Peter Lorre: Facemaker by Dr Sarah Thomas

Dr Thomas offers a refreshing insight into Peter’s career and does not merely repeat the whole typecast myth. She states in the introduction that her aim is to get the reader to reevaluate Peter’s career. She directly challenges many of the excepted critiques’ and commentaries’ such as the rather damning assertion in “The Films of Peter Lorre” that PL’s career began and ended with” M”. In fact, I was impressed with the fact she seemed to contradict much of the mainstream analysis.

I no longer have the book so I am paraphrasing from my dodgy memory, but she seemed to find intelligent explanations for some of Lorre’s decisions, especially regarding “Der Verlerone”. Where certain critiques insinuate that Lorre’s creation of Rothe was a return to familiar territory out of a fear to be different, Thomas argues this was an intelligent decision considering he was returning after exile. Also she doesn’t merely take the obvious route of comparing “ Der Verlerone” with “M” or “Stranger on the Third Floor” but implies that Lorre’s contribution as a director is almost a testimonial to his entire Hollywood CV and also demonstrates that Rothe harks back to John West and Cornelius Leyden as much as Hans Beckert.

I was also happy within reading the first chapter basically because she clearly described Peter’s stage career and using “The Beast with Five Fingers” as a template, I finally GOT Brecht. Now, I am a graduate of Theatre Studies, actually did OK in it but Brecht was somewhat of a conundrum to me. In previous publications regarding Lorre, the writers have presumed that the reader knows all about Brecht, what he did and why he was considered such a huge influence in European Theatre. In past publications, I presumed a significant chunk of Lorre fans wouldn’t know much more about Brecht than I did. I waited for some explanation about Epic Theatre or the Brechtian techniques that Lorre used. I read and read. Nothing materialised, even though the author constantly emphasised the apparent importance of this man in Lorre’s life. However, I was left with the impression that the reader should who and what Brecht was about and every so often he would shove in the occasional critical reference that made me feel stupid because I couldn’t put it into context of how the practitioner operated, his theories and what he was ultimately trying to achieve.

Sarah Thomas gets to the point (something I am not doing, so apologies)

a. This is Brecht

b. This is what he believed and taught.

c. He used this with Lorre in “Mann Ist Mann” and this is how Lorre employed his methods in his performance

d. Lorre used these techniques in certain performances and she gives examples.

ALSO she gives Lorre more credit than merely labelling a protégé of Brecht. On a side note, it is also refreshing to see that Jacob Moreno gets more credit than merely giving Peter Lorre his name.
Thomas is precise, concise and because this is academia, she divorces herself from much of the personal things we know about Lorre, resulting in a fresh understanding of his work and by extension his life. She takes away much of what many fans associate with Peter (the drug addiction, for example, is covered in one sentence) and focuses on the bigger picture and how Peter fitted into it. I don’t know if I’m making sense but that was how I read it.

I came away from the book with a renewed respect for Peter, something I didn’t expect. The minute details that Sarah Thomas points out are truly amazing. If Peter was conscious of what he was doing, then he truly was a genius. I just wonder what Peter himself would have made of the book. While I do believe that it’s rather simplistic to say that he was typecast, I do get the impression that he saw himself as that. I hope he would have appreciated Sarah Thomas’s critique and that it might have made him feel better about what his contribution to the film industry was.

[Monk's Moll]

You did a wonderful job with these Mrs. V., so true to life. I love the last one, such a sweet little grin . While I'm not a big Peter Lorre fan, I do like to watch him in The Beast With Five Fingers and The Maltese Falcon. Mad Love was on TCM, but I missed it, darn.

[Mrs Vindecco]

Thanks MM. Ahhh Mad Love...

It was a mutual Dwight fan that got me into Peter, a few years ago. Peter and Dwight are constantly compared, but they are not really alike.

Peter had more opportunities than Dwight and despite the popular myth that he was typecast, Lorre was treated with a great deal of respect when he first arrived in Hollywood. This is probably due to his performance in M, which is often citied as one of the best ever performamce captured in film.

[Violet]

I'm really glad you posted this wonderful review here, Mrs V.
I am so looking forward to reading this book. I too noticed some discussion online with regards to the price and lack of photos. I think if you did decide to post your review on Amazon it would help people understand the aim of the book and how it is different from the other books they may have read about Peter. Your review is very well written and informative and I think it would prove really helpful for potential readers.

I couldn't help smiling when I saw your "Ahhh Mad Love" above... that's always my reaction to that incredible film.
I'm so jealous of how great TCM is in the US! I had my own showing of Mad Love the other night though, always makes me happy.

[Mrs Vindecco]

I know Violet, TCM US is a million times better than the UK one. All we get is repeats of Bonanza and Rawhide! Channel Four has been better for the old films recently, but even then it's nothing too unusual

I know we both have it but one of my favourite Peter films has been cleaned up and released. After searching for it for so long Three Strangers has an official release. The bad news, as with all the WB Archive movies is that they only ship to the US. This is one I would consider buying again.

To anyone else passing by this thread, that is interested in Peter Lorre, but only thinks he was this creepy little villian, because he is VERY different in this and is basically the romantic lead and does it very well.



It just show's when it comes to talent, some actors very occasionally can beat typecasting, even it's just for one or two films. It's a shame that Dwight didn't have a few supporters that Peter had

[Mrs Vindecco]

Because I just had to...

[mblood93]

Nice job Mrs. V!

[Violet]

Mrs V, that is fantastic news about Three Strangers! I love that film, thank you so much for letting me know about the official release. I wish Peter had more roles like that, he was so wonderful.

I did some research after you shared the great news and I noticed that we're also being treated to a Warner Archive release of The Conspirators.

Both films can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com and they ship to the UK.

[Mrs Vindecco]

Cool they ship to the UK!!!

I have seen The Conspirators once on TCM, and I don't think I would buy it because Peter is hardly in it and even in a small role he doesn't make that much of an impression. Not a favourite.

[Violet]

Jun 26, 2012 23:00:21 GMT Mrs Vindecco said:

Because I just had to...

This is absolutely gorgeous, Mrs V, I love it.
Those are some of my favourite photos of Peter. The middle photo in the top row always gives me palpitations.

What a beautiful man.

[meerschwein]

We've had an embarrassment of riches recently as far as new releases on home video. Three Strangers and Cross of Lorraine from Warner Archives, and now German War Films has "Was Frauen Traeumen" and "Die Koffer des Herrn O.F." with English subtitles, plus "Der Weisse Daemon" and "F.P. 1" without. I can understand the reluctance to translate "Der Weisse" because it's a pretty stupid movie that only Peter completists would be interested in, but "F. P. 1," like "Der Weisse" and "Die Koffer," is both a good film and a major early Peterfilm that needs the cockadoody subtitles.

I watched "Die Koffer" and "Was Frauen" this weekend and was in heaven. SO nice with subtitles. Also the adorability quotient of Peter in these films is just way off the register.

You get so many good looks at Peter's gums in "Die Koffer."

[Mrs Vindecco]

Hello and welcome meerschwein ;D

I know. Recently we've had a wealth of Peter goodies. German War Films is such a great site and it's wonderful to have the opportunity to see these early films. I think Peter has a sufficient enough following to have more of these gems translated and released.

www.germanwarfilms.com

[meerschwein]

It never ceases to astonish me how I can fall in love with him over and over again. There's always something new to discover in his work.