---
name: "Peter Lorre"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/peter-lorre"
fi1m_id: "peter-lorre"
imdb_id: "nm0000048"
tmdb_id: 2094
wikidata_id: "Q78505"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "26 June 1904"
died: "23 March 1964"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 82
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-07T09:52:56.861005+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Peter Lorre

## Identity

Peter Lorre

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/peter-lorre
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** peter-lorre
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000048
- **TMDB ID:** 2094
- **Wikidata ID:** Q78505
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lorre, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q78505, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000048/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2094

Actor. Born 26 June 1904 in Rózsahegy (now Ružomberok), Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia). Died 23 March 1964.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 26 June 1904, Rózsahegy (now Ružomberok), Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia)
- **Died:** 23 March 1964
- **Active:** 1931–1956
- **Also known as:** László Löwenstein
- **Frequently works with:** [Humphrey Bogart](https://film.one/person/humphrey-bogart.md), [John Huston](https://film.one/person/john-huston.md), [Julius J. Epstein](https://film.one/person/julius-j-epstein.md), [Philip G. Epstein](https://film.one/person/philip-g-epstein.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 82, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 94 (1), 1940s 87 (3), 1950s 68 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 82 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Crime 4, Comedy 3, Adventure 2, Drama 2, Romance 2, Thriller 2
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $59m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lorre, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q78505, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000048/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2094

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*M*](https://film.one/film/m.md) (94), [*Casablanca*](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md) (93), [*The Maltese Falcon*](https://film.one/film/the-maltese-falcon.md) (87)
- **Apple TV:** [*Beat the Devil*](https://film.one/film/beat-the-devil.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Peter Lorre

> Peter Lorre can be funny and frightening in the same moment. We value him most when he makes a dangerous man seem helpless, as in *M*; too many films were content to give his distinctive face another familiar sinister part.

In *M* (1931), Peter Lorre’s frightened face makes it hard to keep our feelings about Hans Beckert straightforward. Beckert is a child murderer, and Lorre gives him a vulnerability we would rather not have to consider. We felt sorry for him, and were disturbed by our pity, because his distress was so persuasive without making his crimes less appalling. Fritz Lang gets something exceptional from Lorre here: we have to keep looking at someone we would prefer to dismiss.

After the breakthrough in *M* came his first English-language film, Alfred Hitchcock’s *The Man Who Knew Too Much* (1934), and Hollywood work from 1935. There, his accented voice and conspicuous eyes were repeatedly put to work announcing somebody suspect. Eight *Mr Moto* films between 1937 and 1939 show how quickly repetition became part of the job. The industry found regular uses for him without often asking as much as Lang had.

As Joel Cairo in *The Maltese Falcon* (1941), he makes wheedling menace comic without making it harmless. His early Warner Bros years brought repeated work with Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet. In *Casablanca* (1943), Ugarte has a small role and the letters of transit that the plot needs. We recommend the film wholeheartedly, but that brief appearance gives us less to judge than Beckert does.

*Der Verlorene* (1951) took him back to Germany, directing as well as acting in a film about guilt and responsibility. That was a departure from the familiar supporting work, although we would not dismiss the pleasure of those smaller parts. His quick shifts between humour, pathos and menace could make a suspect character difficult to read even when the casting seemed to have done the explaining.

Lang draws some of the surrounding figures in *M* so grotesquely that we can feel him insisting on our disgust. Lorre gives us room to feel two things at once, which makes those broader characterisations seem blunt. He makes Beckert pitiful without asking us to forget what he has done. Start with *M* if you can bear the subject; for a shorter acquaintance, try Ugarte in *Casablanca*.

## Biography

Peter Lorre, born László Löwenstein, was a Hungarian-American actor. He was born on 26 June 1904 in Rózsahegy (now Ružomberok), Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia), and died on 23 March 1964 in Los Angeles, California.

Lorre first gained international attention for his role as a serial killer in the German film *M* (1931). He later became a featured player in Hollywood, appearing in *The Maltese Falcon* (1941) as Joel Cairo, *Casablanca* (1942) as Ugarte, *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944) as Dr. Einstein, and the *Mr. Moto* detective series. He frequently collaborated with Sydney Greenstreet and Humphrey Bogart.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), Fi1m 63, as Steward — [page](https://film.one/film/around-the-world-in-80-days.md)
- *Beat the Devil* (1953), Fi1m 72, as Julius O'Hara — [page](https://film.one/film/beat-the-devil.md)
- *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944), Fi1m 82, as Dr. Einstein — [page](https://film.one/film/arsenic-and-old-lace.md)
- *Casablanca* (1943), Fi1m 93, as Ugarte — [page](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md)
- *The Maltese Falcon* (1941), Fi1m 87, as Joel Cairo — [page](https://film.one/film/the-maltese-falcon.md)
- *M* (1931), Fi1m 94, as Hans Beckert — [page](https://film.one/film/m.md)

## Complete filmography (119)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *A Physical History of 'M'* (2015), as Hans Beckert (archive footage)
- *Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film* (2014), as Doctor Gogol (archive footage)
- *Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb* (2007), as Mr. Jekyll (archive footage)
- *Moto Is Missing* (2007), as Mr. Moto (archive footage)
- *Heroes of Horror* (2001), as (archive footage)
- *John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick* (1988), Actor
- *Creepy Classics* (1987), as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo - (archive footage)
- *The Horror of It All* (1983), as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo (archive footage)
- *The Hollywood Clowns* (1979), as (archive footage)
- *The Dinosaur and the Baby* (1967), as Hans Beckert (archive footage)
- *The Patsy* (1964), as Morgan Heywood
- *Muscle Beach Party* (1964), as Mr. Strangdour
- *The Comedy of Terrors* (1964), as Felix Gillie
- *Kraft Suspense Theatre* (1963), series, as Frederick Bergen
- *The Raven* (1963), as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo
- *Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing* (1962), Actor
- *Five Weeks in a Balloon* (1962), as Ahmed
- *Tales of Terror* (1962), as Montresor ("The Black Cat")
- *The Gertrude Berg Show* (1961), series, Actor
- *Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea* (1961), as Comm. Lucius Emery
- *Five Fingers : Thin Ice* (1961), as The Colonel
- *Route 66* (1960), series, Actor
- *Checkmate* (1960), series, as Alonzo Pace Graham
- *Scent of Mystery* (1960), as Smiley
- *The Big Circus* (1959), as Skeeter
- *Rawhide* (1959), series, as Victor Laurier
- *77 Sunset Strip* (1958), series, as The Gypsy
- *Hell Ship Mutiny* (1957), as Lamoret
- *Collector’s Item* (1957), as Mr. Munsey
- *The Sad Sack* (1957), as Abdul
- *The Jet-Propelled Couch* (1957), as Dr. Ostrow
- *The Story of Mankind* (1957), as Nero
- *Silk Stockings* (1957), as Brankov
- *The Fabulous Irishman* (1957), Actor
- *The Buster Keaton Story* (1957), as Kurt Bergner
- *The Last Tycoon* (1957), as Pete Zavras
- *Sizeman and Son* (1956), as Karp
- *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), as Steward — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/around-the-world-in-80-days.md)
- *Playhouse 90* (1956), series, as Café Owner
- *Congo Crossing* (1956), as Colonel John Miguel Orlando Arragas
- *Meet Me in Las Vegas* (1956), Actor
- *No. 5 Checked Out* (1956), as Willy
- *The 20th Century Fox Hour* (1955), series, as Moyzisch
- *Screen Director's Playhouse* (1955), series, as Willy
- *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as Tomas Salgado / Carlos, Tomas Salgado
- *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* (1954), as Conseil
- *Casino Royale* (1954), as Le Chiffre
- *Climax!* (1954), series, as Mr. Vorhees, Le Chiffre, Normie, Mr. Ho, Benny Kellerman
- *Studio 57* (1954), series, as Mr. Grover, Heitzer
- *Beat the Devil* (1953), as Julius O'Hara — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/beat-the-devil.md)
- *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, Actor
- *The Lost One* (1951), as Dr. Karl Rothe, alias Dr. Karl Neumeister · Director, Screenplay
- *The Jack Benny Program* (1950), series, as Luverne Goodheart
- *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Richard Pratt
- *Double Confession* (1950), as Paynter
- *Quicksand* (1950), as Nick Dramoshag
- *Rope of Sand* (1949), as Toady
- *Suspense* (1949), series, Actor
- *Casbah* (1948), as Slimane
- *My Favorite Brunette* (1947), as Kismet
- *The Beast with Five Fingers* (1947), as Hilary Cummins
- *The Chase* (1946), as Gino
- *The Verdict* (1946), as Victor Emmric
- *Black Angel* (1946), as Marko
- *Three Strangers* (1946), as Johnny West
- *Confidential Agent* (1945), as Contreras
- *Hotel Berlin* (1945), as Johannes Koenig
- *The Conspirators* (1944), as Jan Bernazsky
- *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944), as Dr. Einstein — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/arsenic-and-old-lace.md)
- *The Mask of Dimitrios* (1944), as Cornelius Leyden
- *Passage to Marseille* (1944), as Marius
- *The Cross of Lorraine* (1943), as Sergeant Berger
- *Background to Danger* (1943), as Nikolai Zaleshoff
- *The Constant Nymph* (1943), as Fritz Bercovy
- *Casablanca* (1943), as Ugarte — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md)
- *Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines* (1943), as Secret Agent
- *The Boogie Man Will Get You* (1942), as Dr. Arthur Lorentz
- *Invisible Agent* (1942), as Baron Ikito
- *All Through the Night* (1942), as Pepi
- *The Maltese Falcon* (1941), as Joel Cairo — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/the-maltese-falcon.md)
- *They Met in Bombay* (1941), as Captain Chang
- *Mr. District Attorney* (1941), as Paul Hyde
- *The Face Behind the Mask* (1941), as Janos 'Johnny' Szabo
- *The Eternal Jew* (1940), as Hans Beckert (archive footage)
- *You'll Find Out* (1940), as Professor Karl Fenninger
- *Stranger on the Third Floor* (1940), as The Stranger
- *Island of Doomed Men* (1940), as Stephen Danel
- *I Was an Adventuress* (1940), as Polo
- *Strange Cargo* (1940), as M'sieu Pig
- *Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation* (1939), as Mr. Moto
- *Mr. Moto in Danger Island* (1939), as Kentaro Moto
- *Mr. Moto's Last Warning* (1939), as Mr. Kentaro Moto
- *Mysterious Mr. Moto* (1938), as Mr. Moto
- *I'll Give a Million* (1938), as Louie 'The Dope' Monteau
- *Mr. Moto Takes a Chance* (1938), as Mr. Moto
- *Mr. Moto's Gamble* (1938), as Kentaro Moto
- *Thank You, Mr. Moto* (1937), as Mr. Moto
- *Lancer Spy* (1937), as Maj. Sigfried Gruning
- *Think Fast, Mr. Moto* (1937), as Kentaro Moto
- *Nancy Steele Is Missing!* (1937), as Professor Sturm
- *Crack-Up* (1936), as Colonel Gimpy
- *Secret Agent* (1936), as The General
- *Crime and Punishment* (1935), as Roderick Raskolnikov
- *Mad Love* (1935), as Doctor Gogol
- *The Man Who Knew Too Much* (1934), as Abbott
- *High and Low* (1933), as Beggar
- *Invisible Opponent* (1933), as Henry Pless
- *The Oil Sharks* (1933), as Henry Pless
- *What Women Dream* (1933), as Otto Fuessli
- *F.P.1 Doesn't Answer* (1932), as Bildreporter Johnny
- *Stupéfiants* (1932), as The Hunchback
- *The White Demon* (1932), as Hunchback
- *A Shot at Dawn* (1932), as Klotz
- *Five from the Jazzband* (1932), as Car Thief
- *A Man's a Man* (1931), as Galy Gay
- *The Trunks of Mr. O.F.* (1931), as Redakteur Stix
- *Bombs Over Monte Carlo* (1931), as Pawlitschek
- *M* (1931), as Hans Beckert — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/film/m.md)
- *The Missing Wife* (1929), as Patient of a Dentist

## Gallery

- ![Peter Lorre](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-29341bd7ec76.jpg) Peter Lorre — Yousuf Karsh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/PeterLorre.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Colonial Theater advertisement for the American drama film Casablanca (1942) - 27 Jan. 1943 Morning Call, Allentown PA](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-feab46d23245.jpg) Colonial Theater advertisement for the American drama film Casablanca (1942) - 27 Jan. 1943 Morning Call, Allentown PA — Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/1943_-_Colonial_Theater_Ad_-_27_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg/1280px-1943_-_Colonial_Theater_Ad_-_27_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Colonial Theater advertisement for the American drama film Casablanca (1942) - 28 Jan. 1943 Morning Call, Allentown PA](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-e6de16b94ac1.jpg) Colonial Theater advertisement for the American drama film Casablanca (1942) - 28 Jan. 1943 Morning Call, Allentown PA — Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/1943_-_Colonial_Theater_Ad_-_28_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg/1280px-1943_-_Colonial_Theater_Ad_-_28_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Unique genre mash up. Kyser is such a camp. Great cast! Really funny. And Ish Kabibble! (2019)](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-440d9dabe74f.jpg) Unique genre mash up. Kyser is such a camp. Great cast! Really funny. And Ish Kabibble! (2019) — Rossano aka Bud Care, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/A_Mystery_with_Music_%281940%29.jpg/1280px-A_Mystery_with_Music_%281940%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Peter Lorre](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-41233c927d01.jpg) Peter Lorre — Image via TMDB
- ![Peter Lorre](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-9ed147a524da.jpg) Peter Lorre — Image via TMDB
- ![Peter Lorre](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-89d6cd53265e.jpg) Peter Lorre — Image via TMDB
- ![Crime and Punishment (1935). Josef von Sternberg, director. Left to right: Edward Arnold, Peter Lorre. Columbia Pictures](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-715b264dd15f.jpg) Crime and Punishment (1935). Josef von Sternberg, director. Left to right: Edward Arnold, Peter Lorre. Columbia Pictures — Columbia Pictures, Josef von Sternberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Crime_and_Punishment_%28film%29_1935._Josef_von_Sternberg%2C_director._L_to_R_Edward_Arnold%2C_Peter_Lorre.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Frame from the 1941 public domain trailer for the Warner Bros. film The Maltese Falcon showing Sydney Greenstreet as Kasper Gutman and Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-dec82242f052.jpg) Frame from the 1941 public domain trailer for the Warner Bros. film The Maltese Falcon showing Sydney Greenstreet as Kasper Gutman and Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo — my own screen capture, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/GutmanCairoMaltFalc1941Trailer.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Peter Lorre](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-f69c1eaeac2c.jpg) Peter Lorre — Image via TMDB
- ![Peter Lorre](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-6619d1bbe852.jpg) Peter Lorre — Image via TMDB
- ![Peter Lorre](https://film.one/media/person/58981/gallery-855b23400dbf.jpg) Peter Lorre — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/peter-lorre