Peter Lorre - Exiled in Hollywood

Peter Lorre freshly arrived in Hollywood.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Peter
• Lorre

[JennelleBelle]

just makes me sad that this man who looks so young, happy and full of hope ended up as an unhealthy, depressed person with no strive to live anymore. many people who knew him have said that if he woold have just stayed a theater actor in europe, he would have been happier.

[Nordenwald]

@JennelleBelle: well, if he had stayed in Europe, he'd probably just have been deported in the death camps and died. Nazi regime aside, Brecht wanted him to "return where he belonged", as he said, right after the war, but Peter by then was too hooked on fame and money & Hollywood... sure I guess he fantasized about a more "noble" and respectable theater career back on the Berlin stage.... would he have been happier? One can only speculate. He was a complex man ;)

[ladylove1972]

ZOMG!! Was that color footage really Peter?? Oh my goodness...my heart just did a flutter! To see him not only in color, but acting totally...Peterish...is just amazing!! :D Thanks so much for posting this!

[Nordenwald]

YES! I found the footage in this documentary I was telling you about. I think it's part of Brecht's home movie (when he was there himself). Ain't it frustrating that there's so little of it??? Argh...

[NeverDoubt1]

@newyorksalright I get the impression Peter really ruined his health from being so obsessed with wanting leading man roles and giving into depression when they didn't happen. Sometimes you can want a thing too much. He was beloved by audiences for the work he did do in Hollywood and remains so to this day. But I think sometimes we worry so much about what we don't have, we forget to treasure what we do have.

[newyorksalright]

@JennelleBelle He wouldntve been stereotyped, thats for sure. Hollywood really wasted his talents. however, as for his health, morphine is some nasty stuff.

[smileyface7727]

My new favorite name: Ladislav

[JubalCalif]

Heavens to Murgatoid!! Home movies of the late great Peter Lorre in vivid color! Fascinating! What a truly unique talent & personality he was.  THANKS for posting this cool clip!

[NeverDoubt1]

@Indygoguy I agree Hollywood may not have always been "high art" but at least it didn't turn him away the way Europe had basically done. And it turns out many of his films went on to be true classics. : )

[Indygoguy]

@JennelleBelle He was plagued with health problems and addiction to morphine for those problems. This probably added immensely to his unhappiness, especially later in life when his problems interfered with his career. Hollywood gave him an opportunity he would not have had otherwise. He fled the NAZIs and ended up much better off than many others.

[NeverDoubt1]

@JennelleBelle Hollywood definitely didn't give him the respect he deserved as an actor. Still at least he did end up being one of the most recognizable and respected character actors. I wish he'd been able to enjoy that more, but we never see ourselves the way others see us. ;)

[NeverDoubt1]

@Nordenwald Well you know at times we all reach a crossroad in life and later end up thinking, "If only I had..."

I think he did the right thing trying to make his own movie and not being in the shadow of Hollywood or Brecht for awhile. It's annoying the film wasn't well received at the time, but that's the risk you take. I commend him for doing that and I think he'd been happy to know the film is so revered in Germany today. :)

[brendaPMB]

@JennelleBelle you are not alone in that thinking, he had that sexy air around him without having to sport that classic beauty.

Btw, I added you as my youtube friend Jeanelle, hope you don`t mind :)

[brendaPMB]

@Nordenwald I don`t think Peter was hooked on money and fame but you have to think that he also wanted respectability in Hollywood and couldn`t just get it. If only he had followed Brecht into the theater he would have gained that respectability he was striving to get