Biography - Peter Lorre, The Master of Menace (1996)

Narrated by Richard Kiley.
A look at character actor Peter Lorre. The documentary starts off talking about how Lorre's father objected to him becoming an actor only to give in after his son was fired from being a bank clerk. From here we learn about Lorre's training on the stage, becoming a star there and eventually becoming known for Fritz Lang's M. From here we hear about the actor being thrown out of Germany by Hitler and this is when he began work with Alfred Hitchcock, which led to him coming to America. We learn how the actor struggled for a small time before getting roles in films such as MAD LOVE and eventually becoming a star with the Mr. Moto films. Lorre would hit the highest period of his career with work in THE MALTESE FALCON and CASABLANCA but at the end of WWII the actor tried to go independent and soon he was broke. Down on his luck he managed to make a comeback with television and he eventually got involved with low-budget horror films but things weren't to end well for Lorre. Fans of the actor will certainly enjoy seeing the film clips as well as new interviews with the likes of David Skal, Stephen Youngken, Kathy Barnett, Vincent Sherman, Barbara Eden and Hazel Court among others. If you're unfamiliar with the man then this really gives you a great look at his entire career and also shines a light on his troubled personal life.