DEATH OF ACTOR

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30399, 25 March 1964, Page 6

DEATH OF ACTOR

Many Roles As Killer (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) HOLLYWOOD, March 24. The actor, Peter Lorre, was found dead at his home today, the Associated Press reported. He was 59. It was thought he died of a stroke. The announcement of Lorre's death was made by his studio, American International Pictures. His latest film was “Muscle Beach Party." Lorre recently completed a Jerry Lewis picture, ‘"The Patsy.”

Lorre is survived by his third wife, Anna Marie and their 10-year-old daughter, Kathryn. Lorre and his wife had been separated. The Hungarian-born actor, noted for his suave, bloodchilling character portrayals, was born Peter Rosenberg on June 26, 1904. He started his acting career in Vienna, then joined the Bertold Brecht theatre group in Berlin. The film that brought him to fame was the German picture “M”, in which he played a pathological child killer. He came to Hollywood in 1935. Recently Lorre appeared in film versions of Edgar Allen Poe stories —“The Raven” and “The Black Cat.” Films Lorre made with Humphrey Bogart included “Confidential Agent,” “Mask of Dimitrios” and “Passage to Marseilles.”

Lorre’s other pictures included “Cross of Lorraine," “Three Strangers,” “20,000 Leagues under the Sea” and “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.”