Q)   Before writing this biography, you co-wrote The Films of Peter Lorre, published in 1982. How would you compare the two books?

The filmography could stand an updating, but I think it's still a valuable reference work. I wrote the biographical introduction and two film entries, Der Verlorene and Scent of Mystery. Jim Bigwood and Ray Cabana handled the remaining seventy-odd film titles. Sadly, their comment sections were cut by as much as one-third. Citadel Press, whose inventory has since been bought up by another publisher which has no plans to reissue the filmography, was pretty stingy about extra pages. We had created sections on Peter's radio and broadcast work, but they said there was no room. Well, the book comes out and they had a bunch of portraits -- including one that had already appeared elsewhere -- and four blank pages at the end of the book!

I think the two books form a nice complement. As a reference work with casts, credits, commentary -- and hundreds of photos -- it's still a great resource. The very brief biography was just that, a quick overview. Research is always on-going. Since the filmography was published, I've interviewed many more of Lorre's friends and co-workers and made many new discoveries -- and uncovered more and different Peter Lorres, some, like Burl Ives' Peter Lorre, who was very quiet and spiritual, others, like Tony Martin's Peter Lorre, who was playfully profane.

The Lost One treats Lorre's personal and professional life in much greater depth and detail. It tries to answer most of the important questions, though you can't offer every last detail in anyone's life. There are many things I learned that I could not corroborate. These, of course, I left out of the book. But, for the most part, I think it's a complete telling of an unexpected life. In many ways, he was as mysterious off screen as on, able to hide himself, the real Peter Lorre. He was truly a fascinating character and an amazingly versatile actor who has been under-appreciated.

TOM WEAVER contributes monthly to Starlog Magazine with his column "Videolog DVD". He is also the author of numerous books on horror films, including the series It Came From Weaver, a compilation of his interviews with actors, producers, writers and others in the science fiction and horror genres. Mr. Weaver lives in New York state.

STEPHEN D. YOUNGKIN has co-authored The Films of Peter Lorre (Citadel Press, 1982) with James Bigwood and Raymond G. Cabana, and Peter Lorre: Portrait des Schauspielers auf der Flucht (Belleville, 1999) with Felix Hofmann. Mr. Youngkin also appeared on-screen as a Lorre expert in the documentary "Peter Lorre: The Master of Menace" (1996) for the A&E series Biography, as well as the German documentary, "Das Doppelte Gesicht" ("The Double Face", 1984). Mr. Youngkin lives in the southwestern U.S.