Celia Lovsky, Peter Lorre and German screenwriter and film director Berthold Viertel arrive in New York aboard the S.S. Washington on April 29, 1936. Lorre had recently finished work on Secret Agent (1936) with Alfred Hitchcock at Gaumont-British in London.

In April 1936, after Peter wrapped work on Alfred Hitchcock's Secret Agent, he and Celia returned to the United States aboard the S.S. Washington. Several weeks later, they found themselves pictured (along with radio singer Morton Downey, actor Douglas Fairbanks and Princess Helga of Lowenstein) on the "Who's Who on American Liners" page of The Ocean Ferry (June 1936), published monthly by the International Mercantile Marine Company ~ Roosevelt Steamship Co.

20th Century-Fox confined Lorre to featured and supporting roles. However, at least one studio photographer explored his possibilities as a leading man, a side destined to remain hidden.

Another in the series of 20th Century-Fox character studies exploring other sides of the actor.

Although Peter Lorre felt he didn't belong in movie magazines, studio photographers often put him there in publicity stills that captured a likeable, even debonair, portrait.

Lorre told people he thought he looked like a frog. Little wonder, then, that he hated going to the stills gallery and sitting for photos. However many (and creative) his excuses, he played the publicity game, albeit reluctantly. As he explained it, he just wasn't the glamorous type.

In make-up and costume as "Major Sigfried Gruning" behind the cameras for Lancer Spy (20th Century-Fox, 1937), Peter Lorre consults with Aaron Rosenberg, Assistant Director on the film. A "thank you" goes out to Janet Fuentes for identifying Mr. Rosenberg for us.

Behind-the-scenes on Lancer Spy (1937) with Peter Lorre, Dolores Del Rio, and George Sanders in costume on the "hotel suite" set.

Lorre's thumbs-up nicely captures his attitude toward the popular Japanese sleuth early in the Mr. Moto series. For the pursued to become the pursuer, he told the press, was just the kind of role reversal he was looking for. However, growing disenchantment with typecasting turned to outright hostility over the years -- so much so that anyone who brought up Mr. Moto soon regretted it.

If the Swedish-born Warner Oland could convincingly portray the Chinese Charlie Chan, why not a Hungarian actor in the role of Japanese detective Mr. Moto? What mattered less to producer Sol Wurtzel than the country cross-over was the fact that Lorre's mysterious screen image tallied nicely with the cryptic nature of the Moto character. The publicity department quickly fell in line, capturing a side of the movie-made actor that hinted at things better left unknown.

Peter Lorre and his stand-in, Delmar Costello, take a break while working on Thank You, Mr. Moto (Fox, 1937), the third Moto film for both men. According to a press release, the diminutive Costello, who was born in New Mexico and of Mexican descent, was "exactly" Lorre's height -- five feet, five inches -- but three pounds lighter than Lorre's 139.

Norman Foster (sitting beside Director's chair) supervises Thomas Beck tending to the unconscious Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) on the "Tchernov mansion" set, in a scene from Thank You, Mr. Moto (Fox, 1937), filmed as the third entry in the detective series but released second.

A casually dressed Peter Lorre joins Don Ameche and Sonja Henie, then making Happy Landing (1938), for lunch at the Fox cafeteria. Though not in costume as the Japanese detective, Peter was finishing work on Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937).

Merry Christmas from Peter Lorre! After completing work on Thank You, Mr. Moto (20th Century-Fox, 1937), Peter took time out to pose for this photo to include with his 1937 Christmas cards.

On the set of Mr. Moto's Gamble (1938), James Tinling (center) directs a scene in the dressing room of murdered boxer Frankie Stanton (Russ Clark). Left to right: George E. Stone, Cliff Clark, Keye Luke, Harold Huber, Peter Lorre, Edwin Stanley, and Clark (lying on table). Originally Charlie Chan at the Ringside, the script was rewritten as the fourth entry in the Moto series (and released third) when Chan star Warner Oland suddenly quit the production. Keye Luke remained as Chan's son, "Lee Chan".

When Lorre reprised his film roles on radio, he dressed the part. Here he is shown in full screen makeup as "Professor Sturm" for "Nancy Steele is Missing" on the Hollywood Hotel program, Friday, March 5, 1937. Joining him in the sketch were his movie co-stars Victor McLaglen and June Lang. Lewis Lawes, warden of Sing Sing Prison who had appeared in several radio programs, cut in from New York.