While Peter Lorre might not necessarily be the biggest name when it comes to modern celebrity news, he was certainly quite a big figure back in the Golden Days of Hollywood. Originally born in Hungary, Lorre became a huge film star who would become renowned for his portrayals of villains. He just excelled with a chilling, quiet, nearly psychotic sort of stage presence which landed him roles in some pretty major movies, many of which you’re probably familiar with, such as “Crime and Punishment,” “Casablanca,” and “The Maltese Falcon.”
As for where Lorre crosses over into the realm of dark, notorious deaths, that would actually be his daughter. In November 1977, Catharine Lorre was walking home when she was approached by two men who tried to convince her to get in their car. She refused their offer after proving to them that she was Peter Lorre’s daughter, showing them a photo of herself with her father when she was just a kid. They ultimately let her go, but as the world would later learn, Peter Lorre’s daughter was nearly a victim of the Hillside Stranglers.
Cousins Angelo Buono Jr. and Kenneth Bianchi terrorized the Los Angeles area between October 1977 and February 1978. They kidnapped, assaulted, and strangled 10 women during that period, often disposing of the bodies on hillsides. Lorre had been another intended victim, but as it turned out, they were actually fans of her father’s movies and decided to leave her alone, reasoning that killing the daughter of a star would draw too much attention.
