#realised i had no clue how to spell rodericks name

[angelamontoo]

Grading every Peter Lorre character from a movie I've seen on a scale of 1-10 part 2

•Roderick Roskolnikov-Crime and Punishment(1935)

Naturally, it's nice getting to see Peter play a leading man. It's a shame he didn't get to play such characters more as we really feel for Roderick with his guilt, fear of getting caught, his feelings for Sonya, his protectiveness over her and his family and of course, his lack of faith in humanity. The scene that sticks out to me the most is when he falls to his knees infront of his mother and she tells the story about the kitten he nursed back to health as a child. Partially because it mirrors the scene where he does the same thing to Sonya, but also because I find is striking how the story contrasts with Roderick as we see him in the film. And I'm not even necessarily talking about how he killed someone at that point. He just seems like such a broken man and its both heartbreaking to think of him as once being such an innocent and sensitive child, yet also believable, giving how hard he tries to take care of his loved ones. Not to mention, that scene where he takes care of his sisters creepy, dickhead suitor is nothing short of iconic

6/10 I'm starting to feel guilty for how low I'm rating such complex characters, but the heart wants want it wants

•The Hairless Mexican-The secret agent(1936)

The general is a fun character. Definitely the most enjoyable thing about his movie, although that's nothing you can't say about any Peter Lorre character. Still, THM has some great qualities of his own. His unique fashion, all of the images of him with the dog, him being called a lady killer and replying "not just ladies" and my personal favourite moment, when he makes his lady friend do that shrill squeal and then mimics it. Idk why, but that moment just tickles me. If there's one thing that sours me to this funky guy, it's the fact that images of him and Joel Cairo sometimes get mistakingly used interchangeably. Not saying thats a flaw with the character or his film obviously, just grinds my gears and this seems like as good a place as any to whine about it. 5/10

•Colonel Gimpy/Baron Rudolph Maximilian Taggar-Crack-up(1936)

The thing I love most about Gimpy is that he allows Peter to play both a funny, adorable, seemingly innocent nitwit and a suave, cunning criminal mastermind in one film. Sure, there are other characters Peter plays who have elements of both types of characters-such as Cairo, whos attempts to seem like a capable, respectable businessman are undermined by how others treat him aswell as his frequent temper tantrums or Polo who's a good natured, sensitive dope who's capable enough at tricking people to keep performing the same scam with Tanya and Andre, but even when playing a part is still a sensitive, chipper klutz. However, unlike those two, who's true personalities show through their acts, nothing of Baron Tagger is visible to people who only know Gimpy, the harmless eccentric with the trumpet. His act is so convincing he can admit to shooting a man seconds before that man's death is announced on the radio and because Gimpy is obviously a harmless eccentric, the whole thing will be brushed of as an eerie coincidence

7/10. I'm gonna be saying this a lot, but Peter was too good for this flick