BACKGROUND TO DANGER was released on July 3, 1943 and was a successful film for Warner Brothers. A spy drama set in World War II, it starred George Raft with Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. George preferred to play the hero and this is one of those films that gave him that opportunity.
Behind the scenes drama made this movie memorable. According to George, Lorre “was a mean little guy.” During the shooting of a scene in which George was tied up, Lorre repeatedly blew smoke into George’s face, giggling at his reaction. Then he waved that lit cigarette too close to his eyes despite being warned not to. Eventually, George had enough and slugged him. The director should have reined in Lorre long before the situation escalated, but Lorre was foolish enough to antagonize George, a former prize fighter, and paid the price for it. Nevertheless, it added another layer to George’s off-screen tough guy image.
BACKGROUND TO DANGER along with many other movies can be accessed from the homepage at georgeraft.com.
