MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Casablanca: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if you're wanted by the Nazis. Such a man is Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one - especially Victor's wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo's transport out of the country and bitter Rick must decide what counts more - personal happiness or countless lives hanging in the balance. Winner of three Academy Awards including Best Picture. Included in this very special edition of Hollywood's most unforgettable classic is a bonus disc of the featurette "Jack Warner: The Last Mogul" - a rare glimpse into the public and private life of oneof the most respected names in the entertainment industry. This giftset also includes the following beautiful bonus collectibles: 48-Page Photo Book, 10 One-Sheet Reproduction Cards, Archival Correspondence, and more!

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 2
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Black and White
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Features:
  • Commentary by Roger Ebert
  • Commentary by historian Rudy Behlmer
  • Additional scenes and outtakes
  • 2 documentaries:
  • Bacall on Bogart
  • You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca
  • Featurette: As Time Goes By - The Children Remember with Pia Lindstrom and Stephen Bogart
  • Production research gallery
  • Homage cartoon Carrotblanca
  • Who Holds Tomorrow?: premiere episode from the 1955 Warner Bros. Presents tv series adaptation of Casablanca
  • Scoring session outtakes
  • Audio-only bonus: radio production with the movie's 3 key stars
  • Theatrical trailers
  • Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul documentary - a revealing look at the rise of a Hollywood legend, produced by Warner's grandson Gregory Orr

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Director - 1943 (Michael Curtiz)
•     Won Best Picture - 1943
•     Won Best Screenplay - 1943 (Julius J. Epstein, Howard W. Koch, Philip G. Epstein)
•     Nominated Best Actor - 1943 (Humphrey Bogart)
•     Nominated Best Black and White Cinematography - 1943 (Arthur Edeson)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 1943 (Owen Marks)
•     Nominated Best Score - Drama or Comedy - 1943 (Max Steiner)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 1943 (Claude Rains)

• American Film Institute

•     Won 100 Greatest American Movies - 1998

• Film Daily

•     Won 10 Best Films - 1942

• Library of Congress

•     Won U.S. National Film Registry - 1988

• National Board of Review

•     Nominated Best Picture - 1943

• New York Times

•     Won 10 Best Films - 1942

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
       Ingrid Bergman - Ilsa
       Debbie Reynolds
       Claude Rains - Capt. Louis Renault
       Conrad Veidt - Maj. Heinrich Strasser
       Peter Lorre - Ugarte
       Sydney Greenstreet - Senor Ferrari
       S.Z. Sakall - Carl, Headwaiter
       Madeleine Le Beau - Yvonne
       Dooley Wilson - Sam
       Joy Page - Annina Brandel
       John Qualen - Berger
       Leonid Kinskey - Sascha
       Helmut Dantine - Jan Brandel
       Curt Bois - Dark European
       Marcel Dalio - Emil, the Croupier
       Corinna Mura - Singer
       Ludwig Stossel - Mr. Leuchtag
       Ilka Gruning - Mrs. Leuchtag
       Charles La Torre - Senor Martinez
       Frank Puglia - Arab Vendor
       Dan Seymour - Abdul
       Alberto Morin - French Officer

• Director:

  Gregory Orr, Michael Curtiz, Scott Benson

• Producer:

  Hal B. Wallis

• Play Author:

  Joan Alison, Murray Burnett

• Screenwriter:

  Howard Koch, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein

• Cinematographer:

  Arthur Edeson

• Composer (Music Score):

  Herman Beeftink, Hugo W. Friedhofer, Max Steiner

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Leo F. Forbstein

• Songwriter:

  Herman Hupfeld, Jack Scholl, M. K. Jerome

• Editor:

  Owen Marks

• Art Director:

  Carl Jules Weyl

• Executive Producer:

  Jack L. Warner

• Set Designer:

  George James Hopkins

• Costume Designer:

  Orry-Kelly

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Francis J. Scheid

• Makeup:

  Perc Westmore

• Special Effects:

  Don Siegel, James Leicester, Lawrence W. Butler, Richard Van Enger, Willard Van Enger

• Consultant/advisor:

  Robert Aisner

REVIEW:

• There are many people for whom Casablanca is the greatest Hollywood movie ever made, and, while that may be going a bit far, one would be hard-pressed to think of another film in which the pieces fell together with such serendipity. It's hard to imagine a movie in which the leads are better cast: Humphrey Bogart's tough, effortless cool gives Rick the ideal balance of honor and cynicism, Ingrid Bergman's luminous beauty makes it seem reasonable that men would fight for Ilsa's affections, and Paul Henreid's Victor is cold enough that you can imagine Ilsa's being tempted by her old flame. The supporting cast is superb down the line; Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Dooley Wilson, and S.Z. Sakall are all so memorable that one tends to forget that none is onscreen for very long. The screenplay often walks the border of cliche, but the story has just enough twists, and the dialogue so much snap, that it stays compelling throughout. And Michael Curtiz knew just when to turn on the schmaltz and when to cut it off. Casablanca blends romance, suspense, humor, and patriotic drama with such skill that one imagines it must have happened by accident, and the movie looks better with each passing year. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cheer, and the good guys strike a blow against fascism -- what more could you want from a movie? ~ Mark Deming, Rovi