MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

One of the most beloved American films, this captivating wartime adventure of romance and intrigue from director Michael Curtiz defies standard categorization. Simply put, it is the story of Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a world-weary ex-freedom fighter who runs a nightclub in Casablanca during the early part of WWII. Despite pressure from the local authorities, notably the crafty Capt. Renault (Claude Rains), Rick's café has become a haven for refugees looking to purchase illicit letters of transit which will allow them to escape to America. One day, to Rick's great surprise, he is approached by the famed rebel Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), Rick's true love who deserted him when the Nazis invaded Paris. She still wants Victor to escape to America, but now that she's renewed her love for Rick, she wants to stay behind in Casablanca. "You must do the thinking for both of us," she says to Rick. He does, and his plan brings the story to its satisfyingly logical, if not entirely happy, conclusion. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 2
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Black and White
• Subtitle: Spanish, English, French
• Features:
  • • cc All-new digital transfer
    • 2 feature-length audio commentaries: one by film critic Roger Ebert, the other by film historian Rudy Behlmer
    • Introduction by Lauren Bacall
    • Interactive menus
    • Original and reissue theatrical trailers
    • Scene access
    • Languages: English & Français
    • Subtitles: English, Français & Español
    • Lauren Bacall hosts You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca, a spellbinding backstage tour
    • Bacall on Bogart features the award-winning actress's candid and moving reminiscences about her husband's life and career
    • Newly discovered additional scenes and outtakes
    • Homage cartoon Carrotblanca, starring Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang
    • Premiere episode Who Holds Tomorrow? from the 1955 TV series adaptation of Casablanca
    • Screen Guild Players radio production of Casablanca featuring the film's 3 top-billed stars
    • Scoring session outtakes gallery
    • Production history gallery includes photos, press materials, studio correspondence, memorabilia and more
    • Enhanced features for your DVD-ROM PC: script to screen, website links and more

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:

• Director:

  Michael Curtiz

• Producer:

  Hal B. Wallis

• Screenwriter:

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

• Play Author:

  Murray Burnett, Joan Alison

• Cinematographer:

  Arthur Edeson

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Leo F. Forbstein

• Composer (Music Score):

  Hugo W. Friedhofer

• Songwriter:

  Herman Hupfeld, M. K. Jerome, Jack Scholl

• Composer (Music Score):

  Max Steiner

• 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:

  Lawrence W. Butler, James Leicester, Don Siegel, 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 cliché, 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