Customer Reviews

Casablanca [VHS]

5 star:		(537)
4 star:		(48)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

It's hard to believe that when Casablanca was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in 1942 it was "just another" of the 50 or so films that the studio was producing every year, as Lauren Bacall points out in the documentary about the film included in the special features. The movie was an instant success with audiences everywhere, and won three Academy Awards including Best Picture. Called "America's most popular and beloved movie- and rightly so" by The Motion Picture Guide, and "The best Hollywood movie of all time" by Leonard Maltin, Casablanca was voted the #2 film in a list of the top 100 films of this century by the American Film Institute.
Set in refugee strewn French North Africa in 1942, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a night club owner, and his friend Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), Prefect of Police, enter into a wager as to whether or not Resistance Leader Victor Laslo (Paul Henreid) will be able to escape Casablanca and reach the Free World. When Laslo arrives in Casablanca, Rick is stunned to find him accompanied by his ex-lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman). Filled with mystery, suspense, intrigue and romance, Casablanca will remain a favorite of classic movie lovers for years to come.
The supporting cast include Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson as Rick's piano playing confidant, Sam. The entire cast are superb, the settings are excellent, and the cinematogrophy is wonderful.
The song "As Time Goes By" was made famous by Casablanca, as it's melody is entwined throughout the film, and it too is now a classic, filled with romance and nostalgia.
This is one film that absolutely MUST be in your DVD library!

Possibly the most popular film around, 1942's Casablanca pairs two iconic actors, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, in a story of lost love and reluctant heroism. Warner Brothers put out an excellent 2-disc Special Edition in 2003. (That older set is going to receive new artwork on December 2nd, but it will otherwise be the same.) This new 3-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition includes the 2003 set and adds a documentary about studio head Jack Warner, along with a bunch of memorabilia. Here are the announced new features, the ones not included in the 2003 set. All but the first are memorabilia.

-- Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul, a 1993 full-length biographical documentary (104 minutes)
-- 48-page photo book
-- 10 roughly 5x7" cards with color reproductions of poster art and such
-- 3 reproductions of archival correspondence (a memo from producer Hal Wallis changing the title to Casablanca, a memo from Wallis to studio head Jack Warner urging the casting of Bogart over George Raft, and a letter from the publicity head instructing the publicist to shift Bogart's image from tough to romantic lead)
-- reproduction of Victor Laszlo's letter of transit
-- passport holder with Casablanca logo
-- luggage tag with Casablanca logo
-- mail-in offer for 27x40" movie poster
-- all in a pretty collector's box with an intricate laser-cut Moroccan design

The documentary, which comprises the third disc, is also available separately (here). It was written, directed and produced by a grandson of Warner, and is said (by Variety) to be somewhat sentimental but not to overlook Warner's defects. It isn't about Casablanca in particular.

There are more than enough extras in the 2-disc edition for most people. I'll list them below. The video and sound quality of that set are very good, and they should be the same in this new edition.

The movie is set in 1941 Casablanca, Morocco, controlled by the Nazi-collaborating Vichy French government. Bogart plays Rick, a nightclub owner with a past he doesn't talk about and a determination not to get caught up in current events. "I stick my neck out for nobody," he says. He comes into possession of two letters of transit, invaluable items to the many refugees seeking passage out of the grasp of the Nazis. The intended recipients of the letters soon show up, resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife Ilsa (Bergman). Ilsa, it turns out, was once Rick's lover, who broke his heart when she left him with no explanation. Their old flame is rekindled despite themselves, and Rick must decide whether to help his rival for her love, thereby helping the war effort he has claimed no interest in, or help himself.

No one expected this movie to be such a classic, and even though it won three major Academy Awards, including Best Picture, it only gained its place as a classic gradually over the years. Undoubtedly the two stars are a big part of the reason it grew on us. Bogart is perfect as a cynic who has more heart than he lets on. Just by being there, Bergman instantly conveys every reason we need to understand Rick's broken heart and feel the force of his dilemma, and she convincingly portrays her own conflict between two loves. Somehow the movie also gets other things just so. Several of the supporting actors manage to be morally corrupt and still likable; others are just likable. The writing, a fair amount of it done quickly, by committee, with no thought of it being great writing, has panache, and hits on several turns of phrase that just work. All of these things lift up the story of love, higher duty, and the triumph of good over evil, and over cynicism.

Here's the list of the features included from the 2003 Special Edition:

-- Introduction by Bogart's wife and frequent co-star Lauren Bacall (2 minutes)
-- Audio commentaries
. . . . . by Roger Ebert
. . . . . by film historian/author Rudy Behlmer
-- Documentaries and featurette
. . . . . Bacall on Bogart, a TCM documentary from 1988 (83 minutes)
. . . . . You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca, a 1992 documentary narrated by Bacall (35 minutes)
. . . . . As Time Goes By: The Children Remember, with Bogart's son Stephen and Bergman's daughter Pia Lindstrom (7 minutes)
-- Production research gallery, with scads of documents including memos, script pages, and production stills (12 minutes)
-- Deleted scenes, with subtitles but no sound (2 minutes)
. . . . . Rick tells Laszlo he wants to sell the letters of transit for 100,000 francs
. . . . . Rick's bartender Sascha serves a doctored drink to a German soldier
-- Outtakes (goofs), no sound or subtitles (5 minutes)
-- Take-offs on the movie
. . . . . April 26,1943 Screen Guild Players radio broadcast, an abridged Casablanca with Bogart, Bergman and Henreid, audio only (22 minutes)
. . . . . Who Holds Tomorrow?: Premiere Episode excerpts, from the TV serial based on Casablanca, part of the 1955 Warner Bros. Presents series, starring Charles McGraw as Rick (18 minutes)
. . . . . Carrotblanca, Looney Tunes cartoon with Bugs Bunny as Rick (8 minutes)
-- Musical scoring sessions, audio only
. . . . . "Knock on Wood" alternate version, Dooley Wilson and piano
. . . . . "As Time Goes By Part One" alternate take, Wilson and piano
. . . . . "As Time Goes By Part One" film version, Wilson and piano
. . . . . Rick Sees Ilsa instrumental medley
. . . . . "As Time Goes By Part Two" alternate take, Wilson and piano
. . . . . "As Time Goes By Part Two" film version, Wilson and piano
. . . . . At La Belle Aurore instrumental medley
. . . . . "Dat's What Noah Done" outtake, Wilson and piano
-- Trailers
. . . . . original theatrical trailer
. . . . . 1992 re-release trailer
-- Text only
. . . . . A Great Cast is Worth Repeating, on the times the cast played together in other movies
. . . . . cast and crew
. . . . . awards

That's plenty for most fans, though collectors aren't most fans. Whichever edition you get, the movie is the main thing. It's a great one, not to be missed.

I agree that any review of an HD DVD disk should include an opinion as to its technical quality, if possible comparing it to the regular DVD release. For the Casablanca HD DVD, I found the following opinion in the online magazine Perfect Vision, a high end technologically oriented magazine: "Casablanca is the film to see as the black-and-white showcase of hi-def. The setting of Morocco and Rick's Café Americain jump from the screen in breathtaking crystal clarity."

65 years after it first it theaters, CASABLANCA remains a perfect film, a timeless masterpiece, and one of the most beloved American cinematic treasures. There are only a handful of films from the 'golden era' that can still captivate any audience, even those with no interest in classic film, no less black & white films.

Warner Brothers gave this crown jewel the deluxe treatment on regular DVD about 3 years ago, and it was impossible to conceive that even the glories of 1080p HD DVD could really make it look THAT much better...

Well, it DOES. Several people I know use this CASABLANCA HD DVD as their 'demo disc' for their home theater. Despite B&W, monaural sound, and a square aspect ratio, the clarity is unreal, and it only heightens the enjoyment of one of the greatest films ever made.

Kudos to Warner for giving this to fans so early in the HD game. There is a terrible paucity of truly great films available in Hi Def right now, regardless of format. None of the other studios seem to recognize they have libraries, and relegate their releases to the recent flavor of the month (for the most part). Warner has been the top video label for years, and this is just another reason why. They really know what they're doing.

All the exceptional special features created for the regular DVD have been carried over, and although they are standard definition, the upconversion makes them look better than ever.

This is truly an ESSENTIAL part of any HD library.

I was also peeved by the lack of details about this "Collector's Set", so I went hunting.

Bottom line: Unles you want lobby cards, 8X10 stills, and a few other "collectables", save your money. The DVD itself in the "Collector's Set" appears to be identical to the DVD in the original release. Based on other vendors' sites, here's what you get for the extra money:

- Lobby Cards: 8 Original limited edition lobby card prints.
- Senitype: Exclusive limited edition senitype® image from movie with 35mm film frame.
- Theatrical Poster: Original one sheet movie poster (27 x 40 ).
- Exclusive Collection: 6 Original Limited Edition B & W Photograph Stills.

Information regarding the DVD in the "Collector's Set" is:
DVD CONTAINS:
- Digitally restored image and cleaned soundtrack.
- Theatrical trailers.
- YOU MUST REMEBER THIS, a 36-minute documentary newly updated with recently discovered, unseen outakes and screen tests.
- Special introduction by screen legend Lauren Bacall, wife of Humphrey Bogart.

I didn't see any new DVD features on any site.

This is one of the greatest films ever made, but the "extras" aren't worth the extra $... to me. I'll gladly take the original release, which should be in everyone's DVD library!!

With the new Blu-Ray versions of old classics, it may be time for Amazon to rethink how it publishes their reviews, normally one of the things I like most about their store!
When I heard Casablanca was coming out in Blu-Ray, my first thought was, "I wonder if Blu-Ray has anything to offer to an old Black and White film, or is it just a marketing ploy?"
So, I go to Amazon, look up the BLU-RAY VERSION of Casablanca, and find 536 reviews telling me that Casablanca is one of the best movies of all times.
Great! I know that! What I want to know is, does the Blu-Ray edition offer me any viewing advantages over my current DVD of this movie?
How about limiting the reviews to only those who can add something of value to the specific edition being evaluated. Otherwise, with all the new Blu-Ray versions that are going to come out, we are left with old news and nothing of value as we contemplate spending (big!)bucks to possibly replace movies we already own!

I won't write even one word about the film itself; we all know how great it is. But what I wasn't prepared for, was how astonishingly beautiful it is on DVD. On my computer's 19" monitor, it was as clear, crisp and sharp as it would have been on the "silver screen." A TV really doesn't do justice to a film like this. Again and again my wife and I found ourselves gasping at the perfection and beauty of the cinematography, the lighting, the sets, the shots, the angles... Even on a big-screen TV, you only see a faint hint of this film's real beauty; but the DVD brings it out in a way that only people who saw it in the theaters back in 1943 ever got to see... until now. Get a big monitor, a fast computer, and a good sound system. Then pop some popcorn, and be prepared to be stunned.

This 1942 film is a classic, and rightly so. Staring Humphrey Bogart,
Ingrid Bergman and Paul Heinreid, it was originally just another one
of the more than 50 films turned out each year by each of the major
studios that dominated Hollywood in those days. It's release
coincidentally coincided with the Nazi occupation of France, and its
theme and its timeless love story caught the public's
imagination.

Casablanca in French Morocco is under French rule and
one of the places in the world where refuges can get safe passage
visas to go on to Lisbon and eventually to America and freedom. It is
seething with intrigue and corruption. Humphrey Bogart is an
ex-patriot American citizen who runs Rick's Cafe, where much of the
commerce takes place. Peter Lorre is a smuggler, Sidney Greenstreet
is a black marketeer, and Martin Dooley is the piano player known as
Sam.

When, one evening Ingrid Bergman comes in to the cafe on the
arm of her husband, Paul Heinreid, and asks the piano player to
"play it Sam", he reluctantly plays "As Time Goes
By." This melody which is played throughout the movie, is the
glue that defines the romance. There's electricity between the
lovers. There's intrigue and double dealing. Something exciting
happens in each scene. And the acting is so good that it brought me
right into Casablanca. The story is always clear. The danger is
always there. The tension sizzles.

One particularly meaningful
scene was when some Nazi soldiers gather round the piano and sing an
ominous song to the "Fatherland". It makes everyone in the
Rick's cafe very uncomfortable. That's when Paul Heinried instructs
the orchestra to play the French national anthem, the
"Marseilles". Everyone starts to sing. The Nazis are
silenced. The music takes over. I found my eyes filled with
tears.

The video I rented included a "made for TV program"
that featured interviews with some of the original writers and
recollections from people working on the set at the time. There was
an interview with the man who did the music. He said that when he
wrote that into the script he actually felt tears running down his
face. It was the same powerful emotion that I felt too.

The movie
was shot in black and white. It was also shot in a studio in
Hollywood. The airplane scene used a cardboard cutout of a plane and
hired midgets dressed as mechanics. Shot from a distance and through
a fog it was realistic and served the same kind of purpose of
today's video imaging and special effects.

Of course all the
principals are dead, but their celluloid images in a timeless classic
film lingers on.

Casablanca is the 2nd greatest movie of the 100 top in the last 100 years according to the American Film Institute (AFI) poll of 1998.

Warner Brothers Studios produce an abundance of hit patriotic romance features during the War Years (1940's). They had a stable of the greatest stars (Bogart, Bergman, Rains, Lorre, Greenstreet to mention a few) which produced countless movies in short order.

In Summary; French Morocco during World War II love triangle night club owner Rick (Humphrey Bogart), Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) & Victor (Paul Henreid) try to outwit & escape the Nazi's with many twists & turns involving an assortment of memorable characters you'll never forget.

Casablanca was the greatest of Warner Brothers (Best Picture Oscar)1940's features. In my opinion the #1 movie as yet due to the fantasic script, sreenplay (Won an Oscar) plots, cast, direction (Best Director Oscar)and charismatic attraction you'll have in watching this movie over and over.

The extras include a fantastic documentary narrated by Bogarts wife, Lauren Bacall.

Seeing is believing, trust me, pull up a comfortable chair and watch this digitalized Black & White classic "CASABLANCA".

If you want to see one of the greatest films ever, this is the way to see it (forget video tape, the quality of this product is superb).

'Casablanca' is set in wartime Morrocco where refugees from Europe wait for the chance to escape to America. Rick (Humphrey Bogart) the owner of a fashionable bar, is shocked when his former lover Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) arrives with her husband Victor Lazlo, the leader of a Resistance movement. Victor is being pursued by the Germans who have a strong influence over the French authorities in Morrocco and who will be happy to see him stopped. Will Ilsa escape with Victor or will she leave him for Rick...?

When they bought the rights to the play (Everyone comes to Rick's), Warner Brothers couldn't possibly have known how successful 'Casablanca' would be. It has just the right mix of mystery, intrigue, romance and humour with a few memorable songs thrown in for good measure. Watch out too for the references to concentration camps which is suprising when you consider that it was filmed in 1942.

As well as the movie itself, on the DVD you get a documentary about its production hosted by Bogart's real-life partner, Lauren Bacall.

This is a must-see movie...