CASABLANCA [1942 / 2017] [Premium Collection] [Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD] [UK Release]
The Best Hollywood Movie of All Time!
Casablanca is 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 Laszlo 's wife Ilsa Lund Laszlo [Ingrid Bergman], the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa Lund Laszlo offers herself in exchange for Victor Laszlo's transport out of the country and bitter Rick Blaine must decide what’s more important – his own personal happiness or the countless lives hanging in the balance.
‘CASABLANCA’ is presented with brand new 4K resolution scan that achieves the richest, most dynamic image possible, rendering the most romantic movie of all time and the most beautiful it’s ever been. So no matter how often you’ve seen the timeless classic that was a winner of three Academy Awards® including Best Picture. ‘CASABLANCA’ is America’s most popular and beloved movie – and rightly so. So no matter how often you’ve seen the timeless classic, you’ll want to play it again and again.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1943 National Board of Review, USA: Win: NBR Award for Top Ten Films. 1943 Photoplay Awards: Win: Photoplay Award for Best Performances of the Month (February 1943) for Claude Rains, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid. 1944 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Picture. Win: Best Director for Michael Curtiz. Win: Best Writing for a Screenplay for Howard Koch, Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. Nominated: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Humphrey Bogart. Nominated: Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Claude Rains. Nominated: Best Cinematography in Black-and-White for Arthur Edeson. Nominated: Best Film Editing for Owen Marks. Nominated: Best Music for Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture for Max Steiner. 1997 Online Film & Television Association: Win: OFTA Film Hall of Fame for the Motion Picture ‘CASABLANCA.’ 1989 National Film Preservation Board, USA: Win: National Film Registry for the film ‘CASABLANCA.’
FILM FACT No.2: Very few films in the early 1940’s had portions of the soundtrack released on 78 rpm records, and ‘CASABLANCA’ was no exception. In 1997, almost 55 years after the film's premiere, Turner Entertainment in collaboration with Rhino Records issued the film's first original soundtrack album for release on a compact disc, including original songs and music, spoken dialogue, and alternate takes. The piano featured in the Paris flashback sequences was sold in New York City on the 14th December, 2012, at Sotheby's for more than $600,000 to an anonymous bidder. The piano Sam "plays" in the American Rick's Café, was put up for auction with other film memorabilia by Turner Classic Movies at Bonhams in New York on the 24th November, 2014, and sold for $3.4 million. When you see Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman standing by the plane in the final scene, and the producers couldn't afford a real aircraft so a model was built and the scene populated with midget extras to give the illusion of perspective. The making of the film was fraught with lots of problems, because no one knew what their role was, what their lines were for the day, or even where to stand for their shots. The blind panic that ensued from day one of shooting makes this perfect “film noir” all the more miraculous in its execution to a satisfaction result.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S.Z. Sakall, Madeleine LeBeau, Dooley Wilson, Joy Page, John Qualen, Leonid Kinskey, Curt Bois, Abdullah Abbas (uncredited), Enrique Acosta (uncredited), Ed Agresti (uncredited), Arnet Amos (uncredited), Louis V. Arco (uncredited), Frank Arnold (uncredited), Brandon Beach (uncredited), Leon Belasco (uncredited), Nino Bellini (uncredited), Trude Berliner (uncredited), Oliver Blake (uncredited), Monte Blue (uncredited), Eugene Borden (uncredited), Dick Botiller (uncredited), Maurice Brierre (uncredited), Anita Camargo (uncredited), George M. Carleton (uncredited), Spencer Chan (uncredited), Melie Chang (uncredited), Tex Cooper (uncredited), Gino Corrado (uncredited), Franco Corsaro (uncredited), Adrienne D'Ambricourt (uncredited), Marcel Dalio (uncredited), Helmut Dantine (uncredited), Jean De Briac (uncredited), George Dee (uncredited), Jean Del Val (uncredited), Carl Deloro (uncredited), Joseph DeVillard (uncredited), Arthur Dulac (uncredited), William Edmunds (uncredited), Herbert Evans (uncredited), Fred Farrell (uncredited), O.K. Ford (uncredited), Martin Garralaga (uncredited), Gregory Gaye (uncredited), Gregory Golubeff (uncredited), Ilka Grüning (uncredited), Creighton Hale (uncredited), Winifred Harris (uncredited), Jamiel Hasson (uncredited), Arthur Stuart Hull (uncredited), Olaf Hytten (uncredited), Paul Irving (uncredited), Kay Koury (uncredited), Charles La Torre (uncredited), George J. Lewis (uncredited), Max Linder (uncredited), Manuel Lopez (uncredited), Jacques Lory (uncredited), Lou Marcelle [Narrator voice] (uncredited), Michael Mark (uncredited), Tony Martelli (uncredited), Frank Mazzola (uncredited), George Meeker (uncredited), Lal Chand Mehra (uncredited), Hercules Mendez (uncredited), Louis Mercier (uncredited), Torben Meyer (uncredited), Mike Morelli (uncredited), Alberto Morin (uncredited), Leo Mostovoy (uncredited), Corinna Mura (uncredited), Sol Murgi (uncredited), Barry Norton (uncredited), Monty O'Grady (uncredited), Lotte Palfi Andor (uncredited), Paul Panzer (uncredited), Manuel París (uncredited), Alexander Pollard (uncredited), Paul Porcasi (uncredited), Frank Puglia (uncredited), Georges Renavent (uncredited), Dewey Robinson (uncredited), Victor Romito (uncredited), Henry Rowland (uncredited), Richard Ryen (uncredited), Dan Seymour (uncredited), Nick Shaid (uncredited), Lester Sharpe (uncredited), Bhogwan Singh (uncredited), Dina Smirnova (uncredited), Gerald Oliver Smith (uncredited), George Sorel (uncredited), Geoffrey Steele (uncredited), Ludwig Stössel (uncredited), Mike Tellegen (uncredited), Sid Troy (uncredited), Rafael Trujillo (uncredited), Jacques Vanaire (uncredited), Ellinor Vanderveer (uncredited), Norma Varden (uncredited), Hans Heinrich von Twardowski (uncredited), Leo White (uncredited), Jack Wise (uncredited), Jean Wong (uncredited) and Wolfgang Zilzer (uncredited)
Director: Michael Curtiz
Producers: Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner
Screenplay: Howard Koch (screenplay), Julius J. Epstein (screenplay), Philip G. Epstein (screenplay), Joan Alison (play), Murray Burnett (play) and Casey Robinson (uncredited)
Composer: Max Steiner
Costume Design: Orry-Kelly (gowns)
Cinematography: Arthur Edeson, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black-and-White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 1.0 DTS-HD Master Mono Audio
Français: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
Italiano: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
Castellano: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
Español: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
Português: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio
Subtitles: English, Français, Italiano, Castellano, Español, Português, Dansk, Suomi, Norsk and Svenska
Running Time: 102 minutes
Region: Blu-ray: All Regions + DVD: PAL
Number of discs: 3
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures / First National Picture / Warner Home Video
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: It's probably no stretch to say that ‘CASABLANCA’ [1942], is arguably America's best-loved “film noir,” and has had more words written about it than any other motion picture. Over the years since its 1943 release, the legends and rumours surrounding the making of the film have generated almost as much attention as the finished product. Some of the best-known and most often repeated anecdotes includes producer Hal B. Wallis’ near-casting of Ronald Reagan as Rick Blaine and Ann Sheridan as Ilsa Lund Laszlo, the existence of two scripts for the last day of shooting and one version had the ending as filmed; the other, unproduced version kept Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund Laszlo together, and the reported backstage tension between several of the principal actors.
Ultimately, however, while it's fascinating to examine and dissect all that went into the making of ‘CASABLANCA,’ the greatest pleasure anyone can derive from this “film noir” comes through simply watching it. Aside from some basic knowledge of recent world history, little background is needed to appreciate the strength and power of the film. ‘CASABLANCA’ accomplishes that which only a truly great film can: enveloping the viewer in the story, forging an unbreakable link with the characters, and only letting go with the end credits.
Just about everyone knows the story, which takes place about a year after the Germans invaded France. Ilsa Lund Laszlo [Ingrid Bergman] and her husband, Czech freedom fighter Victor Laszlo [Paul Henreid], wander into Rick Blaines’s Cafe in Casablanca. The two are on the run from the Nazis, and have come to the American-owned nightspot to lie low. But the German-controlled the local government, headed by Captain Louis Renault [Claude Rains], is on the move, and Victor Laszlo has to act quickly to get the letters of transit he came for, then escape. Little does Ilsa Lund know that the cafe is run by Rick Blaine [Humphrey Bogart], the one true love of her life. When the two see each other, sparks fly, and memories of an enchanted time in Paris come flooding back.
Less known is Paul Henreid, a romantic lead who was on loan to Warner Brothers for this project. Most viewers know Paul Henreid as “the other guy” in the romantic triangle, and, while his performance isn't on the same level as that of his better-known co-stars, Pauk Henreid nevertheless does a respectable job. ‘CASABLANCA’ features some other well-known faces. Conrad Veidt plays the Nazi commander on Victor Laszlo's trail, Peter Lorre as Ugarte is the man who steals the letters of transit, and Sydney Greenstreet as Signor Ferrariis the city's black market overlord. But the best performance in the film belongs to Claude Rains, who is magnificent. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are of course really wonderful and so ideal, but Claude Rains is just slightly better and Claude Rains became the top role in his impressive career, and it's a shame the actor didn't win the Best Supporting Oscar for which he was deservedly nominated. Claude Rains is a standout performance in nearly every scene, but, like the consummate professional, he constantly cedes the spotlight to the higher-profile star.
Another curious thing about ‘CASABLANCA’ is that hardly anyone ever talks about the director. It isn't as if Michael Curtiz is a journeyman hack who got lucky here. From the 1920’s to the 1950’s Michael Curtiz was one of the hardest working directors in Hollywood, in charge of over 100 films including ‘White Christmas,’ ‘Mildred Pierce’ and ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy.’ Before that, he made nearly 50 films in Europe, where he began his career in 1912. Michael Curtiz was a well-respected film maker and his work on ‘CASABLANCA’ was first rate, but, for some reason, few non-cineastes associate his name with this picture.
‘CASABLANCA’ is remembered as one of the great movies of the Golden Era of Hollywood, is a jewel in the crown of studio Warner Bros., and remains one of the most memorable and quotable films ever made. Directed by Austro-Hungarian director Michael Curtiz and made the film ‘CASABLANCA’ one of cinema’s great cultural phenomena, its timeless stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman remembered best for their starring turns in this wartime release despite having some of the most respected and unforgettable careers of all time, its sequences paid homage to by the great filmmakers of the contemporary era, and its quick-paced delivery of dialogue, timeless performances and its all-time great score offering an experience that remains almost incomparable. ‘CASABLANCA’ is romanticised Hollywood at its most sumptuous and enveloping, a movie that eight decades on remains a vision of the form, a reference point for fans and filmmakers alike looking to point towards the most influential or most pristine examples of cinema.
As a symbol of Hollywood’s great work of the era and the romantic notion of the United States as a place to which you could once go when escaping tyranny and persecution, ‘CASABLANCA’ is the archetype. Beautifully photographed, excellently performed by icons of the silver screen, scored in a classic style but used to timeless effect, and one of the most recognisable and heartfelt love stories ever put to film, Michael Curtiz’s remarkable early war offering has barely aged a day. Eighty years on, our cultural understanding of the United States may have changed, as has our collective consumption of film, but ‘CASABLANCA’ remains romantic not only in story but in its purpose and its meaning to us as a wider culture, a shining light of the cinematic form. ‘CASABLANCA’ is a brilliant film that merits inclusion in every self-respecting film critic's top three.
The ‘CASABLANCA’ film has a definite durability that can also be connected to its old-fashioned values: Duty must come before love, and making individual sacrifices for a just cause is a necessity, or as Rick Blaine would say, "The problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." It's a work of skilful fantasy, allowing us to imagine that in a similarly perilous situation we too might act, dress and talk like the stoical Humphrey Bogie and the luminous Ingrid Bergman. With the gaping plot hole – why would the Germans respect letters of transit signed by General de Gaulle? – is largely irrelevant. In fact, by the time the credits roll, you'll be too misty-eyed to notice. Indeed, when re-watching ‘CASABLANCA,’ one is reminded how many of its choice lines – “Round up the usual suspects!,” “Here's looking at you kid” – have entered our collective cultural consciousness, together with the all-too-familiar tones of that “As Time Goes By” theme song. Despite a famously troubled production, including a conveyor belt of scriptwriters and a failure to secure the likes of Ronald Reagan, the finished film, directed by Michael Curtiz, unfolds with effortless professionalism and of course a joy to watch.
CASABLANCA MUSIC TRACK LIST
LA MARSEILLAISE (1792) (uncredited) (Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle) (Arranged by Max Steiner) [Played during the opening credits] [Sung by Madeleine Lebeau and others at Rick Blaine's Café] [Variations played often in the score]
IT HAD TO BE YOU (1924) (uncredited) (Music by Isham Jones) (Lyrics by Gus Kahn) [Played during the opening shot of Rick's Café] [Performed by Dooley Wilson but the piano is dubbed by Jean Vincent Plummer] [Also played when Victor Laszlo and Ilsa Lund return to Rick Blaine's Café]
SHINE (1910) (uncredited) (Music by Ford Dabney) (Lyrics by Lew Brown and Cecil Mack) [Performed by Dooley Wilson during the opening scene at Rick Blaine's Café, but the piano is dubbed by Jean Vincent Plummer]
CRAZY RHYTHM (1928) (uncredited) (Music by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn) [Played when Rick Blaine turns the man away and then talks to Ugarte] [Originally from the 1928 Broadway musical "Here's Howe!"]
KNOCK ON WOOD (1942) (uncredited) (Music by M.K. Jerome) (Lyrics by Jack Scholl) [Performed by Dooley Wilson and band, but the piano is dubbed by Jean Vincent Plummer]
THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU (1934) (uncredited) (Music by Ray Noble) [Played when Signor Ferrari offers to buy Rick Blaine's Café and when Rick Blaine sends Yvonne home] [Also played when Sascha kisses Rick Blaine after Rick Blaine's good deed]
BABY FACE (1926) (uncredited) (Music by Harry Akst) [Performed by Dooley Wilson when Captain Louis Renault tells Rick Blaine that there's going to be an arrest, but the piano is dubbed by Jean Vincent Plummer]
I’M JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY (1921) (uncredited) (Music by Eubie Blake) [Played when Captain Louis Renault goes downstairs and joins Major Heinrich Strasser's party]
HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1939) (uncredited) (Music by Jimmy Van Heusen) [Played when Rick is introduced to Major Heinrich Strasser]
Parlez-moi d'Amour (uncredited) (Music by Jean Lenoir) [Played when Victor Laszlo and Ilsa Lund first enter Rick Blaine's Café]
LOVE FOR SALE (1930) (uncredited) (Music by Cole Porter) [Played when Captain Louis Renault joins Victor Laszlo and Ilsa Lund at their table]
TANGO DELLE ROSE [aka "The Song of the Rose"] [1928] (uncredited) (Written by Filippo Schreier and Aldo Bottero) [Performed by Corinna Mura with vocal and guitar]
AVALON (1920) (uncredited) (Music by Vincent Rose) [Performed by Dooley Wilson while talking to Ilsa Lund, but the piano is dubbed by Jean Vincent Plummer]
AS TIME GOES BY (1931) (uncredited) (Written by Herman Hupfeld) [Performed by Dooley Wilson, but the piano is dubbed by Jean Vincent Plummer] [Variations played often in the score] [Originally from the 1932 Broadway show "Everybody's Welcome"]
PIANO IMPROVISATION (uncredited) (Music by Frank Perkins) [Performed by Dooley Wilson after trying to talk Rick Blaine into leaving, but the piano is dubbed by Jean Vincent Plummer]
PERFIDIA (1939) (uncredited) (Music by Alberto Domínguez) [Played when Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund are dancing at the Paris nightclub]
IF I COULD BE WITH YOU (1926) (uncredited) (Music by James P. Johnson) [Played when the man gets his pocket picked and the Germans enter Rick Blaine's Café]
YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABY (1938) (uncredited) (Music by Harry Warren) [Played when Yvonne walks into Rick Rick Blaine's Café with the German officer]
Die Wacht am Rhein (1854) (uncredited) (Music by Karl Wilhelm) (1854) (Lyrics by Max Schneckenburger from his poem) (1840) (Arranged by Max Steiner) [Sung by the Germans at Rick Rick Blaine's Café]
Das Lied der Deutschen (1841) (uncredited) aka "Deutschland über Alles" (Music by Joseph Haydn) (1797) (Arranged by Max Steiner) [Played before and after Major Heinrich Strasser orders Captain Louis Renault to shut down Rick Blaine's Café]
* * * * *
Blu-ray Image Quality – Warner Bros. Pictures, First National Picture and Warner Home Video presents us the film ‘CASABLANCA’ with an all-new 4K scan and remastered 1080p black-and-white stunning image and of course has the standard 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The image looks glorious, which is breath-taking and is a crisply shot black and white visual masterpiece; every element of each frame is immaculately constructed. The most iconic shots of the film – those that take place at the airport – are filled with fog and rain, which creates a hue that engulfs the characters in a softness that we have come to associate with romance ever since, whilst the bustling crowds of Casablanca’s streets and particularly Rick’s bar fill every second of the picture with life, serving not just a pulsating and lived-in hive of an environment but the film’s wider theme regarding the brutal vastness of war. The interiors of each of the buildings are truly remarkable too, and mix with excellently devised wardrobe features and each tailored uniquely to specific characters – most notably Humphrey Bogart’s white dinner jacket that delivers the very highest standards in set and costume design. The ‘CASABLANCA’ sets are the stuff of legend, and in taking in the seas of tables and the titbits of textures on the walls, it is clear not only as to why this film is so well remembered but as to why this era of filmmaking is considered the Golden Era of Hollywood – cinema has rarely looked this simultaneously functional and operatic. There are no signs of noise reduction or artificial sharpening. What we see is what we get. And I was unable to find any blemishes, no rips, tears, or scratches. ‘CASABLANCA’ is now well over 70 years old and, thanks to the preservation efforts of Warner Bros., and looks as good now as it did upon its original release.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Bros. Pictures, First National Picture and Warner Home Video brings us the film ‘CASABLANCA’ with a 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio experience and the has a surprising amount of clarity and range. Dialog is crisp. The compose film score is full, with highs fairing best. The biggest improvement comes in sound effects, especially with the dice dropping, clinking glasses, footsteps, the fluttering of envelop and other papers. They all seemed alive and present in a way I've never noticed before. For a film well over 70 years old, especially with a mono audio experience, ‘CASABLANCA’ sounds about as good as it can be. Though there are no audio leaps and bounds, it is so much better than the previous home video releases. The 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track really allows the original elements to breath, and highlighting smaller details I've never fully appreciated before.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Introduction by Lauren Bacall [1998] [1080i] [1.37:1] [2:03] With this featurette, actress Lauren Bacall talks about all aspect about the greatest film of all time ‘CASABLANCA,’ and of course the two romantic characters Richard “Rick” Blaine played by Humphry Bogart and Ilsa Lund Laszlo played by Ingrid Bergman. Lauren Bacall says she is very biased towards the 1942 film, and feels a cinema masterpiece was created and movie magic was made, also the lure of the film lies in its romance, intrigue, mystery and touch stone for many moving moments, but most of all the theme of the film is romance. The film ‘CASABLANCA’ had its premiere in 1942, at the time when the world was embroiled in the Second World War and the film perfectly captures the national pride and sacrifices and it is no wonder ‘CASABLANCA’ remains the favourite film around the world and it can truly be called a cinematic classic and the film also enters our global conscience and ‘CASABLANCA’ has easily done this, and the famous lines from the film are quoted so often, they have entered the realm of popular jargon, and the magic of ‘CASABLANCA,’ so welcome once again to Rick’s Café Américan, once you cross the threshold you will be caught in the mystical spell, romance, mystery, intrigue and danger and all courtesy of Humphrey Bogart and the magic of film. Now there is only one thing left to say, “Play It Sam.” At that point, the introduction by Lauren Bacall ends, and is a very nice intimate instruction to the film ‘CASABLANCA’ and of course you hear Lauren Bacall say she is biased towards the film, well it is only natural, as Lauren Bacall was married to Humphrey Bogart.
Special Feature: Audio Commentary by Roger Ebert [Audio only] [2017] [1080p] [1.37:1] [00:00] With this featurette, we are introduced by Film Critic Roger Ebert, who is here to give his own personal comments of the much loved movie ‘CASABLANCA.’ The esteemed late film critic Roger Ebert provides an animated scene-specific commentary that analyses both on-screen elements and the carefully constructed lighting, intricate shadow placement, positioning of actors, and finer points of cinematography - and the day-to-day production process. Along the way, Roger Ebert tosses in such titbits as Bergman's height advantage over Bogart and how the film disguises it, the significance of several throwaway lines, the origin of “Here's looking at you, kid," and the historical inaccuracy of the letters of transit. He also dissects various sequences, touches upon censorship issues, and notes the very early anti-Nazi leanings of the Warner Bros studio. In addition, Roger Ebert points out a glaring continuity error that I never noticed (and won't divulge) and calls the competitive singing of “Watch on the Rhine” and “La Marseillaise” and says it is “one of the great dramatic, emotional scenes in motion picture history.” Out of the two audio commentary tracks included on this Blu-ray disc, is that Roger Ebert's is the most compelling one of all, but Rudy Behlmer's is great, too. So please give it a listen, as you get to hear a lot of in-depth background information about the iconic film ‘CASABLANCA.’ Please Note: Due to the amount of space I am aloud to do these Blu-ray Reviews, sadly I have had to do a very limited review of this excellent audio commentary, so I hope it does not spoil your enjoyment in what you have read. Thank you.
Special Feature: Audio Commentary by Rudy Behlmer [Audio only] [2017] [1080p] [1.37:1] [00:00] With this featurette, we are introduced Film Historian Rudy Behlmer who is also here to give his own personal comments of the much loved movie ‘CASABLANCA.’ Long regarded as the classic era of the foremost Warner Bros. Pictures authority, Rudy Behlmer takes us inside the studio and into the film ‘CASABLANCA many nooks and crannies. Mostly non-scene-specific and delivered in a nuts-and-bolts, just-the-facts-m'am style, the track offers extensive background on Everybody Comes to Rick's, the original play upon which Casablanca is based, as well as more thorough examinations of cast and crew careers. Rudy Behlmer, who passed away in 2019 at age 92, quotes extensively from interoffice studio memos (a commentary highlight), discusses how a parade of uncredited writers beefed up and refined the screenplay, and mentions how various war restrictions, affected the shooting schedule. A bit dry at times and featuring a few annoying gaps, the track still relays a wealth of information that only enhances our appreciation for this legendary film. Please Note: Once again, due to the amount of space I am aloud to do these Blu-ray Reviews, sadly I have had to do a very limited review of this excellent audio commentary, so once again I hope it does not spoil your enjoyment in what you have read. Thank you.
Special Feature: Warner Night At The Movies: With this featurette, we get to view six individual special feature entertainment pieces just like it would have been shown had you seen this theatrically in the 1940’s and they are as follows:
Theatrical Trailer: ‘Now, Voyager’ [1942] [480i] [1.37:1] [2:19] With this featurette, we get to view the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘Now, Voyager.’
NEWSREEL [1942] [480i] [1.37:1] [4:36] With this featurette, we get to view these three newsreels of 1942 and they are “West Point Sends Her Men To War;” “U.S. Chinese Air Force Blasts Japs!” and “Navy Volunteers Flock To Colors!”
Vaudeville Days [1942] [480i] [1.37:1] [20:18] With this featurette, we get to view the following Vaudeville acts that were very popular in America in 1942 and they include Vista Victoria; Pat Rooney; Andrew Mack The Irish Thrush; Eva Tanguay; The Whirling Camerons; The Duffins in “The Toy Shop;” Rio Brothers in “Best Dressed Men In Town;” Eddie Garr and Isle of Bingo Bango.
The Bird Came C.O.D. [1942] [1080i] [1.37:1] [7:43] With this featurette, we get to watch a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon entitled “The Bird Came C.O.D.” where Conrad Cat has trouble getting a prop tree he's delivering to a theater into the door. Once inside, he falls victim to an intimidating little bird who hops out of a magician's hat.
The Squawkin' Hawk [1942] [1080i] [1.37:1] [6:41] With this featurette, we get to watch another Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon entitled ‘The Squawkin' Hawk’ where a pugilistic young chicken hawk, sick of worms, sneaks out of the house to catch and eat his first chicken. Unfortunately, the would-be dinner he finds sleeping in a barn has a husband.
The Dover Boys At Pimento University [1942] [1080p] [1.37:1] [8:58] With this featurette, we get to watch another Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and entitled “The Dover Boys at Pimento University; or, The Rivals of Roquefort Hall” where Three fun-loving, morally upright brothers from Pimento University save their fiancée from their fiendish archenemy, Dan Backslide, in this spoof of the Rover Boys.
Special Feature: Behind The Story: With this featurette, we get to view five special features and they are as follows:
Great Performances: Bacall On Bogart [1988] [480i] [1.37:1] [83:27] With this featurette documentary, and it is really entitled as ‘Bacall On Bogart with Lauren Bacall’ and is Hosted and Narrated by Lauren Bacall and we have contributions from the likes of Alistair Cooke; Richard Brooks; John Huston (archive footage); Katharine Hepburn; Peter Bogdanovich; Julius J. Epstein [Co-writer / Screenplay]; Ingrid Bergman (archive footage); Van Johnson and Budd Schulberg, and Lauren Bacall tells the story of her late husband Humphrey Bogart, presenting clips from his movies and interview clips with his peers and all of them talk about the wonderful Hollywood actor Humphry Bogart and of course all of the amazing films the actor appeared in and was born on Christmas Day 1899 and sadly passed away on the 14th January, 1957, and in that period of time made 75 films.
Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] [37:20] With this featurette documentary, it explores what we don't know about Michael Curtiz, who has made over 160 films in his brilliant, decade-spanning career. From the humble beginnings in 1888, where Michael Curtiz worked his way up in show business, starting out as an actor and eventually making films in his native Austria-Hungary and also Berlin. Michael Curtiz's work in America is unparalleled. Michael Curtiz received an Academy Award® for ‘CASABLANCA,’ but in the words of Steven Spielberg, “no other director has such an eclectic body of work.” Michael Curtiz’s range was uncanny, beginning in the Silent Era, and then went onto making westerns such as ‘Dodge City,’ swashbucklers like ‘The Sea Hawk,’ period pieces like ‘The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex’ and the quintessential and brilliant musical in ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy.’ All in all, they say that Michael Curtiz is just possibly the greatest filmmaker to ever work in America, and the greatest director you’ve never heard of, and if you checkout information on the films he has directed, you will be totally bowled over with the prestigious and famous films he had directed which add up to over an outstanding 160 films and most of all, this amazing featurette is a must watch. Contributors include: William Friedkin [Director]; Rudy Behlmer [Author and Film Historian]; Steven Spielberg [Director]; Alan K. Rode [Author of “Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film”]; Kati Marton [Author of “The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World”]; Ben Burtt [Film Editor/Sound Designer]; Samuel Goldwyn Jr. [Producer]; Caleb Deschanel [Cinematographer] and Carol Littleton [Film Editor].
‘CASABLANCA’ – An Unlikely Classic [2011] [1080p] [1.78:1] [34:59] With this featurette documentary, we take a much closer look at the classic film ‘CASABLANCA.’ Film historians and filmmakers like Steven Spielberg for example discuss how ‘CASABLANCA became one of the greatest movies of all time and also tells how this now-classic film came to be and the various crew members that were involved like the editor, the cinematographer, the screenwriters, and the composer of the score. The name of the last one was Max Steiner who also did ‘King Kong’ and ‘Gone with the Wind’ of which scenes from both are also shown. This special feature was of particular interest to me because it’s always interesting to hear how one, or many in this case, can explain how a film like ‘CASABLANCA can be held in such high regards in American cinema history, and is one of the best told narratives ever told, especially witnessing this classic movie magic and best loved and enduring film. But with this featurette, we also get an in-depth look at what happened behind-the-scene at Warner Bros., and especially how the end of the film is pure Hollywood history in the making. I highly recommend ‘CASABLANCA’ – An Unlikely Classic. Contributors include: Rudy Behlmer [Author and Film Historian]; Alan K. Rode [Author of “Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film”]; William Friedkin [Director]; Ruth Myers [Costume Designer]; Steven Spielberg [Director]; Kati Marton [Author]; Caleb Deschanel [Cinematographer]; Carol Littleton [Film Editor]; Jeannine Oppewall [Production Designer]; Don Davis [Composer] and Samuel Goldwyn Jr. [Producer].
You Must Remember This: A Tribute to ‘CASABLANCA’ [1998] [480i] [1.37:1] [34:38] With this featurette documentary, we take another look at the classic Hollywood film ‘CASABLANCA’ and as an added bonus we get clips from the film, but on top of all that, we get a nice introduction from Lauren Bacall and also does a very nice commentary throughout the featurette, and of course it tells the story behind the making of one of the most beloved movies of all time ‘CASABLANCA.’ We get to view interviews with writers and others who were part of the original production, along with film critics and historians, relate the process by which this movie came about. Many clips from the movie are included, along with the original theatrical trailer. Narrated by Lauren Bacall, and is of enormous importance to film devotees due to its wealth of information dealing with the manner in which ‘CASABLANCA’ was made, including contributions from the varying writers responsible for the scenario, insights from the authors of the original (never produced) play, data from various historians and musicians, and fascinating titbits galore (e.g., midgets were used as aircraft mechanics so that a plane mock-up would not be minimized by normalized actors), all interspersed with enough footage from the film to increase one's pulse rate and bring a tear to the eye. Contributors include: Pia Lindström [Film Critic], Rudy Behlmer [Film Historian], Julius J. Epstein [Screenwriter], Irene Lee Diamond [Story Editor], Ronald Haver [Film Historian], Murray Burnett [Playwright], Dan Seymour [Actor], Howard Koch [Screenwriter], Henry Mancini [Composer], Francis J. Scheid [Sound] and Lee Katz [First Assistant Director].
As Time Goes By: The Children Remember [2003] [1080p] [1.37:1] [6:45] With this featurette, we take a look at the film ‘CASABLANCA’ with Humphrey Bogart's son Stephen H. Bogart and Ingrid Bergman's daughter Pia Lindström who recall their childhood and parent’s fame and they talk about what the film ‘CASABLANCA’ meant to them growing up, and how it has affected their lives since. It seems Ingrid Bergman was always shocked at the success of the film since the production was so troubled. According to Pia Lindström that Ingrid Bergman was much more positive about ‘From Whom The Bells Toll’ and while on the set of ‘CASABLANCA’ Ingrid Bergman was more worried about the other film. Stephen H. Bogart talks about the importance this role had for his father, which is something film buffs are already going to know. There's certainly nothing ground-breaking here but it was nice seeing the two legends’ children here sharing a few of their memories. At just over 6 minutes, there is nothing here that goes into great detail but what we do get are a couple of nice stories and it's clear that both children are very proud of the actual film ‘CASABLANCA.’
Special Feature: Deleted Scenes [1942] [1080p] [1.37:1] [1:40] With this featurette, we are informed that the following deleted scenes in the film ‘CASABLANCA’ and were removed from the film’s final release. Unfortunately, the audio with these deleted scenes no longer exist, however, we get to view subtitles taken from the dialogue in the original shooting script which differs from the final film production.
Special Feature: Outtakes [1942] [1080p] [1.37:1] [4:58] With this featurette, we get to view scenes from the film ‘CASABLANCA’ that were deemed not quite suitable for the films finale release, once again there is no audio and once again we get to view subtitles taken from the dialogue in the original shooting script which differs from the final film production.
Special Feature: Who Holds Tomorrow? [1955] [1080p] [1.37:1] [18:37] With this featurette, we are presented with a Warner Bros. one off promotion television film that is sponsored by Chesterfield King-Size Cigarettes and General Electric and is presented by the actor Gig Young. The sponsored advert by Chesterfield King-Size Cigarettes and General Electric and was shown in the 1955 TV series “Casablanca” which was broadcast on the ABC Television.
Special Feature: Carrotblanca [1995] [1080p] [1.37:1] [8:02] With this featurette, we get to view this classic Warner Bros. classic animation LOONEY TUNES ‘Carrotblanca’ starring the hilarious Bugs Bunny with all the other classic Warner bros cartoon characters. Synopsis: Bugs Bunny runs an American bar and only looks out for himself. General Pandemonium (Yosemite Sam as Major Strasser) gets a frantic call from Foghorn Leghorn saying that a secret German document has been stolen, and immediately heads for the Carrotblanca nightclub ― the Cafe Au Lait Americain featuring “Eleanor Roosevelt's All girl revue.” At the nightclub, is Usmarte [Tweety Bird], depicted like Peter Lorre, the actual thief, convinces Bugs Bunny as Rick Blaine to take the document.
Special Feature: Scoring Stage Sessions: With this featurette, we get to view eight audio special features and they are as follows:
Knock On Wood – Alternate Version [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [1:29]
As Time Goes By – Part One Alternate Take [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [0:56]
As Time Goes By – Part One Film Version [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [0:52]
Rick Sees Ilsa [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:42]
As Time Goes By – Part Two Alternate Take [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [1:02]
As Time Goes By – Part Two Film Version [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [0:59]
At La Belle Aurore [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [4:15]
Dat’s What Noah Done – Outtake [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:56]
Special Feature: 26/04/1943 Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Radio Broadcast [Audio only] [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [29:38] With this featurette, we get to hear a very special radio broadcast presentation of the Warner Bros. film ‘CASABLANCA’ that has all the main actors from the film, but most of all Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid.
Special Feature: 19/11/1947 VOX POP Radio Broadcast [Audio only] [1947] [1080p] [1.37:1] [29:35] With this featurette, we get to hear a special American radio broadcast VOX POP and informs us that travels all over the great American continent and the voice of the people and is sponsored by American Express Travellers Cheques, and informs us that they have travelled to Stage 9 of Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood and we find out about making movies with director Michael Curtiz, also people who work behind-the-scene at the studio, but they also interview the head of Warner Bros. Jack Warner, and all in all, this is a fascinating look at the insight of movie making business.
Special Feature: Theatrical Trailer [1943] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:16] With this featurette, we get to view the Warner Bros. Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘CASABLANA.’
Special Feature: Re-Release Trailer [1947] [1080i] [1.37:1] [2:52] With this featurette, we get to view the Re-Release Trailer for the film ‘CASABLANA,’ but this time the film was released via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Special Feature: You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story: With this featurette, we get to view five special featurettes and they are as follows:
The Warner Bros. Story: Episode One: A Rising Power 1923 – 1937 [2009] [480i / 1080p] [1.37:1] [56:23] With this featurette, we get to view a film by Richard Schickel [American Film Historian] and is narrated by Clint Eastwood and looks how Warner Bros. and started out started out in 1923 and how they created all their iconic film and especially the outstanding actors in Hollywood who went onto become the biggest stars in Hollywood from 1923 to 1937.
The Warner Bros. Story: Episode Two: War and Peace 1937 – 1949 [2009] [480i / 1080p] [1.37:1] [61:15] With this featurette, we get to view the second episode and again it is a film by Richard Schickel [American Film Historian] and again is narrated by Clint Eastwood, which concentrates on the Warner Bros. film output that had an Anti-Fascist and Anti-Nazi film themes for a start, and of course other well-known films that were made when the world was entering the menace of two World Wars devastating conflicts.
The Warner Bros. Story: Episode Three: Age of Anxiety 1950 – 1969 [2009] [1080p] [1.37:1] [61:15] With this featurette, we get to view the third episode and once again it is a film by Richard Schickel [American Film Historian] and again is narrated by Clint Eastwood, and this time it concentrates on great changes in the film industry and especially Warner Bros. output, but especially the new up and coming actors from the 1950’s right up to the end of 1969, but because there was a slump in people going to the cinema, Warner Brothers decided to venture into the television business, as well as the new 3D process film, but most of all, their output of Looney Tunes cartoons were a great success and produced some truly classic cartoons. But very surprising is that Warner Bros. was the first to bring out massive blockbuster films in the Widescreen process.
The Warner Bros. Story: Episode Four: Starting Over 1970 – 1990 [2009] [1080p] [1.37:1] [56:38] With this featurette, we get to view the fourth episode and once again it is a film by Richard Schickel [American Film Historian] and again is narrated by Clint Eastwood, and once again there were great changes at Warner Bros. and a new style of filming was emerging with totally iconic blockbuster movies, but on the other hand, they also got to make nasty violent movies, but then there was hope in the fact they then brought out some iconic blockbuster comedy films.
The Warner Bros. Story: Episode Five: A Living Tradition 1988 – 2008 [2009] [1080p] [1.37:1] [56:38] With this featurette, we get to view the fifth episode and once again it is a film by Richard Schickel [American Film Historian] and again is narrated by Clint Eastwood, and Warner Bros. under new management, felt the movie studio had to carry on bringing new and fresh direction on the movies they felt they had to make fir audiences clamouring for films that had audiences that wanted to flock to the movie theatres in their droves. As we come the the end of the five part series, the contributors reflect on the Warner Bros. legacy and especially when you walk around the lot and reflect on the history of Warner Bros. and amazing output of all the movies they have out from humble beginnings to massive popular and blockbuster movies, but especially the up and coming actors who become household names and who also appeared in so many classic iconic Warner Bros. movies.
Special Feature: The Brothers Warner [2017] [1080p / 480i] [1.37:1] [94:19] With this featurette, we get to view portraits of the brothers Albert Warner, Harry M. Warner, Jack L. Warner, and Sam Warner, the siblings who were close knit at the time of Warner Bros. Studios founding, but who later became estranged. This film, written and directed by Harry M. Warner's granddaughter Cass Warner Sperling, and traces them from their humble, immigrant beginnings, to their breakthrough achievements, and their continuing imprint on American culture. This historic view of a family, and Hollywood's golden years offers invaluable and rare still photographs, classic film footage, and private access to relatives, friends, employees, and historians. This featurette was narrated by Cass Warner Sperling. Contributors include: Tab Hunter [Actor]; Efrem Zimbalist Jr. [Actor]; Leo Braudy [University of Southern California Film Historian]; Nancy Snow [Author and Professor]; Norman Lear [Producer]; Steven J. Ross [University of Southern California Film Historian]; Harry M. Warner; Albert Warner (archive footage); Sam Warner (archive footage); Jack Warner Snr. (archive footage); Benjamin Warner [Father] (archive footage); Pearl Warner [Mother]; Samuel Goldwyn Jr. [Film Producer]; Betty Warner Sheinbaum [Harry Warner's daughter]; Dr. Michael Birdwell [Historian]; Dennis Hopper [Actor]; John Steel [Albert Warner's grandson]; Angie Dickinson [Actress]; George Segal [Actor]; Haskell Wexler [Filmmaker]; Debbie Reynolds [Actress]; Jack Warner Jr. [Jack Warner’s son]; Lina Basquette [Sam Warner's wife]; Stephen Farber [Film Historian/Author]; Johanna Blakey, PhD [Entertainment Researcher at The Norman Lear Center]; Lita Heller [Sam Warner's daughter]; Roy Disney Jr. [Walt Disney’s son]; Sherry Lansing [Former President of Paramount Pictures]; Frank Pierson [Oscar® winning Writer/Director]; Eddie Bockser [55 year Warner Bros. employee]; Lois McGrew [Harry Warner's former secretary] and Robert Greenwald [Filmmaker].
Special Feature: Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul [1993] [1080i / 480i] [1.37:1] [57:41] With this featurette, we get to view an insider's account of a founding father of the American film industry, and was produced by Jack Warner's grandson, filmmaker Gregory Orr, and this feature length documentary is narrated by Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and provides the rags to riches story of the man whose studio Warner Bros., that created many of Hollywood's most classic films, including ‘CASABLANCA,’ ‘Now Voyager,’ ‘Treasure or the Sierra Madre,’ ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy,’ ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ and hundreds more. It also includes extensive interviews with family members and friends, film clips, rare home movies and unique location footage. We also get to find out who the real Jack L. Warner was and especially the people who knew him personally and some say he was a stand-up comedian with a moustache and always with a cigar in his mouth and whenever he walked into a room the room would light up one way or the other, but some would walk out of the room, but others would stay to hear him speak and some would not suspect he was a movie mogul and head of a well-known film studio, and people would say he owned Hollywood with this three other brothers in the 1930’s, 1940’s and the 1950’s and they said they were the pioneers of film history. When you think of Warner Bros. movies, you think of an urban environment, you think of James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis. We hear about the parents Van and Pearl Warner and the four brothers who came originally from Poland in a small village called Krasnosielc and they all emigrated to America in the late 19th century, but as the brothers grew up, we hear how they got into the movie business by building projectors and went into opening up Nickelodeons that were owned by someone, but after making enough money, went into their own cinema set up and called a Bijou Theatre in New Castle, Pennsylvania but then some of the other brothers went into the film distribution business as they knew they could make much more money. But over a period of time they decided to make their first film entitled ‘My Four Years in Germany.’ In 1919 the Warner Brothers felt totally successful and decided to move to Los Angeles in California that was becoming the film capital of the world and to open their own Warner Brothers West Coast Studio, and one of their first major biggest star was the Alsatian dog called Rin Tin Tin and was the brain child of a 24 year old screenwriter Daryl F. Zabick who soon rose to become head of productions and Jack L. Warner. In 1925 Warner Bros. in corporation with the engineers at Bell Laboratories, began to developing a sound system called Vitaphone: Talking Pictures and Vitaphone was sound-on-disc process and was one of the first to answer Harry Warner's famous question, "Who wants to hear actors talk?” It was Hollywood’s first viable attempt to join sound recording with motion pictures, the process involved the synchronization of projector and turntable, and it worked wonderfully, unless the film broke or the needle skipped. Film fans are familiar with a number of early Vitaphone sound features, such as ‘The Jazz Singer’ and ‘Don Juan,’ but they many may not be aware of the more than 1,000 films produced by Warner Bros.’ Vitaphone short subjects division between 1926 and 1930. But three of the Warner Brothers ridiculed the system and said it will be a massive failure and be a massive upheaval and very expensive in converting the film studio and with the release of the Al Jolson film ‘The Jazz Singer’ it was massive box office smash hit and now the other film studios now scrambled to convert to sound. In the mid 1930’s Warner Bros. Studios made another leap into the future with the Technicolor film ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ and the golden age of Warner Bros. Studios, as well as the other great movies like ‘Now, Voyage,’ ‘CASABLANCA,’ and ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy.’ Near the end of Jack L. Warner’s power in 1964, his last film he was involved with was the massive blockbuster film ‘My Fair lady’ which of course won 8 Oscars and in 1969 Jack L. Warner ends his ties with Warner Bros. Studios and quits and retires from the movie making business, and in 1978 film pioneer Jack L. Warner at the age of 89 sadly dies from the effects of a stroke, and an era of the movie mogul system and at that point this very special featurette ends. Contributors include: Efrem Zimbalist Jr. [Narrators voice], Gregory Orr [Jack L. Warner’ grandson]; Shirley Jones [Actress]; Neal Gabler [Author of “An Empire of Their Own”]; Debbie Reynolds [Actress]; Pat Buttram [Comedian]; Jack Warner Jr. [Jack L. Warner’s son]; Cass Warner Sperling [Harry Warner's granddaughter]; William T. Orr [Son-in-Law to Jack L. Warner]; Lina Basquette [Mrs. Sam Warner]; Rudy Behlmer [American film historian]; Vincent Sherman [Director]; Aljean Harmetz [Author of “The Making of The Wizard of Oz” and “Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, and World War II]; Gil Perkins [Australian film actor]; William L. Schaefer [Executive Secretary to Jack L. Warner] and Owen Crump [American screenwriter and producer to ‘Winning Your Wings’].
BONUS DVD includes:
‘CASABLANCA’ [1942] [1080i] [1.37:1] [98:00]
Special Feature: You Must Remember This: A Tribute to ‘CASABLANCA’ [1998] [480i] [1.37:1] [34:38]
Special Feature: Re-Release Trailer [1947] [480i] [1.37:1] [2:52] With this featurette, we get to view the Re-Release Trailer for the film ‘CASABLANA,’ but this time the film was released via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
PLUS: A beautiful 66 page collector’s commemorative photo booklet featuring rare publicity and production black-and-white images, studio memos, international theatrical posters and production design sketches. This is definitely the highlight of the physical items included in this Premium Collection.
Finally, ‘CASABLANCA’ is probably the most famous Hollywood film of all time and for good reason and certainly the most quoted, and the most frequently cited as an all-time favourite. ‘CASABLANCA’ won Best Picture, Director, and Writer awards at the 1943 Oscar ceremony. The definitive rebuttal to notions of the "auteur" (one author) in film, the romantic drama was put together in pieces by many different sources, with script pages completed just moments before the cameras rolled. The performances by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are so subtle and complex because the actors themselves had no idea how it was going to end. Almost every frame of the “film noir” is an icon, and it has been endlessly copied and parodied. The Woody Allen film ‘Play It Again, Sam’ is an affectionate tribute to ‘CASABLANCA’ and other Humphrey Bogart films. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
