Casablanca
Rare Criterion Collection Laserdisc of the Bogart Romantic Classic
Definitive Picture and Sound Transfer * B&W * 103 minutes * 1 Disc * CLV * Contains the Original Insert * Out-of-Print
No Criterion DVD!
Directed by Michael Curtiz * Written by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch * Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre * Originally Released by Warner Brothers in 1942
Of all the films produced in the United States during World War II, only two could be said to transcend their origins and truly reflect the popular Zeitgeist: one is David O. Selznick’s 1944 epic of the homefront, Since You Went Away, and the other, of course, is Casablanca. Over the years, Casablanca has developed a devoted following and has been transmuted from just a highly-regarded melodrama into one of the classics of the Romantic genre. More has been written about it than any other film, with the possible exceptions of The Birth of a Nation, Citizen Kane, and Gone With the Wind. Its central image, that of Bogart in a trench coat and hat, holding a gun, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, has become a popular icons of sorts. The film has spawned any number of books and master’s theses and has been the inspiration for Woody Allen’s hit play and film Play It Again, Sam, a popular misquotation of one of the film’s memorable lines. What exactly transpired over the years to transform Casablanca’s status has been endlessly debated, discussed, and otherwise analyzed. Casablanca is unique because it crystallized and encapsulated an entire generation’s idealistic view of itself. There is scarcely anyone in this country over the age of 45 who can remain unmoved by the film. It provides tangible evidence of not necessarily the way we were, but more importantly, the way we wanted to be. It is this sense of the more positive beliefs and virtues of another time that gives the film its timelessness. Casablanca bridges the generations, giving us a sense of the hopes of an earlier decade and reminding us that a heritage need not be lost to the passage of time.
--- Ronald Haver, excerpted from the liner notes of the Criterion laserdisc of Casablanca
**** [Highest Rating...duh!] You must remember this timeless favorite. Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick, the strong but ever-so-vulnerable proprietor of Rick's Cafe, a haven for wartime refugees. The luminous and enigmatic Ingrid Bergman is the woman he loved and lost in Paris. The script, by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch, was written and revised as the shooting progressed, and no one knew how the story would end until the film was nearly completed. But Michael Curtiz's balanced direction and the passionate, subtle performances of an entirely outstanding cast miraculously resulted in one of the most unforgettable of Hollywood melodramas. The film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay.
--- Steven H. Scheuer
Ingrid Bergman became a popular favorite when Humphrey Bogart, as Rick, the most famous saloonkeeper in screen history, treated her like a whore. Although their romance was certified by a collection of Academy Awards, they didn’t press their luck and never appeared together again. In the role of cynic redeemed by love, Bogart became the great adventurer-lover of the screen during the war years. In this film he established the figure of the rebellious hero – the lone wolf who hates and defies officialdom (and in the movies he fulfilled a universal fantasy: he got away with it). Questioned about his purpose and motives, he informs the police: ‘I came to Casablanca for the waters.’ ‘Waters? What waters? We’re in the desert.’ ‘I was misinformed.’
It’s far from a great film, but it has a special appealingly schlocky romanticism, and you’re never really pressed to take its melodramatic twists and turns seriously. The international cast includes Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Marcel Dalio, Helmut Dantine, S.Z. Sakall, Joy Page, Leonid Kinskey, Curt Bois, Dan Seymour, Ludwig Stossel, Ilka Gruning, Frank Puglia, Madeleine LeBeau, John Qualen, and, memorably, Dooley Wilson singing ‘As Time Goes By.’ Academy Awards: Best Picture; Director (Michael Curtiz), Screenplay (Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch). And the Thalberg Memorial Award went to the producer, Hal. B. Wallis. Based on the play Everybody Comes to Rick’s, by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison.
--- Pauline Kael, 5001 Nights at the Movies
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
"[Criterion's] version of Casablanca, transferred from a ‘35mm nitrate archival fine-grain master archival negative,’ is gorgeous. MGM/UA released a decent transfer of Casablanca on a CLV disc which was a significant improvement over the grainy and crackly CBS/Fox video presentation. Those who do not plan on obtaining the Criterion version should avoid screening the disc, however, because once you see it, there is no turning back. Where MGM/UA's first disc has soft lines and indistinct shades, Criterion's has pinpoint sharpness and careful, detailed gradation. The disc provides a picture that looks closer to projected film than to projected video. The sound, too, is great. On the digital track every sound comes out with solid confidence and only a hint of hiss to show the film's true age. The analog sound is split into two audio tracks to facilitate a lecture…Casablanca looks and sounds so good that it will rekindle the film's pleasures for those who have burned themselves out memorizing dialogue or humming ‘As Time Goes By.’ The clarity of the presentation brings out the background details in the elaborate nightclub scenes, enriching the locale's atmosphere and heightening a viewer's concentration. Often with a movie which has been subject to repeated screenings, a viewer will see the film so many times that a poor presentation will leave an uneasy and dissatisfied feeling. The flaws of the presentation will subconsciously be mistaken for flaws within the movie itself. If that has happened to you lately with Casablanca, it is time to watch the Criterion version and rediscover how enjoyable the film can be”
-- Douglas Pratt, The Laser Disc Newsletter, on the Criterion laserdisc of Casablanca
Is there anything more to say about Casablanca, quite possibly the most beloved American film of all time?
Criterion’s new digital transfer was created from a 35mm nitrate archival fine-grain master archival negative and was a vast improvement over all previous transfers. In addition to the ultracrisp picture and the laserdisc format’s superior, uncompressed audio fidelity capabilities, this package features a fascinating and ultra-informative audio essay by film historian Ronald Haver on one of the analog tracks in which he discusses the genesis of the film and various aspects of its production. (Haver also penned the sleeve notes, which begin on the back of the jacket and continue on a fancy paper insert included with the disc.)
This Criterion laserdisc has been out of print for several years and the company has evidently lost the rights to the film – at this time they have no plans to reissue their definitive transfer on DVD. This particular copy is in really nice condition overall -- the disc has been handled with obvious care and plays perfectly, and the sleeve shows only a few light touches of shelf wear. The insert looks great.
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