Casablanca (1942)

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Julius J. Epstein (screenplay) and
Philip G. Epstein (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 January 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

They had a date with fate in Casablanca!

Plot:

Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II: An American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.

Plot Keywords:

Casablanca | German | American Expatriate | Police | Freedom

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Rick Blaine
Ingrid Bergman	...	Ilsa Lund
Paul Henreid	...	Victor Laszlo
Claude Rains	...	Captain Renault
Conrad Veidt	...	Major Strasser
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Signor Ferrari
Peter Lorre	...	Ugarte
S.Z. Sakall	...	Carl (as S.K. Sakall)
Madeleine Lebeau	...	Yvonne
Dooley Wilson	...	Sam
Joy Page	...	Annina Brandel
John Qualen	...	Berger
Leonid Kinskey	...	Sascha
Curt Bois	...	Pickpocket
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Louis V. Arco	...	Refugee at Rick's (uncredited)
Frank Arnold	...	Overseer (uncredited)
Leon Belasco	...	Dealer (uncredited)
Nino Bellini	...	Gendarme (uncredited)
Trude Berliner	...	Baccarat Player (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Waiter at the Blue Parrot (uncredited)
Monte Blue	...	American (uncredited)
Dick Botiller	...	Native Officer (uncredited)
Maurice Brierre	...	Baccarat Dealer (uncredited)
Anita Camargo	...	Woman Companion (uncredited)
George M. Carleton	...	American (uncredited)
Melie Chang	...	Oriental at Rick's (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Waiter at Rick's (uncredited)
Franco Corsaro	...	French Police Officer (uncredited)
Marcel Dalio	...	Emil - Croupier (uncredited)
Adrienne D'Ambricourt	...	Concierge (uncredited)
Helmut Dantine	...	Jan Brandel (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Orderly (uncredited)
George Dee	...	Lieutenant Casselle (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Joseph DeVillard	...	Moroccan (uncredited)
Arthur Dulac	...	News Vendor (uncredited)
William Edmunds	...	Second Contact Man at Rick's (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Englishman Questioning Casino's Honesty (uncredited)
Adolph Faylauer	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Martin Garralaga	...	Headwaiter at Rick's (uncredited)
Gregory Gaye	...	German Banker Refused by Rick (uncredited)
Gregory Golubeff	...	Cashier at Rick's (uncredited)
Ilka Grüning	...	Mrs. Leuchtag - Carl's Immigrating Friend (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Customer (uncredited)
Winifred Harris	...	Englishwoman (uncredited)
Jamiel Hasson	...	Muezzini (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Elderly Admirer (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten	...	Pickpocketed Prosperous Man (uncredited)
Paul Irving	...	Prosperous Tourist (uncredited)
Charles La Torre	...	Italian Officer Tonnelli (uncredited)
George J. Lewis	...	Haggling Arab Monkey Seller (uncredited)
Manuel Lopez	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Jacques Lory	...	Moor Buying Diamonds (uncredited)
Lou Marcelle	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Vendor (uncredited)
George Meeker	...	Rick's Friend (uncredited)
Lal Chand Mehra	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	Conspirator (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Dutch Banker at Cafe Table (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	French Officer Insulting Yvonne (uncredited)
Leo Mostovoy	...	Fydor (uncredited)
Corinna Mura	...	Singer with Guitar (uncredited)
Barry Norton	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Lotte Palfi Andor	...	Woman Selling Her Diamonds (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Paul - Waiter at Rick's (uncredited)
Paul Porcasi	...	Native Introducing Ferrari (uncredited)
Frank Puglia	...	Arab Vendor (uncredited)
Georges Renavent	...	Conspirator (uncredited)
Henry Rowland	...	German Officer (uncredited)
Richard Ryen	...	Colonel Heinz -, Strasser's Aide (uncredited)
Dan Seymour	...	Abdul (uncredited)
Lester Sharpe	...	Refugee (uncredited)
Dina Smirnova	...	Woman Customer (uncredited)
Gerald Oliver Smith	...	Pickpocketed Englishman (uncredited)
George Sorel	...	Native Officer (uncredited)
Geoffrey Steele	...	Customer (uncredited)
Ludwig Stössel	...	Mr. Leuchtag (uncredited)
Jacques Vanaire	...	Frenchman (uncredited)
Ellinor Vanderveer	...	Woman Gambler Next to Croupier (uncredited)
Norma Varden	...	Wife of Pickpocketed Englishman (uncredited)
Hans Heinrich von Twardowski	...	German Officer with Yvonne (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Emile - Waiter (uncredited)
Wolfgang Zilzer	...	Man with Expired Papers (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
Julius J. Epstein		(screenplay) (as Julius J.) and
Philip G. Epstein		(screenplay) and
Howard Koch		(screenplay)
Murray Burnett		(play "Everybody Comes to Rick's") and
Joan Alison		(play "Everybody Comes to Rick's")
Casey Robinson		uncredited

Produced by
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Arthur Edeson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Owen Marks

Art Direction by
Carl Jules Weyl

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Al Alleborn	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lee Katz	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harper Goff	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound
Edward Ullman	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lawrence W. Butler	....	special effects director (as Lawrence Butler)
Willard Van Enger	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Chris Crowell	....	digital compositor (restored version) (uncredited)

Stunts
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anthony Gasbarri	....	tailor: Mr. Bogart's tuxedo (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	music arranger: orchestral arrangements
M.K. Jerome	....	songs
Jack Scholl	....	songs
Elliot Carpenter	....	musician: piano, dubbed Dooley Wilson's playing (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Aisner	....	technical advisor
James Leicester	....	montages
Hugh MacMullan	....	dialogue director
Don Siegel	....	montages
Bob Williams	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (A Warner Bros.-First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1992) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1992) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Steeplechase Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Creative Design (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (2002) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Park Circus (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (1945) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Varus Video (????) (Russia) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Lowry Digital Images  digital restoration (2003 re-release)

Also Known As:

Everybody Comes to Rick's (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild violence.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Spain:T | USA:Approved (certificate #8457) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Brazil:12 | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Chile:TE | Denmark:A | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Norway:10 (re-rating) (1992) | Norway:11 (re-rating) (2002) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | Sweden:7 (re-release) | UK:U | USA:PG (new rating) (1992)

Filming Locations:

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The movie's line "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." was voted as the #65 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the airport, the epaulets on Major Strasser's coat disappear and reappear between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: With the coming of the Second World War, many eyes in imprisoned Europe turned hopefully, or desperately, toward the freedom of the Americas. Lisbon became the great embarkation point. But, not everybody could get to Lisbon directly, and so a tortuous, roundabout refugee trail sprang up - Paris to Marseilles...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Law & Order: Hitman (#13.6)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Piano Improvisation

Quite simply the greatest film in American history

Casablanca is the consummate Hollywood film. It is superbly directed, acted, and filmed. Bogart is amazing, the characters are deep and engaging.

This is easily one of the greatest films of all time. The story is timeless and meaningful, full of heart and should endure for another fifty years with no problems. A true masterpiece and the benchmark by which all other films should be measured. If you haven't seen it, you are at a profound loss. If you have then you know the greatness of this film.