Casablanca (1942)

A cynical American expatriate struggles to decide whether or not he should help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape French Morocco.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Julius J. Epstein (screenplay), Philip G. Epstein (screenplay)

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

Top Rated Movies #49 | Won 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Rick Blaine
Ingrid Bergman	...	Ilsa Lund
Paul Henreid	...	Victor Laszlo
Claude Rains	...	Captain Louis Renault
Conrad Veidt	...	Major Heinrich Strasser
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Signor Ferrari
Peter Lorre	...	Ugarte
S.Z. Sakall	...	Carl (as S.K. Sakall)
Madeleine Lebeau	...	Yvonne (as Madeleine LeBeau)
Dooley Wilson	...	Sam
Joy Page	...	Annina Brandel
John Qualen	...	Berger
Leonid Kinskey	...	Sascha
Curt Bois	...	Pickpocket

Storyline

The story of Rick Blaine, a cynical world-weary ex-patriate who runs a nightclub in Casablanca, Morocco during the early stages of WWII. Despite the pressure he constantly receives from the local authorities, Rick's cafe has become a kind of haven for refugees seeking to obtain illicit letters that will help them escape to America. But when Ilsa, a former lover of Rick's, and her husband, show up to his cafe one day, Rick faces a tough challenge which will bring up unforeseen complications, heartbreak and ultimately an excruciating decision to make.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | anti nazi | french morocco | love triangle | casablanca morocco | 

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Taglines:

As big and timely a picture as ever you've seen! You can tell by the cast it's important! gripping! big!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original play was inspired by a trip to Europe made by Murray Burnett and his wife in 1938, during which they visited Vienna shortly after the Anschluss--the German takeover of Austria--and were affected by the anti-Semitism they saw. In the south of France they went to a nightclub that had a multinational clientele, among them many exiles and refugees, and the prototype of Sam.

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Goofs

In the opening, Rick is at the back of his cafe, playing chess with himself. During a closeup of his hand, he is wearing a wedding ring. Rick is a bachelor.

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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... across the Mediterranean to Oran... then by train, or auto, or foot across the rim of Africa, to Casablanca in French Morocco. Here, the fortunate ones through money, or ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

In the Italian version, the sequence where the Italian Officer Tonnelli meets Strasser is cut.

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Connections

Referenced in Marienhof: Reich, berühmt und glücklich (1992)

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Soundtracks

Avalon
(1920) (uncredited)
Music by Vincent Rose
Performed by Dooley Wilson while talking to Ilsa (piano dubbed by Jean Vincent Plummer)

User Reviews

An absolutely beautiful masterpiece

My favorite film of all time. Beautiful plot that naturally weaves together and builds to a truly emotional climax. Could affect even the most nihilistic of people. A masterpiece that is truly one of the greatest films ever made. 10/10

Details

Official Sites:

Film Poster Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German Italian

Release Date:

23 January 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Everybody Comes to Rick's

Filming Locations:

Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$950,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$181,494, 12 April 1992

Gross USA:

$4,108,411

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,374,761

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 82 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1