Movie Classic : Casablanca (1942 -Original Version - 2022 - Re-issue - (80th Anniversary) *****

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Dooley Wilson

Director: Michael Curtiz

Distribution : Warner Bros First International Picture

Certification Rating Certificate : U

Running Time : approx : 1 Hr 42 Mins. (102 Minutes)

'Casablanca' originally released in 1942, distributed by Warner Bros First-International Pictures and shot in a glorious monochrome black and white pristine print directed by Michael Curtiz, an American-Hungarian film director recognisned by many as one of the most proflic film directors in cinematic history and this is regarded by some as an American romantic drama film.

Many regard this as the gleaming jewel in the 'golden age of Hollywood' at a time when many movies released during the 1940's when stars such as Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford graced our screens that were shown in movie theaters at a time when many movie fans went along to see them in their finest hour.

The screenplay of this written by the Epstein brothers, Julius J. and Philip G. and also Howard Koch is actually based on 'Everybody Comes To Rick's' - an unproduced stage play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison and the movie was produced by Harold 'Hal' Brent Wallis, an American film producer, whose film credits as producer include timeless classics such as 'Captain Blood' - 1935, 'The Adventures Of Robin Hood' - 1938, 'Dark Victory' -1939, 'The Maltese Falcon' - 1941, and also 'Yankee Doodle Dandy - 1942 amongst many others.

Wallis is also responsible for the movie careers featuring the likes of James Cagney, Paul Muni, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and even Montgomery Clift, but he also discovered actors Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, produced many films featuring John Wayne including 'The Sons Of Katie Elder' - 1955, 'True Grit' - 1969, - the original for which Wayne won 'his only Oscar' as a 'hard-nosed' -'whisky drinking' US Marshal and 'Becket' - 1964, starring Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton as well.

Although the film itself was classed as an 'A-list film' a featuring established stars and first-rate writers, no-one involved with its production expected it to stand out with amongst the hundreds of pictures that were produced by Hollywood yearly because this film was in fact rushed into released based on the fact to take advantage of the publicity from the Allied Invasion Of North Africa, - a few weeks earlier and known by its codename as 'Operation Torch'.

The film had its world premiere in New York City on November 26, 1942, and was released nationally in the US on January 23,1943, in the UK the film opened on January 15, 1943, - the result was that the film was 'a solid if unspectacular success on its initial run.

The film was nominated for 'eight Academy Awards' -and 'won only three' - 'Best Picture' - Warner Bros, 'Best Director' - Michael Curtiz and 'Best Actor' - Humphrey Bogart.

The storyline to the plot is quite simply really and is set during WWII - the film focuses on Rick Blaine, (Bogart), an American expatriate, who owns and runs 'Rick's Cafe Americain', a nightclub that's situated in Casablanca,Morocco, -the establishment is also a gambling den that attracts a varied clientele that includes the likes of Vichy French and Nazi German officials,refugees that are desperate to reach the neutral United States, and those who prey on them.

Anyway, Rick faces a dilemna and must choose between his love for Ilsa Lund,(Bergman), a woman who just happens to be his former lover or helping and assisting Victor Laszlo,(Henreid),and who just happens to be the husband of Victor,and is also a Czech-resistance leader escape from the Vichy-controlled City of Casablanca basically to continue his fight against the Germans.

This is a movie that is also 'an all-time classic' - it has all the ingredients of classic one liners such as 'Louis - This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship' and 'Of all the gin-joints in all the bars in all the world - She walks into mine' quote classics that are etched into cinema history and during its time its reputation of becoming 'an all-time classic' and it has 'amazing supporting cast including Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault, Conrad Veidt as Major Heinrich Strasser, Sydney Greenstreet as Signor Ferrari, Peter Lorre as Signor Ugarte and Dooley Wilson as Sam - now originally Wilson was orginally - 'a drummer' - and he had to fake by 'playing the piano' - all the actors who appear give mememorable performances throughout the film.

And so in 2022, this film is celebrating its 80th Anniversary and is being reissued and returning to movie theaters for a limited run, however this has been shown on TV 'aka the small screen that's located inside your establishment so many times on holidays such as the festive season and Easter that every time that its shown its like seeing a classic that upon when watching this its like being reunited with an old friend and reminiscing old stories of the past, however the only way to see this is on the big screen, because seeing this in a multiplex brings all the magic of seeing a classic film that's until now has been kept in the film vaults and is also being brought back to life so that a new audience who until now only saw this on the small screen and seeing this on its 80th Anniversary year can appreciate how great on how to put on an absolute gem of an absolute classic that is fresher, clearer and feeling a lot better than ever before.

So whatever you do cancel all engagements because 'YOU MUST REMEMBER TO SEE THIS ON THE BIG SCREEN' because 'they don't make them like more today than they use to' all those years ago.

An absolute classic - and also a real gem in the crown of classic cinema.

It's an absolute masterpiece of a movie classic.

Don't Miss It !

Happy Holidays !

David M.G.Mitchell