Posted on 02/17/2023 9:37:25 PM PST by Saije
When Warner Brothers’ movie, “Casablanca,” was released nationally on Jan. 23, 1943, to coincide with a war-time meeting of President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the same city, New York Times critic Bosley Crowther wrote that “The Warners . . . have a picture that makes the spine tingle and the heart take a leap.” After 80 years, the iconic film remains a masterpiece and, in my totally subjective estimation, simply the greatest movie ever made.
I can still remember when I was in law school the Vogue Theater in St. Matthews showing “Casablanca” like it was a first-run movie. The packed house, as in earlier generations, was held spellbound by this compelling, World War II-era good-versus-evil saga with dozens of unforgettable characters with a red-hot romance as an extra “added attraction.” People around me sang out loud the soaring “Le Marseillaise,” spontaneously begun on screen by Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) to drown out the Germans’ “Die Wacht am Rhein” after the Nazis had commandeered a piano at Rick’s Café Americain. If you’re not moved by perhaps the most riveting single scene in any American film, well, you might need to go see a good cardiologist.
“Casablanca” won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1943, along with Oscars for Best Director (Michael Curtiz) and Best Screenplay (Julius and Philip Epstein and Howard Koch). That nominees Humphrey Bogart (“Rick”) and Claude Rains (“Captain Renault”) didn’t win Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, is still shockingly unfathomable.
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Casablanca is a great movie. It’s a bit dated at this time. The Godfather is the greatest movie of all time almost tied with Godfather 2.
Casablanca was the singularly most boring movie I have ever had the displeasure of viewing. I honestly can’t image how people think otherwise.
I do and I have - spectacular!
I your huckleberry.
Since wen are throwing out movie names, In my top dozen which change rankings as time passes, I include in no particular order with Casablanca the following:
The Natural
Dr. Strangelove
The Flight of the Phoenix
Pride and Prejudice (’05)
It was good enough to get Orson attacked for it by the person it was portraying
Best movie?
No doubt about it IMHO that Casablanca is at least #2, but the best of the best of the best (sir!) is, undoubtedly, the highly underrated and misunderstood real-life documentary “Killer Klowns from Outer Space.”
I’ve already worn out ten videocassettes and 3 DVD’s as that movie plays continuously on the big screen in my basement home theater 24/7/365.
Discuss among yourselves.
Ditto -- Bang!
Ditto -- Bang!
Ditto -- Bang!
Ditto -- Bang!
Ditto -- Bang!
Ditto -- Bang!
Ditto -- Bang!
I agree. Schindler’s List should be on my list as well. One of the great ones. But heartbreaking to witness that men could do such evil to their fellow creatures.
The only time I experienced that in a theater was Gone With The Wind, when Clark Gable was shown at the foot of the staircase, watching Scarlett ascend the stairs.
The thing about Schindler's List is that it is,to a substantial degree,historically accurate. Of course Speilberg took some "creative liberties" but if he hadn't it would have become a documentary...and they're typically pretty boring.
-—Casablanca was the singularly most boring movie I have ever had the displeasure of viewing. I honestly can’t image how people think otherwise.-—
I agree with you about Casablanca. Never cared for it. And since you have been on this forum for a very long time (even longer than I), your judgment is undoubtedly correct.
as a fan of old movies...that fashion, look, and beauty of women from the 1930’s to the 1940’s is jaw dropping...esp the hair styles. The 30’s had those short bob’s, awful hats...and crazy make up..and they were a little “thick” shall we say. Then in the 40’s..you get Lauren Becall..Ingrid Bergman..Gene Tierney,etc...quite a change..
When I was in my teens in the sixties I had a white dinner jacket. Wearing one in the right setting is like wearing a sword in military dress uniform — beyond cool.
yep...if your into human suffering and war atrocities...then a love story like Casablanca is not for you....
Best exchange in Casablanca:
Captain Renault: I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir ...
I’d vote for the Thief of Bagdad (1940) just as good or probably better.
Yes, Schindler’s List, the film, is quite accurate. I read the book. Spielberg felt it was his duty to portray the events of that period as realistically as possible.
While studying languages in Germany many years ago, I did have the chance to visit a few of the camp memorial sites. This forever changed my view of humanity.
My uncle’s parents were both murdered at Auschwitz. My uncle escaped to this country when he was 16. His parents couldn’t get out in time. He went back to fight for the American army in Europe a few years later. He was a decorated soldier. As you can imagine, this stuff is very real to me.
—if your into human suffering and war atrocities...then a love story like Casablanca is not for you....—
“Into” might not be the best word in my case. A student of, surely. See my previous comment.
One memory about the camps that stands out to me is having read once that when the war was over...or almost over...a group of top generals toured one of the recently liberated camps.Ike,Bradley and Patton were among the group on the tour. I read that at one point Patton became physically ill at what he was witnessing. It had to be pretty damn ugly for it to effect Patton like that.
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