Barnes & Noble

Star-crossed lovers meet during wartime under the Moorish arches of Rick's Café Americain in Casablanca. This legendary melodrama is one of the most perfectly realized movies to come out of the Hollywood studio system. Directed by Hungarian émigré Michael Curtiz, it stars Humphrey Bogart in his iconic role as the fiercely independent but ultimately honorable Rick, an American expatriate running a swanky nightclub on the French North African coast. An embittered romantic, Rick has never forgotten the beautiful and enigmatic Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), who left him waiting at the train station in Paris as Nazi tanks rolled in. Their secret love, unexpectedly rekindled at Rick's, drives a charged narrative set against an exotic backdrop. Bogart and Bergman supply enormous star power, to be sure. But Casablanca's witty script, brisk pacing, lush atmosphere, and bittersweet romance -- not to mention a splendid performance by Claude Rains as the morally flexible French official, Inspector Renault -- all help make it the classic that it is. Monica McIntyre

All Movie Guide

One of the most beloved American films, this captivating wartime adventure of romance and intrigue from director Michael Curtiz defies standard categorization. Simply put, it is the story of Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a world-weary ex-freedom fighter who runs a nightclub in Casablanca during the early part of WWII. Despite pressure from the local authorities, notably the crafty Capt. Renault (Claude Rains), Rick's café has become a haven for refugees looking to purchase illicit letters of transit which will allow them to escape to America. One day, to Rick's great surprise, he is approached by the famed rebel Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), Rick's true love who deserted him when the Nazis invaded Paris. She still wants Victor to escape to America, but now that she's renewed her love for Rick, she wants to stay behind in Casablanca. "You must do the thinking for both of us," she says to Rick. He does, and his plan brings the story to its satisfyingly logical, if not entirely happy, conclusion. Robert Firsching

Product Details

• UPC: 883929026333
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Language: English
• Editions: Special Edition
• Sales Rank: 4,449

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• The Humphrey Bogart Collection
• Humphrey Bogart - The Signature Collection, Vol. 1
• Best Picture Winners - TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection