Casablanca

April 2012 marks the 70th anniversary of the release of Casablanca, a timeless epic love story that is one of the best films ever made.

It mixes all of the best ingredients to get the audience enthralled! You´ll watch it over and over again for the Romance! Suspense! Drama! And last but not least Music, “play it again Sam”….

It´s on the list for the “1001 Movies You Must Watch Before you Die” and number 3 on the AFI (American Film Institute) List for 100 best films. So, if you love movies, you must definitely see it! If you enjoy watching some classic black and white films, well make sure it gets on your list. If you want to make your Mom, Grandmother or even surprise your girlfriend with your vintage taste… well, it´s a pretty good choice.

I guess I could have just said: Casablanca is a MUST SEE MOVIE.

Did I mention it won Best Picture, Best Direction and Best Adapted Screenplay in the 1942 Academy Awards?

Haven´t I convinced you yet?

Well, you have Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund ) as the leading lady, the elegant beauty of the 1950s and Humphrey Bogart (Rick Blaine) as the anti-hero.

It´s set in Nazi occupied Morocco, in the early days of World War II.

I won´t spoil the storyline for you, but here are some scenes to get you interested:

Romance:

Music:

Patriotism:

On April 26th a special encore presentation will take place in USA in select theatres.

 

Curious Facts:

The plane used in the film was an Aero Portuguesa (AP) company plane owned by  Mr Medeiros e Almeida. The AP was created with the main objective of providing air connection between Portugal, Morocco and Brazil. During World War II, the AP gained the importance of being the only company of a neutral country to be authorized to fly to a belligerent territory.

“Casablanca (1942) was an immediate success, beginning with an accident of history. On November 8, the Allied forces landed in Casablanca, and at once Jack Warner’s publicists prevailed on him to rush the picture to an early release in New York. After a sold- out premiere, every standing-room ticket was gone for subsequent performances… When President Roosevelt returned from the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, the film’s success was guaranteed… Indeed, among the fans was the president himself, who ordered a print for his guests at a New Year’s Eve party he hosted at the country’s own casa blanca, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”

 Donald Spoto. Notorious –The life of Ingrid Bergman. Harper Collins, 1997

Well, if I helped you pick your weekend movie, I´m glad… It seems like a “beginning of a beautiful friendship”.

Test your Casablanca knowledge with this quiz