Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2527 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-02-09
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Box set, Black & White, Full Screen, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English, French, German
• Subtitled in: German, French, Italian, Arabic, Spanish, English, Dutch
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
This generously filled two-disc special edition presentation of Casablanca features the film itself in an impressively clean new digital transfer on the first disc, with hiss-free mono sound. It's prefaced by a rather pointless introduction from Lauren Bacall (it would surely be churlish to point out that Casablanca was made two years before Bacall met Bogart) and accompanied by two full-length and fact-packed audio commentaries, one from film critic Roger Ebert, who hardly pauses to take a breath, and the other from film historian Rudy Behlmer, who provides in-depth background detail.

The second disc features a plentiful collection of sundry archival features and more from Bacall, who hosts the two documentaries: You Must Remember This: The Making of Casablanca and a retrospective of Bogie's career, Bacall on Bogart. Of minor interest are two very short deleted scenes--Laszlo and Rick at the jail, and a German officer's pratfall--which in lieu of any surviving audio track have been subtitled from the original script; there's also five minutes of silent outtakes. An audio-only sample of Max Steiner's music-scoring sessions features Dooley Wilson singing "Knock on Wood" and "As Time Goes By". There are brief reminiscences from Stephen Bogart and Pia Lindstrom (son and daughter of Bogie and Ingrid Bergman, respectively); Bugs Bunny and pals in Carrotblanca; a curious 1955 Warner Bros TV version of the movie; audio excerpts from the "Screen Guild Players Radio Production" featuring the principal cast; plus the usual static galleries and other trivia. All in all, it's a valuable two-disc set that really does provide everything you always wanted to know about one of the most famous movies ever made. --Mark Walker

DVD Description
Casablanca: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if your name is on the Nazis' most wanted list. Atop that list is Czech Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one…especially Victor’s wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. So when Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo’s safe transport out of the country, the bitter Rick must decide what’s more important – his own happiness or the countless lives that hang in the balance.

Special Features
Disc One:

• Breathtaking new digital transfer
  
• Introduction by Lauren Bacall
  
• Commentary by movie critic Roger Ebert
  
• Commentary by historian Rudy Behlmer, author of Inside Warner Bros.
  
• Theatrical trailer of Casablanca plus other landmark Warner Bros. films

Disc Two:

• Ten minutes of newly found deleted scenes/outtakes
  
• Two documentaries hosted by Bacall: You Must Remember This: The Making of Casablanca and Bacall on Bogart, the acclaimed feature-length retrospective on the life and career of her legendary husband
  
• Featurette, The Children Remember, parental memories from Stephen Bogart and Ingrid Bergman’s daughters, Pia Lindstrom and Isabella Rossellini
  
• The Looney Tunes gang in the cartoon homage Carrotblanca
  
• Premier episode from the 1955 Casablanca Warner Bros. TV series
  
• Audio-only treasures: "Screen Guild Players Radio Production" with the movie’s 3 stars, plus rare scoring session outtakes
  
• Production history gallery, photos, press materials, studio correspondence memorabilia and more

DVD Technical Information:

• Black and White
  
• Running Time (feature): 98 mins
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  
• Audio: Mono
  
• Subtitles: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Arabic, Dutch,
  
• Hearing Impaired: English & Italian

Customer Reviews

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful film!!
Since it was first shown as a preview on Thanksgiving Day in 1942, Michael Curtiz's 'Casablanca' has been rightly regarded as one of the greatest films in the history of Hollywood. It is a truly stunning film, a romantic movie that has everything: drama, humour, suspense and intrigue, mixed in with a huge serving of romantic melodrama.
To say the film is flawless is an understatement - everything from the acting, to the photography, to the sets, to the tightly constructed script is just a cinematic dream. This wartime film is essentially about a love triangle - Rick Blaine (played by the legendary Humphrey Bogart in his best role in his glittering career), a cynical American who 'sticks his neck out for nobody', runs a nightclub in the Moroccan capital of Casablanca where refugees gather to forge documents that will allow them to escape the horrors of the war for the USA. It is here where one day, Rick is confronted by the famous rebel Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife Ilsa (the gorgeous Ingrid Bergman); the Laszlos both want to escape to America, but there's a snag - Ilsa was Rick's true love prior to the war, but deserted him when the Nazis invaded France. The film then revolves around the suspense of Rick attempting to find a way to send the Laszlos to the US, along with the renewed love Ilsa finds for Rick. When the conclusion to the film arrives, you'll be in tears.
Thankfully, the makers of this DVD have done 'Casablanca' justice. The great plus-point about this two-disc package is that it contains worthy contributions to the view that 'Casablanca' is quite possibly the greatest film of all time. Lauren Bacall (who was married to Bogart) presents a handfull of interesting documentries, whilst there are also outtakes, audio tracks, photos, commentries from two acclaimed film critics, and even a Bugs Bunny cartoon called 'Carrotblanca'!
If you've seen the film before (and many of you probably have), you do not need any persuasion to purchase this DVD; for those who have not seen it, then here's your chance to witness a milestone in American, and indeed worldwide, cinema. 'Casablanca' is a true classic, a marvellous romantic movie that will enchant you until its memorable ending.

The definitive Casablanca
One of the all-time favourite Hollywood movies may well have found its definitive presentation in this superb double DVD Special Edition set.

The picture quality of this new digital transfer is downright stunning and easily surpasses all previous DVD releases. The sharpness and the rich contrast reveal the plasticity and the expressive quality of the image in an unsuspected dimension. To take but that example, the studied close-up shots of Ingrid Bergman's face are simply breathtaking. The sound is mastered perhaps a little low, but with the volume turned up sufficiently, proves clear and flawless.

The extras alone would already be worth the investment. There are two interesting, complementary commentaries by film historian Rudy Behlmer and critic Roger Ebert. Especially Ebert's narration will learn you a lot about what you actually see on the screen. (Watch for the midgets around the plane in the closing scene). There is a fine documentary on Humphrey Bogart presented by Lauren Bacall and on disc 2 Stephen, son of Humphrey Bogart and Pia Lindström, daughter of Ingrid Bergman evoke how their parents experienced Casablanca. In "You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca" one gets a complete view of the production. Finally, there are trailers, biographical sketches, scoring stage sessions, and even (silent) outtakes and additional scenes.

In short, Casablanca gets what it deserves and this DVD set should figure in every serious movie collection.

Here's Looking At The Best, Kid!
It would be pointless for me to try and say anything new about Casablanca, one of the best and most talked about films ever made. What I will say is that anyone who loves this film should rush to buy this beautifully restored version. If you've only ever seen Casablanca on tv or video made from a less than perfect print, then this will be a revelation - it's like seeing it the way it was in the theatres back in 1943. The sharpness of the images, the interplay of light and shadow, the radiance of the light, the clarity of the sound - it's all breathtaking. This is glorious black and white at its film noir best. And if that isn't enough, there is a second disc of intriguing extras. The cartoon version is my favourite, especially Tweetie Bird doing Peter Lorre. And the clips from the film provides an opportunity to see just how much it has been restored for this release. A true classic treated the way it deserves. Play it!