Casablanca

For anyone unfamiliar with the plot of Michael Curtiz's classic 1942 love story: Rick Blaine's (Humphrey Bogart) Casablanca-based nightclub Rick's Café is a central hub for wheelers and dealers who will gamble or barter in order to obtain exit visas as WWII heats up; it's also the one place "of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world" that "she" walks into. She, of course, is Ilsa Laszlo (Ingrid Bergman), whose husband Victor (Paul Henreid) is a freedom fighter on the run from the Nazis. Ilsa once had an affair with Rick (from which he has never really recovered), and she hopes to use this influence to secure safe passage to Lisbon, only she's a bit torn when she looks into Bogie's eyes. An Oscar winner for Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay--with nominations for Best Actor (Bogart), Supporting Actor (Claude Rains), Cinematography, and Music--Casablanca literally sparkles in this double-disc edition featuring a beautiful all-new digital transfer backed by clean Dolby Digital mono sound, and a slew of extras. Disc one boasts audio commentaries by critic Roger Ebert and author-historian Rudy Behlmer, while the second disc features an introduction by Lauren Bacall, nearly 10 minutes of newly found deleted scenes and outtakes, a pair of Bacall-hosted documentaries ("You Must Remember This" and "Bacall on Bogart"), "The Children Remember" (childhood memories from Stephen Bogart and Ingrid Bergman's daughters Pia Lindstrom and Isabella Rosselini), the Looney Tunes homage "Carrotblanca," the premier episode from the 1955 Casablanca TV series, the audio-only "Screen Guild Players Radio Production," rare scoring session outtakes, and galleries with photos, press materials, correspondence, and memorabilia. Legions of fans will want to play it again and again. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Mar. 27, 2012—Warner, 3 discs, 102 min., PG, $64.99—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 1942's Casablanca sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD soundtrack. Extras include two audio commentaries (the first with critic Roger Ebert; the second with film historian Rudy Behlmer), an intro by star Humphrey Bogart's widow Lauren Bacall (2 min.), “You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story” comprehensive documentary on the studio (289 min.), “The Brothers Warner” (94 min.), “Great Performances: Bacall on Bogart” (83 min.), “Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul” featurette (58 min.), a “Warner Night at the Movies” viewing option featuring classic trailers, newsreels, and cartoons that lead into the film (50 min.), the retrospective featurettes “Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of” (37 min.), “An Unlikely Classic” (35 min.), “You Must Remember This: A Tribute” (35 min.), and “As Time Goes By: The Children Remember” with Bergman's daughter Pia Lindström and Bogart's son Stephen Bogart (7 min.), various audio-only segments, trailers, a bonus DVD copy of the film, a 60-page photo book, a 1942 mini-poster, and four drink coasters, all packaged in a keepsake box. Bottom line: an extras-packed edition boasting a fantastic new transfer.]