Thoughts About My Casablanca Night

Last week's big-screen experience of the masterpiece, Casablanca, was amazing.  Truly, that film---and all classic films---were meant to be seen that way!  Humphrey Bogart was made for the big screen!!   Oh, I'm thankful for the opportunity to buy DVD's which can be watched on my television and/or computer, but, oh, how incredibly thrilling it was to experience a classic film (and the classic movie stars!) the way audiences of decades past did.

Given that Casablanca is such an iconic film---and one which I have assumed nearly everyone has seen or at least knows about---I have never reviewed it on here.  (In the same way, I've never written about Gone with the Wind, as it is so famous it needs no introduction.)  However, I've come to realize that everyone has NOT seen Casablanca.  While it may be a "famous" film, that doesn't mean it's been seen by all.  Just as there are several "famous" films I've not yet seen (Citizen Kane, The Quiet Man, and Vertigo to name just a few), Casablanca may be one of those films on any number of people's "gotta watch it" list.  With that in mind, I decided that a brief review of this beloved movie is in order.

With the Nazi army conquering Europe, terrified people are fleeing from their countries, and a stopping point for many is Casablanca, French Morocco, where they wait endlessly for exit visas so as to travel further.  With so many visas in demand and so few given, naturally, corruption follows, with those who can pay the highest price receiving the coveted "freedom ticket."  One man with riches on his mind is Ugarte (Peter Lorre), who intends to sell two stolen visas, pocket the money, and hightail it out of Casablanca.

Knowing the Nazi officials are hot on his trail, however, he pleads with American expatriate and cafe owner, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), to safeguard the in-demand documents.  Shortly after entrusting them to Rick, Ugarte is apprehended by Nazi officials and never seen again.

In Casablanca with hopes of acquiring an exit visa for himself and his lady companion is Nazi resistance fighter, Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid).

A thorn in the side of the Nazis, Lazlo had long been imprisoned in a concentration camp, and now that he is free and is continuing his resistance work, he desperately needs to obtain the transit papers Ugarte has entrusted to Rick.  Rick, who has said he "sticks his neck out for nobody" isn't keen on providing the documents to Lazlo, especially when he discovers that Victor's companion is none other than Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman, who is beyond gorgeous in this film), a woman with whom he has some sort of troubled history.  (I won't disclose the nature of relationships, as I don't want to give too much away.)

All the while Mr. Lazlo is seeking to obtain the necessary exit papers from Casablanca, Nazi officials (one of which is wonderfully played by Conrad Veidt) are determined to keep him there.  Knowing Lazlo would continue his resistance efforts if he is able to make his way to parts West, they seek to detain him and get him back into captivity...or to gather from him the names of other resistance members.  Ilsa, meanwhile, calling upon her former relationship with Rick, hopes to obtain the papers as well; in the midst of it all, the local Prefecture of Police (fabulously played by Claude Rains), is loyal to neither side.  How it all works out is the balance of the film.

Casablanca, which won the Academy Awards for best picture, best director, and best writing, is a totally brilliant film in every aspect.  Michael Curtiz's direction was sensational, the casting was completely perfect, and the acting was beyond wonderful.  Next to Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a film for which Humphrey Bogart did not even receive an Academy Award nomination, I think Casablanca is his absolute finest hour!  He is totally fantastic in the role of Rick Blaine---definitely Oscar worthy!!  I need to do a re-watch of Watch on the Rhine to see how in the world Paul Lukas snagged the win that year. Ingrid Bergman was more beautiful than I've ever seen her, and she was perfect  in her role as well.  Already nominated that year for her role in For Whom the Bell Tolls, she did not receive any Academy recognition for her work in Casablanca.  Paul Henreid was wonderful as well.  He was the perfect Victor Lazlo; especially because he hailed from Europe and spoke with a beautiful European accent, he was completely believeable in the role.  Claude Rains did receive a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but he lost out to Charles Coburn for his work in The More the Merrier.  (I do think Coburn was terrific in that role, but Mr. Rains was also completely stellar in his, so he was definitely win-worthy.)







Several famous movie quotes were given to us by Casablanca.  Here are just a few:

"Play it, Sam."  (Ingrid Bergman to Dooley Wilson, as she asks him to play "As Time Goes By" on the piano.)

"Here's looking at you, kid."  (Humphrey Bogart to Ingrid Bergman)

"We'll always have Paris."  (Humphrey Bogart to Ingrid Bergman...one of my favorite movie quotes)

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."  (Humphrey Bogart about Ingrid Bergman)


I first saw Casablanca when I was 19 years old (way back in the early 1980's).  At that time, I hated the film...and I hated the ending.  Now, as a more mature adult, I completely love it and count it as my #2 movie of all time.  Add to that, I love the ending...I think it's the right ending.  Seeing this beloved film on the big screen has only increased my love for it.  It was an experience I will long remember...and one which I could enjoy on a regular basis.  (HINT:  Let's bring a beloved classic to the big screen every single month!!)

There is one aspect of the big-screen showing which I was hoping for which did not pan out, however.  I was hoping for a real stepping back in time.  I was hoping that the attire of the movie-goers would reflect a 1940's flair. I am a dress-up person, and I love seeing people dressed up…men included. People of the 1940′s would no more have gone to the theatre in jeans and a flannel shirt than they would have flown to the moon. The men would have been in suits and ties, the women in dresses. Alas, I was the only woman (at least that I saw) wearing a dress…and I saw no men in suits. To me, dressing the part was an essential part of the experience, so in that aspect, I was disappointed.  (However, the magic of the film itself far outweighed that disappointment!)

While my review of this incredible film and its 70th anniversary celebration really doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of it beauty, I hope that for anyone who has not yet seen this film, you have been intrigued enough to seek it out.  Casablanca is, without question, a must-see film!

Happy viewing!!

Happy Birthday, Paul Henreid!!

Today marks the 104th birthday of the suave, debonair, Austrian-born Paul Henreid (January 10, 1908-March 29, 1992)

While Paul Henreid is not one of my top 20 favorite actors, I definitely do like him.  That European accent of his is totally delightful!  What makes him stand out among all other actors (except for Claude Rains), is the fact that he stars in my two all-time favorite movies---Now, Voyager and Casablanca.

Now, Voyager (reviewed HERE), in which Henreid stars with Bette Davis, is my absolute favorite movie of all-time.  I totally love that movie and try to watch it two or three times a year.  In that film, he has this delightful habit of putting two cigarettes in his mouth, lighting them both, then handing one to Bette's character.  While not a smoker, I find that action totally romantic.  I learned that doing that was a longtime habit Mr. Henreid and his wife, Lisl, had, and although it wasn't part of the script, he just naturally did it.  (Link to a YouTube video of a Now, Voyager scene where he does that...HERE)

Casablanca, in which Henreid is the supporting player to Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, is my #2 movie of all-time.  Interestingly, I saw that movie way back when I was about 19 years old...and I absolutely hated it.  (Not sure how I saw it since my family didn't have cable or a VHS player back in 1980.)  However, when I watched the film as a more mature adult, I totally fell in love with it.

So, on this his 104th birthday, here's to you, Paul Henreid!  You are the common thread in my two most beloved movies!  (Claude Rains is a common thread as well, but it's not his birthday.) Thanks for beautifying my life by being part of those two great films!!

Now, Voyager (5 stars)

Now, Voyager, the beautiful, bittersweet, romantic drama from 1942, is not only my favorite Bette Davis film, it's my all-time favorite romantic film...AND my all-time favorite film...period.  I absolutely LOVE Now, Voyager and am utterly shocked that I haven't already reviewed it here.  Boy, have I been remiss!!

Starring along with Bette in this beautiful, tender movie is Paul Henreid, with Claude Rains and Gladys Cooper in supporting roles.  It's the story of Charlotte Vale, an ugly, awkward, middle-aged spinster, who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

At the request of Charlotte's sister-in-law, and against the wishes of Charlotte's extremely controlling mother, renowned psychiatrist Dr. Jaquith (Claude Rains) makes a visit to the Vale home.  What he witnesses astounds him---Charlotte is publicly put down and shamed by her mother and mocked by her niece.  She is insecure...withdrawn...paranoid.  In fact, Charlotte is extremely close to falling completely apart, a result of the disapproval, criticism, and humiliation that have been upon her for years.  Wanting to help her, Dr. Jaquith suggests that Charlotte spend some time at Cascade, his mountain sanitarium.

After several weeks at Cascade, and not wanting to return home to her mother, at Dr. Jacquith's suggestion, Charlotte embarks on a trans-Atlantic cruise.  (The first view of the transformed Charlotte is breathtaking---she has lost weight, no longer wears glasses, and is elegantly dressed.)

While on the cruise, Charlotte meets architect Jerry Durence (Paul Henreid), and the two fall deeply in love...it's a love that does wonders for Charlotte, causing her to blossom and gain confidence.    Unfortunately, Jerry is married, so there can be no future for him and Charlotte.  Or can there?

After the cruise, the now-beautiful and confident Charlotte returns to her Boston home and to the disapproval of her mother.  While other family members are thrilled with the changes in Charlotte, her mother is furious.  Telling Charlotte that she has never done anything to make her mother proud, and threatening to cut off her allowance, Mrs. Vale continues to try to manipulate and control Charlotte as she has done for years.  But Charlotte is a stronger, more confident woman, and for the first time in her life, she stands up to her mother and refuses to be guilt-tripped into doing what her mother wants her to do. 

Eventually, needing some time away, Charlotte returns to Cascade, where she meets young Tina...Jerry's younger daughter...a troubled, insecure young woman with whom Charlotte can empathize.  In reaching out to Tina, Charlotte feels that she has a part of Jerry for her very own.

Now, Voyager, for me the most romantic movie of all time, is a totally gorgeous film which moves me deeply and always brings me to tears.  It's a beautiful story, one to which I can somewhat relate, so I'm sure that is why it touches me so much.  Bette, who gives her usual brilliant performance, is amazing to watch as she transforms from the dowdy, insecure spinster into a beautiful, confident woman.  Truly, her transformation is stunning, and it always brings tears to my eyes.

Paul Henreid is totally fantastic in this role.  Besides his wonderful European accent, which I find romantic and sexy, he has this habit of putting two cigarettes in his mouth, lighting them both, then handing one to Charlotte.  I'm not a smoker, but I find that gesture gallant and romantic.  It adds so much to the romance of the film.  The chemistry between him and Bette is spectacular.

The musical score in Now, Voyager is probably the most beautiful musical score I have ever heard...just one more reason that this film is my absolute all-time favorite movie.  And the final line in the film---"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars"---is one of my all-time favorite movie lines.  Here is a video clip of the movie's final scene, which includes not only the beautiful music but also those bittersweet words. (You can't view the actual video from here, but just click the "watch on you tube" link and you'll be there...it is definitely a must-watch!)

Anyhow, I totally love Now, Voyager and cannot recommend it highly enough. It's out on DVD (as part of The Bette Davis Collection Volume One), so it should be very easy to track down.  Additionally, TCM will be airing it on November 10th at 10:45 p.m.  It would make a fantastic "chick flick" movie.

Happy viewing!!   

Dead Ringer (3 stars)

Dead Ringer, from 1964, is a mystery/suspense film starring the amazing Bette Davis.  Also starring Karl Malden and Peter Lawford, and directed by Bette's two-time co-star Paul Henreid, Dead Ringer affords this incredible actress the opportunity to play her second dual role in a film.  Earlier in her career---in A Stolen Life (reviewed HERE)---she portrayed twin sisters, Kate and Pat Bosworth, two women as different as night and day.  Here in Dead Ringer, she plays Edith (Edie) Phillips and Margaret (Maggie) DaLorca, again, two vastly different women.

Edie and Maggie, who are estranged and haven't seen one another for years, meet up at the funeral of Maggie's husband, Frank.  Edie and Frank had been in love many years earlier, but after being told by Maggie that she was expecting his child, Frank broke off with Edie and married Maggie, who then said that her child had died.  Edie learns from Maggie's long-time chauffeur, however, that there never was a DaLorca child.

After realizing that Maggie had concocted the pregnancy story in order to manipulate Frank into marrying her, Edie is beyond furious.  Not only did she lose Frank, her one great love, but instead of the life of wealth and luxury Maggie obtained, Edie went on to barely eke out an existence in a little bar.  Behind on her payments and in receipt of an eviction notice, Edie decides it is time to make Maggie pay for the years of heartbreak she has brought upon her.

Edie's plan is simple...she will kill Maggie, making it appear as her own suicide, and then take her place as Mrs. DaLorca.  Everyone will think that Edith Phillips is dead, having taken her own life while in a despondent state.  No one would ever consider that it isn't Maggie who lives...but Edie.

However, things don't go as smoothly as Edie had expected, for now, as Margaret, she must live a life she has never known.  There are unfamiliar rooms in a large mansion,  locked jewelry boxes, documents that need signed, friends she doesn't recognize, a vicious dog that suddenly becomes friendly, and an illicit lover who is not easily deceived.  How long can Edie keep up the charade?  How long can she pass herself off as Margaret DaLorca?  Especially when Edith's police officer beau (Karl Malden) begins investigating the case?

Dead Ringer is a very solid, highly entertaining 3-star film, which features a shocking twist and the usual top-notch performance of Bette Davis. Truly, that woman was at her best when she was being bad. I totally love her.

Anyhow, Dead Ringer is out on DVD and should be quite easy to track down. Also, TCM has it on their schedule fairly often. Do try to see it. Happy viewing!!

Deception (4 stars)

Deception, an Irving Rapper drama from 1946, reunites Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, who had starred together four years earlier in Now, Voyager (my all-time favorite movie).  Though Bette Davis gets top billing and did do her normal wonderful job here, I think Claude Rains really steals the show.  He is totally brilliant in his role.

Bette is Christine Radcliffe, a concert pianist, who has become the mistress of her instructor, renowned composer Alexander Hollenius (Rains).  Alex enables Christine to live a very extravagant lifestyle...fancy apartment, lavish decor, beautiful clothes, etc.

One evening, Christine attends a concert, where European cellist Karel Novak (Paul Henreid) is performing for the first time in the United States.  While in Europe before the war, Christine and Karel had been deeply in love; however, the war separated them, and Christine eventually came to believe Karel had been killed.  After the concert is over, Christine goes backstage and is reunited with her long-lost love, who declares to her that only his hope of finding her again kept him alive.  Seeing no wedding ring on Christine's finger, Karel is relieved, and he suggests that they finally fulfill their plan of getting married.

However, while Christine is not married, she is attached...to a very jealous Alex Hollenius.  But Christine doesn't want Karel to know the truth about her relationship with Alex.  She doesn't want him to know she's been kept by Alex.  She doesn't want Karel to think she is anything but a struggling music teacher who has remained true to him even though she thought him dead.   So, one lie after another pours from her mouth, and, amazingly, Karel really has no idea of the true nature of Christine's relationship with Alex.  And Alex has no intention of letting Christine go...even after she and Karel are married.

Do Christine and Karel find happiness?  Does Christine stop lying?  Does Karel learn the truth?  Does Alex let Christine go?  These are the questions that play out through the balance of the movie.  It's very interesting, and, again, I must say that Claude Rains was magnificent in this role.  I didn't think the chemistry between Bette Davis and Paul Henreid was as strong as it was in Now, Voyager.  But since Now, Voyager is my all-time favorite movie, I suppose it's hard for me to be totally objective.  Anyhow, Deception is a very solid 4-star film for me, and I highly recommend it.

Happy viewing!!