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                 Casablanca (1942) 70th Anniversary Edition
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STARS...........: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
DIRECTOR........: Michael Curtiz
WRITERS.........: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch
GENRE...........: Drama, Romance, War
IMDB............: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583
RUNTIME.........: 1h 42mn
SIZE............: 5.48 GB
VIDEO CODEC.....: HEVC (Main@L4)
BITRATE.........: 7000 Kbps (2-pass)
RESOLUTION......: 1480x1080
ASPECT RATIO....: 1.37:1
FRAMERATE.......: 23.976 fps
AUDIO1..........: English FLAC 1.0
AUDIO2..........: English AAC 1.0 192kbps VBR
AUDIO3..........: Commentary by Roger Ebert
AUDIO4..........: Commentary by historian Rudy Behlmer
SUBTITLES.......: ENG, FRE, ITA, JAP, POR, SPA
SOURCE..........: 70th Anniversary Blu Ray
ENCODE DATE.....: 2020-06-27


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.


Extras

• Introduction by Lauren Bacall - Bacall, rather low on my list of ideal candidates for introductory duties, speaks to Casablanca's enduring appeal in this holdover from the 2003 SE DVD. (SD, 2 minutes)

• Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic - Another newly produced documentary from Leva, another must-see look at Warner's indispensable classic. Spielberg, Friedkin, Behlmer and the disc's now-familiar gallery of faces speak at length about the film and its history, production, unexpected popularity, performances, cinematography, music, cinematic innovations, costumes, campaign, timing and more. (HD, 35 minutes)

• You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca - A lesser doc in every way, this decidedly decent overview of the film will nevertheless entertain cinephiles and completists alike. Overlap is unavoidable at this point, of course, but "Tribute" doesn't beat a dead horse, offering several different perspectives on the film instead. (SD, 35 minutes)

• Great Performances: Bacall on Bogart - Bacall returns to host this solid Bogart documentary, also leftover from the 2003 Special Edition DVD. It boasts a lot of good information on Bogart the the actor and legend, but also on Bogie the man, as told by those who were closest to him, his career and his legacy. (SD, 83 minutes)

• Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of - The first of the new Ultimate Edition's exclusive features is this excellent documentary from director Gary Leva, which finds Steven Spielberg, William Friedkin and other notable filmmakers, authors, biographers and experts weighing in on Curtiz, his life and body of work. (HD, 37 minutes)

• As Time Goes By: The Children Remember - Join Stephen Bogart and Pia Lindstrom as they recall their childhoods, family lives and their parents' stardom. (SD, 7 minutes)

• Audio-Only Content - Also included is a "Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Radio Broadcast" from 1943, a "VOX Pop Radio Broadcast" from 1947, and a series of "Scoring Stage Sessions" (featuring an alternate version of "Knock on Wood," an alternate takes of "As Time Goes By, Parts One and Two," a "Dat's What Noah Done" outtake, and performances of "Rick Sees Isla" and "At La Belle Aurore." (75 minutes)

• Additional Footage - A small selection of deleted scenes (with subtitles but no audio), outtakes, "Who Holds Tomorrow" (a chintzy Casablanca television remake), and "Carrotblanca," a Looney Tunes parody of the film, round out the first disc's extras. (SD, 33 minutes)

• Warner Night at the Movies - Looking for a more authentic 1940s experience? Watch Casablanca as opened with a Now, Voyager theatrical trailer, a vintage war-effort newsreel, "Vaudeville Days" (a history of Vaudeville short), and three Merrie Melodies cartoons ("The Bird Came C.O.D." and "The Squawkin' Hawk" in SD, and "The Dover Boys at Pimento University" in HD). (SD, 51 minutes)

• Trailer - The film's original theatrical trailer. (SD, 5 minutes)

• Audio Commentaries - Two commentaries are included, albeit without the involvement of any of the principal cast or crew. Both tracks are still well worth listening to, though -- the first with film critic Roger Ebert and the second with historian Rudy Behlmer -- and both are backed by deep passion, thorough research, and insight into Casablanca and its place in cinema history.

(All extras have ENG, FRE, ITA, JAP, POR and SPA subtitles)