RE
Roger Ebert
Declared it a "Movie" with an upper-case M, signifying its exceptional and treasured status among cinema.
In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
Directed byMichael Curtiz
Written byJulius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, Murray Burnett, Joan Alison
Budget$878,000–$1 million
Box office$3.7–6.9 million
Critical Consensus
8.5
IMDb
100
Metacritic
8.1
TMDB
Casablanca received consistently strong reviews upon release and has grown in stature to become a universally acclaimed masterpiece, consistently ranking among the greatest films in history with a perfect 100/100 on Metacritic.
The Cast
Trivia
Casablanca was rushed into release to take advantage of publicity from the Allied invasion of North Africa, premiering on November 26, 1942.
Warner Bros. paid $20,000 for the unproduced play "Everybody Comes to Rick's," which was the most anyone in Hollywood had ever paid for an unproduced play.
The Motion Picture Production Code forbade showing a woman leaving her husband for another man, making it impossible for Ilsa to leave Victor Laszlo for Rick Blaine.
Unusually, the film was shot in sequence because only the first half of the script was ready when filming began, and it went $75,000 over budget.
The background of the final scene, featuring an airplane, was staged using little person extras and a proportionate cardboard plane, masked by fog.
Reviews
0 reviews
Avg: 0.0 / 5
Critics
BT
Bosley Crowther, The New York Times
Praised it as a thrilling picture with excellent screenplay and first-rate cast, combining sentiment, humor, melodrama, and intrigue.
V
Variety
Commended its fine performances, engrossing story, neat direction, and variety of moods, calling it an "A-1 entry" and "splendid anti-Axis propaganda."
BT
Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Times
Applauded its "Golden Age Hollywoodness," craftsmanship, and "near-perfect entertainment balance" of comedy, romance, and suspense.
PK
Pauline Kael
Considered it "far from a great film" but acknowledged its "appealingly schlocky romanticism."
UE
Umberto Eco
While initially calling it "mediocre" and low on credibility, he concluded it was a "phenomenon worthy of awe" due to its archetypal narrative power.
MC
Metacritic (Website Consensus)
Hailed as an undisputed masterpiece and quintessential statement on love and romance that has only improved with age, with career-defining performances.
BJ
Bright Lights Film Journal
A rare Golden Age film that transcends its era, entertaining generations and providing an "oasis of hope" in challenging times.
E
Empire
Ranked highly, praised for its blend of love, honor, thrills, and iconic Bogart/Bergman performances, calling it proof great movies are "accidents."
RM
Robert McKee
Maintained that the film's script is "the greatest screenplay of all time."
Audience
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