Casablanca Articles

Conrad Veidt is Turner Classic Movies' "Summer Under the Stars" performer of the day. An international star since the 1920s, Veidt worked in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Hollywood — twice. [Conrad Veidt Movie Schedule.] In the late '20s, Veidt was the star of unusual Hollywood fare such as Paul Leni's The Man Who Laughs (1928), in the title role as a man with a [...]

Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman on the poster of Michael Curtiz's Casablanca CASABLANCA Review Part VII – Comparisons to Other Great Cinema Classics Film critic Andrew Sarris claimed that Casablanca was, "the most decisive exception to the auteur theory," but he was wrong — and wrong for several reasons. First, auteur theory generally applies toward films or filmmakers that are great, and while Casablanca has been [...]

Dooley Wilson, Humphrey Bogart in Michael Curtiz's Casablanca CASABLANCA Review Part VI – Lack of Great Themes As I've shown, there are many flaws in Casablanca's narrative; among them the fact that it is melodrama — driven by plot, not character development. All the characters react to what the plot dictates; the plot does not organically flow from their personae. Now, before you claim, "But [...]

Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart in Michael Curtiz's Casablanca CASABLANCA Review Part V – DVD: Lauren Bacall Documentary BACALL ON BOGART Now, the biggest mistake that prevents Casablanca from reaching greatness is its lack of great themes. There is nothing in the film that is so overwhelmingly majestic, technically or performance-wise, that can put it in a class with many of the other highly praised motion [...]