Life and Whatnot

Throwback Thursday


Okay, I’m throwing you back to 1942 on this week’s Throwback Thursday.

To keep our theme of love going, I wanted to pose a question:

What is so great about Casablanca?

Seriously. It’s on every list out there as one of the best romance movies in the history of romance movies.

I’ve never seen it.

There, I said it.

Hi, my name is Lynn Rush and I’ve never seen Casablanca.

So, tell me what’s so great about it. Why should I watch it?

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INBmVxAsdFE]

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18 Comments

  • Mike

    Casablanca is the best

    Love story
    Nazi fighting
    spy
    well directed
    well shot
    well edited

    movie of all time. It is literally perfection in celluloid. You don’t get your movie geek cred till you’ve seen this! 😉 Metropolis (1922) and To Have and Have Not and The Wizard of Oz are in there as well.

  • Peter Stone

    Hi,
    People’s fascination with Casablanca is a bit of a mystery to me, I must confess. I tried watching it with my wife when we first got married, so my memories of it are a tad faded, but it seemed pretty tragic. But somehow, we ran out of time before it finished, and never came back to watch the ending. I still don’t know how it turned out, did they meet again at the end? LOL.

  • Cari

    I’m going to have to agree with both Lori and Alex.
    The visual experience is worth the watch, it’s just beautifully shot. Well said, Lori.

    Reawakened idealism, indeed. Alex makes a good point here. I don’t feel the romantic element in this movie, but I do feel that glimmer of hope that once jaded doesn’t necessarily mean always jaded.
    To me, that speaks to what romance is all about.

  • Ken Jackson

    Lynn

    I have seen both movies “Casablanca” and “To Have and Have Not”. Both are great movies as they create intrigue and intrigue without resorting to graphic scenes of violence. They are both classics. Bogart and Bacall were both very classy people.

    Another good Bogart film is “The African Queen” with Katharine Hepburn. Also, “The Maltese Falcon”

    They are all worth the effort to watch.

    Great question.

    K J

  • Lori Lundquist

    I agree with Alex. “To Have and Have Not” I liked much better. Bogie and Bacall indeed. 🙂

  • Margo Carmichael

    Planning a hats and dresses watching party, double feature: “Enchanted April” and “Casablanca.” The first because they came to see me in the play, and for the clothes and romance and setting. The second for the last three reasons. Casablanca has political intrigue, tension, love, a secret in the past, danger, more love, a surprise ending. It’s just a wonderful movie. *sigh* “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”

  • Alex Bledsoe

    “Casablanca” is about noble sacrifice, the reawakening of lost idealism, and the bonds that drive people to surprise even themselves. That said, if you do watch it, try to also watch “To Have and Have Not.” The other film takes each of these tropes and (to me, anyway) inverts them into a much more satisfying (and romantic) story. Both films are loaded with quotable lines, but it’s a matter of taste whether you prefer Bogie and Bergman, or Bogie and Bacall. I’m definitely in the camp with the latter.

  • Lynn Rush

    Jill–HA! I’m glad I’m not the only one! LOL.
    Lori–Love triangles are always good!
    LBDiamond–Gotta love Bogey–Nice!
    Danica–I’m so glad I’m not alone. Seems a few of us haven’t seen it, huh?
    Kat–You’re on. Since it’s cold where you are…and maybe most of you who’ve commented, come on down to sunny/warm Arizona! We’ll have a party!
    Kay–LOL! That’s a great story! Okay, you’re coming to our watch Casablanca party, then. Okay?

  • kay shostak

    In college an composition assignment was to go watch a movie, read a review of it and then write one of our own. I forgot about the assignment until too late to go to the movie. This was before VCR’s and movie collections. I found out Casablanca was on TV that night, so I watched it, looked up old newspapers in the college library for a review from when Casablanca debuted and wrote my paper.
    Teacher swooned over my initiative and going the extra mile. LOL
    I was so panicked that I didn’t really pay attention to the movie so I can’t tell you anything about it.

  • Kat

    I haven’t seen Casablanca either. We should all get together and have a Casablanca-watching party. 🙂

    to lbdiamond: I highly recommend The Sound of Music. The blossoming romance between Capt. Von Trapp and Maria is one of my all-time favorites.

  • Lori Lundquist

    Casablanca has a lot going for it – a love triangle, a little peril, a little intrigue, beautiful cinematography, classic acting and memorable lines – the story is worth experiencing at least once. As far as most romantic, it doesn’t make my list. 🙂 I LOVE movies from this era, yet this one isn’t my fave. But it is definitely worth the watch!
    Happy Thursday!

  • Jill Weatherholt

    Hi Lynn,
    I’ve never seen Casablanca either. I’m anxious also to hear what is so great about it.
    I must now confess……I saw The Sound of Music for the first time four years ago. Yes, I was forty years old the first time I ever watched that wonderful movie. Now, whenever it’s on tv, I never miss it! 🙂 Go figure….
    Jill