Casablanca
US (1942): Drama/Romance
A truly perfect movie, the 1942 Casablanca still wows viewers today, and for good reason. Its unique story of a love triangle set against terribly high stakes in the war against a monster is sophisticated instead of outlandish, intriguing instead of garish. Humphrey Bogart plays the allegedly apolitical club owner in unoccupied French territory that is nevertheless crawling with Nazis; Ingrid Bergman is the lover who mysteriously deserted him in Paris; and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Conrad Veidt are among what may be the best supporting cast in the history of Hollywood films. This is certainly among the most spirited and ennobling movies ever made. Released in NYC in November, 1942, it didn't play in Los Angeles until late in January, 1943. (Amazon.com)
8 nominations, 3 Awards
· Best Picture 1943: Hal B. Wallis. producer (Warner Bros.)
· Best Directing 1943: Michael Curtiz
· Writing (Best Screenplay) 1943: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch
· Actor 1943: Humphrey Bogart
· Supporting Actor 1943: Claude Rains
· Cinematography (Black and White) 1943: Arthur Edeson
· Film Editing 1943: Owen Marks
· Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1943: Max Steiner