CASABLANCA (1942) REACTION | FIRST TIME WATCHING |

[@tonyadams2373]

This was filmed during the war. When Rick says "I bet they're asleep all over America" it is a reference to the fact that America was not in the war yet and was trying to stay neutral. Many of the cast members were refugees who had escaped Germany or other European countries when the Germans took over. Knowing that makes the singing of La Marseillaise even more emotional.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Yeah, that seemed to go over her head. I don’t know if it was a language thing, a lack of knowledge thing or just that she took it at face value, which is the most likely. I feel like people watching this movie today almost need a 5-10 minute history lesson before they start the film, which should give them a better idea of the general situation.

[@Ozai75]

@@CoryGasaway Correct but the original story was written in 1938, so his lines about America being asleep was relevant for the time. Either way, powerful message and movie.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

@@CoryGasaway That’s what’s he’s talking about when he says “America is sleeping.” It was right before Pearl Harbor & the US was still blissfully unaware of what the future held. Your last sentence doesn’t make any sense.

[@KarlHeinzofWpg]

@@CoryGasaway The full quote of this particular scene is... Rick : If it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York? Sam : What? My watch stopped. Rick : I'd bet they're asleep in New York. I'd bet they're asleep all over America. So the film is indeed referencing the fact that America was asleep, in a way, for the first part of the war. Rick himself is also asleep and he represents American in the film. It took the shock of Ilsa appearing to wake him up and remind him that things are worth fighting for, just as Pearl Harbour reminded America that they couldn't avoid the evil of the world and only look out for themselves any more than Rick could.

[@pete_lind]

Saddest thing is that USA rejects refugees today just as it did in 1940s ... latest refugees from Ukraine , bet not many gets to US . Of course we have denial of entry to a ship full of Jewish refugees , MS St Louis with 900 people onboard , in 1939 . After WW 2 USA prevented many Jewish survivors from coming to US due to prejudice ... same thing that is used against refugees in todays USA .

[@billiebuffalo]

The Marseillaise scene is one of the most beautiful scenes in cinematic history in my opinion. Simple, but so powerful.

[@jamesalexander5623]

Always a Tear .... And I must have seen Casablanca 50 or 60 times!

[@corvus1374]

The actors were really crying, because they were refugees who had fled Europe.

[@jeandoten1510]

When I was a student they used to show this movie often as a double feature with the Maltese Falcon --Harvard Square Theater 2 movies for $1.50! At the Marseilles scene most of the audience in the theater would stand up and those of us who knew the words would sing along. Great memories. I enjoyed your reaction! Also--aftiend of mine saw this in Vienna in the 1970s--the dialogue was the same but they changed the score y deleting the 'Deutschland Uber Alles" references and replacing the melody with a drum roll.

[@benlutz1974]

And improvised! The second best thing about Casablanca was that the production changed so often and so much *while shooting* that the whole thing was all but improvised.

[@mattiaswibom4788]

Its a fantastic scene. Very strong and emotional

[@kschneyer]

The great writer Elizabeth Bear once told me that Casablanca is a perfect example of a character's struggle against himself. Rick begins the movie thinking that he wants to be left alone to drown his sorrows; in the middle of the movie, he thinks he wants Ilse. It isn't until the end of the movie that Rick realizes what he really wants: to be part of something bigger than himself.

[@davidpost428]

great summary of what he went through.

[@kschneyer]

Victor understands this about Rick before Rick himself does.

[@TeaParty1776]

> to be part of something bigger than himself. Like the Nazis.

[@kingbeauregard]

@@kschneyer Victor and Rick are really very very similar; the difference is, Rick was burned by love and lost himself (and found himself again at the end, which is 98% of why the ending is satisfying). Rick was also careful to make sure Victor didn't lose himself by getting burned by love, which was darn decent of him. (Victor, of course, probably suspects that Ilse had a tryst with Rick that night, but also understands that it was a complex situation.)

[@blueboy4244]

Welcome back to the fight

[@MovieswithMary]

Hope you like the new editing! For me it feels very fresh and try something different after all this time ^^ !

[@milesisediting]

me personally I like it *cough*

[@billbabcock1833]

I do like it. Very casual and open.

[@pardox28]

Yes, the slow squishing in of the frame & the turn to black & white was quite a great stylistic choice. And the return to a wide-screen and color after the movie ended was nicely executed. Well done.

[@ernestodiaz9022]

Turning reactions into an art form

[@catherinelw9365]

Looks great, Mary - superb reaction!

[@johnanderson5558]

You loved Casablanca?! Mary, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[@minnesotajones261]

"I'm shocked! Shocked, that gambling is going on in here..." "Your winnings sir..." "Oh, thank you very much!"

[@panzerdeal8727]

"I'M just a poor, corrupt Official."

[@manny75586]

1. Ingrid Bergman is my all time favorite actress ever. 2. This film is in my forever Top 5 3. It really was crazy that it came out during the height of the war.

[@gokaury]

This movie is definitely my favorite golden age of Hollywood movie. Truth be told, it is probably also in my top 5 movie ranking. The writing is solid, the actors superb, the director was great, the cinematography, everything is flawless. Great flick.

[@drrob1963]

This film is in my forever Top 1

[@Albemarle7]

Few can master the art of movie making. Here was a grand convergence of talent.

[@charlesbaldwin3166]

I'm shocked, shocked she cut out my favorite bit in the movie. I still think the dueling anthems scene might just be the greatest scene in cinema history, the fact that so many cast members were refuges makes it hit even harder. I'm not sure but I think Casablanca might have the distinction of being the only movie that after having watched it I started it over from the beginning and watched it again.

[@hv3926]

Yeah, that was a BIG miss on Mary's part.😁

[@Ozibiey]

“SHOCKED, SHOCKED!” 😂

[@rogerd777]

I can watch this movie over and over again.

[@p-51d95]

The movie was released Nov 28, 1942. Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Vichy French Morraco occurred on Nov 8, 1942, so the theme of the movie was very timely to the audience. And remember, at the time no one knew how the war would turn out...

[@chris...9497]

At the end, when Louie starts to pour himself some Vichye water, stops to look at the bottle, then drops it into the trash, that was his moment of finally committing to the war effort. Vichy was the French administration that worked with the invading Germans. Kind of fun seeing Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet working with Bogart again; they had worked together in "The Maltese Falcon" 5 years earlier.

[@josht9253]

Actually only 1 year earlier. Maltese Falcon was released in 1941.

[@drwho9209]

I love the care they put into properly and effectively lighting black and white films.

[@jamesalexander5623]

Citizen Kane

[@Cheepchipsable]

Umm, since they only had B&W, they kind of had to...

[@drwho9209]

first color feature was 1914

[@drwho9209]

Wizard of Oz was made 4 years before this film.

[@brysonfreeman7226]

@@drwho9209and same as Gone With The Wind

[@chrismaverick9828]

Rick's back and forth with the Germans at the table are just fantastic. Bogart plays off the perfect mix of uninterested, non-committal, and despising, all the while being charming in his way. "Are my eyes really brown?" "Well, there are certain sections of New York I wouldn't advise you to try to invade." Perfectly sound advice there.

[@pliny8308]

This is considered one of the greatest movies of all time, deservedly so.

[@braxtalk9475]

Easily one of the best movies ever. Outstanding cast writing and directing.

[@jamesalexander5623]

It's been called the Best "Studio" Move ever made!

[@michaelt6218]

Mary, you've just watched one of the greatest movies ever made. A perfect script that combines intrigue, romance, deception, honor, suspense, and even a bit of comedy, together with a spectacular cast and brilliant direction. This is the sort of film you can watch over and over and over again, discovering more each time and appreciating it even more each time. Thank you for sharing your reaction with us!

[@DBCuzitis]

I love watching reactors watching this movie for the first time. Something I really miss is being able to watch this movie with the suspense and not knowing what will happen next. That experience is a one time event sadly. Watching reactors let’s me rewatch this movie for the first time again vicariously.

[@josephhyland8904]

This movie is a timeless classic. The "La Marseillaise" scene in the cafe is one of the greatest ever IMO. It still makes me emotional.

[@normankennith7919]

one of the greatest movies ever, along with 'the third man' - both black & white!!

[@peterkoch3990]

A rare film that engages every emotion, happy, sad, joy, despair, etc... and perfect for your style of appreciation. Perhaps not quite as stunning, there are still many films of this ilk which are far more rewarding than silly jump scares. Please continue in this vein, you have a way of explaining the complexities and shades of feeling better than most!

[@DailyDamage]

A couple of things: „round up the usual suspects“ was winked to in: The usual suspects“. Also, a large majority of the actors were actually Europeans that actually fled Europe and thus gave the: La Marseillaise, the strength it had.

[@abovethehook665]

Another great black and white movie released just after WWII is called, "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946). The theme of the difficulty veterans often have in returning to civilian life was often repeated in the Vietnam era, but "Best Years" was the first of its kind and decades ahead of its time. Won seven Academy Awards.

[@catherinelw9365]

Great film that deserves more reactions.

[@jamesalexander5623]

My Dad was a WW II Vet. B-24 Aircrew, 30 Combat Missions over Europe. Awarded the DFC and the Air Medals with 4 clusters and "The Best Years of Our Lives" was one of only two movies I saw him cry. The other was "Twelve O' Clock High"!

[@mikell5087]

Thank you for your comment about The Best Years of Our Lives which I think is a very important film that I think would be great for Mary to react to, and I told her on her Patreon page for this movie and for Band of Brothers. What a great reaction it would be.

[@andrewmadeloni7173]

"The Maltese Falcon" for your consideration. I felt the same as you the first time watching this classic. Many, many great B & W cinema greats await your viewing. Wonderful reaction Mary!

[@jefmay3053]

Yes Mary, watch more of the older Classics.

[@pistonburner6448]

I suggest The Guns of Navarone

[@kaywebbharrison3373]

@@jefmay3053 I second this suggestion. You might try The Big Sleep, also with Bogart, based on the book by Raymond Chandler and Laura, a murder mystery with a haunting musical theme. Kay Webb Harrison

[@gsparkman]

@@kaywebbharrison3373And Lauren Becall! Steamy!

[@davidcorriveau8615]

During the singing of The Marseillaise when you said you had goose-bumps...the picture of Yvonne appears (Rick's 'girlfriend' at the start of the movie). She has tears in her eyes while she sings. She was Madeleine Lebeau, she was a French 19 year old girl when Casablanca was filmed. She fled France with her husband in 1940, leaving Europe from Lisbon and going to Chile, Canada and eventually the US. To be 17 years old and to have seen war and the fall of your country, to run for months and to end up far from home trying to make a new life. I always think of her (and the many other refugee members of the cast) while watching this great movie. When she passed in 2016 she was the last credited cast member of Casablanca living. Thank you Ms Lebeau, Vive la France!

[@MrJSheller]

One of the greatest movies of all time. And it's interesting how in the early 1940s, movie makers didn't often use color (it existed then but was too expensive for most movies) nor special effects (think of the opening sequence with the hokey globe) which forced them to depend on lighting, camera angles and dialogue more--which produces, in this case, a masterpiece of story telling. The "letters of transit" are one of the most famous MacGuffins--they didn't exist at all but were a device to move the plot. If you've seen the first "Star Wars," I'm sure the bar scene there owes a lot to this movie. And it's full of famous quotes--"here's looking at you, kid," "we'll always have Paris," "I think this is the start of a great friendship," "Of all the the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, why did she have to wander into mine." I'm probably recalling a few of those incorrectly. First watched this movie sipping win in a bar at Iowa State University in 1979--a great place to see it. Fantastic movie, loved your reaction, nice that you put yourself in black-and-white for much of it.

[@AI_Image_Master]

SInce I had first seen this movie as a little kid I could never understand the Letters of Transit. I know my history and it made no sense. What would De Gaul have anything to do with it. Years before I found out it was just some plot nonsense, but it worked.

[@arandomnamegoeshere]

Side note: they didn't have access to a plane so they did, in fact, use special effects to present one. ;)

[@sparky6086]

@@AI_Image_Master It would have made more sense, if they had the "Letters of Transit" signed by Marshal Petain who was in charge of Vichy France, instead of de Gaulle was the leader of the Free French in exile. It was likely just a careless factual oversight. Although distracting to people who know history or at the time of the release of "Casablanca", geopolitical current events, it fortunately went unnoticed by most of the audience who didn't have the knowledge. ...A picture of Marshal Petain was on the wall in the beginning, when the first man was shot, so someone in charge of building the set knew better, but apparently the script writers didn't consult with them.

[@rogerjenkinson7979]

@ joe scheller. Claude Rains as Louis Renault was the nominal star and so he got most of the one liner jokes like when he announces he's closing Rick's Bar because he's shocked to find illegal gambling there & then accepting money from one of the exiting staff asks what it's for. We all assume it's a bribe but the reply is: Your winnings. Thank you very much says Louis, pocketing the cash.

[@wraithby]

One of the greatest film noirs is "Out of the Past" (1947), with Robert Mitchum, and the greatest femme fatale of them all, Jane Greer. The snappy, biting sarcastic dialogue of many 40s films is legendary.

[@clutchmanly1147]

"Out of the Past" is a great movie.

[@AstroXeno]

Casablanca is one of the all-time greats, and now that you've seen it, you're going to start seeing little references to it everywhere. When I finally saw it, I was amazed at how many lines I recognized from Bugs Bunny cartoons.

[@DanKetchum007]

I can't watch them singing the French national anthem without tearing up.

[@dasx2gra]

Mary welcome to the club!!! I've seen Casablanca at least 35 times, it gets me every time`! the sing off in ricks is so emotional because most of the character actors had already fled Europe because of the war! they felt every word of the song! the actor who played major Strasser was a famous German actor whose wife was Jewish, so they all had a personal stake in the war and the film!!!! btw, just love watching movies with you!!!! see you at the next movie

[@stephenkronfeld9228]

I think of Rick as a kind of metaphor for pre-Pearl Harbor America - Isolationist, cynical, self-interested. "They are asleep all over America." "I'm the only cause I care about." But Rick's (and America's) idealism gets reignited and he joins the fight against fascism.

[@cavemancell3562]

They mentioned he fought in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists, so he was not new to the game.

[@ryanhampson673]

The worst war in history only happened 25 years prior to the events in the film so its not surprising the US people didn't want to send their sons off to another foreign war. I think Rick represents what you said and us running away from our problems. You can run for a while but eventually it catches up with you and you will have to pick a side.

[@AnthonyGentile-z2g]

Louis is also a metaphor for France...resentful and ashamed at their defeat, but accepting reality and trying to make the best of things...but in the end returning to the light.

[@jamesmcclain5005]

I watch this movie over and over and over, it is something you never get tired of. I have watched every review of this movie and it amazingly is fresh. It is an incomparable jewel of cinematic wonder, and will live forever in the hearts and minds of those blessed enough to experience this masterpiece.

[@deathtoraiden2080]

Impossible not to love this movie. The day it does not hold up is the day Humankind has drowned in cynicism. The actress crying during the Marseillaise wasn't acting, she was an actual refugee that had to leave France to escape the war.

[@johnwaga3702]

One of the classic Hollywood movies.

[@abovethehook665]

The story and the dialogue are so perfect because - in their own way - everyone in the movie is "right" (except for the Germans, of course). So well done.

[@pudgedooley]

What about Karl?

[@Hexon66]

And Conrad Veidt was brilliant. You have to have the bad guy, and he was perfect.

[@terryhughes7349]

Classic film full of great dialogue and characters. Great reaction. The director of photography was Arthur Edeson who did 'Frankenstein', 'Maltese Falcon' and other beautifully shot films.

[@rg3388]

When Rick speaks of people being "asleep all over America," that could have been metaphorically true prior to America's entrance into the war, regardless of the time of day.

[@Cheepchipsable]

The US wasn't the super power it became, and the country is quite fragmented politically. They had their own problems at the time. Plus they made a lot of money from the war. The US was the only country where the standard of living rose during that period.

[@robspore5046]

Is this not the BEST MOVIE? I have seen Casablanca innumerable times, and it always surprises me with it's depth, characterization, lighting, acting. Just a superb, top notch film. There are a ton of classic, B&W films out there that I know you'd love.

[@christopherschafer7675]

You've opened the door just enough to see the treasures within. Keep going, follow the actors, let them lead you to a lifetime of real enjoyment. Watch a few more Bogart movies. High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen and, just for fun, Beat the Devil. Excellent reaction, as usual.

[@novanights2chevy597]

Key Largo is a fave too.

[@zuur303]

Citizen Kane is one of the most forward looking movies of its day. Can't wait for Mary to see it.

[@davidpost428]

also the great Orson Wells film "The Third Man".

[@sanddab]

To Have And Have Not (1944).

[@blueboy4244]

the big sleep too@@novanights2chevy597

[@ozmaile7938]

The line "Round up the usual suspects " inspiration for the move by the same name

[@JaapZeldenrust]

Brian Singer even named his production company "Blue Parrot" after Ferrari's establishment. The man is clearly a huge fan.

[@nationaltrails9585]

"Welcome back to the fight" ... Thank you for your reaction and appreciation of classic films. Please ... don't stop.

[@hitherfetcher]

Since people are now recommending classic black & white movies, may I add: "The Maltese Falcon (1941)" "The Thin Man (1934)" "Harvey (1950)"

[@QuamDurus]

The Thin Man series is very good!

[@apulrang]

I’m curious whether the complexities of Vichy France and occupied France are familiar today in Europe. I mean, I’m sure people in Western Europe today know more about it than most Americans do. But it was such a morally unsatisfying, humiliating, and ideologically troubling episode that it might also be a topic people just prefer not to discuss. I ask because understanding what Vichy France was, and what it means that Renault represents it and in the end rejects it, (dropping the “Vichy water” bottle into the trash), is another key to the Casablanca story. You can appreciate the movie pretty well without knowing about all that, but it helps a lot if you do.

[@MrRondonmon]

The Vichy Gov. were sellouts, Germany didn't need them at all, but they used them to try and show the rest of Europe, SEE, SEE, SEE, if you come along with us willingly, we will let you rule yourselves. So they just used them as a tool of propaganda. The two groups in Spain kind of remind me of what was going on in France at the time.

[@glawnow1959]

For one answer to your question, look for the documentary "The Sorrow and the Pity," which examines the Occupation and the Resistance.

[@lewstone5430]

There’re books devoted to this subject matter.

[@mannygee005]

he not only dropped the bottle in the trash but he kicked the trash can over as well to make sure that it spilled on the ground. Years ago when I saw that act, it puzzled me at the time that it was so hostile but now I get it.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Well I expect France would have been levelled had they not capitulated. Everyone says they will fight to the death, but the when faced with the reality many change their minds quick smart. France was so broke from WW1, they were still using WW1 equipment and the soldiers were poorly paid.

[@Darkpaint84]

This makes me want to recommend the german movie "M" by Fritz Lang, from 1933, in my opinion one of the best crime movies ever made. It is one of the movies that Peter Lorre, who played Ugarte in Casablanca, is best known for.

[@manny75586]

"M" is an all time classic. Top 3 ever for me.

[@kathyastrom1315]

M is one of the few non-English language films I own on dvd. Such a great film, and Lorre is just iconic in it. “Ich musse, Ich musse!!!”

[@ElliotNesterman]

Lang considered _M_ his masterpiece. It is also Lorre's greatest work, and his most challenging role.

[@michaelt6218]

Yes! Anyone who truly loves movies MUST see "M"!

[@nonamenola33]

I agree completely. I knew about it for a long time but never got around to watching it. Finally I did watch it a few years ago and was blown away. Simply fantastic!

[@catherinelw9365]

Just wanted to give a shout out to the great Claude Rains, who stole every scene. Great character actor who was in many other classic films: Notorious, Lawrence of Arabia, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Now, Voyager, etc.

[@thomast8539]

And he was also a World War 1 veteran that was wounded in action.

[@gerstelb]

Not to mention, he was the original Invisible Man - appropriate for an actor with such a distinctive voice.

[@davidpost428]

oh I had to look it up - he was Captain Louis Renault.

[@erocrush]

Raines was so gifted...he could do everything well. He’s amazing in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” - I’ll watch anything he’s in.

[@Rickhorse1]

Perhaps his greatest acting role (IMO) was the title role in "Mr Skeffington". A film which is mostly forgotten today.

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Absolute perfect casting, even the minor roles.

[@helifanodobezanozi7689]

Great reaction! I said it before, and I'll say it again, Casablanca is one of the greatest screenplays ever written!

[@TheSpanishInquisition87]

I'm so happy that you're watching this. It's my all time favorite. I love this movie. Yes, it's dated, but it's almost a hundred years old, so of course it is, but the performances are SO good all the way through, and Ingrid Bergman is so beautiful, and that script! Truly a masterpiece.

[@iznot2]

Great reaction Mary. This is a great movie i saw in once back in the 60's at a cinema revival theater. The theater was packed and it was great to experience it as part of a large audience, everybody was clapping at the end. It's amazing how much then director and editor fit into an hour and 42 minutes. Please react to more classics.

[@SNSWoTClan]

So many classic and famous quotes from this movie, "Here's Looking At You, Kid", "We'll Always Have Paris", "I Think This Is The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship" and those are just from the last few minutes of the movie!

[@frankbowman9493]

I could say so much about this wonderful film, but your reaction was lovely! This is a movie to be re-watched many times. I also get emotional when Yvonne with tears in her eyes cries out "Vivre La France!" It seems to be a turning point in her character. The part of Ilsa was played by Ingrid Bergman. She was correctly considered one of the most beautiful women of cinema. I loved her in Bells of St Mary's and Anastasia. Rick was played by Humphrey Bogart. He has played many iconic roles. This is considered his best. Another of my favorites is "To have and have not".

[@ToABrighterFuture]

It wasn't just Yvonne. Look closely at the background extras during that scene. Many of them were themselves refugees from Europe, in real life. The emotions you see in those extras, are genuine.

[@bobriemersma]

Welcome aboard! This is one of those great classic films that make up our common culture. So many younger people have missed out, but with some nudging they can be brought into the fold too. There are many more as well, even Cold War era films like "The Day The Earth Stood Still."

[@auntvesuvi3872]

Thanks, Mary! 🎹

[@markd5067]

I enjoyed your reaction. This is one of our favorites. Another of our romantic favorites is Random Harvest also released in 1942. Great Movie!

[@voiceofraisin3778]

Fun fact, Ingrid Bergman spent her early career in small roles in German cinema working for UFA, the Nazi run studio. Peter Lorre was one of the brilliant talents of German cinema, his career making turn as a serial killer in M made him a superstar and one of Hitlers favourite actors. He took the compliment, backed out the door and didnt stop backing up till he hit Hollywwod. The guy gave up top billing to be a character actor in foreign language films just t avoid his biggest fan. If you look around the room in the Marsaellaise scene virtually every actor is a refugee from the Nazi conquest of western europe, the exception is Claude Raines who was British and got his voce inflections (and blindness in one eye) from a poisin gas attack in WW1

[@billbabcock1833]

This is one of my favorite classic movies. I'm glad you liked it. You might look into more Humphrey Bogart movies. I'd suggest The Maltese Falcon.

[@urty24]

The editing was really good in this one. I loved the shift to black and white and the part where you are sipping your drink.

[@celinhabr1]

Yes! Brilliant movie. Please, more classics! Old hollywood is the best hollywood.

[@rs-ye7kw]

"The Third Man" is in my top five movies of all time. (Along with "Casablanca")

[@eddhardy1054]

Same here, along with A Matter of Life and Death, The Life and Death of Col Blimp & Brighton Rock 😊

[@rollomaughfling380]

I agree, but _The Third Man_ is a British film, not a Hollywood film.

[@CrocodilePile]

I love watching this movie work its 80 year old magic on a new generation. Timeless.

[@ronbock8291]

You might also enjoy Carol Reed’s post-war masterpiece The Third Man with Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles. There’s no romance, but plenty of twists and turns, and a fascinating look at Vienna immediately after the war.

[@vercoda9997]

Also has a legendary Cinema quote about the Swiss and cuckoo clocks, as well as a classic theme tune.

[@travismcdermott6951]

The Third Man rivals with Jaws as my favorite movie. One of the best music scores ever.

[@rollomaughfling380]

@@vercoda9997 Anton Karas' story from café entertainer to world-famous touring star is worthy of its own movie (and not a formulaic biopic).

[@janewatkins9801]

This is my favourite movie and I've lost count of how many times I've seen it. I know so much of the dialogue off by heart. It's a masterpiece, for so many reasons. So glad you enjoyed it too ☺.

[@ddpure101]

This is my favourite film. I watch it every year, during the Christmas season. Never fails to make me smile and cry. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@myoung7654]

One of the 5 best movies ever made with each character playing the part of the the nation they come from. That's why there are two very different types of French person as part of France (Vichy) was collaborating and part very much not. It's also why Captain Reneau throws a bottle of Vichy water in the bin at the end signifying his choosing to be on the allied side. Great reaction Mary, you really nailed it while moving perfectly in time with the movie 👍

[@TangentOmega]

Classic b&w films are some of my favorites. **Night of the Hunter (1955) - personal favorite; visually stunning film of 2 children running for their lives **Some Like it Hot (1959) - comedy; 2 male musicians join an all-girl band, to stay alive **Arsenic and Old Lace (1943) - comedy; nephew discovers his elderly aunties are serial killers **The Great Dictator (1940) - comedy,satire; Jewish filmmaker ridicules Hitler to his face, for real. No dramas, there are too many. These are great movies that may not be suggested by others.

[@annaclarafenyo8185]

Chaplin wasn't Jewish.

[@GetMeThere1]

So glad you watched this, it's a great classic. You'll find that it gets even better and better with more viewings -- when you can closely watch the characters, knowing what will happen. It's a wonderful film.

[@beowulfthedane]

I saw this Film in the 1980s. It became my favorite movie. I have seen it again dozens of times including a special showing at an antique theater on a big screen. It is still my favorite Movie.

[@l00d3r]

There are so many great classics from the silver screen era. Several have been mentioned already, and here are a few more: My Man Godfrey, Meet John Doe, It Happened One Night, His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby.

[@thomashiggins9320]

I've seen lots of movies, many with much larger budgets, modern production values, and even superb writing. Casablanca remains my most favorite film, of all time, bar none. It has everything, and it's a joy to watch. Here's an interesting bit of trivia. A lot of U.S. universities that had closed-circuit television networks on campus would put this film on a loop, and play it repeatedly during finals weeks. So, for the space of a couple of decades, college students throughout the United States got to know this film, intimately. It was a great tradition, I think, but few campuses do it, these days.

[@snakesnoteyes]

The shadows in this movie are some of my favorite noir work. Shadows are frequently used to to represent bars to show that Casablanca is itself a prison. That said, the dialogue is so quick and and clever. I love this movie so much. It holds a permanent place in my all time top 10.

[@tomantush4867]

What a perfect first reaction! It was and is a quintessential classic. So pleased to see you discover this one, I was certain you'd appreciate it.

[@oneisnone7350]

This movie is a classic among classics. Great reaction!

[@timothyhedrick5295]

I've seen parts of this film 100 times over but never from start to finish at one sitting. After watching Mary react, I now have to sit down and watch it all at once.

[@josephscally6270]

All your reactions are excellent, but this one is truly exceptional with many memorable comments.

[@johnclayton7240]

So glad you liked this moving. This, to me, is the greatest movie ever made. The acting and script are heads above everything else.

[@anthonyleecollins9319]

Rick: Well there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade. That line always got a pretty good reaction in theaters in New York. :-)

[@0chuklz0]

Casablanca is one of those movies that will be on people's watch lists for many more years to come. It is easily in the ranking for most iconic and enduring movies ever made. As you point out, there are so many twists in the movie, and while it might look a little campy for many of the scenes to our eyes now, there is no denying the feelings that are conveyed in the movie for all of the climactic scenes. I love this movie and look forward to watching it many more times to come.

[@cliffordwaterton3543]

so glad you got here - one of the best films ever made - great dialogue and you picked up on most of the ironies. more of the classics please👍👍

[@Glenner7]

Great reaction to a wonderful film (I've seen it dozens of times)! You are both enduring classics.

[@larrystuder8543]

This was a work of fiction. It was based on a play called Everybody Comes to Rick's, with a similar plot. It surely reflected real events of the time.

[@jaykaufman9782]

About the Norwegian Berger's ring portraying the Cross of Lorraine: something almost identical was done to identify Underground resistants in BELGIUM during the First World War. Marthe McKenna (nee Marthe Cnockaert, 1893-1969) was a Fleming who spied on the Germans on behalf of the Belgian government and British intelligence. Couriers identified themselves by having two safety pins (for holding baby diapers) attached to their shirt beneath their lapel. The "safety pin men" would flash the symbol for just a second to identify themselves. The Germans learned of the "recognition signal" sometime around 1915 and their counter-spies (infiltrators) copied the symbol, so Belgian-British intelligence ordered their people to cross the safety pins and beware anyone using the old symbol. Some of these "vampires," as they were called, were murdered by the true "safety pin men." I can't help but wonder if they inspired the post-WWII James Bond stories; certainly Ian Fleming would have heard the tales. I wondered, wouldn't the Germans simply check under everybody's lapel? The stories are told in McKenna's "I Was a Spy!," published in London in 1932 with a foreword by Winston Churchill. So I guess the stories are trustworthy. Marthe Cnockaert married an Englishman after WWI and settled in Britain. BTW, does anyone know what the French and Flemish would be for "safety pin man." I was trying to find references to their activities in original Belgian sources.

[@Alanpie314]

The song "As Time Goes By" became a big hit after the release of this film. Throughout the fifties and sixties, "Play it again, Sam" became a catch phrase, although neither Rick nor Ilsa actually use those exact words. Woody Allen wrote a Broadway comedy, Play It Again, Sam, about a Casablanca obsessed character. It was made into a movie starring Allen in 1972, which is quite funny.

[@strivingtobalance]

Yes! I do so love you going back this far to these amazing pieces of film art from the earlier days of cinema.

[@bbwng54]

This is one of the iconic films in American film history. "Casablanca won the Oscars for best picture, director, and screenplay, and was nominated for lead actor (Humphrey Bogart), supporting actor (Claude Rains), cinematography, editing, and music. The American Film Institute ranked it No. 2 on its 1998 list of the best American movies of all time".

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

Many of the actors had fled Europe because of the war. Madeleine Lebeau, who played Yvonne, is a case in point. She and her husband fled France ahead of the Germans with the intent of going to Chile, but when they got to Mexico it was discovered that their visas were forged. They were stuck in Mexico for a while, until they were able to obtain temporary Canadian passports and used those to go to the U.S. The similarity of her situation to Yvonne's wasn't lost on her. Her tears during the singing of La Marseillaise were real. Casablanca was based on the play Everybody Comes to Rick's. It was written before the U.S. entered the war, which happened at the end of 1941. The movie was filmed in 1942, but the story was set before then. Many Americans were opposed to their country being in the war, seeing it as a European problem they wanted to stay out of. When Rick said, "I'll bet they're asleep all over America," it was an ironic commentary on American isolationism (by the writers, not by Rick himself, who meant it literally). Thank you for this reaction to one of the greatest films ever made.

[@jamenta2]

Casablanca is one of the all time classic movies. Even today the story still holds up! Thanks for your reaction !

[@rogerdsmith]

It’s remarkable in this day and age, that someone would not be familiar with the film Casablanca. Many regard this film as one of the two or three finest films ever made.

[@rubenoteiza9261]

You are referring to more than 90% of mankind, i.e. the global south and I suspect east of Poland also, where most people dont even know this movie even exists.

[@aresee8208]

Director Michael Curtiz deserves more credit than he ever gets. He was never associated with any one specific movie genre, so he seems to have largely been forgotten. But he directed lots of great movies and deserves more recognition for them.

[@deanaltman6841]

Truly one of the best movies in history. Not to mention the incredible cast. It’s not just one or two leading actors and the rest are bit players or character actors. You actually have multiple leading actors assembled together. Plus there are some of the most iconic lines ever spoken in a movie. And some of those lines are subtly referenced in current movies but if you had never seen this one you would completely miss it. As a huge fan of classic movies I’m really happy to see a young person enjoy this fantastic movie, you don’t see that very much. “Here’s looking at you kid”. (Mary)

[@danieladiaphorist1308]

Excellent reaction. Thank you. ("A stain in my eye" would probably be "a cactus needle in my boot" or "a burr in my saddle" out here in Arizona.

[@richardcramer1604]

I'm a boomer, so I'm very familiar with this movie. Casablanca is a cultural keystone among my generation and the two preceding generations. It was quoted and misquoted quite often. A famous misquote is "Play it again Sam" (which is never said in the movie) and numerous quotes such as "Here's looking at you, kid", "round up the Usual Suspects", " our troubles don't amount to a hill of beans"," we'll always have Paris", "I think this is the start of a great friendship", "Of all the the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, why did she have to wander into mine.".

[@brachiator1]

Great reaction. And the film can still inspire fresh insights. I like how you note that when confronting Ilsa, Victor will believe everything, while Rick believes nothing. And the screenwriters knew that it was important that the audience always like Ilsa, even if they weren't sure who she should end up with. And yep, the scene when they sing the French anthem always raises goosebumps.

[@Rastafaustian]

One of the all time greats 😁

[@greggary7217]

“Of all the gin joints in all of the towns in all of the world…“ is absolutely one of the top 100 classic lines of all time. There are many great scenes and lines in the movie but i always find myself especially waiting for that one.

[@kylelee3576]

I’m so glad that you reacted to this movie. I put off seeing it for a long time and when I finally did, my reaction was the same as yours. It immediately became one of my very favorite movies.

[@strongdecaf3729]

I'm so glad I got to see this for the first time on a big screen in 1980s. And it just gets better with each re-watch.

[@dant7677]

Humphrey Bogart was famous but not for any romantic roles, until Casablanca. This story might be apocryphal, but I like to believe it's true: I learned that he once said of this film, "When you have Ingrid Bergman in your arms looking up at you like that, it's hard NOT to be romantic."

[@tarmaque]

Bogart and Bergman are good in this, but they both feel like they're acting. _Good_ actors, but it's a show. Then you watch _To Have and Have Not_ and there's actually electricity in the scenes between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and you realize what real chemistry is. It's no wonder the two of them got together in that movie, and little surprise when they married.

[@vms77]

Hi Mary... as always, marvelous reaction... by the way, the movie was released on 1942 (just few months after Pearl Harbour and the US just entered the 2nd World War) and not 1946 (one year after the end of the war)... I think that this is quite important to completely understand the movie... for example, most of the extras/crew (including the nazis and the "Vichy french") were europeans (Polish, French, etc...) refugees. So, singing the "Marselleise" and shouting "Vive la France!" was quite most "powerful" and mooving that you might think...

[@michaelnolan6951]

Yes, the extras and minor players included many refugees form France and the other occpied countries. When this was made they did not know if they would ever go home or see loved ones again. That sing off in Rick's Cafe gives me chills everytime. In any other movie it would be cheesy, but the despairing pride and passion of those people is absolutely real.

[@victorsixtythree]

And Rick's "I don't get involved" attitude can be seen as commentary on the U.S.'s stance on not getting involved in the War. The movie was based on a play that was written before the U.S. entered the war. The play came to Warner Brothers Studios very soon after (I think maybe literally days after) the bombing at Pearl Harbor and the Studio pushed it into production.

[@wwoods66]

She did say at the end 33:00 that she'd learned it came out _during_ the war. Wow, that German version sounds ... "All scenes with Nazis were removed, along with most references to World War II. ... [Victor Laszlo] became a Norwegian atomic physicist who was being pursued by Interpol after he "broke out of jail". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_(film)#Irish_and_German_cuts

[@PrinceofArfon]

Keep going with the older movies! They have so many strong stories with unique actors, and are made in compelling ways that can’t quite be done nowadays. I love them!

[@theish79]

I am so glad that you chose this movie to react to. I applaud your choice not to limit yourself by only watching popular genre movies. Your videos are always enjoyable to watch.

[@fredneecher1746]

You've just watched one of the greatest movies of all time. I've seen it countless times and I still tear up when Ingrid Bergman walks into Rick's. The half hour that follows is the most intense emotional ride in all of cinema! Thanks for watching it with us. I hope you watch it many times more!

[@kirkdarling4120]

That projected background scene behind Rick and Ilsa as they were driving during the Paris flashback was the first background scene in the movie Airplane! as Rex Kramer was driving to the airport. Yes, this is an amazing classic. And now you've heard the origin of a lot of movie references as well.

[@braxtalk9475]

This is my favorite thing about reaction channels watching someone seeing a great film they may have never watched if it wasnt for their channel