Here's a fun fact: During the scene where they're singing Le Marseillaise, most of the extras in that scene are actually French expatriates who were having to live away from their home country in America because of the Nazi occupation in France, so the actors that are crying (particularly the woman) are actually crying. Those are real tears.

"I am shocked, shocked!, to discover gambling is taking place here." "Your winnings sir . . ." "Oh, thank you."

You left out the funniest scene. "I'm shocked, shocked to learn there's gambling in here." Man walks up to him. "Your winnings Monsieur." "Oh, thank you very much."

One of my favorite bits of dialogue was when Rick is asked what brought him to Casablanca. Capt. Louis Renault: What on earth brought you to Casablanca? Rick Blaine: My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters. Capt. Louis Renault: The waters? What waters? We're in the desert. Rick Blaine: I was misinformed. lol

I'm 38 and saw this when I was 14 and been in love with classics ever since, Ingrid Bergman is one of the most beautiful women in film, just stunning. Humphrey Bogart is a national treasure

Thank you for choosing this film. As you say, sadly even the most indelible classics such as Casablanca will be forgotten unless the younger generations keep sharing and recommending them to keep their memory alive and preserve the history of cinema. Cinema Rules is already doing a wonderful job in that endeavour.

When literally every moment in a movie quickly becomes a cliche you know they are doing something right. For me, I get chills when the French extras weep while defiantly singing "La Marseillaise", knowing that while this movie was filming, the Nazis had occupied France and were committing atrocities including public mass murder of random citizens. The singers did not know if the Nazis would be defeated or if they would ever see loved ones again.

You absolutely must do The Maltese Falcon. John Huston, the director, called the novel by Dashiell Hammett a perfect screenplay and Humphrey Bogart the only actor who could play Sam Spade. The supporting cast is amazing (and includes two actors from Casablanca).

My husband and I started doing this 30 years ago when on a trip to England, anytime one of us would hesitate to buy a souvenir the other one would say "if you don't buy it you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life". We still use it today for stuff we hesitate to buy, it's like encouraging each other to live life to the fullest and have fun.

One of my favorite ideas of this movie is they took a stereotypical 'love at first sight' romance, but mostly showed what happened after they fell in love in Casablanca. It's simple, but done well here.

Can you imagine watching that Marseilles scene in the theater while the war is still going and you don't know who will win?

The African Queen him starring with Katherine Hepburn. Also The Big Sleep him starring with Lauren Bacall.

You gents have definitely earned my respect for this one.I mean I love the horror ones,but to see someone your age appreciate a classic is very encouraging..

"I am shocked, utterly shocked to find gambling going on here!" "Your winnings, sir." "Oh, thank you!"

This is one of the few movies that I would say is absolutely perfect in every way. Romance, violence, snappy dialogue, amazing cast, and a great ending. This movie has it all.

One of the most quoted movies. My high school history teacher made sure we watched it. I'm glad that he did.

It makes me stupidly happy whenever you guys like classic/older films. I grew up in a house where my parents had a HUGE VHS collection and I have known and loved these movies since I was a child and I always felt a bit alienated because my peers never knew the movies I talked about. Hell, even nowadays when I'm in my early thirties most people my age haven't watched most of these classics. So seeing two young men genuinely enjoying them makes me feel like perhaps I'm not such a weirdo and these films still hold up and can still appeal to a younger audience. (Or perhaps you too are weirdos, that's also possible...)

"Round up the usual suspects!" and a movie title was born.

Another great 40s movie to react to would be Gilda (1946). Rita Hayworth is simply astonishing in it

Of all the movies of the 1940’s these two could’ve done, they chose one of the best

“Casey Robinson, who re-wrote the romantic scenes between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, was offered screen credit but turned it down because at the time he was only taking credit for scripts he wrote entirely by himself. By declining credit, he did himself out of an Academy Award.”

There is a reason why 79 years later it is still an iconic movie.

“Director Michael Curtiz's Hungarian accent often caused confusion on the set. He asked a prop man for a "poodle" to appear in one scene. The prop man searched high and low for a poodle while the entire crew waited. He found one and presented it to Curtiz, who screamed, "A poodle! A poodle of water!"

I movie with an endless amount of quotable lines: All About Eve.

Ingrid Bergman won best actress in 1944 for Gaslight, which was nominated for best picture and other things. It’s a terrific psychological thriller and it’s the movie that spawned the terms to “gaslight” and “gaslighting”!

"The Great Escape", "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Man Who Would Be King" are calling you lads. Do not resist their siren song.

Some folk who haven't seen Casablanca dismiss it as some sentimental old Hollywood movie...until they actually watch it, and realize how good the script, dialogue, performances, etc are. There's a reason it's a classic.

Fascinating how some of my friends refused to watch this simply because it was in black and white. You two made me realize that the black and white was part of the character of the movie. I have always loved this movie and you two have made it justice in your reaction.

I don’t think the perfect film exists but Casablanca comes pretty damn close. Fantastic reaction, I could tell just how gripped you were by the film. I’d love for you to watch more Classic films. I’d highly recommend ‘Loneliness Long Distance Runner’.

"What is your nationality?" "I'm a drunkard." My personal favorite line from the film. Another classic film you guys should watch is "The Man Who Would Be King"

This movie is timeless and still hits hard. The scene where Laszlo leads the patrons in singing the Marseilles may be my all-time favorite scene in cinema.

I love that you guys shot your reactions in Black and White too!

WOW! Cinema Rules... good. Casablanca... goood. Together? what's not to like? The only thing better than this is when you watch it for a 2nd time. Whenever I come across best-buds, like the two of you, I always remember that end quote from this movie: "... this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." - Totally appreciate you two doing this beauty!

This took me a long time to actually watch. I thought it would drag but it moves along at a moderate pace. Everyone should experience this movie at least once in their lifetime. A classic if there ever was one. 👍

Treasure of the Sierra Madre is another great Humphrey Bogart film written and directed by John Huston. It won 3 Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay, it also won 3 Golden Globe awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor

Light and shadow can be just as effective as colour, this movie proves it. Great reaction and review.👍

Peter Lorre had his big break in what is basically a horror film called "M", where he played an absolutely creepy serial killer. He's also in Maltese Falcon.

Mildred Pierce, The Breaking Point & Angels With Dirty Faces are all cracking Micheal Curtiz films.

I'm fascinated with the fact that you buy a physical copy of all the movies. I used to do that, and man streaming is cool and shit, but nothing compares with you really have the movie

“Dooley Wilson (Sam) was a professional drummer who faked playing the piano. As the music was recorded at the same time as the film, the piano playing was actually a recording of a performance by Jean Vincent Plummer who was playing behind a curtain but who was positioned such that Dooley could watch, and copy, his hand movements.”

There are several documentaries about the making of this movie. The more you know about the making of this film the more amazing it becomes. Watch it several more times. The more you watch it the more you will see things you missed, the more you will understand the characters. You guys did a very good job and hit several of the main themes.

These old movies just have that magic factor I can't explain it but they have that little something, I've grown to appreciate old cinema and it holds up surprisingly well.

I think this film shows the many complexities of a love triangle much better than Twilight did...😏

OMG no way !!!!! Best dialogue ever. Thanks guys. My fav lines are from this classic. "The Maltese Falcon" Just as good with Bogart. Nothing cooler than Bogart.

"this guy seems a bit slimy" oh my gosh you have to watch "M"

Going DEEP into the vault! One of the greatest films of all time!

I love this film. The script is golden. The acting is soulful, and the complexities of the human interactions within the context of a world falling apart is brilliantly balanced. Nothing feels forced or inappropriate. Each scene leads inevitably to the next.

It's a masterwork, iconic and beautiful. The script was written on the fly as it was filmed. No one in the cast knew how it was going to end. Bergman is stunning, Bogart was for that time the template of the man's man. The airport scenes were filmed at Burbank Airport, Burbank, CA. Great pick!

I never watched this film until I was older, but always knew about it. Its a classic but really old didn't know if I'd like it. Turns out Classics are Classics for a reason, its really engaging and at the end you leave with a good feeling.

Bogart is amazing, and there's loads of incredible films. Sahara, Key Largo, Maltese Falcon, Petrified Forest, etc.

"Casablanca" is about as close to the perfect film as one can find.

I always get so excited when you guys take on classic movies instead of horror sequels and such. You are excellent reactors with great observations. It is a pleasure. Thank you.

An interesting series might be noirs and neo-noirs (The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past, Touch of Evil, Chinatown, Blood Simple, LA Confidential, etc).

The flashback scenes of Rick & Ilsa in Paris were added in post-production when test audiences didn't feel as invested in their relationship as the filmmakers wanted them to be.

Renault binning the Vichy water bottle at the end....love it. Classics are classics for a reason, so glad you are reacting to them!

My parents introduced me to this film and loved it. Before my fiance died, I took her to see this film thinking she never saw it. It turns out she did and it was one of her favorite films. She knew all of Bergman's lines and I knew all of Bogart's lines and some of the key lines of Claude Rains. Max Steiner who composed the score hated the song "As Time Goes By" but he had to incorporate it into the score because it was the signature tune that brought Rick and Elsa together. Major Strasser was played by the German actor Conrad Veidt who played the somnambulist in Robert Wiene's 1919 silent film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." Another great Michael Curtiz film is "Mildred Pierce." You got to check that out. That one will keep you on the edge of your seat. Great reaction, as always, but I have to give this film 5 out of 5 stars. No film is perfect but if you are gripped by its technical and entertainment merits it really should deserve a ten on your scale.

This was filmed DURING WWII, which made it even more immediate and relevant in their day. These dangers were very real to the characters in the movie and the people watching in the theaters.

I feel like so many people aren't willing to give black and white films a chance anymore, which is a damn shame, this movie is absolutely incredible, possibly the best movie ever made. 10/10 for me.

I adore this movie, I first watched it sometime around the age of 12 and I remember being so mad she left on the plane without him. Upon rewatching (many times) I adore the ending, and I loved watching you guys react to it.

So many famous and great one-liners in this film that people know without watching the film: "Play it again, Sam." "In all the gin joints in all the world, she walks into mine." "Here's looking at you, kid." "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." "We'll always have Paris." "Round up the usual suspects." I think that's a testament of the writing for this film. And of course, the beautiful song of "As Time Goes By."

Oh wow, I'm so happy you guys did this movie. I've seen it a bunch of times and I still can't tell if Ilsa was lying about still being in love with Rick. Is she in love with Rick and truly wanting to stay with him or is she taking one for the team to save Victor so he can go on to save other people? I go back and forth on that. But the one complaint I have about this movie is: Not enough Peter Lorre! You know, the slimy guy. I adore him.

Great reaction. It took me 2 or 3 viewings before I finally began to appreciate how great this movie is. (Same with "The Maltese Falcon", another Bogart classic that you should definitely not miss.)

I've seen it countless times, love it to death, latch onto something new every time. Renault being "shocked" about gambling only to be handed his winnings a second later is pitch perfect writing and is probably my favorite bit. I'm jealous of anybody who gets to see it for the first time, I did in my mid teens but I wasn't sophisticated enough in my viewing skills to know half of what was going on back then. But it was hardly lost on me, the magic is palpable no matter what.

Reminded me of the culturally popular misquoted quote ' PLAY IT AGAIN SAM ' ... Nowhere in the film does anyone ever say, "Play it again, Sam," as is often repeated. However, Rick later says, "Play it, Sam," as he tries to drown his sorrows as he remembers his time with Ilsa.

It’s important to understand Vichy, the political movement installed by the Nazis in France, after capitulation.. Vichy were French Nazi sympathizers, put in power over southern France and the French colonies.. So, people like Renault were forced to follow orders, but often they’re sympathies were elsewhere.. Like FF (free France)..

Definitely one of my favourites of the era and one of my all time greats. I’m delighted you both enjoyed it so much. The thing that strikes me every time I see it is how vibrant and fantastic the dialogue is, how easy it is to get drawn in despite the fact that we’ve all heard the lines aped or parodied countless times through pop culture and other movies. Really a remarkable testament to the quality of the thing.

Madonna tried to get this movie remade with her starring in the role played by Ingrid Bergman. The film was going to be set in Iraq in the 2000s. I'm glad that Hollywood had the decency not to do that.

This movie is certainly of its era... but, in many ways, is timeless (dealing with issues that are ever-relevant) . 🌴 Thanks, Tom! Thanks, Shaun! I look forward to many more unusual choices from Cinema Rules.

“The letters of transit that motivate so many characters in the film did not exist in Vichy-controlled France--they are purely a plot device invented by the screenwriters. Playwright Joan Alison always expected somebody to challenge her about the letters, but nobody ever did.”

Guys, it's so nice to you do an old film like this one. And such a fine choice to start your "...oldest film we've ever done." group of reaction videos! LOL! There are a LOT of gems like this one. And a nice touch doing your video in B&W. This is definitely one you must watch again, and again... Casablanca is #3 on the AFI Top 100 films of all time (at the time they published it). But their #1 is one you must do when you're ready for another classic, "Citizen Kane" (1941). And it's not just the movie in itself, but the underlying story in the making of it and it's visionary Orson Wells which in a way is more incredible than the great film itself! And guys, @ 10:09 you just made my A-list with that! @ 22:18 It was the Bulgarian woman's story to Rick that hit him, made him think. He then helped them win a lot of money so she and her husband could get out too, to reward her for helping him see the light. She got to him! @ 23:50 What you said there about B&W movies is EXACTLY why you must do Citizen Kane next. It's known for it's camera work and lighting. My 11 year old mom and grandmother saw Casablanca in early 1943 when it came out and they both told me that the audience went wild! @ 26:35 You said you were totally invested in this film. People in the theaters then were invested too according my mom and grandma who said everyone was standing, applauding and cheering at the French national anthem scene, got a good laugh at Louis shutting Rick down for gambling seconds before the croupier brought him his winnings, and at the end when Louis told his men to round up the usual suspects, meaning Louis was Free French all along but was biding his time until he could get free of the Nazis. My grandfathers and several great uncles were overseas fighting the in war so mom and many were always on edge, and movies like this helped. It was uplifting for them all. Another reason this movie was SO successful was the big, war related news happening in Casablanca around the time the movie came out driving people to the theaters because before this movie and that war news, practically no one in America had ever heard of a "Casablanca"! LOL! The place and the movie became a part of the war story. Enjoyed the reaction and analysis. A more recent film you guys really need to do soon is "Interstellar"! ✌️😎

I saw this during WW2 and I believe the reason that it became such an instant classic is that the theme and story truly resonated with the audience members. Everyone identified with the story because suddenly husbands and wives, young men and their lovers were being forcefully separated by the war and the draft.

Rarely does a film come along where absolutely everything works so stunningly! The cast! the characters! the writing...just every aspect of this film is movie magic. And what a pleasure sharing it with the two of you and watching you both discover this amazing film, thank you so much!

Key Largo is a good one to put on the radar.

Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre also co-star in The Maltese Falcon (a similar character to Rick, but harder). Other Bogart movies you should see are The African Queen (w Katherine Hepburn), The Caine Mutiny, and Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

I'm a Canadian, and I watched this film on television as a child in a small, far-northern town, surrounded by frigid wilderness. My parents, both French Canadians, were veterans of the Canadian Air Force who had both served in World War 2 (my father was a Lancaster bomber pilot, my mother an air controller ---- my mother could identify any plane in an old war movie from it's silhouette on the screen). The CBC television network had a collection of classic films, especially the Warner Brothers ones, and they owned the prints. Program directors at the CBC considered it their moral duty to make sure that every subsequent generation would see these films, which they would play any Saturday evening when there was no hockey game, or after it if there was. Another network, TVOntario, carried on this tradition for decades. So I grew up with my head full of the film classics of the 1930s and 1940s. I first saw Casablanca with parents who could explain it to my little kid's mind. One of the things you have to understand about the movie is that most of the actors, other than Bogart and Bergman, were refugees from the Nazis in one way or the other. In the United States, before it entered the war, there was a powerful pro-Nazi movement, called "America First", which bore a strong resemblance to the Trump movement today (which is why Trump and his gang use exactly that phrase as a slogan). This made for a big cultural divide between Canada and the United States, since Canadians had been in the war from day one, and the whole country was geared to the war effort, while Americans sat on the fence. You can imagine how much impact this film had on my parents, especially my mother, who had family in the U.S. Casablanca was set in 1941, was made in 1942, and was released in January of 1943. By this time, Americans had made up their minds. Yes, that's exactly what the film is about. The reason that the "sing the Marseillaise" scene is so powerful is that director Michael Curtiz made sure that all the bit players and extras on the set were refugees. The tears in people's eyes are REAL. For that alone, count him a genius film-maker.

Casablanca cinematography was excellent. Michael Curtiz also did a good job in the Elvis movie "King Creole".

If You liked this film I HIGHLY Recommend both The Maltese Falcon & The Big Sleep both starring Humphrey Boggart, Peter Lorre & Syndey Greenstreet are both in the former & Mary Astor who was actually a silent film actor, while Humphrey Boggart's Then Future wife Lauren Bacall star's with him in the latter, The Maltese Falcon being adapted from the novel of the same name written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, & the latter adapted from the novel of the same name written by Raymond Chandler.

Oh my God! We are almost getting close too... Lady in a cage with Olivia de Havilland and James Caan.

I teach this film every semester in my Intro to Film class for our week on the classical Hollywood style. I accidentally discovered the parallels between Rick and Theo from Children of Men in terms of backstory. It's also helpful to contrast with Battle of Algiers in terms of representations of French colonialism in North Africa. For another Michael Curtiz film, check out Angels with Dirty Faces, a gangster/social problem film with a phenomenal performance by James Cagney.

Probably the most classic of all the Hollywood classic films. I never tire of it. “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…”

Michael Curtiz was a great director, and remains hugely underrated. He made a number of excellent films across many genres, but I'd particularly The Breaking Point (1950). I watch Casablanca once a year and it never loses its magic. A perfect film.

Great pick.For more Bogart goodness watch "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre".

“During the scene in which the "La Marseillaise" is sung over the German song ""Die Wacht am Rhein" ("The Watch on the Rhine"), many of the extras had real tears in their eyes as a large number were actual refugees from Nazi persecution in Germany and elsewhere in Europe and were overcome by the emotions the scene brought out. The scene was copied from Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion (1937), in which French soldiers in a German POW camp sing the song as a similar gesture of defiance. In that film the song was led by a prisoner who was in drag for a show the prisoners were putting on. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song for the Rhine Army").")ht am Rhein" ("The Watch on the Rhine"), many of the extras had real tears in their eyes as a large number were actual refugees from Nazi persecution in Germany and elsewhere in Europe and were overcome by the emotions the scene brought out. The scene was copied from Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion (1937), in which French soldiers in a German POW camp sing the song as a similar gesture of defiance. In that film the song was led by a prisoner who was in drag for a show the prisoners were putting on. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song for the Rhine Army").”

Humphrey Bogart's speech at the end, to Ingrid Bergman, is probably the best acting in any film, ever.

It is hard to go wrong with Humphrey Bogart, he is one of the greatest actors I have seen. In particular the Maltese Falcon and the big sleep are great movies that highlight his acting skills.

I'm so hyped for your reaction to a ghost story,

I absolutely love movies from the 30’s & 40’s. One of my top time period for films. So happy that you decided to react to this!

The script for this film was only half done as filming commenced and this lead to the entire film being shot in sequence, a bit of a novelty for any film. Most days, the actors received their lines for the following day's shooting the night before. Pretty amazing for a film that wins best picture and script that year. Just about anyone connected to this film did not expect it to be anything but ordinary. Also amazing for a film that almost 80 years later is considered a treasure.

Thanks for a brilliant review. To me Casablanca is the greatest film of all time, and Bogart is my favourite actor. It amazes me how he even looks like Albert Camus, and the film has a Camus theme that man is only truly himself when he revolts against the absurd ie Fascism. Other great Bogart films, The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, and a film I think you would enjoy, The treasure of the Sierra Madre, where the pursuit of materialism proves to be just an illusion. Again thanks for the review.

Great job. You're both so intelligent and articulate. Not to mention good-looking. I really enjoyed your discussions and your facial expressions when you were surprised at a scene. 10.0 score for this reaction/review. 👍

3:18 The slimey guy is played by Peter Lorre. He was *the* most caricatured person in the original Looney Tunes cartoons, and the character Ren from Ren & Stimpey was based on him. He also played a lot of characters in old radio mysteries, because no one played Creepy McCreeperson quite like him. 😂

This is one of the great love stories of all time. I hope you dedicate more of your channel to these early films. There is such a wealth of great movies from the 1920's thru the 1950's. Carry On!!

Here’s looking at you, kid. ❤️

It's so cool to see a younger generation (I feel old saying that at 49. lol) not only watching, but enjoying, films from the classic era. There are SO many unbelievably great movies that, as you mentioned, are in danger of becoming lost in time. So much of what passes for a "good movie" these days is absolute garbage (Transformers, Twilight, Fast and Furious, et al). Keep on plugging away at your list, fellas! You're in for some real treats.. My personal recommendation? On The Waterfront. Ps. It's also good to hear your recognition and appreciation of the use of light and shadow. Film Noir is my favorite film genre, and if you do a little research, you will find hundreds of great films that take full advantage of this style.. The Maltese Falcon, Touch of Evil, Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Criss Cross.. The list is endless.

I like how you guys filmed the reaction in black and white too, that was a nice touch :D

greatest movie ever made in my opinion. It has everything, Action, suspense, comedy, romance, political intrigue, infinitely quotable, it even has a couple of musical numbers...throw in that cast and the thing is damn near (if not completely) perfect.

I would suggest The Maltese Falcon as another Bogart film. Also can I suggest another Peter Lorre film that I think you would be interested in, which is the 1931 German film "M", which is generally considered the first film to focus upon a serial killer. It's 90 years old, but surprisingly hard-hitting and worth a conversation.

You should watch the Big Sleep. Personaly one of Bogarts best characters and films.

One of the greatest movies ever made. I used to think this movie was just a cheesy love story, but when I watched it as an adult I realized how great it is and how funny and even sardonic. The first true romantic comedy that none other could surpass.

Really excellent reaction. You both pay close attention and your response is smart and thoughtful. Loved it!