CASABLANCA with Live Music by The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra June 23rd

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine”

Considered a landmark in American cinema, the romantic Casablanca will enchant as the SLSO performs the score live.
Sunday June 23rd at 2pm. Watch all the drama unfold as the SLSO performs Max Steiner’s moving score while the timeless film plays on the big screen. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture and lauded as one of the greatest movies of all time by the American Film Institute, Casablanca will sweep you up in the story of Rick and Ilsa’s love. Conducted by Norman Huynh. Ticket Information can be found HERE

I there was ever a film deserved to be considered a classic then CASABLANCA is it, Even if you haven’t seen it before you’ll recognize much of the dialogue; it is probably the most quoted, and misquoted, film of all time. Humphrey Bogart is excellent in this career defining role as bar owner Rick Blaine who has come into possession of two “letters of transit” which guarantee the holders unhindered passage out of Casablanca. He has these as Ugarte (Peter Lorre), the man who asked him to look after them, was captured by the Vichy French police before he could get them back. Ugarte had been planning to sell the documents to Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a Czech nationalist who is fleeing from Nazi occupied Europe to the United States via neutral Portugal. Things are complicated by the fact that Laszlo’s wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) had a relationship with Rick before the fall of Paris and he never really got over her.

Right up until the end we don’t know what Rick will do, perhaps he will let Victor and Ilsa have the letters, perhaps he will let Victor have them on condition that Ilsa stays with him or perhaps he will betray Victor and leave Casablanca himself with Ilsa. Bogart isn’t the only great performance; Ingrid Bergman is fantastic as Ilsa, there is a real chemistry between her and Bogart, Claude Rains is great as the French policeman who’s loyalty is likely to change depending on who he thinks is likely to be the most use to him and Paul Henreid’s restrained performance as Victor Laszlo is faultless too.

It is hard to say what genre this film is, it is one of the great romances, it is also a war film, a thriller and even has some subtle comedy moments. Don’t be put off by the film’s age or the fact that it is in black and white – CASABLANCA is a must see. Whatever your tastes you owe it to yourself to watch this at least once, although I suspect few people will only want to watch it just once.