News

Jim Abrahams, the writer-director who with brothers Jerry and David Zucker turned the comedy genre on its ear with such zany efforts as Airplane!, Police Squad! and The Naked Gun films, died Tuesday. He was 80.

Abrahams died of natural causes at his home in Santa Monica, his son Joseph told The Hollywood Reporter.

The trio made their first mainstream impression by writing the sketch-filled Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), directed by John Landis in his prelude to Animal House, and they also combined for Top Secret! (1984), starring a young Val Kilmer, and Ruthless People (1986), featuring Bette Midler and Danny DeVito.

Without his childhood buddies from Wisconsin, Abrahams directed Big Business (1988), starring Midler and Lily Tomlin, and co-wrote and helmed Hot Shots! (1991) and its 1993 sequel, both starring Charlie Sheen.

Joke-filled and laden with sight gags and puns, the humor of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, or Zaz as they came to be known, was fast,...

Roger Ebert was an authoritative voice on all things film and never shied away from letting moviegoers know his opinion. Not only was he one of the critics who helped pave the way for such critical aggregators as Rotten Tomatoes, but he was also the main source for critique on films for decades before critical aggregators existed.

As much as Ebert is known for his infamous thumbs-down for bad movies, he is just as well known for shouting out the best of the best. In 2012, Ebert shared his picks for the best films of all time.

Casablanca Is an Iconic Hero Story With a Romantic Layer 1942

Casablanca Critical Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score

99%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

95%

IMDb Score

8.5/10

Casablanca follows Rick Blaine, the nightclub owner of the famed nightclub Rick's Caf Amricain. While working during the heart of the Second World War, he's reunited with an old flame and her husband.

As one of the most celebrated movies in Hollywood history, there are endless Casablanca quotes that have stood the test of time and contributed to its great, long-lasting legacy. The 1942 romantic drama film starring classic Hollywood legends Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman was written by twin brothers Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, along with Howard Koch. The impact of Casablancas script, which is full of quotable lines, cannot be denied over 80 years after its initial release.

There has been a long debate over the title of the greatest movie ever, and Casablancas dialogue makes it easy to see why its frequently brought up as a contender. Casablanca tells the story of American expatriate and club owner Rick (Bogart), who is confronted with his past when his ex-lover, Ilsa (Bergman), shows up in Casablanca with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), fleeing the Nazis and looking for Rick's help.

When Paramount Pictures was finally absorbed by a conglomerate in 1966, it had been a long-running Hollywood powerhouse that was now contending with a new set of challenges.

Perfectly described by historian Robert Sklar as “the house Adolph Zukor built,” Paramount was one of the first major studios. As its leader, Zukor set in motion both industrial vertical integration along with a carefully constructed machinery for curating and maintaining celebrity image. Though Zukor was no longer chairman of the board by the time Gulf + Western swept in to take over Paramount, the founding mogul’s influence still permeated the studio gates.

At a time when Hollywood was searching for a new identity — founding moguls were gone or largely retired, shattered self-censorship practices were making way for a modern ratings system, studios were being gobbled up by companies outside of the entertainment realm — Paramount managed to prevail in glorious fashion. Within a couple years,...

Exclusive: Production, finance, and sales company Panorama Motion Pictures will make its Cannes market debut with a slate of projects from Catalyst Studios and other independent producers.

First up the company is producing ambitious project The Sea Hawk, an IP based on Raphael Sabatini’s book, which was most famously adapted into a hit feature by legendary producer Howard Koch and starring Errol Flynn for Warner Bros. in 1940.

The story follows an English gentleman through the changing tides of fortune and fate, who becomes a galley-slave and ultimately the most famous barbary pirate in the Mediterranean Sea. It will be produced by Panorama CEO Mark Pennell and Armyan Bernstein (Air Force One) of Beacon Pictures. Bernstein was most recently an EP on the Kevin Costner western Horizon, which is premiering in Cannes.

Producers are currently shopping for a director with casting targeted before the end of the year.

Pennell, a writer and producer,...

Cass Warner, a filmmaker and author born into Hollywood royalty and mother of Yellowstone actor Cole Hauser, has died. She was 76.

The granddaughter of Warner Bros. co-founder Harry Warner, Cass Warner’s death was announced by her son Hauser. Additional information including cause and date of death was not disclosed.

“It is with a heavy heart that my mother. Cass Sperling Warner passed away at the age of 76,” Hauser wrote on Instagram. “Her kindness, love, humor and amazing spirit will be missed by not only my family but the world. You have touched so many. I know you will be up in the heavens sitting next to all the great humans that have passed through our earth. We will meet again. Bye for now.”

Born March 8, 1948, Cass Warner was a self-described third-generation filmmaker. Her father was writer/producer Milton Sperling, who was involved in more than 50 films including the Oscar-nominated...

Cass Warner, filmmaker, author and granddaughter of Harry Warner, co-founder of Warner Bros., has died. She was 76.

Her death was announced by her son and Yellowstone actor Cole Hauser on his Instagram page. “Her kindness, love, humor and amazing spirit will be missed by not only my family but the world. You have touched so many,” he wrote.

Cass’ grandfather, Harry Warner, was the eldest Warner brother, a Polish immigrant who co-founded the studio in 1923 after jumping into the early days of movie mania in 1905 with brothers Sam, Albert and Jack. The foursome created a cinematic powerhouse, a dream factory that was the social conscience of Hollywood, one that churned out timely and topical films about the Great Depression, the rise of fascism, the Red Scare and more.

Harry’s daughter, Betty Warner Sheinbaum, wrote of her father as “a very serious man. He was the company’s conscience and driving force.

Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" was the rare animal that was a huge critical darling, a major awards contender, and a massive blockbuster. "Schindler's List" was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Worldwide, the film grossed over $322 million, a huge amount for a prestige picture. The fact that Spielberg also made "Jurassic Park" that same year only makes the achievement that much more impressive. 

"Schindler's List" tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a wealthy Czech industrialist who, during World War II, employed as many Jewish workers as he could in his factories with the explicit purpose of saving them from concentration camps. He had to remain friendly with the Nazi party to keep his factories running and became increasingly distraught at what was happening to Europe's Jewish population. By the end of the film, Schindler breaks down, realizing that his wealth...

“Schindler’s List was never a cure for antisemitism,” emphasizes Steven Spielberg. “It was a reminder of the symptoms of it.”

These days, tragically, antisemitism is all over the headlines: Neo-Nazis chanting “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville. The Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. The Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel that claimed the lives of some 1,200 Jews, the largest slaughter since the Holocaust. Not to mention a former and possibly future American president using Hitler-like language at his Nuremberg-esque rallies, referring to immigrants as “vermin” who are “poisoning the blood” of America.

Liam Neeson and Steven Spielberg were photographed Jan. 5 at Quixote Studios West Hollywood.

All of which is why, 30 years after Spielberg won best picture and best director for his movie about Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who saved 1,200 Jews from the Nazis during World War II, THR is revisiting his film with an oral history...

Where to Watch Powered by

Although the Hollywood masterpiece, Casablanca, had the potential for a sequel, it seemed that studios were hesitant to go through with the plans after noticing that the Rick Blaine twist. Overall, the film received massive praise, securing eight Oscar nominations and winning three for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. Its screenplay was skillfully written by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch, who loosely based it on Murray Burneet and Joan Alison unproduced play "Everybody Comes to Rick's".

Boasting a star-studded cast, including Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Reins, Paul Henreid, and popular character actors such as Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, Casablanca captured hearts worldwide. Following its tremendous success, the studio quickly got to work on a sequel for the masterpiece, an uncommon occurrence for films at that time. The sequel was planned to bring back Bogart and Renault, but the project never came to fruition.

MPTF (Motion Picture & Television Fund) continued its yearlong centennial celebration with “100 Years of Hollywood: A Celebration of Service,” an unforgettable evening of musical performances, tributes, and inspirational storytelling at The Lot at Formosa in West Hollywood, CA.

During the show, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg received the Silver Medallion Award while Adam Scott, Jodie Foster, Yvette Nicole Brown, Harry Northup, Casey Wasserman, Jim Gianopulos, and Peter Goldwyn took to the stage. The evening featured musical performances by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Ledisi, Tori Kelly, and Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies. Amanda Kloots, Cameron Monaghan, Carla Renata, Chuck Lorre, Heather Dowling, J. Lee, Kimberly Pierce, Mallory Weggemann, Natasha Bassett, Nicky Whelan, Omar Sharif Jr., Patrick Fabian, Pierson Fodé, Saxon Sharbino, and Tia Carrere also appeared at the benefit. The event was presented by City National Bank, Delta Air Lines, and UCLA Health, with support from Diamond sponsors Directors Guild of America,...

The Motion Picture & Television Fund on Friday said it will continue its yearlong centennial celebration with “100 Years of Hollywood: A Celebration of Service,” an event June 18 in West Hollywood that will feature musical performances and tributes. Jodie Foster, Harry Northup, Yvette Nicole Brown and more are set to appear at the event at The Lot at Formosa, along with musical guests set to include Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Tori Kelly, and Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies.

The MPTF said it will also use the occasion to present its honorary service award, the Silver Medallion, to Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg, longtime supporters of the organization, which helps working and retired members of the entertainment community with a safety net of health and social services. Previous honorees include Lew and Edie Wasserman, Mary Pickford, Gregory Peck, Jules Stein, Jack Warner, Samuel Goldwyn, Howard Koch and Roddy McDowall.

“This 100th event...

Click here to read the full article.

The Motion Picture & Television Fund is prepping to toast its 100th anniversary with a starry celebration set for June 18th at The Lot at Formosa in West Hollywood.

The event, part of the organization’s yearlong centennial celebration, will roll out as “100 Years of Hollywood: A Celebration of Service” and feature a night of performances, tributes and storytelling, an MPTF signature. Confirmed to join the program are Jodie Foster, Harry Northup and Yvette Nicole Brown along with musical guests Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Tori Kelly and Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies.

Billed as “a highlight” of the evening will be a special presentation of the honorary service award, a Silver Medallion, to Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg. The Katzenbergs have been longtime champions of MPTF as the mogul spent more than three decades serving various boards (including board of directors and governors...

This devastating romantic melodrama is Max Ophüls’ best American picture — perhaps because it seems so European? It’s probably Joan Fontaine’s finest hour as well, and Louis Jourdan comes across as a great actor in a part perfect for his screen personality. The theme could be called, ‘No regrets,’ but also, ‘Everything is to be regretted.’

Letter from an Unknown Woman

Blu-ray

Olive Signature

1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 87 min. / Street Date December 5, 2017 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98

Starring: Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan, Mady Christians, Marcel Journet, Art Smith, Carol Yorke, Howard Freeman, John Good, Leo B. Pessin, Erskine Sanford, Otto Waldis, Sonja Bryden.

Cinematography: Franz Planer

Film Editor: Ted J. Kent

Original Music: Daniele Amfitheatrof

Written by Howard Koch from a story by Stefan Zweig

Produced by John Houseman

Directed by Max Ophüls

A young woman’s romantic nature goes beyond all limits, probing the nature of True Love.

Fly over the moon. Sing in the rain. Fasten your seatbelts. Make an offer no one can refuse. See classic movies on the big screen!

Gene Kelly will sing in the rain, Bette Davis will fasten her seatbelt for a bumpy night, Marlon Brando will make an offer no one can refuse, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint will scurry across Mount Rushmore, and Elliott and E.T. will fly over the moon – and they’ll do it all on the silver screen in 2017. Today, Fathom Events and TCM announce their continuing partnership to bring monthly screenings of their “TCM Big Screen Classics” series to movie theaters nationwide throughout the year.

For the second consecutive year, “TCM Big Screen Classics” offers film fans an amazing journey into the magic of movies year-round. Beginning in January, the series presents one or more films each month in movie theaters – all accompanied by specially...

facebook

twitter

google+

More Best Picture Oscar winners have had sequels than you may think. This lot, in fact...

There’s still an element of snobbery where sequels to certain films is concerned. Whereas it’s now almost compulsory to greenlight a blockbuster with a view of a franchise in mind, it’s hard to think of most Best Picture Oscar winners being made with a follow-up in mind. Yet in perhaps a surprising number of cases, a sequel – or in the case of Rocky, lots of sequels – have followed.

These cases, in fact…

All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)

Followed by: The Road Back

Don’t be fooled into thinking sequels for prestigious movies are a relatively new phenomenon. Lewis Milestone’s 1930 war epic All Quiet On The Western Front, and its brutal account of World War I, is still regarded as something of a classic. A solid box office success,...

'Saint Joan': Constance Cummings as the George Bernard Shaw heroine. Constance Cummings on stage: From sex-change farce and Emma Bovary to Juliet and 'Saint Joan' (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Frank Capra, Mae West and Columbia Lawsuit.”) In the mid-1930s, Constance Cummings landed the title roles in two of husband Benn W. Levy's stage adaptations: Levy and Hubert Griffith's Young Madame Conti (1936), starring Cummings as a demimondaine who falls in love with a villainous character. She ends up killing him – or does she? Adapted from Bruno Frank's German-language original, Young Madame Conti was presented on both sides of the Atlantic; on Broadway, it had a brief run in spring 1937 at the Music Box Theatre. Based on the Gustave Flaubert novel, the Theatre Guild-produced Madame Bovary (1937) was staged in late fall at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre. Referring to the London production of Young Madame Conti, The...

'The Letter' 1940, with Bette Davis 'The Letter' 1940 movie: Bette Davis superb in masterful studio era production Directed by William Wyler and adapted by Howard Koch from W. Somerset Maugham's 1927 play, The Letter is one of the very best films made during the Golden Age of the Hollywood studios. Wyler's unsparing, tough-as-nails handling of the potentially melodramatic proceedings; Bette Davis' complex portrayal of a passionate woman who also happens to be a self-absorbed, calculating murderess; and Tony Gaudio's atmospheric black-and-white cinematography are only a few of the flawless elements found in this classic tale of deceit. 'The Letter': 'U' for 'Unfaithful' The Letter begins in the dark of night, as a series of gunshots are heard in a Malayan rubber plantation. Leslie Crosbie (Bette Davis) walks out the door of her house firing shots at (barely seen on camera) local playboy Jeff Hammond, who falls dead on the ground.

The Sea Hawk

Written by Howard Koch and Seton I. Miller

Directed by Michael Curtiz

U.S.A., 1940

Under the Warner Brothers banner, Errol Flynn leaps, bounds and rouses hearts to the tune of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s winning score and the direction of taskmaster Michael Curtiz. Following on the coattails of Captain Blood (1935) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), it’s easy to dismiss The Sea Hawk (1940) as just a studio swashbuckler, another outing of a tried and true formula that Bosley Crowther called, “an overdressed ‘spectacle’ film which derives much more from the sword than the pen.” Admittedly, this loose adaptation owes more to the seafaring adventures of Sir Francis Drake than the original Rafael Sabatini novel of the same name, but it owes even more to the politics surrounding its production. On closer examination, the film stands as a testament not only to Flynn in his booming...

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has unveiled the complete list of 20 cities that will be treated to a free theatrical screening of classic Casablanca (1942) on Tuesday, March 4.

Nearly 10,000 fans voted to help choose 10 of the markets that will host screenings, with the most votes going to Baltimore, Buffalo, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, St. Louis and San Diego.

Those cities join the previously announced screenings in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Miami,Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Presented in collaboration with Warner Bros., TCM’s 20-market screening of Casablanca is one of many events surrounding the celebration of the network’s 20th Anniversary as a leading authority in classic film. Although the screenings are free, tickets are required for entrance.

Free tickets are now available for download from the TCM 20th Anniversary website: tcm.com/20.

TCM’s special screenings of Casablanca will begin at 7:30 p.

Bette Davis is almost as fascinating of a character off the screen as she is on it. She’s truly nothing short of a dynamic and brilliant actress, much further ahead of her time than she could ever be aware of. Tiff will be covering pockets of classic cinema starring Davis from November 15th- December 8th. The following are a few choice recommendations for anyone brave enough to venture back into these vintage art pieces.

Dark Victory

Written by Casey Robinson

Directed by Edmund Goulding

USA, 1939

A young talented and beautiful girl is cursed by much more than her radiant personality and grace as she works to get the most out of her life. The question is: does this more describe Bette Davis or her character here, Judith? This peek into classic cinema delivers on a lot of fronts, especially giving us the kind of quick, clever dialogue classic films are known for.

Hattie McDaniel: Oscar winner on TCM tonight One of the best and, despite nearly 100 film appearances, most poorly utilized actresses of the studio era was Hattie McDaniel, Turner Classic Movies’ "Summer Under the Stars" featured player today, August 20, 2013. Right now, TCM is showing Gone with the Wind (1939), the movie that earned McDaniel — as Scarlett O’Hara’s Mammy — the year’s history-making Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. She was the first black performer to take home an Oscar; in her (reportedly) studio-prepared Oscar acceptance speech, McDaniel hoped to “always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry.” And in my view, she remains among the most well-deserved winners, regardless of skin color. (See also: “Hattie McDaniel Oscar Speech.”) (Photo: Hattie McDaniel ca. 1930s.) Hattie McDaniel movies: ‘Show Boat,’ ‘Alice Adams’ Two other movies showcasing Hattie McDaniel’s talents will follow Gone with the Wind: Show Boat and Alice Adams.

Embellishment. Is it a dirty word, especially when it comes to writing? Well, it depends. Simply put, there must be no embellishment when writing for a professional journal. The truth must be told. There is a big difference between writing for a professional journal and writing fiction, or even this column. Writing for a professional journal must follow a proscribed style set by peer-reviewed organizations whose rules on grammatical usage, word choice, elimination of bias in language, the proper citation of quotes and references and the inclusion of charts and tables have become the authoritative source for all intellectual writing. This means that for me, as an Rn, Bsn, Cnor, I must adhere to the styles and standards set by the Publication Manual Of The American Psychologoical Assocociation (Apa), which is “consulted not only by psychologists but also by students and researchers in education, social work, nursing, business, and many...

"Play it again, Sam."

Well, you heard the man: Let's get some more "Casablanca." This story may sound familiar, but stick with us. A treatment for a sequel to the 1942 classic, written by one of the film's scribes, has surfaced.

Nope, this isn't the same Howard Koch "Return to Casablanca" script the New York Post dug up in late 2012; it's another stab at a sequel, this time penned by Murray Burnett. In another Post scoop, memorabilia collector Albert Tapper turned up with a script by Burnett, who co-wrote the unproduced play, "Everybody Comes to Rick's," that the eventual "Casablanca" script was based upon.

In Burnett's version, taking place in 1944, just three years after the original film's ending, Rick (originally played by Humphrey Bogart) is running Rick's Cafe Americain in Portugal, where he reunites with his lost love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). The plot's central conflict: Ilsa's stepdaughter is holding information about Nazi officers,...

Well, I haven’t heard Adam Sandler’s Chanukah Song yet – the Festival of Lights starts at sunset on Saturday, December 8th – but I did hear a rant about the War on Christmas on the radio the other day.

Yep, it’s that time of year again. Hallmark Channel has preempted Little House On The Prairie for sickly sweet (and cheaply made) movies with a Christmas theme. Wal-Mart and Target are pushing black Friday – great name for a villain, by the way – and have introduced something called pre-black Friday. Christmas catalogs have been smushed into my mailbox, and the department store halls are beginning to be decked with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la, la-la-la-la I’ve even caught some Christmas commercials on the TV (although the deluge is yet to come.)

So this year ye olde editor Mike Gold and Big Kahuna Glenn Hauman decided to get in on the act...

Someone wants to play it again, and film purists aren't happy. Seventy years after the release of Casablanca, plans are afoot for a sequel. The project is the brainchild of Cass Warner, a Hollywood producer, who was a close friend of the late Howard Koch, one the movie's three screenwriters. She is shopping for proposals for a follow-up entitled either Return to Casablanca or As Time Goes By.

London, Nov 11: Seventy years after the release of 'Casablanca,' one of the greatest movies of all times, plans are afoot for a sequel, which seems far from welcome among fans of the beloved Hollywood classic.

The project to be titled either 'Return to Casablanca' or 'As Time Goes By' is the brainchild of Cass Warner, a Hollywood producer, who first discovered "treatments" for the sequel at Casablanca's scriptwriter Howard Koch's New York home, the Independent reported.

Its plot revolves around Richard Blaine, the illegitimate son of Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman's Ilsa Lund, who were separated at the end.

Will the sequel to Casablanca still be the same old story, a fight for love and glory, a case of do or die? On that you can rely

Hollywood is often criticised for its reliance on creatively impotent sequels and reboots, but every now and then an idea will come along that's simply too perfect to ignore. One of those ideas has come along now. Ladies and gentlemen, there's probably going to be a Casablanca 2.

No, really. It might be because this is Casablanca's 70th anniversary, or it might be because there's a carbon monoxide leak at Warner Bros and everyone is working at a noticeably reduced mental capacity, but the idea of a sequel to Casablanca is genuinely being entertained. A treatment entitled Return to Casablanca, written by Casablanca's co-writer Howard Koch in 1980, has been unearthed, and there are plans to use it as the building block...

Hollywood classic Casablanca could get a belated sequel. Cass Warner, the granddaughter of Warner Bros co-found Harry Warner, has unearthed a sequel treatment written by one of the three original Casablanca screenwriters Howard Koch. According to the New York Post, Warner is hoping to produce a sequel with studio Warner Bros. Titled Return to Casablanca, Koch's script treatment sees Ilsa and Victor Laszlo (originally played by Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid) searching for Rick Blaine after he joins Free French troops opposing the Nazis in North Africa. Ilsa's son, whose father is Rick, is in his twenties and takes centre stage in the proposed movie. "For whatever reason [Warner Bros] couldn't justify taking interest in it until it was packaged (more)...

According to NYPost, Warner Bros is considering developing a sequel to the 1942 classic "Casablanca." The new movie is called "Return to Casablanca" and is based on a treatment written in the 1980s by Howard Koch, the screenwriter of the original movie. The project is being pursued by Cass Warner, the granddaughter of one of the Warner Bros founders. The studio hasn't fully committed to the film, but would be willing to take a look at it if Cass can find a filmmaker worthy of such a movie. Plot: After leaving Casablanca for America, Ilsa learned she was pregnant. She gave birth to a boy who grew up in America. The real father of the boy was not Laszlo but Rick. The secret was not kept from Laszlo, but being the kind of man he was and owing so much to Rick, he adopted the child and treated him as his own son.

The paradoxical quote, which closes the classic "Casablanca" now takes on new meaning. The 1942 film may be beginning again -- there is a potential sequel in the works. Warner Bros. was approached with a treatment, written over 30 years ago by Howard Koch -- an original writer of the film -- for a follow-up to the Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman-led "Casablanca," according to the New York Post. The story goes that there were many attempts at doing a revamp of one of the most beloved movies of all time, including a couple attempts at a television show. However, in 1988, after the death of both Bogie and Bergman, Koch had written a screenplay for "Return to Casablanca." Here, upon returning to America, Ilsa (Bergman) learns that she's pregnant with Rick's (Bogart) child. “He was conceived the night Ilsa came to Rick's place to plead for the Letters of Transit . . . The secret was not kept from Laszlo,...

Here's looking at you, Cass Warner! Making stomachs churn everywhere, the granddaughter of Warner Brothers co-founder Harry Warner is looking to make a sequel to "Casablanca" a whopping 70 years after its original release.

The classing movie staring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman is the winner of three Oscars, not to mention the award for best screenplay Ever by the Writers Guild of America.

In the past there have been several attempts at remaking the classic, including "Brazzaville," two failed TV series and "Passage to Marseilles." According to the New York Post, the script being considered now is by "Casablanca" contributor, Howard Koch and was written more than 30 years ago.

The script, titled "Return to Casablanca," takes place 20 years after the original.

"After leaving Casablanca for America, Ilsa learned she was pregnant," Koch wrote in a synopsis. "She gave birth to a boy who grew up in America. The real father of the boy,...

There have been some ridiculously bad ideas swirling around the Hollywood studio systems over the years. I mean, ideas that are so mind-numbingly putrid you begin to question the sanity of whoever came up with them. None are quite as preposterous as this. In an in-depth article penned by New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick about various attempts to extend the classic story of Casablanca, it.s suggested that Cass Warner . granddaughter of Warner Bros. co-founder Harry Warner, would be open to a possible sequel that.s based on an old treatment credited to Howard Koch, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of the original film. The treatment, cooked up by Koch decades ago, would resume the action 20 years after Rick and Ilsa.s famous goodbye. .Here.s looking at you, kid,. Rick (Humphrey Bogart) proclaims to the love of his love (played by Ingrdi Bergman). Well, in Koch.s Return to...

Warner Bros loves Casablanca so much that they put the film's famous song "As Time Goes By" in their opening fanfare. And why wouldn't they? Consistently regarded as one of the best movies ever made, the 1942 classic has dozens of iconic moments and is generally put up there alongside Citizen Kane as movies that should never be remade. Well, a remake isn't on the way, but The New York Post (via The Film Stage) is reporting that Warner Bros. is toying with the idea of a sequel, called Return to Casablanca, that comes from a treatment written thirty years ago by Howard Koch, a screenwriter of the original movie. Read on. Here's the breakdown of the potential story, courtesy of an interview with Howard Koch from the NY Post: “After leaving Casablanca for America, Ilsa learned she was pregnant. She gave birth to a boy who grew up in America.

In one of cinema’s iconic moments, at the end of Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine says, “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Well, the famously open-ended conclusion may not have been a conclusion at all. One of the film’s Oscar-winning screenwriters, Howard Koch, penned a treatment for a sequel more than 30 years ago; Cass Warner, granddaughter of Warner Bros. co-founder Harry Warner, wants to realize that vision, the New York Post reports

“It was just gold,” Warner tells EW of discovering the 1980 treatment at Koch’s home in Woodstock, NY. “When he...

Over the past 70 years, there have been many attempts at creating a sequel to the beloved classic Casablanca, including a few ill-fated forays into television. According to the New York Post, a proposed sequel from the 1980s from Casablanca's original screenwriter, Howard Koch, finds the story taking place twenty years after the events of the first film, where a child conceived from Rick and Ilsa's renewed affair named Richard, would travel to the Middle East to learn more about his father. Richard "grew up to be a handsome, tough-tender young man reminiscent of his father. He had been told the truth about his origin and has a deep desire to find his real father, since Rick's heroic actions in Casablanca have become legendary." The biggest obstacle...

Read More

Read Comments...

We all love "Casablanca!" It's one of those classic movies that has become a part of our longstanding American pop culture. We all know the lines from the film ("Play it once, Sam"), the immortal song "As Time Goes By," and the undying love between Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman).

But apparently, WB is mulling a sequel to the classic. This was not the first time the studio wanted a sequel to "Casablanca." According to IndieWire, after winning Best Picture in 1943, WB wanted to create "Brazzaville" as a sequel with Rick as a secret police agent. But it never got past the treatment phase. When that failed, Rick reappeared on the TV series "Warner Bros. Presents" with Charles McGraw in the role. There was also "Passage to Marseilles" which put together Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains but the impact was not as powerful as "Casablanca.

Before you gather up your baseball bats and pitchforks in search of the person who has conceived of a Casablanca sequel, let's go through all of the details first.  There have been attempts at a sequel to the exceptionally popular and beloved film for over 70 years, and it's actually astounding that the studios have shown restraint in the matter, opting to wait for what would make for a truly great treatment (of course, why everything has to have a sequel in the first place is another issue). There were a few ill-fated forays into television that attempted to be prequels or sequels, but neither critics nor audiences were having it at the time.  Naturally, that spooked the studios into caution when it came to potentially continuing the story.  However, Casablanca's original screenwriter, Howard Koch, worked on his own sequel idea in the 1980s, planning to include Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart returning as parents.

In this day and age of remakes and sequels, hardly anything is sacred anymore, with classics such as Raging Bull and Scarface getting new versions. Today, we have word that Warner Bros. is considering moving ahead with a sequel to Casablanca, based on a treatment written more than 30 years ago by screenwriter Howard Koch.

Warner Bros. had originally planned to make a sequel entitled Brazzaville shortly after Casablanca's release, where it was revealed that Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Captain Renault (Claude Rains) were actually secret Allied agents. The project never moved forward. Now, Peter Koch, the son of Casablanca writer Howard Koch, is working on a new version that centers on the child of Rick and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), set 20 years after the original film. Here's what the producer had to say about this follow-up's story.

"After leaving Casablanca for America, Ilsa learned she was pregnant. She gave birth...

London, November 5: A sequel to the famous 1942 Humphrey Bogart film 'Casablanca' may be coming soon.

American producer Cass Warner is looking to give the classic move another whirl with a sequel proposed by one of the original writers, the Daily Mail reported.

She is trying to find backers for a proposal written by the late Howard Koch, one of the three who got a screenwriting Oscar for the 1942 classic.

The sequel would follow the story of Richard Blaine, the son of Humphrey.

Seventy years ago this month, Warner Bros. released "Casablanca." Now, there is talk of making a sequel to the iconic film.

For movie buffs and film neophytes alike, "Casablanca" is a must-see. The 1942 classic, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman has three Oscars, a spot in the United States National Film Registry, and was awarded the best screenplay ever written by the Writers Guild of America. With "Here's looking at you, kid," "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine," and "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," it has also given us some of the most famous quotes.

New York Post is reporting that Cass Warner, the granddaughter of Warner Bros. co-founder Harry Warner, is looking to make a sequel to "Casablanca."

Warner took a screenwriting class with "Casablanca" contributor Howard Koch in 1988 and she is now...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Oct. 16, 2012

Price: DVD $24.95, Blu-ray $29.95

Studio: Olive Films

Joan Fontaine and Louis Jourdan feel the love in 1948's Letter From An Unknown Woman.

The classic 1948 drama-romance film Letter From an Unknown Woman comes from the great German-born filmmaker-gone-Hollywood Max Ophüls (Lola Montes).

In early 20th century Vienna, Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan, Gigi) is in the process of fleeing Vienna on the eve of a duel he wants no part of. Before he can do so, he receives the titular, anonymous letter from an unknown woman. Stefan is deeply moved by what he reads and starts to realize that the letter’s author is Lisa Berndl (Joan Fontaine, Suspicion), a young woman he’s known, but disregarded for most of his life…

Written by Howard Koch (Casablanca), produced by John Houseman (Sorry, Wrong Number) and co-starring Marcel Journet and Mady Christians, the film makes its U.S. DVD...

Producer Howard Koch, Jr. ("Source Code," "Gorky Park") is following in the footsteps of his father with his election as president of the motion picture academy. The senior Koch, who worked as an exec at Paramount before hanging out his own production shingle, was Academy president from 1977 to 1979. He also produced eight Oscar telecasts.    Related: Academy issues new guidelines for Oscars campaigning His son, known as "Hawk," is limited to serving for just 365 days as he is entering his ninth year as a governor of the academy and is term-limited for that post. He is the 32nd president of the academy, which was founded in 1927, and succeeds film exec Tom Sherak who served the maximum three one-year terms as president.  PR exec Cheryl Boone Isaacs, producer Kathleen Kennedy and writer Phil Robinson were elected to vice president positions, while studio exec Rob Friedman was chosen as trea...

Good-bye to Tom Sherak, who leaves behind his unpaid job as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as he has served his full nine years as a Governor.  And hello to a new AMPAS president as Tuesday night the Board of Governors elected veteran producer Hawk Koch ("Gorky Park," "Source Code") for his first one -year term. Hawk was able to gain more than 50% of the votes from somewhat less than the usual 43 members; the Academy has yet to replace screenwriter Frank Pierson, who died last week. Koch, 66, who also heads the Producer Guild of America, lobbied hard for the job. But he has only one year left to serve as a governor representing the Producers Branch, after serving as first vice president of the Academy during the past year. He previously served three one-year terms as treasurer and one term as vice president. Koch is...

Article by Dan Clark of Movie Revolt

Well it’s that time again, time for another installment of Streaming for Your Pleasure. With Memorial Day weekend upon us America is about to officially start the summer. Barbeques, beers, and beaches will surely take up much of our time this weekend, however let us not forget the purpose behind this day as we celebrate the glory that is a three day weekend. In all seriousness it is a time to honor our Veterans and current soldiers for the remarkable sacrifices they make. No matter what political stance you may take I feel that is one thing we can all get behind. With that in mind I dedicated this installment to all things military as I look at military centric films currently available on Netflix Streaming.

The Longest Day

Directed By: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, and Darryl F. Zanuck

Written...

With the arrival of the auteur theory, filmmakers like Michael Curtiz no longer get as much sway among the current generation of directors. Curtiz (born Kertész Kaminer Manó in Hungary in 1886), was a journeyman, a man who flourished in the studio system after being picked out by Jack Warner for his Austrian Biblical epic "Moon of Israel" in 1924. He stayed at the studio for nearly 20 years, taking on whatever he was assigned at a terrifyingly prolific rate -- he made over 100 Hollywood movies up to "The Comancheros" in 1961. And some of them are terrible, as you might expect.

But Curtiz was also responsible for some of the greatest films of the era, and those who diminish his abilities (including the director himself, who once said "Who cares about character? I make it go so fast nobody notices") are ignoring his enormous skill behind the camera, and his undeniable capacity for...

As I Said Last Week And The Week Before And The Week Before That – Warning: I’m assuming that people reading this have seen the movie and thus will be fine with my discussing elements of the plot. If you’re one of those who haven’t watched the movie, do yourself a favor and Don’T Read This. See the movie instead and have your own experience with it. Trust me. You’ll be glad you did. If you need a plot synopsis, imdb has a good one here.

This is the fourth and final installment in my examination of the classic Warner Bros. film, Casablanca. Not that I couldn’t go on (and on and on) about it further but I figure there are limits to the patience of all of you out there and I thank you for indulging me thus far in looking at one of my own favorite films.

Chicago – Every seasoned movie lover can attest to having a favorite shot in Michael Curtiz’s 1942 classic “Casablanca,” a picture practically overflowing with indelible imagery. The first appearance of freedom fighter-turned-café owner Rick (Humphrey Bogart) decked out in a white tux, the tearful letter that turns to literal tears in a rainstorm, the final walk through the fog…all unforgettable.

Yet the shot that remains closest to my heart is the one that lingers on the face of Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), as she becomes hopelessly lost in the evocative notes and lyrics of a song from her past. No actress embodies earthy sensuality and misty-eyed passion quite like Bergman, who was at the peak of her luminous beauty at age 26. Her trancelike state of nostalgic longing never fails to mesmerize me, as her eyes convey what words could only feebly articulate.

Blu-ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Unlike other landmarks of cinema history, “Casablanca...

Seventy years after its theatrical release, Casablanca remains one of the top films in American history. Director Michael Curtiz turned Humphrey Bogart into the leading hero he was meant to be, while blending several story genres into a movie where nearly every line is quotable.

“Here’s looking at you kid.”

“Play it once, Sam.”

“Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.”

“We’ll always have Paris.”

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”

These are just a few of the lines from Casablanca that have been quoted and misquoted for seven decades. Bogart’s rogue demeanor captured the sharp and cynical comedy in a script that changed almost daily. Who could forget when Bogart (as Rick) said that he came to Casablanca several years ago for his health,...

"In the entire history of American cinema only a few other movies — Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather — have been loved as much and as well as Casablanca," writes the New Yorker's David Denby. "After seeing it on television for years, or suffering through a chewed-up print in a broken-seat revival house, moviegoers will have a chance to witness a freshly struck print this Wednesday, March 21st, on large screens." Hey, that's today! "Casablanca is 70 years old. For one day, it will be playing all over the country. It's worth going: the most familiar movie in the world is still fresh; it has so many little busy corners to nestle in."

"It's been called the most romantic movie ever made — and the corniest." The Philadelphia Inquirer's John Timpane: "Rush job, mess by committee, standard-issue sausage-factory punch-out, Casablanca was based on an unstaged play, Everybody Comes to Rick's.