What can you say about a true American classic film that hasn't already been said. Casablanca is a rare treat that still pleases audiences today after 60 years. Stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman became icons from this film and this recently released special edition from Warner Home Video celebrates the film and its stars to the max.

Bogie is Rick, cafe owner in Casablanca when his old lover, Ingrid Bergman shows up in need of help for herself and her husband, Paul Henreid. With Bogie's help and connections, the trio battle the evil Nazi (Conrad Veidt) with some help from pal Claude Rains. Of course, there is much more to tell about this film but that's the plot in a nutshell. The film was a product of Warner Brothers War effort, and was but one of 50 films made in 1943. Scripts were shipped over to the cast every other day and they basically filmed the classic not knowing how the film would end. Neither Bogart or Bergman knew they were creating such a masterpiece of cinema.

The fullscreen presentation is breathtaking and not one flaw is present on this disc. The film has been restored wonderfully for generations to enjoy in this special edition. The films looks like it was shot yesterday. Sound is mono and Warner chose to feed all the sound through the center channel of a home theater system. I would have preferred double mono through the left and right channels but that is nit-picking. The sound still is full and rich, without harshness and distortion.

After you've finished enjoying the classic, you can watch it again with excellent commentary by film critic Roger Ebert. You are also treated to another entire disc full of goodies, including a one hour special on Bogart, originally produced by PBS in 1988 and hosted by Lauren Bacall. It's a biography of Bogart, complete with baby pictures, numerous early film segments, and classic scenes from Treasure of Sierra Madre (due for release this fall), High Sierra, To Have and Have Not, African Queen, The Petrified Forest, and Key Largo among others. Bacall also shares with the audience the private Bogart, who was entirely different from his movie roles. The extra disc also contains a shorter tribute to the film, with interviews with Ingrid Bergman and her daughter and also by Bogart's son, Stephen. Director Richard Brooks, who was a good friend of Bogart's, is also interviewed during both features. The disc also contains a 1955 television production of Casablanca from Warner television, which is nostalgic and makes me yearn for Warner to release more class television from it's heyday, such as the classic western series they produced in the late 50's and early 60's. Rare footage is also featured with outtakes and deleted scenes. Unfortunately, no sound is available on this rare footage but captions are presented during some key scenes. Warner also gets their famous cartoon characters involved in "Carrotblanca", which features Bugs Bunny and the gang playing the famous roles to the hilt. A radio production is also featured on disc two and there are numerous galleries of photos, press materials, and memorabilia. On PC-DVD-ROM, a script to screen feature rounds out the extras disc. You can totally saturate yourself in this film with all the bonus materials.

Voted number two on the all time best film list, Casablanca is timeless and thoroughly enjoyable no matter how many times you have seen it. If you are a classic film fan, you must own this disc.