FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

you must remember this /a kiss is still a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh /the fundamental things apply /as time goes by /

and when two lovers woo /they still say, i love you /on that you can rely /no matter what the future brings /

as time goes by /moonlight and love songs /never out of date /hearts full of passion /jealousy and hate

/woman needs man /and man must have his mate /that no one can deny /it's still the same old story /

a fight for love and glory /a case of do or die /the world will always welcome lovers /as time goes by

Warner Home Video Celebrates the 60^th Anniversary of

WITH Two-Disc Special Edition DVD

All-New Digital Transfer Plus Four Hours of Bonus Features with Newly-Discovered Deleted Scenes & Outtakes, Two New Commentaries, New Interviews with Bogart & Bergman’s Children, Radio Show with Original Cast Members, plus Rare Scoring Session Outtakes

Burbank, Calif., May 22, 2003 – The legendary Casablanca -- which starred Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, won three Academy Awards including Best Picture of 1943 and went on to become one of the most popular and enduring movies of all time -- will celebrate its 60^th anniversary with a Two-Disc Special Edition DVD from Warner Home Video (WHV).  The DVD will be released August 5 and will be available for $26.99 SRP. 

To honor the DVD release and the 60^th anniversary, a gala tribute screening is slated for August 11 at New York’s Lincoln Center, with special guest speakers that include Humphrey Bogart’s son Stephen Bogart and Ingrid Bergman’s daughters, Isabella Rossellini, Ingrid Rossellini and Pia Lindstrom.  Leslie Epstein, the son of screenwriter Phillip Epstein, will also be a guest speaker, and Bogart’s wife, Lauren Bacall, will attend the event.

The Two-Disc Special Edition DVD features a stunning new digital transfer plus four hours of bonus materials including many newly discovered and never-before-seen extras.  Among these special features are the two documentaries hosted by Bacall; interviews with Stephen Bogart and Bergman’s daughter Pia Lindstom; ten minutes of newly-found deleted scenes and outtakes; TV and radio shows inspired by the film; a cartoon take-off; scoring sessions; audio program; vintage trailers and more.  

"Casablanca has an unrivaled blend of action, romance, humor, political intrigue and suspense that continues to thrill audiences six decades later," said Michael Radiloff, vice president of theatrical catalog marketing. "With DVD players in 50% of homes this fall, the time was right to introduce this timeless film to a new generation. Featuring a breathtaking new transfer and treasure-trove of new and vintage bonus materials, the new Special Edition DVD is a must-have for movie lovers of all ages."

“We were pleased that recent advances in digital technology allowed us to revisit the early restoration work and create a new digital re-master directly from nitrate picture and sound elements, significantly improving the image and sound for this new DVD release,” said Ned Price, vice president technical operations mastering for Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Voted the screen’s greatest love story and the #2 film of all time by the American Film Institute (AFI), this classic wartime romance took Oscars^® for director Michael Curtiz and screenwriters Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch as well as for producer Hal B. Wallis. 

Casablanca also starred Paul Henreid, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Claude Rains, and Dooley Wilson. 

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES—DISC ONE

·          Breathtaking new digital transfer

·          Introduction by Lauren Bacall

·          Commentary by movie critic Roger Ebert

·          Commentary by historian Rudy Behlmer, author of Inside Warner Bros.

·          Theatrical trailer of Casablanca plus other landmark Warner Bros. films

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES – DISC TWO

·          Ten minutes of newly found deleted scenes/outtakes

·          Two documentaries hosted by Bacall: “You Must Remember This: The Making of Casablanca,” and “Bacall        on Bogart,” the acclaimed feature-length retrospective on the life and career of her legendary husband

·          Featurette, “The Children Remember,” parental memories from Stephen Bogart and Ingrid 

      Bergman’s  daughter, Pia Lindstrom

·          The Looney Tunes gang in the cartoon homage “Carrotblanca”

·          Premier episode from the 1955 “Casablanca” Warner Bros. TV series

·          Audio-only treasures: “Screen Guild Players Radio Production” with the movie’s 3 stars, plus rare scoring        session outtakes

·          Production history gallery, photos, press materials, studio correspondence memorabilia and more

With operations in 78 international territories Warner Home Video Inc. commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace.  Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc., Turner Entertainment Co., Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.

Publicity Contacts

Warner Home Video

Ronnee Sass, 818.954.6439

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