July 4, 2012

Casablanca On-Screen This Summer

This summer, Peter Lorre fans in the U.S. will have many opportunities to catch Casablanca (1942) in a variety of venues, all in celebration of the film’s 70th anniversary.
  • Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Elizabeth, North Carolina
  • Lexington, Kentucky
  • Santa Monica, California
  • Tampa, Florida



The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA, presents Casablanca over the 4th of July holiday. The movie is a staple on the Brattle calendar, and according to the cinema’s website, has been shown so many times over the past 50 years, the audience exhibits “cult-like behavior” at presentations – including wedding proposals in the balcony.

Casablanca will be shown July 4 through July 8, Wednesday through Sunday, with matinees at 2 pm and 4:30 pm, as well as an evening show at 7 pm.

Ticket prices for general admission are $7.75 for the matinee and $9.75 for the evening show. For students and Brattle members, tickets are $7.75 for all shows. Admission for senior citizens is $6.75 for all shows. More information on tickets may be found on the Brattle’s website.

Tickets may be purchased over the Brattle website. Brattle Passes will be accepted for this engagement.

The Brattle Theatre is located at 40 Brattle Street inside Brattle Hall, one block from Howard Square, in Cambridge, MA. Sharing the building are the Algiers Café, Casablanca Restaurant, and Harvard Square Optical. The cinema’s entrance is on the left side of the building, marked by a sidewalk poster case and marquee.

Directions to the Brattle and information about parking may be found on the theater’s website.

Parking is available on the street around Harvard Square. The Brattle will also validate parking tickets from these participating garages – the Charles Square Garage, located at the Charles Hotel, 5 Bennett Street; and the University Place Garage, located at 124 Mt. Auburn Street. The Brattle may also reached by public bus and subway.

For more information, please call the cinema at (617) 876-6838.



On Tuesday, July 10, Lorre fans in Elizabeth City, NJ, can experience Casablanca under the stars – on a large screen with quality surround sound audio – as part of the Mariners’ Wharf Film Festival.

The program will begin at 8:30 pm – but in case of inclement weather, the screening will be cancelled and rescheduled at a later date.

Admission is free. Bring lawn chairs or blankets and a picnic dinner.

Mariners’ Wharf is located at South Water Street, along the Pasquotank River in downtown Elizabeth City, N. Carolina. Parking is available at the wharf and along S. Water Street.

For more information, please contact the festival’s founder and producer Simone Cooper at (646) 567-6951 or through her website.



Casablanca is also on the schedule for the Summer Classic Movies Series, shown Wednesdays at the historic Kentucky Theater in Lexington, KY. Although many cinemas are transitioning to digital projection, the Kentucky has been able to acquire a 35mm print of Casablanca, as well as the other movies in the festival.

Casablanca will be shown on Wednesday, July 18, at 1:30 pm and 7:15 pm.

Admission is $5 for all seats.

The Kentucky Theater is located at 214 East Main Street, in Lexington, KY. Directions may be found on the theater’s website.

Parking is available in the Annex Garage, at 150-160 West Main Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and South Limestone, beside the Fayette County Clerk’s office. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 6 pm. After 6 pm, parking is free.

For more information, please call the Kentucky Theater at (859) 231-7924.



On Friday, July 20, the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA, will present Casablanca with another Bogart classic The African Queen (1951) as part of their series of Classics and Restorations on the Big Screen.

The program begins with Casablanca at 7:30 pm.

Ticket prices are $11 for general admission, $7 for Cinematheque Members, and $9 for students with valid ID and senior citizens 65 and over. Tickets may be purchased on-line through Fandango and the Aero website.

The Aero Theatre is located at 1328 Montana Avenue, at 14th Street, in Santa Monica, CA. Parking is available free and at meters on Montana Avenue and other streets around the Aero. Please check posted signs. North of Montana Avenue, parking is generally limited to two hours until 7 pm. After 7 pm, parking is free for the duration of a movie.

For more information, please call the Aero at (310) 260-1528.



The Tampa Theatre is the venue for Casablanca on Aug. 18 and 19, Saturday and Sunday, the final film in that cinema’s popular Summer Classics series, running this year from June 3 to Aug. 19, 2012.

The doors open at 2 pm, at which time interested moviegoers may join a volunteer “Tampa Theatreologist” for a free guided mini-tour of the historic theater.

A 20-minute musical program of popular tunes on the cinema’s restored Wurlitzer Theatre Organ will begin at approximately 2:40, followed by Looney Tunes cartoons and the movie at 3 pm.

Ticket prices for Casablanca and other Summer Classic films are $9 for all ages and $7 for Tampa Theatre members. Tickets may be purchased on-line through the theater’s website, as well as at the box-office. For more information, please call (813) 274-8981.

The Tampa Theatre is located at 711 Franklin Street, in Tampa, FL. Parking is available on-street and close to the cinema. Directions to the cinema are posted on the website.



Casablanca – a classic movie celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Peter Lorre’s experiences on-set are described in the pages of his authorized biography, The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, written by Stephen D. Youngkin and available in paperback, as well as the Kindle, Nook, and hard-bound.

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