Lawrence of Arabia released 50 years ago today

Lawrence of Arabia Released: December 16, 1962 Studio: Columbia Genre: epic Box Office (numbers in millions): Domestic: 44.82 Worldwide: ? Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: 543.89 Worldwide: 545.00

Directing: David Lean Screenwriting: Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson Starring: Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Claude Rains, Jose Ferrer, Jack Hawkins Review: This “sweeping, breath-taking, cinematic” FS “blockbuster biography of enigmatic adventurer T.E. Lawrence is that rarity, an epic film that is also literate.” LM “One of the greatest films of all time,” FS it is “staggering in its scope, execution and impact” BFI and “remains a moving and memorable film-going experience.” BFI The story, which is based on Lawrence’s book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, “follows the true-life exploits of…T. E. Lawrence…and his transformation from an enigmatic eccentric to a hero.” FS During World War I, “the complex, English military leader” VD “comes to believe he can give Arabia back to the Arabs.” A07 He “courageously unites the warring Arab fractions into a guerrilla front” FS “to fight alongside the British against the Turks in the 1914-17 campaign.” BFI Lawrence is “played with charismatic brilliance by 30 year-old Peter O’Toole.” BFI In his Oscar-nominated performance in his first leading role in his first major film, he became “an instant star.” LM The movie also “introduced Sharif to an international audience.” A07 In a film “full of scenes and performances to treasure…perhaps the best remembered is the arrival at the isolated well of Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) and the long shot of his ride across the shimmering sand.” BFI The “sumptuous desert imagery” T98 was as much a star as the actors. The movie is “stunning in its scope with absolutely awesome” VD and “rich cinematography of the immense” FS and “shifting desert so superbly photographed in glorious 70mm by Freddie Young.” BFI Sources: BFI British Film Institute (1999) “The BFI 100: A Selection of the Favourite British Films of the 20th Century” FS Filmsite.org “100 Greatest Films” LM Leonard Maltin “100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century” T98 Time Out (1998). “Readers’ Top 100 Films” VD Video Detective (1997). “Top 100 Films of All Time”

Awards/Honors/Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Genre Lists: Box Office: Awards: Oscars: Wins: 7, including Best Picture, Best Director, Cinematography, Score, Editing, and Art Direction Nominations: 10 – including Best Actor (O’Toole), Best Supporting Actor (Sharif), Best Adapted Screenplay Other Lists/Honors: Critics’ Picks: Roger Ebert Leslie Halliwell/John Walker Leonard Maltin First posted 7/31/2019; last updated 6/2/2023.

Casablanca released 50 years ago today

Casablanca Released: November 26, 1942 Studio: Warner Bros. Genre: romance Box Office (numbers in millions) Domestic: 1.72 Worldwide: ? Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: 346.00 Worldwide: ?

Directing: Michael Curtiz Screenwriting: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid Review: This is “one of the most famous films of all time” VD “and indisputably one of the landmarks of the American cinema.” FS It is “achingly nostalgic, clear cut, ruthlessly well plotted – and a film which has triumphantly withstood the test of time.” T98 “The only movie that could rival the average Shakespeare play for number of lasting phrases contributed to everyday speech.” ML It was also “the definitive romantic picture of Hollywood’s Golden Age.” TV “Only Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind could rival Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as cinema’s greatest pair of star-crossed lovers.” TV Bogart is a jaded, American expatriate running a nightclub in Nazi-occupied Morocco. Former lover Ilsa Lund (Bergman), “who mysteriously left him in Paris, returns to his life and inspires him to stand up for the French Resistance with her husband Victor Laszlo (Henreid).” FS “What began as an unproduced play called Everybody Comes to Rick’s would eventually become the best-loved wartime romance in Hollywood history. But first there were rewrites – lots of them. Casablanca was shot sequentially because the script changed continually throughout filming. You’d never know it now: Every word seems as inviolable as sacred text.” TV In addition, “Rains is marvelous as dapper police chief, and nobody sings ‘As Time Goes By’ like Dooley Wilson.” LM Casablanca also has “one of the best endings ever caught on film.” VD “In the final scene in the fog at the airport, [Rick] dutifully and nobly sacrifices his love for [Ilsa] – ‘We’ll always have Paris.’” FS Sources: FS Filmsite.org “100 Greatest Films” LM Leonard Maltin “100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century” ML Movieline (Dec. 1995). “100 Best Movies Ever Made” by Virginia Campbell and Edward Margulies T98 Time Out (1998). “Readers’ Top 100 Films” TV TV Guide (August 8-14, 1998 issue). “50 Greatest Movies on TV and Video” VD Video Detective (1997). “Top 100 Films of All Time”

Accolades: Dave’s Movie Database Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Genre Lists: Box Office: Awards: Oscars: Wins: 3 – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay Nominations: 8 – including Best Actor (Bogart), Best Supporting Actor (Rains), Best B/W Cinematography Hall of Fames: Other Lists/Honors: Experts’ Picks: First posted 7/26/2019; last updated 5/19/2025.