Original Casablanca Movie Poster Value Guide

Movie Posters — Collecting Guide by Steve Lansdale

How Much is an Original Casablanca Movie Poster Worth? 

The price of an original Casablanca movie poster ranges from a few thousand to a half million dollars. Because Casablanca was such a popular film it was translated, promoted worldwide, and re-released. That means collectors can choose from any number of sizes, languages and designs and find a collectible Casablanca movie poster to fit their budget.

Prices for Casablanca Movie Posters Sold at Auction

The best way to value a vintage Casablanca movie poster is using actual past sales. Heritage Auctions has sold 500 Casablanca movie posters, playbills and programs over the years, and realized prices are available on our website. 

In November 2017 Heritage Auctions sold a dozen original Casablanca movie posters. The 1947 Casablanca First Post-War Release French Grande size poster soared to $239,000 to claim top-lot honors in that auction. This was Heritage Auctions’ first time to offer this incredible Italian poster, boasting an excellent illustration by artist Silvano “Nano” Campeggi. This poster was graded “Folded, Fine/Very Fine.”

The top lot was one of 12 from the film offered in that auction, and included prizes for Casablanca collectors of all levels. Here are some highlights from the 2017 auction:

• Casablanca (United Artists, R-1962) Italian 2-Fogli sold for $107,550.00. This incredible Italian poster boasts an excellent illustration by artist Silvano “Nano” Campeggi. Graded Folded, Fine/Very Fine.
• Casablanca (Warner Brothers, 1946) First Post-War Release Danish Poster sold for $5,258.00. Featuring artwork by Benny Stilling, touchup has been applied to a center horizontal crease, with some unaddressed minor creases at the bottom and pinholes still visible at the top. The right border has a slight trim, and the linen has been trimmed to the border. Fine/Very Fine on Linen.
• 1945 Warner Brothers Casablanca First Post-War Release Finnish Poster sold for $19,120.00. Showcasing art by R.O.R., this poster has pinholes, wrinkling in the corners, light edge wear, and some toning. Folded, Fine/Very fine.
• 1946 Warner Brothers Casablanca Japanese B3 sold for $2,868.00. This very rare Japanese poster was a first-time offer for Heritage Auctions. After Japan surrendered in 1945, the US set up bases and began an occupation of the island which lasted until 1952. During that time, American films were distributed heavily and this blockbuster was no exception.
• 1947 Warner Brothers Casablanca First Post-War Release Belgian poster sold for $2,629.00. This Belgian poster features gorgeous artwork far superior to anything used for American campaigns. No touchup has been applied to this brilliant piece. There is unaddressed light foxing in the borders and the imprint area has been trimmed. Fine/Very Fine on Linen.

Original Casablanca Movie Posters for Sale

Preview the March 21-22, 2020 Movie Posters Signature Auction held in Dallas and online. There are 16 different Casablanca posters listed in the March sale at Heritage Auctions. 

The highlight lot is a beautiful original Casablanca Italian movie poster, our first offering of this design, and is estimated at $50,000 to $100,000. What makes this gorgeous piece turn heads is the stunning image that dominates the poster, with Bogart and Bergman huddled over the skyline of the city. This is not the only paper from the film to use the image, and the other, a 2-fogli for the 1953 reissue of the film, is similarly coveted by collectors.

A gorgeous piece presented for the first time at Heritage, this locandina features one of the best illustrations ever created for one of the best films ever made. Acclaimed Italian poster artist Luigi Martinati truly outdid himself with this stunning depiction of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, so well composed with the outline of the eponymous city that the presence of a title is practically superfluous.

Other Vintage Casablanca Movie Posters for Sale at Auction

A Casablanca (Warner Bros., R-1949) Italian Photobusta (estimate: $10,000-20,000) makes its auction debut in this sale, and rather than featuring just the two lead characters, it includes the four most prominent roles in the film, with Bogart’s Rick Blaine and Bergman’s Ilsa Lund joined by Paul Henreid’s Victor Laszlo and Claude Rains’ Capt. Louis Renault, who are shown in the “Letter of Transit” scene.

A Casablanca (Warner Bros., R-1953) Horizontal Italian Photobusta (estimate: $10,000-20,000) captures the classic confrontation between Bogart as Rick Blaine and Conrad Veidt as Maj. Heinrich Strasser in the film that was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three. This rare Italian photobusta has not been offered by Heritage Auctions in more than a decade.

Another Casablanca (Warner Bros., R-1953) Horizontal Italian Photobusta (estimate: $10,000-20,000) captures the scene in which Blaine (Bogart) and Renault (Rains) soak up the atmosphere in Rick’s Café Americain while Sam (Dooley Wilson) plays the piano.

The First Post-War Release of a Casablanca Horizontal Italian Photobusta (estimate: $10,000-20,000) is being offered by Heritage Auctions for the first time. A prize among collectors of classic movie posters and specifically Casablanca paper, it features a beautiful architectural motif similar to those found in other Italian formats for the film. Post-war Italian paper from the first release of the film is exceedingly difficult to find, and is highly collectible among fans of director Michael Curtiz’s revered war drama.

Preview the March 21-22, 2020 Movie Posters Signature Auction