The year was 1942 and the movie was Casablanca. At the time of filming, everyone involved with the film thought they were making just another wartime propaganda fluff piece, a genre of film that made up the majority of box office showings during the WWII era. Espionage, intrigue, exotic locale, forbidden love, and, of course, Nazi villains who get out-smarted at the end: Warner Bros. figured this new film had a little bit for everyone. What they didn't realize is that this run-of-the-mill wartime film would go on to became a standard classic of American cinema revered by generations to come.
Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart as American nightclub owner, Rick Blaine. Bogart's Rick is the quintessential anti-hero; cynical and aloof, Rick is an ex-Freedom Fighter who now resides in French-occupied North Africa with just his booze, his apathy, and friend/piano-player, Sam, for company. He's committed to his political neutrality, refusing to take sides in the ever-intensifying conflict raging throughout the Western World. That is until one night when the old flame who once broke his heart walks into his bar, and back into his life.
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."
Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) has traveled to Casablanca with her underground-resistance-leader and concentration-camp-escapee husband, Victor Lazlo. Ilsa and Victor are desperate to get their hands on exit visas that would allow them to leave Casablanca and travel freely around Nazi-controlled Europe to continue Lazlo's resistance efforts. Of course, in classic Hollywood irony, the one person who happens to have two visas to give them, is none other than Rick.
Paul Henreid and Ingrid Bergman as Victor and Ilsa. Via.
The last time Rick saw Ilsa it was years earlier when the two of them had a whirlwind affair in their own little paradise of Paris. Their brief time of happiness came to a screeching halt when the Nazis invaded France and the war began. Having made plans to flee the city together, Rick waited for Ilsa on a rainy and chaotic train platform. Instead of meeting him, Ilsa sends a farewell letter with Sam, who joins Rick on the train out of the country. Now with Ilsa back in his life, Rick has a decision to make: help the woman who broke his heart- the woman he still loves- be with her husband, or find a way to make sure he doesn't lose Ilsa again.
"I remember every detail. The German's wore grey, you wore blue." -Rick
The film is rounded out with an amazing supporting cast including Peter Lorre, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains. Rains in particular gives a stellar performance as Captain (Louie) Renault, the corrupt police official trying to make a good impression on the Nazi overlords.
"Rickie, I'm going to miss you. Apparently you're the only one in Casablanca with less scruples than I." -Louie
Also, Dooley Wilson made his first on-screen appearance as loyal Sam. Wilson had previously been a stage performer and musician. Ironically however, the piano wasn't Wilson instrument; in real life he was a drummer. His tickling of the ivories in the film is actually all miming.
"Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'" -Ilsa
Today, the legend of Casablanca has become bigger than the movie itself. It's been parodied and paid tribute to in numerous films and TV shows, and every-day people quote its beloved dialogue without having seen the movie. That's how you know this film has transcended time and pop culture: it has become a culture of itself. The timeless, and often misquoted, line "Play it, Sam," is so ingrained in our culture that it has become meaningful to those who aren't even aware of the reference. It also created its own genre of cinematic style, known now as the "invisible style;" instead of flashy and attention-grabbing visuals, the film relies on subtly that slowly draws the viewer in. The smoky nightclub; the foggy airport runway; the wide-brimmed hats and trench coats with upturned collars. These became the staple of ill-fated love and romantic yearning on screen.
Despite the legendary status Casablanca has held for the past 6 decades, the film at the time of its release did not enjoy even a morsel of its contemporary success. For whatever reason, the film failed to resonate among 1940's audiences and critics. One critic, William Whitebait of the New Stateman, described Casablanca in his 1943 review as "horribly wooden," complaining that the "cliches everywhere lower the tension." It wasn't until shortly after Bogart's death in 1957, that Casablanca experienced a rebirth and new-found appreciation. It makes sense that as the new-wave of American cinema began to emerge in the early 1960's, the nostalgic counter-culture would see the romance and enchantment of a film that so accurately depicts the Hollywood studio system in its heyday.
The story of Casablanca originated in a failed, un-produced play, Everybody Comes to Rick's. Warner Bros. acquired the right to this play, which had earned the title "biggest flop in the history of Broadway," for a mere $20,000. Supposedly the manuscript was quickly lost in the Hollywood studio hustle and bustle, until Warner Bros. story editor, Irene Lee found Everybody Comes to Rick's laying in a pile of discarded and presumably future-less movie scripts. Immediately she saw the potential the story had, and sent it on to her friend and colleague, director Hal Wallis.
"I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." -Rick
"Everybody Comes to Rick's will hereafter be known as...Casablanca." Via.
Wallis quickly attached himself to this new film endeavor, and had various script writers start adapting the story right away. One of Wallis's requests was that the male lead be written into a stoic, hard-boiled cynic, setting the film up to be a career-making catalyst for an actor Wallis had recently taken a shine to: Humphrey Bogart.
Finding the perfect leading lady was the next hurdle. Wallis had previously tried to pair Bogart and Ingrid Bergman together on a prior film, but with no success. However, at the time of Casablanca'spre-production, David O. Selznick was less enchanted with his Swedish starlet; Selznick was embarrassed by the talk of Sweden possibly joining Axis forces in Europe. Worried that his star might soon be damaged goods, Selznick eagerly struck up a loan-out deal with Warner Bros. Bergman however, was not thrilled with her new role. She saw Casablanca as nothing more than romantic fluff that would do nothing to advance her career. Irony at it's height.
"Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." -Rick
With Bogart and Bergman both locked in, all that was left was to successfully film the movie on time and under budget, an endeavor that was much more difficult than it sounds. It took several Hollywood writers, and several different script iterations to turn Everybody Comes to Rick's into the Casablanca we know and love today. According to Bergman, there were so many script changes, edits, and re-edits throughout the filming process, that she didn't actually know which man her character was going to end up with for the first few weeks of filming. It's also said that Rick's final speech to Ilsa was written on the airport set, writers using the hood of one of the cars to scribble down the film's last lines.
Even after filming finished, there were still proposed changes and edits. One proposed idea would have changed Casablanca's legacy as we know it; Max Steiner, the composer on the film, actually hated the now-famous song, "As Time Goes By." He requested to replace the song with an original piece of his own. This would, however, have required re-shoots of several scenes, which (thankfully) was impossible due to Ingrid Bergman; she had already cut off all her hair for her next picture, For Whom the Bell Tolls. So fans can thank Bergman's hair for "As Time Goes By" being kept in it's rightful place.
Casablanca truly is the epitome of classic American cinema. It holds a special place in film history, as well as in the hearts of its biggest fans. In my family, Casablanca is known as my parent's movie; the first time my Dad called my Mom to ask her out on a date, my Mom refused to come to the phone; Casablanca was the feature film on TV that night, and as my Mom said, "Who would call during the last 5 minutes of Casablanca!?" My Dad quickly learned his lesson.
If you haven't see the film yet, do yourself a favor and watch it. You'll fall in love with it's subtle beauty and sentiment. And if you have seen Casablanca before, revisit it when you have the chance, and fall in love all over again.
On a quick personal note, I want to apologize for the recent hiatus here on the Vintage Marquee. That unexpected and uncontrollable conflict called life has made it more difficult than usual to keep up with new posts. However, the New Year is right around the corner and my resolution is going to be to re-dedicate myself to the Vintage Marquee. I look forward to bringing you more reviews and write-ups on my favorite classic films.
