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+ "page_name": "Casablanca",
+ "page_url": "https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-greatest-screenplays/casablanca",
+ "page_snippet": "Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein were twin brothers who had separate Hollywood writing careers until they became a team in 1938.Read a page from the screenplay of Casablanca. 31, 1941\u2013Producer Hal Wallis officially changes the title to Casablanca. \u2022 The Epstein brothers finish their screenplay three days before the film begins shooting on May 25, 1942; Howard Koch completes his two weeks after shooting begins. All three writers were on call throughout the entire shooting period even though the Epsteins had been summoned to Washington to work on Frank Capra's Why We Fight documentary series.",
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Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch Based on the play Everybody Comes to Rick's by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison
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Some facts about the writing of the film:
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• Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein were twin brothers who had separate Hollywood writing careers until they became a team in 1938. \n \n• Howard Koch wrote the famous “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast that scared millions of Americans into leaving their homes, thinking the country was being attacked by Martians. \n \n• 1940–Playwright Murray Burnett collaborates with Joan Alison on the play Everybody Comes to Rick's. The play is never produced. \n \n• Dec. 8, 1941–Everybody Comes to Rick's arrives at the Warner Bros. Story Department. \n \n• Jan. 6, 1942–Screenwriter Robert Buckner (whose credits include Jezebel and Yankee Doodle Dandy) sends a memo to producer Hal Wallis, expressing reservations about Warners' purchase of the play Everybody Comes to Rick's: “I might feel much freer in my opinions of this play, Everybody Comes to Rick's, if we hadn't paid such a sizable chunk of cash for it. Somebody must like it an awful lot and my criticisms will hardly be helpful to them. I do not like the play at all, Hal. I don't believe the story or the characters. Its main situations and the basic relations of the principals are completely censorable and messy, its big–moment is sheer hokum melodrama of the E. Phillips Oppenheim variety; and this guy Rick is two-parts Hemingway, one-part Scott Fitzgerald, and a dash of café Christ. Reading this back, I sound free enough, don't I?”–Warner Bros. archives \n \n• Dec. 31, 1941–Producer Hal Wallis officially changes the title to Casablanca. \n \n• The Epstein brothers finish their screenplay three days before the film begins shooting on May 25, 1942; Howard Koch completes his two weeks after shooting begins. All three writers were on call throughout the entire shooting period even though the Epsteins had been summoned to Washington to work on Frank Capra's Why We Fight documentary series. –IMDB \n \n• The Epstein brothers and Howard Koch never worked in the same room at the same time during the writing of the script. –IMDB \n \n• Julius Epstein: “It doesn't matter how serious a film is... the right kinds of laughs can work in any film!” \n \n• Howard Koch: “When we began, we didn't have a finished script...Ingrid Bergman came to me and said, 'Which man should I love more...?' I said to her, 'I don't know... play them both evenly.' You see we didn't have an ending, so we didn't know what was going to happen!” –Hollywood Hotline, May 1995 \n \n• Howard Koch: “The ending of the film was in the air until the very end... I was working every day on the set... I think we never really had the ending for sure... We thought of many possibilities and finally decided on the one that was in the film. That has proven to be the ending that the audience accepts.” –Hollywood Hotline, May 1995 \n \n• Julius Epstein: “Warner had 75 writers under contract, and 75 of them tried to figure out an ending!” –Hollywood Hotline, May 1995 \n \n• Leslie Epstein (son of Philip): “The true story is that while driving down Sunset Boulevard, the twins came to the red light at Beverly Glen (the city of Beverly Hills has yet to put a plaque on the spot); while they were waiting, they turned to each other and with one voice cried out, 'Round up the usual suspects!'” –Interview with Leslie Epstein, the American Prospect \n \n• A staunch supporter of the Screenwriters Guild and other motion picture industry unions, Julius Epstein was investigated during the communist scare of the 1950s. When asked if he had ever belonged to a subversive organization, he responded without hesitation: "Yes–Warner Brothers." –obits.com \n \n• In the 1980s, this film's script was sent to readers at a number of major studios and production companies under its original title, Everybody Comes To Rick's. Some readers recognized the script but most did not. Many complained that the script was "not good enough" to make a decent movie. –IMDB
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+ "page_name": "Casablanca (1942) \u2b50 8.5 | Drama, Romance, War",
+ "page_url": "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/",
+ "page_snippet": "Casablanca: Directed by Michael Curtiz. With Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains. A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.There's a bar is Casablanca called Rick's Caf\u00e9, it attracts the kind of crowd that's gone astray, people looking for escape, in a world knocked out of shape, Victor Laszlo, Ilsa Lund, have found their way. They're in search of documents to help them flee, from a war that's left so many refugee, in the gin joint ties rebind, as past loves are realigned, a pianist opens doors with a lost key. (at around 37 mins) When Rick is getting drunk he ask Sam, \"It's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York?\" After Sam replies, \"My watch stopped,\" he goes on to say, \"I'll bet they're asleep in New York. I'll bet they're asleep all over America.\" 1h 42m | PG",
+ "page_result": "Casablanca (1942) - IMDb
A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
(at around 37 mins) When Rick is getting drunk he ask Sam, "It's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York?" After Sam replies, "My watch stopped," he goes on to say, "I'll bet they're asleep in New York. I'll bet they're asleep all over America." However, Rick is not referring to the actual time (noted by giving a month and year rather than a time) and is actually making reference to, in pre-Pearl Harbor America, most Americans are "asleep" when it comes to the war and fighting the Axis powers. This is an intentional attempt at a poetic reference, not a statement of fact.
As late as 1974, the references to an extra-marital affair were banned in Ireland. The Irish cut got rid of two important sequences. First, after Ilsa tells Rick that she had left him after finding out that Viktor was still alive, the embraces and dialogue that followed were cut. Second, the emotional dialogue at the end of the film from Ilsa's line "You're saying that only to make me go" to Rick's line "What I've got to do, you haven't any part of". This led to Irish audiences' being bemused by the relationship between Rick and Ilsa, and often interpreting Rick's final speech beginning "I'm no good at being noble" as a reflection on the debilitating effects of war.
There's a bar is Casablanca called Rick's Caf\u00e9, it attracts the kind of crowd that's gone astray, people looking for escape, in a world knocked out of shape, Victor Laszlo, Ilsa Lund, have found their way. They're in search of documents to help them flee, from a war that's left so many refugee, in the gin joint ties rebind, as past loves are realigned, a pianist opens doors with a lost key. The owner of the bar is compromised, as he looks into the past at eyes that lied, a mercenary of sorts, takes advantage of imports, sneering, cynical, contemptuous and quite snide. It's a world that's built around a roulette table, where rewards can be significant, substantial, but the costs can be severe, without Am\u00e9ricain Rick Blaine's ear, in this legendary and quite fabulous forties fable.
Please enable browser cookies to use this feature.\u00a0Learn more.
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+ "page_name": "The immortal \u2018Casablanca\u2019: Why the Old Hollywood\u2019s Everlasting ...",
+ "page_url": "https://cinephiliabeyond.org/immortal-casablanca-old-hollywoods-everlasting-masterpiece-still-beloved/",
+ "page_snippet": "By Sven Mikulec There is only a spoonful of movies that enjoy such a reputation as Casablanca, the romantic war drama directed by Michael Curtiz which started winning over the world in late 1942. A standard inhabitant of 'top ten movies of all time' lists, this beloved classic is considered ...By Sven Mikulec There is only a spoonful of movies that enjoy such a reputation as Casablanca, the romantic war drama directed by Michael Curtiz which started winning over the world in late 1942. A standard inhabitant of 'top ten movies of all time' lists, this beloved classic is considered a part of A monumentally important screenplay. Screenwriter must-read: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein & Howard Koch\u2019s screenplay for Casablanca [PDF1, PDF2]. (NOTE: For educational and research purposes only). Purchase the Casablanca: The Warner Bros. Screenplay for Kindle. Screenwriter must-read: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein & Howard Koch\u2019s screenplay for Casablanca [PDF1, PDF2]. (NOTE: For educational and research purposes only). Purchase the Casablanca: The Warner Bros. Screenplay for Kindle. The DVD/Blu-ray of the film is available at Amazon and other online retailers. Absolutely our highest recommendation. The immortal Casablanca is the subject of Ronald Haver\u2019s superb behind-the-scenes account in the June 1976 American Film. The story traces draft after draft of the screenplay\u2019s development, including screenwriter Howard Koch\u2019s addition of Rick\u2019s background as a gunrunner during the Spanish Civil War.",
+ "page_result": " The immortal \u2018Casablanca\u2019: Why the Old Hollywood\u2019s Everlasting Masterpiece Is Still Beloved \u2022 Cinephilia & Beyond
The immortal \u2018Casablanca\u2019: Why the Old Hollywood\u2019s Everlasting Masterpiece Is Still Beloved
By Sven Mikulec
There is only a spoonful of movies that enjoy such a reputation as Casablanca, the romantic war drama directed by Michael Curtiz which started winning over the world in late 1942. A standard inhabitant of ‘top ten movies of all time’ lists, this beloved classic is considered a part of the ABCs of filmmaking, taught and dissected in film schools from Vancouver to Auckland, from Santiago to Tokio. If they were still with us, the screenwriters would get the hiccups every couple of seconds considering how often regular folks quote the immortal lines of dialogue from this film. The legacy and esteem of Casablanca have been further strengthened by numerous homages and obvious inspiration other films drew from Rick’s special gin joint. What’s particularly interesting here and what gives the entire story additional sentimental value and appeal is the fact that the people who made it most likely didn’t have the slightest clue what kind of a long-lasting iconic picture they were making. Not when the script was being written, not when the film was being shot between May and August of 1942, not even after the film was shown to the public for the first time. Hollywood produced about a hundred films that year, and no one in their right mind expected a huge financial success of Casablanca, let alone the impressive afterlife it’s still enjoying seven decades after its release.
If we tried to pinpoint what exactly spurred the success of this capacity we probably couldn’t provide any conclusive answers, but there are certain elements that need to be mentioned. First of all, what demands to be recognized is the all-star team behind the camera: the Hungarian-born incredibly prolific director Michael Curtiz who helped make Warner Bros. into what it was, one of the champions of the Golden Age of Hollywood; screenwriting brothers Julius and Philip Epstein, “The Boys” who built a superb reputation as both script doctors and screenwriters (The Strawberry Blonde, Arsenic and Old Lace); composer Max Steiner, who made his name with King Kong, Little Women, The Searchers, Gone With the Wind and others; accomplished cinematographer Arthur Edeson (Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad, The Lost World, Frankenstein); the very productive editor Owen Marks and, of course, the great producer Hal B. Wallis, who helped bring to life such classics as The Maltese Falcon, The Fountainhead and True Grit.
Equally impressive was the team in front of the camera: lead stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, as well as the supporting cast of Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson, were perfectly chosen to create complex characters from the script who inhabit the world of wartime Casablanca, successfully giving a feeling of realism to Rick\u2019s bar and its surrounding community. Moreover, the immediate success of Casablanca must be at least partly attributed to the studio\u2019s feeling for urgency and good timing, as Warner efficiently made use of current historical events that made the film\u2019s impact more powerful. Even though Casablanca was supposed to see the light of day in the spring of 1943, the premiere took place in November 1942, so as to correspond to the invasion of North Africa by the Allies. In addition to that, the general release was scheduled for January 23, 1943, when the Casablanca Conference with Roosevelt and Churchill was taking place.
Casablanca initially came into existence in the form of a play. Story editor Irene Diamond managed to persuade producer Wallis to acquire the rights for Murray Burnett and Joan Allison’s unproduced play ‘Everybody Comes to Rick\u2019s,’ a stage play allegedly inspired by Burnett\u2019s trip across Europe in 1938, during which he and his wife had been surprised by anti-Semitism in the post-Anschluss Austria, while a visit to a nightclub in southern France gave birth to the idea of Bogart’s character. Wallis soon gave the job of transforming the play into a script to Julius and Philip Epstein, but against the studio’s wishes they soon took a hiatus and went on to work on Frank Capra’s Why We Fight. Writer Howard Koch, who worked on Orson Welles\u2019 legendary The War of the Worlds radio drama, was then hired to continue the work on the script, but the Epsteins took over about a month later. Uncredited writer Casey Robinson labored on three weeks of rewrites, and even the producer Wallis contributed to the script by suggesting the everlasting \u201cthis is the beginning of a beautiful friendship\u201d line, which was dubbed in a month after the end of filming. Michael Curtiz, the loyal soldier of Warner Bros., got the gig only after Wallis\u2019 first choice, William Wyler, had to decline the offer due to scheduling conflicts.
The main reason why Casablanca still holds a place in film theory books, popular culture and oral tradition lies in its powerful storyline that easily gets through to people, featuring characters easy to relate to, dealing with a theme that has for centuries been the artists’ inspiration for creating the best of stories: love and sacrifices we make for a greater cause. Set in the backdrop of the Second World War, evoking the notions of honor, loyalty, friendship and duty, Casablanca is a classic which represents the very best the old Hollywood had to offer, and it’s no surprise the film managed to stay afloat and still be celebrated three quarters of a century since the premiere. It’s also an interesting field for film analysis: one of the more interesting readings of the movie connects Bogart’s character, the bar owner at first trying to remain neutral, careful and isolated from what’s going on around him, to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, consequently turning the character into a personification of the United States, an interesting theory further empowered by the very meaning of “Casablanca,” which is Spanish for “White House.” If we decide to ignore such analyses and take things at face value, Casablanca is still a technically impeccable film strong in all of its segments, which became even more than a sum of its remarkable parts thanks to its theme and the nature of its audience. Love, duty, honor and sacrifice have, after all, always been a crucial part of the human existence.
A monumentally important screenplay. Screenwriter must-read: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein & Howard Koch\u2019s screenplay for Casablanca [PDF1, PDF2]. (NOTE: For educational and research purposes only). Purchase the Casablanca: The Warner Bros. Screenplay for Kindle. The DVD/Blu-ray of the film is available at Amazon and other online retailers. Absolutely our highest recommendation.
The immortal Casablanca\u00a0is the subject of Ronald Haver\u2019s superb behind-the-scenes account in the June 1976 American Film. The story traces draft after draft of the screenplay\u2019s development, including screenwriter Howard Koch\u2019s addition of Rick\u2019s background as a gunrunner during the Spanish Civil War. Years later, Koch wrote a treatment for a sequel called Return to Casablanca, set in the 1960s, in which the son of Rick and Ilse\u2014raised by Ilse and Victor Laszlo\u2014visits the North African town where he was conceived the night his mother, gun in hand, demanded a letter of transport from his biological dad. The studios passed on Koch\u2019s story, perhaps fearing that it would fare no better than the 1955 and 1983 TV versions of the classic film that had come and quickly gone. But Haver\u2019s story takes us back to the making of the glorious original, which cut away from the steamy reunion Koch\u2019s sequel would later have us believe took place. Courtesy of the American Film Institute.
INTERVIEW: HOWARD KOCH, JULIUS EPSTEIN
Eliot Stein’s interview with Howard Koch (age 93) and Julius Epstein (age 85), co-writers of the film Casablanca, and Frank Miller\u2014an expert on the movie. Courtesy of Vincent’s Casablanca HomePage.
What did you think of the unpublished play, ‘Everybody Comes to Rick’s’ when you were first handed to you? HOWARD KOCH: I enjoyed both the stage and movie field back then… I hoped that it could be transferred from the play into a movie. I knew it would reach more people as a movie.
What did you like the best about the play? The characterizations of Bogart and Bergman had incredible potential of making a great movie… When we began we didn’t have a finished script… Ingrid Bergman came to me and said, “Which man should I love more…?” I said to her, “I don’t know… play them both evenly… you see we didn’t have an ending, so we didn’t know what was going to happen!”
What were Bogart and Bergman like as ordinary people? Bergman was more tense and nervous than the American actors she was playing opposite. She wasn’t used to playing without a finished script.
This is a show-off’s question, and I hesitate to ask it. I’ve always been intrigued by the air of conspiracy which permeates Casablanca. Three lines of dialogue particularly caught my attention. Ugarte: “Myself. I found myself much more reasonable.” Renault: “It would never do for the Chief of Police to be caught drinking after hours and have to fine himself.” Ferrari: “I shall remember to pay it to myself.” Do you remember if there was a conscious intention linking these three lines which show that these wheeler-dealers even negotiate with themselves? There was much corruption that we dramatized in the script… it was part of the environment of the film… It was very necessary… We didn’t want to have ALL good characters… we wanted characters of all shades!
When you were doing the film in the script writing of Casablanca… had the war started yet? If so, then did you have any problems with the blatantly pro-allied point of view from the various isolationist groups then in existence? 2nd, what was Claude Rains like? I’ve always admired him. The war was on… Casablanca was something that fitted in with the time it was made. Claude Raines was very sure of himself… never worried… the same with Bogart. They both had been through the making of many pictures beforehand… and they were hardened to all of the problems that arose during shooting. Bergman was not that experienced… and not having the finished script really bothered her.
Why and when did charm disappear from action and suspense movies? Mr. Koch, in your career, which actor was the best at putting what you wrote on the screen? Which director? Yes… I think the pictures that are made today have certain virtues… but they lack elements that made people go to the movies once a week! In Casablanca, I would say I had very little complaints… If I could have chosen the performers that made the film… I wouldn’t have changed ANY of them. That’s what made the film so great! The performers were so tremendous at what they did in this film! They were born for the roles!!! Could you imagine anybody else playing those parts?
Were any other endings considered, and if there were, what were they? The ending of the film was in the air until the very end… I was working every day on the set… I think we never really had the ending for sure… we thought of many possibilities and finally decided on the one that was in the film. That has proven to be the ending that the audience accepts!
I was just wondering if any of the film actors are still living? Joy Paige\u2014who played the young Bulgarian woman whose husband “won” with number 22, is the only one remaining. She is a recluse. Won’t talk to anybody.
In the colorized version of the movie: are the colors of the actors’ clothes the same as they actually were? I haven’t seen the colorized version of the film. I imagine that there are people that are purists and prefer the original version only… So I can’t answer that!
Even though Sam refers to him as “Boss,” they seem more as peers. i.e., “We’ll get drunk… go fishing.” This always struck me as unusual, given the racial stereotypes of the era. I was interested in developing a relationship between the two… when we were on the set together… there was always a wonderful friendly feeling. This film was needed. The way it was conveyed to the audience was special… I didn’t know Dooley before the film was made… but whoever cast him certainly picked the right man! There was such a friendly feeling on the set. This shows up in the picture. In more than any picture I have ever written. A great feeling on a set is essential to the success of a picture!
You mentioned that problems occurred during shooting What kinds of problems did you have on the set? The biggest problem was we were making a movie and still didn’t have an ending. This was very worrisome. It really disturbed Ingrid Bergman… she was used to knowing how a movie ended so she could develop her character accordingly throughout the movie!
Have you been surprised at how the movie has become a perennial favorite? Yes I am surprised… I’ve accepted the fact, but at the time… all we were trying to do was make a successful movie!
We are interviewing Julius Epstein, co-writer of the film, Casablanca. Julius… how did you and your brother decide that great humor and satire… was going to making this film work? After all\u2014it was a very serious subject! JULIUS EPSTEIN: It worked for us in other pictures… it doesn’t matter how serious a film is… the right kinds of laughs can work in any film!
What was the atmosphere on the set like? Tense? Friendly? Cooperative? In 99% of films ever made there is a certain amount of tenseness and disagreement… things went smoothly until we encountered the problem of not having an ending… things got tense… especially with Jack Warner and other executives.
Were there any endings considered other than the great one we all love? Warner had 75 writers under contract and 75 of them tried to figure out an ending!
Where were you when the spark came to you for the ending? We were driving to the studio. It came to us while we were driving!
I was wondering how you got Bergman to play the part. Wasn’t she under contract to another studio? It was called “loaning out.” We went to Selznick and told him the story of the film… He was eating soup… never looked up at us… we were throwing him some of the details of the story… we spoke for 20 minutes… we didn’t even mention the character of Ingrid Bergman… I looked at Selznick and said, “IT’s going to be a lot of sh** like the film ALGIERS, he looked up for the first time and nodded… and we had Ingrid Bergman!
Are you surprised at the cult classic this has become? Were there any indications at the time this would be such a huge success? I don’t understand it. At the time… every studio made a picture a week… an assembly line… This was just one of the pictures at the Warner Bros. assembly line. It really became a cult classic when Bogart died in 1955!
Was Casablanca the most personally satisfying film you have worked on? If so, why? If not, what were the problems? It was not the most satisfying. Casablanca was really concocted. There were never any “letters of transit”… it was made up. The other films I mentioned earlier were much more realistic.
The enduring beauty of Casablanca has forever changed my view of film. Have you compared the richness of the work on the big screen with that on the video recorder? It is stunning to see Bogart & Bergman full screen. Also have you been able to appreciate the humor of Play It Again, Sam with the neurotic Woody Allen mesmerized by the drama and still appreciate the greatness of the original work? I see very few pictures on the small screen… the full appreciation for a film has to take place on the big screen. I love Woody Allen… I’m a big fan and I love almost everything he does!
Where do you stand on the colorization of Casablanca? It has one great virtue\u2014it made Bogart look prettier than Ingrid Bergman.
How did Mr. Curtiz and the crew handle the “write as we go” approach? And why such a big hurry to proceed with a story. They had no choice! They saw the incredible potential in the play!
Do you feel that a movie like Casablanca could be made today? Also, what differences might there be? A few years ago… some prankster took the script of Casablanca and changed the names of the characters… sent it out, and every studio in Hollywood turned it down! The language would be impure… and we would actually see Bogart and Bergman in bed… if it was made today.
Have you ever been approached for a sequel? I have turned them down. They asked 15-20 years ago. They have hired some people to develop a miniseries as a sequel to the film. That’s Warner Bros. who has done that.
Is that a Lockheed Lodestar firing up engines in the final airport scene? It was a mock-up of a plane. They used midgets in the background to keep it in perspective.
I understand that there were actually 4-5 writers working on Casablanca at various times including your brother. Was this typical for that era and how did it feel not having complete control over the material, and finally, was there a rivalry between the writers. There was just one other writer\u2014Casey Robinson. The screenwriters guild tried then and are still trying to get a writer more control over a picture. Casey came on at the end… basically editing our scenes… we never worked with Howard Koch in the same room… so there was never a rivalry!
Was Ingrid Bergman the first choice for the leading lady? As far as I know\u2014YES! Could you picture anybody else in that role ever? Absolutely not! that’s why any sequel will be doomed to failure!
Did you really mean to leave the impression with viewers that Rick and Ilsa made love before developing their strategy to leave Casablanca? Of course we did! If we had the freedom we have today… we would have made it so clear… you would have heard the bed squeaking on the sound track!
Well, that’s a great way for Julius Epstein to go out and to bring in Frank Miller, author of ‘Casablanca: As Time Goes By.’ Welcome Frank! FRANK MILLER: Good evening, everybody.
Let me tell people that you are the ultimate expert on this film and will be able to answer just about anything\u2014technical, creative, historical… about the film! Well, I hope I don’t let you down.
How do you feel about colorization? As a film buff, I don’t particularly like it. I certainly would not seek out a colorized film for my personal enjoyment. But I recognize the importance of the process from a financial stand. The libraries can sell colorized films in syndication as if they were new product. And in the case of Turner, at least, that gives them the money for restoration projects like the work done on Casablanca.
Frank, is Casablanca loved on a worldwide basis? Or are we just obsessed in the U.S. with it? There was some resistance on its first release. It was not well-received in France. Nor was it allowed to show in Germany for years, and initially only showed there in a heavily cut version (they eliminated all references to the Nazis). But over the years, that has all changed. The film is now tremendously popular around the globe.
How much did the director, Michael Curtiz, have to do with its success? Or was every shot already planned out for him by other people? Film was much more collaborative back then. This was all before the auteur theory. Curtiz planned a good deal of the film’s visual effect, but with heavy input from cinematographer Arthur Edeson and producer Hal Wallis.
How did they decide which ending to use? It was a combination of censorship and solid story sense. They originally planned for Rick to send Ilsa off, but did now have any idea how to do it. Then, after they started filming, Hal Wallis began to realize just how well Bogart was working out as a romantic star. They briefly considered other endings. The best possible ending would have had Bergman stay with him. But they couldn’t have her leave her husband and hope to escape the wrath of the censors. The only other possibility ever considered was to have Victor killed at the airport. Then, they realized that the problem with having Ilsa leave with Victor was that they hadn’t found a strong enough reason for Rick to send her away. When they realized (and nobody knows who arrived at this solution that he should send her off with Victor for the good of the cause, the ending literally wrote itself.
Both our guests tonight, co-writers Howard Koch and Julius Epstein, emphasized that the lack of an ending caused the only problems on the set… There were lots of problems on the set. Arguments with Curtiz. Curtiz’s bullying of lesser players. But the major issue with Ingrid Bergman was her uncertainty about how the film would end. She didn’t know how to build to the ending because movies are made illogically… in end scene first/status she didn’t know which man would win her. Curtiz kept telling her to play it “in-between,” which is what she did. And it made the film work better than if she’d known the ending.
Did the actors have a say in the writing as they often do now? Not really. Bogart suggested a few lines and urged the writers to give Rick a background as a freedom fighter. The first reference to the ending we know comes in a memo from another writer who worked on the script briefly: Casey Robinson. He was the first to suggest Rick’s sending Ilsa off for the good of the cause. Although he may not have written the scene itself, the germ of it comes in that memo, though it’s hard to tell if he’s suggesting the ending or referring to something that had been brought up previously.
Where there any notable scenes filmed that ended up on the cutting room floor? No. There was a scene planned, after the ending, that would have shown Rick and Renault on an Allied ship just prior to the landing at Casablanca but plans to shoot it were scrapped when the marketing department realized they had to get the film out fast to capitalize on the liberation of North Africa.
Of all the discoveries in your research, what were some that surprised you the most? The biggest surprise was the one that punctured the biggest legend. Ingrid Bergman always said that she didn’t know until the last day of shooting which man she went with. Well, she certainly didn’t know until they shot the airport scene that finishes the film, but that was not her last day of shooting. In fact, she shot two of her most important scenes after learning that Rick would send her with Ilsa. Both the scenes at the Blue Parrot, in which she insists on staying with Victor in Casablanca until they can both get exit visas, and the late-night visit to Rick’s apartment at the Cafe were shot after the airport scenes. All you have to do is look at the production reports.
The lighting looks different than other films of the same time why? It’s a combination of factors. Part of it surely was Hal Wallis’s vision for the film. Another part was economy. All those wonderful shadows, throwing fascinating patterns on the walls, could cover up cost-cutting. Finally, you have to look at cinematographer Arthur Edeson’s earlier career. He had first made his name at Universal, shooting the classic horror films in their Frankenstein series. That’s probably where he developed his sense of shadow and light, and that helps the film get its distinctive look.
I joined the conference not too long ago, and am unfamiliar with the restoration project for the film you mentioned. Can you tell us about it? Specifically, has any footage been restored to the film? Technicians at Turner Entertainment went back to the original negatives to create new printing elements with much more clarity than previous editions of the film. Ironically, the new negative was created to help make the colorized version possible. Colorizing requires a pristine negative. Previous prints were damaged because of the film’s popularity. The printing elements had been overused. At the same time they made the new negative from which to build the colorized version, they remastered the sound for stereo. That’s the version that toured the country two years ago during the film’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Well, why did you write this book? Why now? What are you adding to the canon? I missed the third question, but I’ll take on the first two. I was hired to write the book for release during the film’s 50th anniversary in 1993. I got the job because I had been writing for the public relations department at Turner Broadcasting for years. One of my projects was a 50th anniversary press kit on Citizen Kane. That got into the hands of the book’s publishers, who were looking for a writer at the time, and they decided I was the perfect choice.
I have always been intrigued by the sub characters in the film, Karl, Ferrari… their characters seen to evolve with time. Was this planned this way? I cannot remember other films of the era to be this way. I think the brilliance of the writing in those roles is a product of the way the screenplay was written. The Epsteins’ supplied a lot of the film’s comedy, with special emphasis on the character of Renault. They loved Claude Rains, who had starred in Four Daughters, their first great hit at Warner Bros. The part of Renault was specially tailored to the type of sardonic wit he could play with ease. Some of the more political elements, particular the writing of Major Strasser and the shaping of Sam’s character, can be credited to Howard Koch, who was brought in to strengthen that aspect of the script. The work of both sets of writers, not to mention whatever others may have been brought in to contribute a line or a scene, was put together by Curtiz and Wallis, who literally decided each morning what dialog would be shot that day. Somehow, out of this chaos came one of the screen’s best and most memorable scripts.
What did Bogart think of the movie and was the movie as popular then as it is today? Bogart saw the film as a great opportunity, but nobody at the time realized they were making one of the all-time great Hollywood films. It did very well at the box office (ranking number five for 1943), but, again, that was attributed to careful timing. Its New York premiere coincided with the Allied landing in North Africa and the Battle of Casablanca, so the free publicity helped draw crowds. The Los Angeles and national release coincided with the summit conference in\u2014where else?\u2014CASABLANCA. Again, free publicity. Even when it won the Oscar for Best Picture, that was considered a surprise. Everybody expected the award to go to The Song of Bernadette. What gave the film its classic status was television screenings over the years and revivals at repertory film houses, starting with the Brattle in Cambridge, MA, in the ’60s.
Frank… tell us about the music composer not even wanting to use that song! ‘As Time Goes By’ had been written in the ’20s and had enjoyed moderate success in a recording by Rudy Vallee. But it was the favorite song Murray Burnett, one of the co-authors of the play ‘Everybody Goes to Rick’s.’ He used the song as the love them for Rick and the leading lady (in the play she’s named Lois). Nobody at Warner’s questioned the use of that song, since the studio owned the rights anyway. When the film had been shot and Max Steiner was ready to score it, he tried to get them to change the song, claiming that it was so musically uninteresting that he couldn’t work it into the score. He also may have wanted to write a new song for the film and possibly make a hit (as he had done with “It Can’t Be Wrong,” the song he wrote for Now, Voyager). Hal Wallis was ready to make the change, but it meant reshooting some lines for Ingrid Bergman. And she had already cut her hair short for her role in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Unable to match up the shots, they had to stick with ‘As Time Goes By,’\u00a0which became a bigger hit than ever as a result of its use in this film.
Characters seem to constantly be ordering drinks in Rick’s Cafe yet never finishing them. Is this indicative of the level of wealth of people in Casablanca at that time? Well, this gets a two part answer. The unfinished drinks are probably part of an age old dramatic device that generates tension or humor (depending on the piece’s genre) by interrupting rituals. How often do you see a peaceful family meal consumed on film? Rarely. Secondly, the people on whom the film concentrates are refugees fleeing Europe, usually for America. Most of them have their life’s savings with them, and some may be quite wealthy. From characters like Yvette and the pickpocket you get a sense of what happens to people when they get stuck in Casablanca for too long. They run out of money and turn to desperate measures to survive.
Notwithstanding Max Steiner’s disdain for ‘As Time Goes By’… I think he did an excellent job of using it in the score… seamless… Did he arrange the piano accompaniment for the onscreen singing? Probably not. Those were arranged and recorded before the film was shot. Dooly Wilson did not really play the piano. And he had trouble miming to the playback because they had to cut the volume whenever anybody had a line. So they placed the pianist on the set, out of camera range, and had him play to a dummy piano. Wilson then could mirror his playing.
There Is a musical number in the beginning of the film that always seemed out of place. Do you feel the same? The woman was radio-singer and guitarist Corinna Mura, and her two numbers were ‘Tabu’ and ‘Tango des Roses.’ They included her in the film, with the two numbers, for appeal in the Latin American countries, which were the main sources of international film rentals during the war. ‘Knock on Wood’ was an original song and was the number everybody at Warners thought would become a big hit as a result of the scene in the film where everybody joins in. They were wrong.
Frank… I assume that a “group” number like ‘Knock on Wood’ was probably very hip at the time circa 1942? It was considered a novelty number because of the way it involved the audience. It always makes me think of the Glenn Miller hit ‘Pennsylvania 6-5000.’
WE\u2019LL ALWAYS HAVE CASABLANCA: THE LIFE, LEGEND, AND AFTERLIFE OF HOLLYWOOD\u2019S MOST BELOVED MOVIE
We\u2019ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood\u2019s Most Beloved Movie is celebrated film historian Noah Isenberg\u2019s rich account of this most beloved movie\u2019s origins. Through extensive research and interviews with filmmakers, film critics, family members of the cast and crew, and diehard fans, Isenberg reveals the myths and realities behind Casablanca\u2019s production, exploring the transformation of the unproduced stage play into the classic screenplay, the controversial casting decisions, the battles with Production Code censors, and the effect of the war\u2019s progress on the movie\u2019s reception. Isenberg particularly focuses on the central role refugees from Hitler\u2019s Europe played in the production (nearly all of the actors and actresses cast in Casablanca were immigrants). Finally, Isenberg turns to Casablanca\u2019s long afterlife and the reasons it remains so revered. From the Marx Brothers\u2019 1946 spoof hit, A Night in Casablanca, to loving parodies in New Yorker cartoons, Saturday Night Live skits, and Simpsons episodes, Isenberg delves into the ways the movie has lodged itself in the American psyche. Filled with fresh insights into Casablanca\u2019s creation, production, and legacy, We\u2019ll Always Have Casablanca is a magnificent account of what made the movie so popular and why it continues to dazzle audiences seventy-five years after its release.
Since Humphrey Bogart was shorter than Ingrid Bergman, he wore these platform shoes during the filming of Casablanca.
‘CASABLANCA’: AN UNLIKELY CLASSIC
How a movie destined for disaster overcame impossible odds to become a classic. Directed by Gary Leva.
Taken from the 1989 Criterion Collection LaserDisc release of the film; rare commentary by film historian Ronald Haver.
THE GREATEST DIRECTOR YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF
This first-ever video biography of one of Hollywood’s greatest\u2014but least known\u2014filmmakers illuminates the work and life of the man who made such classics as Captain Blood, Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Adventures of Robin Hood and Casablanca. Directed by Gary Leva.
Here are several photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of Michael Curtiz\u2019s Casablanca \u00a9 Warner Bros. Intended for editorial use only. All material for educational and noncommercial purposes only.
If you find Cinephilia & Beyond useful and inspiring, please consider making a small donation. Your generosity preserves film knowledge for future generations. To donate, please visit our donation page, or donate directly below:
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+ "page_last_modified": " Mon, 11 Mar 2024 06:39:04 GMT"
+ },
+ {
+ "page_name": "The Chaotic Way Casablanca's Script Was Put Together - /Film",
+ "page_url": "https://www.slashfilm.com/723954/the-chaotic-way-casablancas-script-was-put-together/",
+ "page_snippet": "One of the greatest screenplays ever written was a total mess throughout production.For a film of any pedigree, a perpetually-changing screenplay and a bevy of behind-the-scenes drama usually points to imminent disaster \u2014 at least by today's standards. Back in Hollywood's Golden Age though, that wasn't always the case. One of the greatest examples of this might be \"Casablanca,\" your favorite movie critic's favorite movie. To say that their Thanksgiving opening was successful would be a gross understatement: As Casablanca became a more integral presence on the world's stage, so too did \"Casablanca\" grow in popularity. The film's favorable word of mouth carried it all the way to three Oscar wins in 1943: for Best Screenplay, Director, and Picture. Ironically, its production wasn't nearly as cohesive as the finished product. The screenplay constantly changed under a number of squabbling writers, even up until the last day of production. Warner Bros. Just as \"Casablanca\" begins in 1941, so does the story of the film's production. The film's favorable word of mouth carried it all the way to three Oscar wins in 1943: for Best Screenplay, Director, and Picture. In today's Hollywood, a strong artistic vision from a powerhouse director is all that seems to matter. It feels unthinkable now for a film to be subject to so many perspectives as \"Casablanca\" was.",
+ "page_result": "\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Chaotic Way Casablanca's Script Was Put Together\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n
For a film of any pedigree, a perpetually-changing screenplay and a bevy of behind-the-scenes drama usually points to imminent disaster \u2014 at least by today's standards. Back in Hollywood's Golden Age though, that wasn't always the case. One of the greatest examples of this might be \"Casablanca,\" your favorite movie critic's favorite movie. Today the film reigns supreme as one of the greatest on earth, with lines of dialogue so intrinsically linked to the public zeitgeist that many have no clue where they first originated.
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The film follows the American expat Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who owns a nightclub in the heart of the titular Moroccan city. It's 1941, World War II is in full, gruesome swing, and the country is under French-led, Nazi-puppeted jurisdiction. Rick is decidedly neutral on all matters political \u2014 that is, until the woman who once broke his heart, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), arrives in Casablanca with her husband Viktor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a freedom fighter seeking asylum from Nazi rule. As fate would have it, only Rick has the power to secure safe passage for Viktor. But the more time he spends with Ilsa, the harder it is to let her go again.
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\"Casablanca\" is many things to many people. A war drama, a star-crossed romance, a political commentary, a sleek and witty template for countless imitators. All these elements are woven adeptly into the fabric of the film, creating what many deem a perfect script and story. Ironically, its production wasn't nearly as cohesive as the finished product. The screenplay constantly changed under a number of squabbling writers, even up until the last day of production.
Just as \"Casablanca\" begins in 1941, so does the story of the film's production. Warner Bros. first discovered the unproduced play that would inspire the film, \"Everybody Comes to Rick's,\" immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (via NY Post). Producer Hal B. Wallis scored the rights in January 1942, and was instrumental in selecting director, cast and crew as production began.
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The film easily could have been a copy-paste of \"Everybody Comes to Rick's,\" especially with such a tight turnaround in mind. But the actual script was never 100% complete, not even as the final scene was shot that same year. This was due in part to tweaks to certain characters, and in part to the revolving door of writers who all, at one point, had their hands on the constantly shifting script.
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Wallis first tapped Julius and Philip Epstein, twin scribes who would pen some of the film's most famous lines (\"Round up the usual suspects,\" anyone?). The Epsteins briefly abandoned the project to work on war documentaries with acclaimed director Frank Capra, and that paved the way for Howard Koch to take over in their absence. The three would become the only writers credited for \"Casablanca,\" but others \u2014 like Casey Robinson, producer Wallis, and director Michael Curtiz \u2014 would still shape the script in indelible ways.
Warners Bros. brought the \"Casablanca\" cast together in a similar whirlwind. Most of the studio's initial choices fell through. But Wallis, who had near unlimited power to cast anyone, took this in stride. He handpicked Humphrey Bogart for the lead role, and bent the script to accommodate his plain-spoken leading man. It was Casey Robinson, one of Warner Bros. best screenwriters, who transformed Ilsa's character from an American divorc\u00e9e to a European refugee \u2014 a perfect fit for Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman.
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Despite perfect casting on nearly all fronts, everyone seemed to have their own problems with the script. No one knew whether Ilsa would remain with her husband Viktor, or rekindle her flame with Rick. Bergman, according to her memoirs, was advised to \"play it in between\" the two prospective lovers to the very end. Bogart himself had issues with Curtiz's direction in that final scene, where Rick finally makes his noble sacrifice in letting Ilsa go. He and Curtiz fought so intensely over his line delivery that Wallis himself had to break the two up.
\n
That same scene was rife with even more last minute additions. One of the more satisfactory bits of the conclusion, where Rick chooses to join the Free French with his former foe Captain Renault (Claude Rains), was introduced right on set. Even after shooting wrapped, dialogue changes were still being made. Bogart was called back during post-production to record the iconic \"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,\" thankfully the last extraneous addition.
\"Casablanca\" was originally slated for release in the summer of 1943, but after Allied forces invaded the real Casablanca in November 1942, Warner Bros. pushed the film to premiere that same month. To say that their Thanksgiving opening was successful would be a gross understatement: As Casablanca became a more integral presence on the world's stage, so too did \"Casablanca\" grow in popularity. The film's favorable word of mouth carried it all the way to three Oscar wins in 1943: for Best Screenplay, Director, and Picture.
\n\n
In today's Hollywood, a strong artistic vision from a powerhouse director is all that seems to matter. It feels unthinkable now for a film to be subject to so many perspectives as \"Casablanca\" was. With constant additions and changes, and scenes that were being rewritten in the very midst of production, \"Casablanca\" could have crashed and burned. But the film works because its disparate threads are woven so seamlessly together.
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It's a bit ironic considering the reluctance most had to the script, even in its hastily-cobbled stage. Julius Epstein argued that \"Casablanca\" had more corn in it \"than in the states of Kansas and Iowa combined.\" That the film is now recognized as one of the most comprehensive stories of the 20th century might have had more to do with luck than anything else. But if that is the case, I'd say we're also lucky it turned out that way. The cast and crew were all under exceeding pressure to turn \"Casablanca\" around within a year, and \u2014 at the risk of leaning into corn myself \u2014 all that pressure did, in fact, make quite the diamond.
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+ "page_last_modified": ""
+ },
+ {
+ "page_name": "Screenwriter At The Movies: Casablanca (1942)",
+ "page_url": "https://www.storiesbyphil.com/post/casablanca-movie",
+ "page_snippet": "Casablanca: What I Learned From It This Time. Last week, at my local cinema, I had the privilege of seeing a digital restoration of the classic film Casablanca. I\u2019ve seen it a million times, but this was my first time seeing it in a theater. It was just as awesome as you\u2019d imagine.A million authors have written about the genius of Julius K. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch\u2018s screenplay; over 75 years it has become an ingrained part of cinema history and culture. Though its influence on today\u2019s popular culture has waned, for screenwriters, it\u2019s an enduring touchstone for lessons in screenwriting. Which is what got me thinking \u2013 what did I learn from Casablanca this time? Last week, at my local cinema, I had the privilege of seeing a digital restoration of the classic film Casablanca. I\u2019ve seen it a million times, but this was my first time seeing it in a theater. It was just as awesome as you\u2019d imagine. A million authors have written about the genius of Julius K. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch\u2018s screenplay; over 75 years it has become an ingrained part of cinema history and culture. So, when I look at Humphrey Bogart\u2018s character, Rick Blaine, in Casablanca, what kind of person do I see at the beginning of the film? Is he a \u2018changed man\u2019 by the end? Do his actions support this, or just his words? Rick is described as cynical by Ugarte (Peter Lorre) in the beginning of the movie. It\u2019s the backbone of what makes a character feel relatable and realistic to an audience. So, when I look at Humphrey Bogart\u2018s character, Rick Blaine, in Casablanca, what kind of person do I see at the beginning of the film? Is he a \u2018changed man\u2019 by the end?",
+ "page_result": "\n\n\n \n \n Screenwriter At The Movies: Casablanca (1942)\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n\n\n \n \n\n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Last week, at my local cinema, I had the privilege of seeing a digital restoration of the classic film Casablanca. I\u2019ve seen it a million times, but this was my first time seeing it in a theater. It was just as awesome as you\u2019d imagine.
A million authors have written about the genius of Julius K. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch\u2018s screenplay; over 75 years it has become an ingrained part of cinema history and culture. Though its influence on today\u2019s popular culture has waned, for screenwriters, it\u2019s an enduring touchstone for lessons in screenwriting. Which is what got me thinking \u2013 what did I learn from Casablanca this time?
Actions speak louder than words.
That\u2019s the yardstick when you want to know how to judge a person\u2019s character. Watch what they do, not what they say. It\u2019s one of the Golden Rules of screenwriting, too. It\u2019s the backbone of what makes a character feel relatable and realistic to an audience. So, when I look at Humphrey Bogart\u2018s character, Rick Blaine, in Casablanca, what kind of person do I see at the beginning of the film? Is he a \u2018changed man\u2019 by the end? Do his actions support this, or just his words?
Let\u2019s look at the evidence.
Rick is described as cynical by Ugarte (Peter Lorre) in the beginning of the movie. More than once we hear Rick himself say, \u201cI stick my neck out for no one.\u201d By the end of the film though, Rick seems a changed man. He sacrifices his own happiness for that of his former flame, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), so she and her husband, WWII resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Heinrid) can escape the Nazis and continue leading the movement from the safer shores of the US.
That seems like a pretty cut-and-dried character arc. Rick goes from selfish and cynical, to hopeful and selfless. Job done. Arc complete.
But did he really?
Was his inner transformation as a person really that profound? I don\u2019t think it was. I think this guy was just bitter because he got his heart broken, but that heartbreak didn\u2019t really change who he was on the inside, despite what he told others.\u00a0That\u2019s why Lazslo comments that Rick sounds like someone who\u2019s \u201ctrying to convince themselves of something he doesn\u2019t really believe\u201d when Rick professes to be motivated solely by self interest. The evidence is in his actions throughout the movie:
Rick helps a young Bulgarian couple after the wife has admitted she slept with Captain Renault (Claude Rains) to secure transit visas for her and her husband.
When Signor Ferrari (Sydney Greenstreet) offers to \u2018buy\u2019 Rick\u2019s piano man, Sam, Rick refuses to participate in the \u2018trading of human lives\u2019, and proves it by giving Sam the final say in whether he wants to ,work for someone else.
When Captain Renault closes down Rick\u2019s cafe, Rick keeps his entire staff on full pay, even though it could bankrupt him.
Rick\u2019s past history of running guns for the losing sides in other wars is further proof he\u2019s a sucker for the underdog.
Captain Renault is right!
Rick really is a \u201crank sentimentalist\u201d.
So, I think we can say that the change he achieves is more of a simple, but very relatable kind: he gets over his broken heart.
When confronted with Lazslo\u2019s selflessness, Rick realizes he\u2019s just being spiteful because Ilsa deserted him in Paris to be with a man who is a better version of himself. Any man\u2019s ego would be wounded by that.
He\u2019s also confronted with Ilsa\u2019s selflessness. Remember the young Bulgarian wife who slept with Captain Renault to get the visas? That was a minor but important B-plot that foreshadowed and built sympathy of Ilsa. She asks Lazslo indirectly if he could forgive her for doing such a thing, and he indirectly says yes. Rick recognizes this when she claims to still be in love with him. It\u2019s what he\u2019s always dreamed of, having Ilsa back in his arms, but he knows what she\u2019s doing.
My God!
Between Lazslo and Ilsa, how could Rick NOT feel like a heel for hanging on to those letters of transit, right?
Being the good guy that we know he really is, Rick decides enough is enough; a little closure has helped heal his broken heart and he can now do the right thing \u2013 he let\u2019s Ilsa go with Lazslo to America.
I\u2019ll never forget the impact that final moment of goodbye between Rick and Ilsa had on me the first dozen times I saw the film. Rick\u2019s heroic sacrifice pulls at your heartstrings, but when you examine his change of heart in context, you see why this is such an enduring masterpiece of a film. Rick\u2019s change was something we could all recognize from our lives. We\u2019ve all had our hearts broken and eventually gotten over it, but how many of us have done it for such a noble reason?
We like to think we could, that\u2019s why we love heroes like Rick.
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\r\n\n![\"Casablanca](\"/uploadedImages/news_and_events/101_screenplay/Casablancaprod.jpg\" "\\"Casablanca")
• The Epstein brothers and Howard Koch never worked in the same room at the same time during the writing of the script. –IMDB![\"Ingrid](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2IzZGY2YmEtYzljNS00NTM5LTgwMzUtMzM1NjQ4NGI0OTk0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDYyMDk5MTU@._V1_QL75_UX190_CR0,3,190,281_.jpg\")
![\"Trailer](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzU0NDI1NjA1MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzM1MTgyMw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,47,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Casablanca\"](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjM1NTU0ZmMtNzJkOC00M2RkLWI1NzEtMzllZTVhMmNkYmJiXkEyXkFqcGdeQTNwaW5nZXN0._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Which](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDAxYTlkMDctOGI4YS00NTE1LWFmNTAtZjJmNTQwZjUyYjU1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXRodW1ibmFpbC1pbml0aWFsaXplcg@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Casablanca:](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWJmN2E5MzMtYmJmMC00YjBiLWEzYzEtMDAyZjE0NTE4Njc0XkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Casablanca:](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTRiYWIxOGQtMDdhNy00ZDZjLWI3ZjUtNzhmMGQwZjkzNjI3XkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
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