Casablanca (1942)

The cinematographer was Arthur Edeson who also lensed The Maltese Falcon and The Mask Of Dimitrious. He was nominated for three Oscars. “Casablanca” was never intended to be considered a masterpiece. It was, indeed, an “A” picture, but was put into production to capitalize on current events in North Africa. But the cast was first class talent from top to bottom: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Raines, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and French star Marcel Dalio, himself a refugee from WWII, in the small role of a croupier (as already pointed out). While the Classical Era is normally not known for authentic casting, this movie about immigrants fleeing Nazi terror has its secondary players full of actual European immigrants who had fled Nazi terror. Future director Don Siegel (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, Dirty Harry) created the opening montage. Adapted from Murray Burnett and Joan Alison’s unproduced play “Everybody Comes To Rick’s.” Twin brothers Julius and Philip Epstein and Howard Koch were the writers. The flashback structure here and in Citizen Kane from the previous year is one of its major innovations and one of the major marks of the post Kane/Casablanca 1940s movies as opposed to previous decades.

TWO WOMEN I LOVE

One of the non-real life refugees in the cast is Joy Page who was Jack Warner’s step-daughter. She plays the young bride who Rick saves from having to have sex with Capt. Renault by using his rigged roulette wheel to raise the money she needs. Page had a very modest movie and TV career but her scene with Bogie makes her immortal.



Madeleine LeBeau played the cynical bar fly Yvonne who nevertheless cries as she enthusiastically leads the singing of "La Marseillaise.” She died on May 1, 2016 as the last surviving cast member of Casablanca.