You must remember this: If a kiss is just a kiss, and a sigh is just a sigh, when is a film not just a film? Certainly when it’s a phenomenon like Casablanca, a hit movie that enjoyed a profitable box-office run and claimed three Academy Awards, then went on to become something even greater — a symbol of old Hollywood operating at the peak of its powers. At the risk of breaking the timeless spell woven by the iconic Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, here’s a rundown of six facts behind the making of this legendary feature.
"Casablanca" Originated as a Stage Play
Horrified by the antisemitic environment he witnessed on a trip to Vienna in 1938, English teacher Murray Burnett teamed with writing partner Joan Alison to pen a play about refugees seeking safe passage from war-torn Europe, titled Everybody Comes to Rick's. Sold to Warner Bros. in 1941 for the then-impressive sum of $20,000 after being unable to find a Broadway producer, Everybody Comes to Rick's underwent a series of changes before emerging as Casablanca, although the main character of Rick Blaine and the general premise remained largely the same. After decades of seeking more recognition for his part in creating one of Hollywood's most famous films, Burnett finally saw his original play produced for the first time — under the title of Rick's Bar Casablanca — in London in 1991.
The Cast Was Filled With Foreign-Born Actors
It's fitting that a film about refugees was made with a predominantly immigrant cast. According to Noah Isenberg’s We’ll Always Have Casablanca, more than 30 countries were represented among the approximately 75 actors in the film; of the 14 actors to earn a screen credit, only three were born in the United States. Many had actually fled the Nazi regime, adding an extra layer of emotional heft to the movie that occasionally bubbled to the surface. Dan Seymour, who played the doorman Abdul, later noted that there were real tears flowing during the powerful scene where the resistance supporters drown out the singing Nazis by belting out "La Marseillaise."
The Film's Producer Wanted Sam to Be a Woman
Play it, Samantha? As described by Isenberg, producer Hal B. Wallis toyed with the idea of making the pianist at Rick's Cafe Americain a woman, with Lena Horne and Hazel Scott among those up for consideration. The role ultimately went to Dooley Wilson, a drummer who went through the motions of piano playing while Elliot Carpenter handled the instrument nearby, off-screen. Wallis was reportedly unimpressed with Dooley's singing and also wanted the songs redubbed, although in the end it is Dooley's voice we hear throughout the film on compositions such as "It Had to Be You," "Knock on Wood," and, of course, "As Time Goes By."
The Film's Composer Disliked "As Time Goes By"
Written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931 for the Broadway musical “Everybody’s Welcome,” "As Time Goes By" featured prominently in the script for Everybody Comes to Rick's, and was still embedded in Casablanca by the time composer Max Steiner was assigned the score. Per Isenberg, Steiner was not a fan of what he described as the "lousiest tune," and his efforts to have it eradicated from the film were allegedly halted only because it would have entailed numerous reshoots. Steiner did, however, ultimately find a way to build his soundtrack around the wistful strains of "As Time Goes By” — a move that clearly pleased generations of audiences, considering it was named the No. 2 song in Hollywood movie history by the American Film Institute in 2010.
The Screenwriters Devised an Ending to Conform to Ethics Codes
With the script still unfinished by the time shooting began in May 1942, primary screenwriters Julius and Philip Epstein rushed to finish off a story that would conform to the strict guidelines of the Production Code Administration. One of the biggest problems was coming up with a satisfying ending, knowing full well that the PCA would never permit Rick to ride off with the married Ilsa. According to legend, the Epstein brothers were driving along a stretch of Sunset Boulevard when they simultaneously looked at one another and declared, "Round up the usual suspects!" The bolt of inspiration put the final pieces of the puzzle in place: Captain Renault covers for the murder of Major Strasser with one of his signature lines, setting the stage for Rick's need to escape and his noble but bittersweet farewell to Ilsa.
"Casablanca" Was Extensively Edited for Its Initial Release in Germany
Casablanca was nowhere to be found in Germany following its widespread release in 1943, and by the time the film arrived in German theaters in 1952, it looked markedly different from the version Americans had grown to love. Gone were any references to the Nazis, which meant auf wiedersehen to the above-mentioned "La Marseillaise" singing scene. Some of the characters also emerged in different forms, with resistance leader Victor Laszlo now an Interpol-wanted Norwegian physicist named Victor Larsen. Altogether, the German-appeasing efforts shortened about 25 minutes from the film, which eventually surfaced in original form in the country in 1975.