The film “Casablanca” is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and memorable films of all time. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid, this film is rated in the top 50 movies by IMDb. “Casablanca” also won three Oscars, including Best Writing, Best Director, and Best Picture. The film also won numerous other awards from organizations like the National Film Preservation Board.
Directed by Michael Curtiz, “Casablanca” was originally released in 1942. Even over 80 years later, this film is still relevant today and considered one of the best films of all time. From the complex characters, powerful storyline, and incredibly well-timed release, “Casablanca” was an instant hit, even though no one expected it to be.
The storyline for the film originally started as a play, titled “Everybody Comes to Rick’s.” While the release of the film in 1942 coincided with events that were occurring in real time, the universal themes of the film make it relevant in the modern world as well.
The topics of love, friendship, and duty are so intricately woven throughout the story that even though many of us can’t relate to living through a war, we still relate to the universal themes presented in the film.
Like any major movie, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that most people don’t know about. We’ve compiled a list of 25 facts you may not know about “Casablanca.” Whether you have the film memorized or you’re a new “Casablanca” fan, see how many of these interesting facts about “Casablanca” you already know.
To create a list of facts you may not know about “Casablanca,” 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment and lifestyle publications, including IMDb and Sparknotes. (Test your movie knowledge with these Movie Trivia Questions.)
Here are 25 fun facts about this excellent film:
The release of the film was moved forward due to real-life events
Although the film was initially going to be released in 1943, the release date was moved forward to occur at the same time as the invasion of North Africa and capture of Casablanca.
The original setting wasn’t Casablanca
Lisbon may not have as much of a ring to it as Casablanca, but it was the original setting of the story before the setting and name was changed.
It was not anticipated that the film would be a hit
Plenty of films were released the same year as “Casablanca” and no one working on the film anticipated it would be as much of a hit as it was.
Filming “Casablanca” wasn’t so smooth in the beginning
Despite how natural the acting may seem, filming was a challenge for the stars at the beginning of filming.
The script wasn’t finished when they started filming
One of the reasons why filming started rough was because the script wasn’t finished when they started filming, so no one knew how the movie ended.
The original play was purchased for $20,000
The writers of the play “Casablanca” was based on sold the rights to the play for $20,000.
The original writers filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros
After the film became a huge success, the original writers sued Warner Bros. They didn’t win, but Warner Bros did end up giving both writers $100,000.
It’s still unclear who wrote what parts of the film
While we’re aware of many of the writers who worked on the screenplay, it’s still unclear who exactly wrote what lines since so many different writers worked on it.
A section of a famous poster for “Casablanca” comes from another film
In one of the most famous “Casablanca” posters, there’s a shot of Bogart that actually came from “Across the Pacific,” not “Casablanca.”
There have been two TV shows inspired by “Casablanca”
Neither of them aired for very long, but there have been two TV series based on “Casablanca.”
One of the most famous quotes is often misquoted
There are many famous quotes from “Casablanca,” including, “Play it again, Sam.” However, the actual quote from the movie is “Play it once, Sam. For old time’s sake.”
“As Time Goes By” almost didn’t make it into the film
The song “As Time Goes By” was in the original story but Max Steiner, who wrote the music for “Casablanca” didn’t want it included in the film. However, the scene was already finished and it was too late to redo it.
There was a rumor that Ronald Reagan was starring in the film
One of the first rumors to circulate about “Casablanca” was a rumor that Ronald Reagan would star in the film.
There were plenty of other rumors about the film
From rumors about where famous quotes came from to rumors about Bogart taking Swedish lessons from Bergman, many rumors were circulating before the film was released and in the years after.
Humphrey Bogart is shorter than he looks
It may not be easy to tell when you watch the film, but Humphrey Bogart was only 5’8”. He had to wear platform shoes during the film to appear taller than his co-star.
There’s a reason it’s never revealed why Rick can’t return to America
It never says in the film why Rick can’t return to America. According to the writers, they couldn’t come up with a reason that seemed to fit, so they never gave a reason.
The airport scene wasn’t filmed at night
The filmmakers couldn’t film the final scene at night because of security concerns related to the war. Instead, they shot the scene on a stage that included a cardboard cutout of a plane.
French filmmaker François Truffaut chose not to remake the film
French filmmaker François Truffaut was approached in 1973 by an executive from Warner Bros. The executive wanted to do a remake of “Casablanca,” but Truffaut refused.
There hasn’t been a remake of “Casablanca”
“Casablanca” has been referenced many times in TV shows and movies, but there has never been a remake of the film.
Several of the actors in the film were personally affected by the war
Some of the more emotional moments in the film were genuine. Many of the actors had personally been affected by the War and the Nazi party, including the director.
Don Siegel filmed the first scene of “Casablanca”
Don Siegel, the director of films such as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” directed the first scene of the film that explains how refugees arrived in Casablanca.
Only one of the sets for “Casablanca” was built specifically for the film
In “Casablanca,” there was only one set that was built specifically for the film: the set for Rick’s Cafe. Most of the other sets were recycled from other movies.
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman weren’t the first choice of the writers
The original writers of the play “Casablanca” came from didn’t have Bogart and Bergman in mind. Instead, they imagined Clark Gable and Rita Hayworth as the stars.
Censorship significantly impacted the script of “Casablanca”
When “Casablanca” was released, the Hays Code was still in effect. This led to the writers having to heavily censor the script.
“Casablanca” is the most quoted movie of all time
On the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time, six of the quotes are from “Casablanca.” (Check out these 50 Memorable Movie Conversations.)