Casablanca (1942-1943) Queer Film A+

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship

Humphrey Bogart to Claude Rains in “Casablanca”

DIRECTOR: Michael Curtiz

BOTTOM LINE: After Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) and Victor (Paul Henreid) are safely away on their plane and Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) is dead, Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Captain Renault (Claude Rains) walk away together into the mist as Rick recites one of the movie’s most famous lines to Louis.

THREE LOVE STORIES ARE GOING ON IN CASABLANCA: THERE IS ISLA-RICK AND ISLA-VICTOR, AND THERE IS THE LOVE STORY BETWEEN RICK AND CAPTAIN RENAULT.

The film takes place in Casablanca, Morocco, with most of the action unfolding at Rick’s, a tavern named after the hero of the story, played by Bogart. The plot begins when an old flame, Ilsa Lund (Bergman), suddenly appears with her husband, Victor Laslow (Henreid), whom the Nazis want. Rick must decide whether to set aside his feelings for Ilsa to help Victor escape so that he can assist the Resistance.

However, three love stories are happening in “Casablanca”: Isla-Rick and Isla-Lazlo, and then there is the love story of Rick and Captain Renault. At the end, as they walk away together in the mist and Rick utters that immortal line, we realize that the tension has been there from the beginning. And their honeymoon is going to be at Camp Brazeville. A notorious homosexual hangout, it was the Palm Springs of its day!

With Dooley Wilson as Sam, the piano. Herman Hupfeld’s song “As Time Goes By” was used to great effect in the movie, and the song’s melody was incorporated into Max Steiner’s famous score and used as a leitmotif throughout the film. However, the song was not written for the movie.  It was initially written for the Broadway show “Everybody’s Welcome” in 1931. Arthur Edeson did the gorgeous cinematography.

Written on the fly by the fabulous Epstein twins (Philip and Julius) together with Howard Koch and directed by Curtiz with what can only be described as the hand of God, “Casablanca” is one of the most romantic and enjoyable of all the great Hollywood movies.

The film had its world premiere on November 26, 1942, in New York City, coinciding with the Allied invasion of North Africa. It was released in Los Angeles and nationally on January 23, 1943, to coincide with the Churchill-Roosevelt Casablanca Conference. Hence, according to the AMPAS rules, the film was eligible for the 1943 Academy Awards, despite being released in New York in 1942. At the 16th Academy Awards held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Thursday, March 2, 1944, it won Best Film (Hal B. Wallis producer), Best Director (Curtiz), and Best Adapted Screenplay (the Epstein brothers and Koch).

When the Best Picture award was announced, Jack Warner rushed to the podium to accept the honor, completely ignoring Wallis, who never forgave him. The distraught Wallis resigned from Warner Bros. and formed his production company under the Paramount banner.

Adapted from the play “Everybody Comes to Rick’s by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison.

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Arthur Edeson

Warner Bros.

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