Release Year: 1942
Same thing with these actors such as Clark Gable and, in this case, Humphrey Bogart. I have always heard of this guys but never actually seen them in action.
Although I wouldn't say that Casablanca has been my favorite of the AFI films we have watched, I definitely enjoyed watching it more than the film that beat it out for number one, Citizen Kane (Although Citizen Kane is likely number one for it's technique and not plot). According to Roger Ebert, Casablanca is "probably on more lists of the greatest films of all time than any other single title, including Citizen Kane" because of its wider appeal; while Citizen Kane is "greater", Casablanca is more loved
Casablanca was actually released the year after Citizen Kane. In fact, it was rushed into release to take advantage of the publicity from the Allied invasion of North Africa a few weeks later.
Interesting facts about Casablanca (from good ol' wikipedia.)
- No one involved in the production of the film expected it to be anything great.
- This was the first time Humphrey Bogart played a romantic lead (he had been typed cast as a gangster early in his career).
- Ingrid Bergman (who plays the leading lady) was actually 2 inches taller than Bogart. As a result, during their scenes together, Bogart, rumor has it, stood on blocks or sat on cushions during their scenes.
- The famous line "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", which is the last line of the film, was actually written after the final script and Bogart had to come in the studio a month after filming had completed to dub it.
- One rumor is that Ronald Reagan was actually the original actor chosen for Bogart's lead role.
