The Making of Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, and World War II

by Aljean Harmetz

Overview

Critically acclaimed when published in 1992 as Round Up the Usual Suspects, The Making of Casablanca offers the ultimate insider's look at the politics and personalities behind the most celebrated movie of all time—Casablanca. Updated and timed for the 60th anniversary (Thanksgiving Day, 1942) of this movie, this critically acclaimed book draws upon years of research, including access to Ingrid Bergman's personal acting diaries and the vast Warner Brothers archives, as well as interviews with many of those close to the film, including the late Paul Henreid, Lauren Bacall, and scriptwriters Howard Koch and Julius Epstein. Richly detailed and full of surprises, The Making of Casablanca debunks many cherished myths about the casting, script, story, and stars, to reveal the realities of the highly pressured Hollywood studio system during World War II.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786888146
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	10/23/2002
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	317,957
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.12(h) x (d)
Age Range:	17 - 18 Years

About the Author

Aljean Harmetz is the author of The Making of The Wizard of Oz, as well as numerous other film-related books. A former journalist for the New York Times, she lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	ix
	Preface	xiii
1.	Just Another Movie	3
2.	The Studio: Jack L. Warner, Executive Producer ... and Hal B. Wallis	16
3.	Writing Casablanca: A Survival of the Fittest Script	35
4.	False Starts	62
5.	Bogart, Bergman, and Henreid: A Date with Fate	81
6.	The Studio System Goes to War	102
7.	The First Day of Shooting	117
8.	The Usual Suspects: Rains, Veidt, Greenstreet, Lorre, and Wilson	138
9.	Love and Censorship	162
10.	Directed by Michael Curtiz	182
11.	Working Relationships: On the Set and Off	195
12.	The Refugee Trail: Europeans in Hollywood	208
13.	At the Airport: The End of Production	227
14.	"Our Ism ... Americanism"	240
15.	Play It, Sam	253
16.	Selling the Movie and Selling the War	266
17.	Controlling Hollywood	284
18.	The Academy Awards	312
19.	As Time Went By	327
20.	The First Fifty Years	338
	Reference Notes and Sources	355
	Casablanca Cast and Credits	384
	Bibliography	385
	Index	391

Editorial Reviews

This is an audiobook history of a film that is on almost everyone’s list of favorite classics. It’s also a penetrating history of moviemaking in the age when the studios ruled. Harmetz, a longtime film critic and historian, traces the development of CASABLANCA from playscript to filmscript, from major to minor casting, and through each stage of production. Her analysis is perceptive, informed, and rich in insider detail. Narrator Scott Brick delivers a solid and thoroughly satisfying performance focused on the factual thread of the narrative with little embellishment. Here is an ideal choice, not only for listeners who cherish this particular film, but also for anyone interested in the realities and practicalities of classic filmmaking. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2020 - AudioFile