Saturday night in Casablanca…
On a recent Saturday evening, I was introduced to a lovely lady whose husband served our country during WWII. When I inquired as to which theater of war he had participated in, she proudly stated he had seen action in Northern Africa. Spending time in Casablanca Morocco, to be exact.
Of course, one can’t possibly have a conversation with the city of Casablanca in it, without conjuring up memories of one of the most beloved Hollywood classics of all time.
The 1942 classic “Casablanca”, directed by Michael Curtiz,( a personal favorite director of mine for reasons we’ll discuss in future installments), starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains and who‘s-who of supporting actors. “Casablanca”, is fraught with everything an audience might possibly desire: intrigue, foreign locale, the backdrop of WWII, good guys, bad guys and of course the love story. Interesting to note that the back lot of Warner Bros. Studios doubled for the exotic Moroccan locale, with the finale being shot at the Van Nuys Airport. The popularity of “Casablanca” was due in part by the success of Operation Torch just 18 days prior to the film‘s release. GOOGLE it, its history and its important!
Hollywood “heavy” Bogey finally gets his first romantic lead in the titular role of Rick, playing opposite Ingrid Bergman’s perpetually teary-eyed Ilsa. it’s a story of Rick’s struggle between, and I quote, “love & virtue.” Should he forego the woman he loves to aid her husband in fleeing the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city so he can continue his fight with the Czech resistance against the evil Nazis????? What will Rick do? What will Ilsa do? Don’t worry, they’ll always have Paris…
Character actor Claude Rains certainly steals the spotlight in the film. Playing the role of Captain Louis Renault, Vichy France’s prefect of police in Casablanca, and he proudly professes unscrupulous cynicism. The concepts of right and wrong have gone by the wayside and Louis places his loyalty on what’s left: the winning side. He’s a decent guy and a good friend to Rick when the chips are falling. I enjoy his screen presence much more than that of the main stars. See for yourself….he has the best lines!
If you haven’t viewed this classic, and there are a select few of you out there, do so immediately. Admit it, you know the famous line: “Play it again, Sam”, now see and hear it as Dooley Wilson played it for the first time. The film hasn’t lost any of its relevance as to how we approach any foreign conflict especially with the overt overtones of patriotism which we can all relate to here in 2013. It hits home for all of us who have loved and lost, or at least have been in a tense situation and not quite sure what is the best avenue to travel down. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening.
How about dinner & a movie? Whip up a batch of homemade chili from the original Chasen’s Restaurant in West Hollywood. It was “THE” hangout for “THE” stars and was also home to the Academy Awards for a few years. Known for the famous Chasen’s Chili…go figure. Can’t imagine our so-called stars of today chowing down on chili made from actual beans and actual red meat. Ahhh, those were the days…read the note from Liz Taylor when you view the recipe!
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Soup/ChasenChili.htm
Hope to see ya soon at Rick’s Café Americain…
That’s a wrap!
-Hollie Wood
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