You must remember this: 'Casablanca' at 75

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Fans of "Casablanca," a timeless story of love, loss and redemption that many consider to be the greatest movie ever made, are raving about it on the 75th anniversary of its premiere.

Rushed onscreen at New York's Hollywood Theater on November 26, 1942 to capitalize on the Allied invasion of North Africa, it was a slow burner at the box office but went on to win hearts worldwide – and a best picture Oscar.

The story is iconic: a devastating romance starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund, star-crossed lovers whose union must be sacrificed for the sake of fighting the Nazis.

Posters and pictures from the US movie "Casablanca" at a bar of the same name in Camaguey city, east of Havana, Cuba /AFP Photo

With the death last year of Madeleine LeBeau, who played Rick's spurned girlfriend Yvonne, there are no surviving cast members, but the movie's legacy has never been in doubt.

Chosen by British parliamentarians as their favorite film of all time in a 2006 poll, and named the third greatest US movie a year later by the American Film Institute, it still packs out special screenings.

In 2012 Michael Curtiz's best director Oscar fetched 2.1 million US dollars at auction in Santa Monica, California, while the painted upright piano that adorned Rick's Cafe fetched 3.4 million US dollars in New York two years later.

"It is a film that gripped audiences during the darkest days of World War II, and its message is still relevant," Amanda Garrett, an Ohio-based writer specializing in films from Hollywood's golden age, told AFP.

The Rialto, designed in 1930, was one of the first cinemas in Casablanca, Morocco. /AFP Photo‍

"'Casablanca' puts each of its varied cast of characters in a desperate situation – living under a totalitarian regime – and then forces them to decide how they will react in the face of unimaginable evil."

The movie came out in a more censorious era, with polite society still scandalized by the use of the word "damn" in "Gone with the Wind" (1939), but "Casablanca" still managed to be impressively subversive.

Many myths have built up over the years concerning the production, the most common being that the famous chemistry between Bergman and Bogart was based on a real-life mutual attraction.

"'Casablanca' showcases the strength of the studio system, with a great director, stars, character actors, script, cinematography, costume and set design all working in tandem to produce an absolute joy of a movie," film blogger Fiore told AFP.

"It's a testament to the brilliance and quality of old Hollywood and the continued relevance of the films that the studio system produced at its best."

Casablanca /Chinadaily Photo

The film was not only considered as a classic in western countries, but also enjoyed big fame in China. There are over 120,000 comments about it on Douban, an influential website in China that allows users to create content related to films, books, etc.

It was premiered in China in July, 1943, and Bogart and Bergman gained a lot of Chinese fan, becoming two of the most well-known foreign actors.

Classical lines as “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine” became a romantic memory of a whole generation. The film is still considered as one of the “must-see” classics of film buffs.

( With input from AFP. )

Source(s): AFP