TCM Club March 2023 Meeting
Our TCM Club met on March 5, 2023 at the Fathom Big Screen Classics 80th Anniversary screening of the one and only, Casablanca! Afterwards our group met at Panera Bread in Cary to discuss the film.
We officially welcomed our new TCM Club member Andrea. Andrea brought her vast knowledge of classic movies to our discussion at Panera and her perspectives were a great addition to the lively group conversation.
Here’s a write-up about the gathering from meeting organizers and TCMC members Sharon and Caroline.
At the after-film gathering, our group continued our general love and discussion of the film. Casablanca is a 1942 American drama staring Humphry Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), owns Rick’s Café Americain in the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca. Rick soon discovers that the woman he loves and lost, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), is in town with her husband Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid), an infamous rebel who escaped a Nazi concentration camp and is being hunted by German officials. Ilsa, his wife, knows that Rick is her only hope to helping her husband get out of the country.
The film focuses on love and conflict between Rick and Ilsa. We witness the art of survival through investigations, extortion, deceit, love, rivalry, Vichy French and Nazi German officials. These characters and many more can all be seen at “Rick’s Café Americain.”
The second billed actors are Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. These second-billed actors are flawless. We can’t imagine this film without these top notch supporting actors, saving one of the greats of all time: the iconic Arthur “Dooley” Wilson. Wilson plays Rick’s friend and piano player Sam. He performs the iconic song “As Time Goes By.”
Having a little trivia fun, we talked about a few adaptations of Casablanca:
- The film is based on “Everybody Comes to Rick’s” by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison.
- Filmed and set during World War II.
- Music score by Max Steiner. The song “As Time Goes By” by Herman Hupfeld was part of the story from the original play.
- The Marx Brothers made the post-war 1946 comedy A Night In Casablanca.
- In the 1983 TV series Casablanca starring David Soul, Hector Elizondo, Ray Liotta the character of Ilsa is only mentioned.
Our group aced the trivia challenge of 10 Memorable Movie Quotes from Casablanca!
- Play it once, Sam. For old times’ sake. (From Ilsa to Sam)
- Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. (After the bar is closed, Rick laments to Sam.)
- Here’s looking at you, kid. (In a flashback scene: Rick falling in love with Ilsa, in Paris.)
- What is your nationality? (Rick being questioned by Nazi Major Strasser hoping to arrest him. Rick answers “I’m a drunkard.)
- I came to Casablanca for the waters. (Captain Renault asking Rick why he came to Casablanca.)
- I’m shocked to find out that gambling is going on! (Strasser orders Renault to shut down Rick’s. Rick asks Renault why?)
- The problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in the crazy world. (Rick persuades Ilsa to leave him.)
- We’ll always have Paris. (Rick to Ilsa as they say good bye.)
- Round up the usual suspects. (Rick shot and killed Major Strasser. Renault is the only witness. This is the command Renault gives officers.)
- Louis, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. (As Ilsa and Victor are safe and away, Rick says this to Renault as they walk away together.)
