Here’s Looking at You Kid!

Celebrating Casablanca's 75th Anniversary

 Who doesn't recognized these memorable movie lines?!

 “Round up the usual suspects” 

"Here’s looking at you, kid”

and Bogie’s ad-libbed last line,

“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” 

."

I recently had the incredible opportunity to see Casablanca in theaters, honoring the 75th anniversary of this momentous film. Hitting the silver screen in 1942 Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three; Outstanding Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Writing/Screenplay.

 By the time Casablanca premiered in 1942 American-born actor Humphrey Bogart had 20 years of acting under his belt. The role of Rick Blaine, an expatriate nightclub owner, was his first romantic lead. During the course of his career Bogart was nominated for best actor three times, winning only once for The African Queen (1951).  Casablanca was one of the films that earned him status as a cultural icon and according to the AFI (in 1999) he's classified as the greatest male star of classic American cinema. Bogie is also credited with having five famous film quotes, the most of any actor on  AFI's top 100 Quotations.

Swedish-born actress Ingrid Bergman had been in the film making industry for about a decade when the role of Isla Lund, (the lovely Norwegian wife of Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), an anti-Nazi underground hero) cane along. Not surprisingly, this is a role she is most remembered for. Always carefully screening the roles she played Bergman would continue to act for another 40 years. She accepted her final role in 1982, passing later that same year at age 67.

Bogie and Bergman, what a perfect pair!

So much more I could say

about this enduring film,

Casablanca

but I'll just simply end

with paraphrasing one of the

movie's popular quotes,

"Play it again, Sam."