Casablanca, one the greatest American films in history.
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz based on Murray Burnett and Joan Alison’s unproduced stage play Everybody Comes to Rick’s. The film stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid.
Set during contemporary World War II, it focuses on an American expatriate who must choose between his love for a woman and helping her and her husband, a Czech Resistance leader, escape from the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis.
No one involved with its production expected it to be anything other than one of the hundreds of ordinary pictures produced by Hollywood that year.
It had its world premiere on November 26, 1942, in New York City and was released nationally in the United States on January 23, 1943. The film was a solid if unspectacular success in its initial run.
Exceeding expectations, Casablanca went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, while Curtiz was selected as Best Director and the Epsteins and Koch were honored for writing the Best Adapted Screenplay—and gradually its reputation grew. Its lead characters, memorable lines, and pervasive theme song have all become iconic, and the film consistently ranks near the top of lists of the greatest films in history.
In the seven decades since its production the film has grown in popularity. Murray Burnett called it “true yesterday, true today, true tomorrow”. By 1955, the film had brought in $6.8 million, making it the third most successful of Warners’ wartime movies.
On April 21, 1957, the Brattle Theater of Cambridge, Massachusetts, showed the film as part of a season of old movies. It was so popular that it began a tradition of screening Casablanca during the week of final exams at Harvard University, which continues to the present day.
According to Roger Ebert, Casablanca is “probably on more lists of the greatest films of all time than any other single title…
Expressions:
A lot of water under the bridge: What’s done is done. It belongs to the past and it is too late to change it in the present or now.
It’s been a long time: Expresses that a long time and many things have happened since the last time the persons have met.
You’re bad luck to him: Leave her/him alone. To tell someone that she or he have a bad influence on another person or are bad company and get that person into trouble.
For old times sake: A way of asking someone to do something for them, normally because they have known each other for a long time and have been through many things together.
As time goes by: As Time Goes By” is a song written by Herman in 1931. It became most famous in 1942 when part of it was sung by the character Sam (Dooley Wilson) in the movie Casablanca.
One hears a great deal about: A way to say that you know a lot about somebody or something. It can be said in a positive way as a compliment or in a negative, derogatory manner as a strong insult.
A precedent is being broken: Something unusual or extraordinary is happening or about to happen.
Not an easy day to forget: Refers to an unusual, unexpected or memorable day.
A curfew: A time after which people are not allowed to be outdoors.
Overstay our welcome: An alternative way to say it’s time to leave.
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Talking Easy Lessons The Reading Exercises A song that made history… As time goes by