Casablanca

Trivia: Most of the secondary cast and extras were people who actually fled Europe to America during Nazi rule. When Laszlo orders the band to play "La Marseillaise," it was very emotional for the cast who sang along and their reactions were very much their true feelings at the time.

Trivia: Conrad Veidt, who played Maj. Strasser, was well known in the theatrical community in Germany for his hatred of the Nazis, and in fact was forced to hurriedly escape the country when he found out that the SS had sent a death squad after him because of his anti-Nazi activities.

Trivia: At no point in the film does anyone say "Play it again, Sam".

Trivia: Madeleine LeBeau, who played "Yvonne," and Marcel Dalio, who played the croupier "Emil," were married at the time of production.

Trivia: The well-worn myth that Ronald Reagan was considered for the role of Rick originated when Warner's Brothers issued a bogus press release to generate publicity for the as-yet-unproduced film (a common studio practice at the time).

Trivia: In the 1980s, this film's script was sent to readers at a number of major studios and production companies under its original title, "Everybody Comes To Rick's". Some readers recognized the script but most did not. Many complained that the script was "not good enough" to make a decent movie. Others gave such complaints as "too much dialog" and "not enough sex".

Trivia: The famous final scene on the airport tarmac was actually filmed on a soundstage. The airplane in the background is a cardboard scale model. If you look closely, you can notice the crew working on the plane are little people, used because they were more to the scale of the fake airplane.

Trivia: Many of the actors who played the Nazis were in fact German Jews.

hifijohn

Trivia: Sam's piano sold for more than $600,000 at auction in December 2012.

hifijohn

Trivia: Though he became famous as the piano player at Rick's Café Américain, Dooley Wilson, the actor who played Sam, was an experienced musician and bandleader, but not a piano player. He was a drummer, and mimed the piano playing. "As Time Goes By" was dubbed in later.

wizard_of_gore

Continuity mistake: In the final scenes at the airport, when Rick is talking to Major Strasser, the epaulettes on Strasser's shoulders alternately appear and disappear. (01:40:05)

More mistakes in Casablanca

Captain Renault: Carl, see that Major Strasser gets a good table, one close to the ladies.
Carl: I have already given him the best, knowing he is German and would take it anyway.

More quotes from Casablanca

Question: Why does everyone stop and stare at the plane?

Answer: It's a bit complicated and subject to interpretation. They all look as soon as they hear the engines starting. For each one it signifies something different. Ilsa knows she must part with Rick, the man she loves, and stay with her husband, Victor, to support him and help with his work. For Rick, he knows he is losing Ilsa, by his own choice because he has chosen to stay behind to aid the war resistance and may not survive. Victor knows his wife Ilsa really loves Rick and he will be out of their lives, but she is staying with him out of duty.

raywest

Answer: Because the plane taking off meant that the people on board were on their way to Lisbon, and from there, America. Everyone is envious.

Captain Defenestrator

More questions & answers from Casablanca

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