“Casablanca,” October 1

Wednesday, October 1, 3 & 6 p.m.

The Last Picture House, 325 East Second Street, Davenport IA

With the final offering in its series described by The Guardian's Scott Tobias as "the jewel of Hollywood's Golden Age," the German American Heritage Center closes their “From Hitler to Hollywood” film series with one of the greatest cinematic works of all time: director Michael's Curitz's Oscar-winning classic Casablanca, which will enjoy two screening at Davenport venue The Last Picture House on October 1.

A 1942 American romantic drama filmed and set during World War II, Casablanca focuses on an American expatriate (Humphrey Bogart) who must choose between his love for a woman (Ingrid Bergman) and helping her Czech resistance-leader husband (Paul Henreid) escape from the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis. The screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch is based on Everybody Comes to Rick's, an unproduced stage play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, and the supporting cast features Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Dooley Wilson.

Warner Bros. story editor Irene Diamond convinced producer Hal B. Wallis to purchase the film rights to the play in January 1942. Brothers Julius and Philip G. Epstein were initially assigned to write the script. However, despite studio resistance, they left to work on Frank Capra's Why We Fight series early in 1942. Howard Koch was assigned to the screenplay until the Epsteins returned a month later. Principal photography began on May 25, 1942, ending on August 3; the film was shot entirely at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, with the exception of one sequence at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles.

Although Casablanca was an A-list film with established stars and first-rate writers, no one involved with its production expected it to stand out among the many pictures produced by Hollywood yearly. Casablanca was rushed into release to take advantage of the publicity from the Allied invasion of North Africa a few weeks earlier. 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 Best Adapted Screenplay. Its reputation has gradually grown, to the point that its lead characters, memorable lines and unforgettable closing line, and pervasive theme song "As Time Goes By" have all become iconic, and it consistently ranks near the top of lists of the greatest films in history. In the inaugural class of 1989, the United States Library of Congress selected the film as one of the first for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Roger Ebert wrote: "If there is ever a time when they decide that some movies should be spelled with an upper-case M, Casablanca should be voted first on the list of Movies."

Casablanca will be shown at Davenport's The Last Picture House on October 1 at 3 and 6 p.m., and guests are asked to check in at the German American Heritage Center table in the lobby. Admission is $15, guests will choose their seats upon arrival, and proceeds from ticket sales will go to Heritage Center programming, with $1 from every Twin Span draft beer purchase also going to the museum. For more information, call (563)322-8844 and visit GAHC.org.