What do you think?
Rate this book
We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Film
Casablanca was first released in 1942, just two weeks after the city of Casablanca itself surrendered to American troops led by General Patton. Featuring a pitch-perfect screenplay, a classic soundtrack, and unforgettable performances by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and a deep supporting cast, Casablanca was hailed in the New York Times as “a picture that makes the spine tingle and the heart take a leap.” The film won Oscars for best picture, best director, and best screenplay, and would go on to enjoy more revival screenings than any other movie in history. It became so firmly ensconced in the cultural imagination that, as Umberto Eco once said, Casablanca is “not one movie; it is ‘movies.’ ”
We’ll Always Have Casablanca is celebrated film historian Noah Isenberg’s rich account of this most beloved movie’s origins. Through extensive research and interviews with filmmakers, film critics, family members of the cast and crew, and diehard fans, Isenberg reveals the myths and realities behind Casablanca’s production, exploring the transformation of the unproduced stage play into the classic screenplay, the controversial casting decisions, the battles with Production Code censors, and the effect of the war’s progress on the movie’s reception. Isenberg particularly focuses on the central role refugees from Hitler’s Europe played in the production (nearly all of the actors and actresses cast in Casablanca were immigrants).
Filled with fresh insights into Casablanca’s creation, production, and legacy, We’ll Always Have Casablanca is a magnificent account of what made the movie so popular and why it continues to dazzle audiences seventy-five years after its release.
We’ll Always Have Casablanca is celebrated film historian Noah Isenberg’s rich account of this most beloved movie’s origins. Through extensive research and interviews with filmmakers, film critics, family members of the cast and crew, and diehard fans, Isenberg reveals the myths and realities behind Casablanca’s production, exploring the transformation of the unproduced stage play into the classic screenplay, the controversial casting decisions, the battles with Production Code censors, and the effect of the war’s progress on the movie’s reception. Isenberg particularly focuses on the central role refugees from Hitler’s Europe played in the production (nearly all of the actors and actresses cast in Casablanca were immigrants).
Filled with fresh insights into Casablanca’s creation, production, and legacy, We’ll Always Have Casablanca is a magnificent account of what made the movie so popular and why it continues to dazzle audiences seventy-five years after its release.
334 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2017
222 people are currently reading
1007 people want to read
About the author
Noah Isenberg
15 books15 followersNoah Isenberg is director of screen studies and professor of culture and media at The New School, the author of We'll Always Have Casablanca, Edgar G. Ulmer: A Filmmaker at the Margins, and editor of Weimar Cinema, and the recipient of an NEH Public Scholar Award. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
November 22, 2023
"Thanks not only to the fortuitous timing of its release, but also to the sly intermingling of history, politics, and fiction, [the 1942 Warner Brothers film] 'Casablanca' gave viewers the chance to reflect on the current state of the world, while also feeding their appetite for entertainment at the movies -- larger-than-life characters, exotic backdrops, heart-wrenching romance, and plenty of glimpses of a universally identifiable, basic humanity." -- the author, page 102
Arguably Casablanca belongs on that short list of American films - or, as New Yorker critic David Denby once asserted that "Only a few other movies - Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and The Godfather - have been loved as much and as well as [it has]" - which endure as known quantities long after initial release because of their longstanding cultural / critical popularity AND the behind-the-scenes efforts / drama involved in the productions. So when Isenberg's We'll Always Have Casablanca sticks to the 'life' and 'legend' part of his book's chosen subtitle it is a first-rate and involving work, detailing the origin of the movie's story (it was first written as a play), the four screenwriters - each with a unique sensibility - that hammered it into the quotable familiar narrative we know today, the performers (headlined by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, the cast was an appropriately and nicely diverse mix of American and European thespians, including many actual recent immigrants or refugees in the latter group, who populate the fictional Rick's Cafe), and the beleaguered WWII-era climate at the time of its shooting and release. However, after about the 200-page mark it started to get a little wobbly - the 'afterlife' final two chapters often felt superfluous at times, such as do we really care that there was a Japanese operatic stage adaptation of the movie? - and the author's insertion of modern-day politics (or stances) were groaningly gratuitous. However, it doesn't take much to see that the opinions of one GR reviewer don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.
Arguably Casablanca belongs on that short list of American films - or, as New Yorker critic David Denby once asserted that "Only a few other movies - Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and The Godfather - have been loved as much and as well as [it has]" - which endure as known quantities long after initial release because of their longstanding cultural / critical popularity AND the behind-the-scenes efforts / drama involved in the productions. So when Isenberg's We'll Always Have Casablanca sticks to the 'life' and 'legend' part of his book's chosen subtitle it is a first-rate and involving work, detailing the origin of the movie's story (it was first written as a play), the four screenwriters - each with a unique sensibility - that hammered it into the quotable familiar narrative we know today, the performers (headlined by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, the cast was an appropriately and nicely diverse mix of American and European thespians, including many actual recent immigrants or refugees in the latter group, who populate the fictional Rick's Cafe), and the beleaguered WWII-era climate at the time of its shooting and release. However, after about the 200-page mark it started to get a little wobbly - the 'afterlife' final two chapters often felt superfluous at times, such as do we really care that there was a Japanese operatic stage adaptation of the movie? - and the author's insertion of modern-day politics (or stances) were groaningly gratuitous. However, it doesn't take much to see that the opinions of one GR reviewer don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.
July 11, 2017
The American Film Institute rated Casablanca as the 2nd best film ever made, losing only to Citizen Kane. But in the "beloved" category it rated number one and this book dissects the legend of the film and why it continues to appeal to a world-wide audience even though it was targeted at our parents and grandparents generation. It has gained not only cult status as a film but also began the cult of Humphrey Bogart and if you have seen it, you will know why. (I have seen it more times than I can count!!)
The author finally dismisses two major myths that surround the film: (1) It was not originally to be cast with Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan (I shudder at the thought); and (2) There was no alternative ending filmed or considered even though that rumor continues to circulate.
The author looks at the myriad of actors in the film that were themselves refugees, escaping from Hitler's horrors. Some, such as Peter Lorre, S.Z. Sakall, Conrad Veidt, and Marcel Dalio went on to have successful careers in Hollywood as second leads or character actors. But so many, who were major stars in their native Germany, Poland, and Hungary, merely had walk-on parts or a single line of dialogue and quickly disappeared from the movie business.
There is a plethora of information about the screenwriting, sets, music, etc. that explains how it all came together to become legendary......even though the studio and all those involved had no idea that this was anything more than a good war time romantic film. But in the early 1960s, Casablanca began showing up in art houses, on college campuses, and at the midnight movies and young people returned again and again to cheer, cry, and stand and sing the Marseillaise along with Madeline LaBeau and the patrons in Rick's Café. The rest is history. After 75 years, it continues to captivate and I, for one, know the dialogue and also when I am going to cry (the aforementioned Marseillaise scene and in Rick's apartment when Bergman drops the gun and says "You don't know how much I loved you, how much I still love you").
A wonderful read for the film fan and a must read for fanatics of Casablanca. Here's looking at you, kid.
The author finally dismisses two major myths that surround the film: (1) It was not originally to be cast with Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan (I shudder at the thought); and (2) There was no alternative ending filmed or considered even though that rumor continues to circulate.
The author looks at the myriad of actors in the film that were themselves refugees, escaping from Hitler's horrors. Some, such as Peter Lorre, S.Z. Sakall, Conrad Veidt, and Marcel Dalio went on to have successful careers in Hollywood as second leads or character actors. But so many, who were major stars in their native Germany, Poland, and Hungary, merely had walk-on parts or a single line of dialogue and quickly disappeared from the movie business.
There is a plethora of information about the screenwriting, sets, music, etc. that explains how it all came together to become legendary......even though the studio and all those involved had no idea that this was anything more than a good war time romantic film. But in the early 1960s, Casablanca began showing up in art houses, on college campuses, and at the midnight movies and young people returned again and again to cheer, cry, and stand and sing the Marseillaise along with Madeline LaBeau and the patrons in Rick's Café. The rest is history. After 75 years, it continues to captivate and I, for one, know the dialogue and also when I am going to cry (the aforementioned Marseillaise scene and in Rick's apartment when Bergman drops the gun and says "You don't know how much I loved you, how much I still love you").
A wonderful read for the film fan and a must read for fanatics of Casablanca. Here's looking at you, kid.
December 25, 2019
If you're a Casablanca fan (I've seen it over 20 times myself) this book could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Just about every aspect of the movie--before, during and after production-- is explored and the book brims with fascinating details about the mediocre play on which it was based, the writing of the screenplay, the casting, bios of the stars as well as co-stars and those with bit parts, most of whom were actual emigres from Germany, Russia, Hungary, who'd escaped from war-torn Europe. Virtually every foreign accent was authentic. I could go on and on and am tempted to, but I don't want to reveal too many of the delicious details. Highly recommended!
#thestrangecourtshipofabigailbird
#thestrangecourtshipofabigailbird
March 18, 2020
For gaining some background and history of the renowned movie, Casablanca, this book fills the bill quite nicely. The discussions of the movie, especially the actors, is more interesting to me than the pop culture associations with it. I don't care if The Simpsons did a parody, for instance. The origin and evolution of the movie script was surprising. All in all, I enjoyed reading about Casablanca. Now I want to watch it again.
September 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this! Casablanca is one of my all-time favorite movies and I enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at how it was made and all the things happening in the world and in Hollywood at the time that informed it.
March 12, 2017
This book has a lot of interesting Casablanca trivia. It also has a lot of boring Casablanca trivia. The opening chapters on the making of the movie, the role of emigres in it, and how the movie makers dealt with the censorship of the time were quite interesting. The part about possible sequels got bogged down and the final chapter, on Casablanca spoofs and references, was really superfluous. I suspect, though I haven't read it, that if you want to know everything about the making of Casablanca you should read the book that this author listed as his main resource, Round Up the Usual Suspects by Aljean Harmetz, and skip this one.
December 16, 2019
Well the title say it all - "We'll Always Have CASABLANCA The Life, Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Movie".
I really enjoyed reading this book. Reading about the setting, the war influence ( the movie was released in 1942), the impact of immigrants (75 of the actors and actresses were immigrants) and the strong prevailing moral code functioning in film production.
Remember too this was the time of the Great Depression in USA. Plus this book had 33 pages of acknowledgement, notes, references and index. Staggering.
This amped my appreciation of the book.
Unputdownable.
Now I want to re-watch the movie - soon
I really enjoyed reading this book. Reading about the setting, the war influence ( the movie was released in 1942), the impact of immigrants (75 of the actors and actresses were immigrants) and the strong prevailing moral code functioning in film production.
Remember too this was the time of the Great Depression in USA. Plus this book had 33 pages of acknowledgement, notes, references and index. Staggering.
This amped my appreciation of the book.
Unputdownable.
Now I want to re-watch the movie - soon
February 26, 2017
There have been a lot of books written about Casablanca, and I've probably read most of them. This one begins well, but its structure is weak (not exactly chronological but thematic) and the author goes off on cultural tangents in order, it seems, to lengthen the book. Very little new is brought up, but it is easy to read and it does make me want to revisit the film yet again. Aljean Harmetz's book on Casablanca, which Isenberg rightfully praises, is the still the book to beat.
July 24, 2017
Actual rating: 4.5
This marks the third book I've read (so far) about the film, Casablanca, and it just might be my favorite. Casablanca is my second favorite movie of all time and I'm looking forward to revisiting it after reading this delightful book.
This marks the third book I've read (so far) about the film, Casablanca, and it just might be my favorite. Casablanca is my second favorite movie of all time and I'm looking forward to revisiting it after reading this delightful book.
November 5, 2024
Everything you could possibly want to know about this iconic film.
March 1, 2024
I really love learning about the creative process, so about 3/4 of this book absolutely fascinated me. Isenberg has meticulously put together a behind-the-scenes look at how Casablanca (1942) came to be, from the writing of the stage play Everybody Comes to Rick's through the post-production editing and scoring for the film.
I think the coolest thing I learned from this book was that almost everyone involved, aside from Humphrey Bogart and a handful of other actors and crewmembers, were actually pretty recent immigrants to Hollywood from Europe. Many of them experienced the kind of refugee situation that is shown in the film, waiting desperately for an exit visa and hoping against hope to make it safely out of Europe before the Nazis completely overwhelmed everything and everyone. That is going to make this film extra poignant the next time I watch it. I had realized that, obviously, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid and Peter Lorre were European and had probably come to Hollywood in part to escape the Nazi threat. But even director Michael Curtiz was originally Hungarian, and the actors playing the Nazis in the film were mostly native Germans who had fled Germany. Making this pro-freedom film must have been so immensely satisfying for so many involved, and yet heartbreakingly real, too.
The last couple chapters are about how the movie has influenced Hollywood and society, and I mainly skimmed those.
Anyway, if you like learning about how movies get made, this is a cool book. For adults. I would rate it R if it was a movie, for discussions of sexual topics, mainly things that couldn't be shown in the film, but also sections from fairly explicit sequels that have been written over the years by people who want to fill in the things the movie only hints at or leaves open to interpretation. You can skim those bits, but they aren't always easy to spot coming.
I think the coolest thing I learned from this book was that almost everyone involved, aside from Humphrey Bogart and a handful of other actors and crewmembers, were actually pretty recent immigrants to Hollywood from Europe. Many of them experienced the kind of refugee situation that is shown in the film, waiting desperately for an exit visa and hoping against hope to make it safely out of Europe before the Nazis completely overwhelmed everything and everyone. That is going to make this film extra poignant the next time I watch it. I had realized that, obviously, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid and Peter Lorre were European and had probably come to Hollywood in part to escape the Nazi threat. But even director Michael Curtiz was originally Hungarian, and the actors playing the Nazis in the film were mostly native Germans who had fled Germany. Making this pro-freedom film must have been so immensely satisfying for so many involved, and yet heartbreakingly real, too.
The last couple chapters are about how the movie has influenced Hollywood and society, and I mainly skimmed those.
Anyway, if you like learning about how movies get made, this is a cool book. For adults. I would rate it R if it was a movie, for discussions of sexual topics, mainly things that couldn't be shown in the film, but also sections from fairly explicit sequels that have been written over the years by people who want to fill in the things the movie only hints at or leaves open to interpretation. You can skim those bits, but they aren't always easy to spot coming.
November 20, 2019
This book is not about the making of the film “Casablanca”. Rather, it is a story about the émigré experience in Hollywood at the time the film was being made, which as it turns out, was quite extensive.
I had never thought about the fact that the majority of the players in the film: extras, bit players and even the actors with one or two lines were all émigrés.
“Hailing from more than thirty different nations…” (Pg.128).
In fact the entire cast is mostly international with only three of the credited actors having been born in the United States. This becomes notable especially because the story the film portrays is very much about the political situation the world found itself in at the time (WWII) necessitating persons fleeing the ravages of war.
The author also makes much of the writing of the screenplay – who contributed what and when and how. Noteworthy due to the many quotable lines of dialogue that have endured for decades.
The book begins to ramble boringly discussing the numerous number of proposed spin-offs &/or sequels and the various spoofs over the years. (Yawn!)
Not surprising – everyone and their cousin has an opinion about this movie and the author has shared the opinions of everyone he could possible find to quote.
Being a huge fan of old classic movies I was enjoying this book (in spite of its downfalls) until I got to the end when it took a turn that soured the experience for me when current politics reared its ugly head with the mention of persons currently in political USA news.
Why you would want to end a book about "Casablanca” with a quote from a present day wannabe United States Presidential hopeful’s Facebook page defies logic.
It was shockingly unnecessary and, in my view, demeaning to what I assumed the author was trying to accomplish, which was paying homage to “Casablanca”. This anomaly turned what had begun as a 5-star read into my very generous 3-stars.
I had never thought about the fact that the majority of the players in the film: extras, bit players and even the actors with one or two lines were all émigrés.
“Hailing from more than thirty different nations…” (Pg.128).
In fact the entire cast is mostly international with only three of the credited actors having been born in the United States. This becomes notable especially because the story the film portrays is very much about the political situation the world found itself in at the time (WWII) necessitating persons fleeing the ravages of war.
The author also makes much of the writing of the screenplay – who contributed what and when and how. Noteworthy due to the many quotable lines of dialogue that have endured for decades.
The book begins to ramble boringly discussing the numerous number of proposed spin-offs &/or sequels and the various spoofs over the years. (Yawn!)
Not surprising – everyone and their cousin has an opinion about this movie and the author has shared the opinions of everyone he could possible find to quote.
Being a huge fan of old classic movies I was enjoying this book (in spite of its downfalls) until I got to the end when it took a turn that soured the experience for me when current politics reared its ugly head with the mention of persons currently in political USA news.
Why you would want to end a book about "Casablanca” with a quote from a present day wannabe United States Presidential hopeful’s Facebook page defies logic.
It was shockingly unnecessary and, in my view, demeaning to what I assumed the author was trying to accomplish, which was paying homage to “Casablanca”. This anomaly turned what had begun as a 5-star read into my very generous 3-stars.
May 9, 2017
A readable general overview of the film: its creation and production and place in pop culture. I wish it were more technical and had more from the micro level about how the film was made. What kind of man was Michael Curtiz? Still, the section on the many attempts to create prequels and sequels is interesting, as is the chapter on the number of immigrants involved in the production. Why he chose to end a book about the greatest film of all time with long quotations from Elizabeth Warren's FaceBook page was a mystery. I mean, of all the viewers on all the FaceBook pages in all the world, he quotes her? I also could have done without the analysis / recaps of Simpsons episodes,
Play It Again, Sam or SNL skits, which make the ending seem padded.
Play It Again, Sam or SNL skits, which make the ending seem padded.
September 6, 2018
This book is more than a description of a classic film. The U.S. was isolationist until the attack on Pearl Harbor, and most studios were still releasing movies in Germany. Murray Burnett and his wife had gone to Vienna in 1938 and were shocked by the antisemitism they witnessed. Burnett co-wrote the play upon which Casablanca was based. Warner Bros. was not isolationist because Harry Warner was born a Jew in Poland. The film was first released in N.Y.C. on December 25, 1942. As Elizabeth Warren said, It was made about refugees by refugees." The film was populated with cast and crew abounding with refugees fleeing Europe.
December 11, 2023
The last third kind of lost me, otherwise it was really interesting.
April 24, 2022
It's hard to believe that the movie Casablanca was made 80 years ago and the basic premise - that of refugees fleeing their war-torn home and hopefully finding their way to a safe land can still connect with today's world. In this case, it's most of Europe fleeing the Nazis to French Morocco and hopefully on to Portugal and the United States. But the only thing that has changed over the decades is the homeland being fled and the political terrorists that are driving them away.
But this book goes into the writing of the play that started the story but also the re-writing done by multiple screenwriters, the actors that were to take the notable parts along with the filming, dealing with representatives of the Production Code (censorship and restrictions and how directors, writers and producers sometimes managed to get around them). The film premieres across the world - Germany originally cut all mention of the Nazis which removed the character of Major Strasser, his troopers and the most of the iconic "La Marseillaise" scene and it wasn't shown in an uncut version until 1975. Seriously, the Nazis within French Morocco as they controlled Vichy France were an integral part of the film so I would not be surprised that the viewers were totally confused by the accolades that film was generating.
It also goes into how the film managed to become such a lasting cult classic in the decades since it was originally released. Certain theaters that repeatedly shown the film during various festivals. How the audience can repeat all the lines - a la Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight showings. When discussing finding something to watch and not wanting to see Casablanca again but once it starts, to be hooked enough to stay to the end. The attempts at a sequel and numerous elements and influences in film and television. I didn't even know there was a TV show that lasted 5 episodes. Three episodes of The Simpsons. Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam and more.
Admittedly, this is for the overall fan of the movie or even a fan of classic cinema. The biographies of the major actors are only a few pages long and most of the cast don't even get mentioned save the insignificant mention that nearly all of the 75 member cast were refugees and emigres from Europe.
2022-085
But this book goes into the writing of the play that started the story but also the re-writing done by multiple screenwriters, the actors that were to take the notable parts along with the filming, dealing with representatives of the Production Code (censorship and restrictions and how directors, writers and producers sometimes managed to get around them). The film premieres across the world - Germany originally cut all mention of the Nazis which removed the character of Major Strasser, his troopers and the most of the iconic "La Marseillaise" scene and it wasn't shown in an uncut version until 1975. Seriously, the Nazis within French Morocco as they controlled Vichy France were an integral part of the film so I would not be surprised that the viewers were totally confused by the accolades that film was generating.
It also goes into how the film managed to become such a lasting cult classic in the decades since it was originally released. Certain theaters that repeatedly shown the film during various festivals. How the audience can repeat all the lines - a la Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight showings. When discussing finding something to watch and not wanting to see Casablanca again but once it starts, to be hooked enough to stay to the end. The attempts at a sequel and numerous elements and influences in film and television. I didn't even know there was a TV show that lasted 5 episodes. Three episodes of The Simpsons. Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam and more.
Admittedly, this is for the overall fan of the movie or even a fan of classic cinema. The biographies of the major actors are only a few pages long and most of the cast don't even get mentioned save the insignificant mention that nearly all of the 75 member cast were refugees and emigres from Europe.
2022-085
March 5, 2017
Comprehensive historical background on the origins of, making, of, revisions to, conflicting statements on the writing of, and later eternal life of one of the MOST impressionable and iconic movies of all time. One of the many quotes in the book attributed to one of the any authors and historians and even philosophers regarding CASABLANCA is that it is just not a 'movie', it is the 'movies'. The book is best read in chapter segments of concentration, because each chapter seems to be an essay of sorts pertaining to the subject at hand contained. This makes for some redundancy if you read two chapters or so in a row. The author seems to have knitted his observations and historical data together like a quilt and some information is repeated. Overall, this is a great guide through CASABLANCA and a must read for fans of the film. The concluding chapter goes into how many tie it has been referenced or parodied or honored in other films, TV shows and whatnot. Even the beginning of any Warner Brothers film has hints of AS TIME GOES BY as the iconic WB shield appears before their features. The film lives on in memory through the generations.
January 13, 2019
Isenberg's book is a wonderful read for anyone who's seen Casablanca once or twice and wants to know more, not only about the movie itself, but also how it continues to be a cultural powerhouse. For those wanting to know more, I highly recommend the excellent book The Making of Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, and World War II (previously titled Round Up the Usual Suspects) by Aljean Harmetz and a wonderful biography of the film's director titled Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film by Alan K. Rode.
August 20, 2017
Very informative book of one of my all-time favorite movies.
January 4, 2018
Super read, easy pacing, loaded with facts but not overloading. Even if you are not one in the legions of Casablanca fans you will find this interesting.
‘Play it again Sam’ (Sic)
‘Play it again Sam’ (Sic)
July 6, 2020
Reasonably thorough look at the history and making of the film, public and critical reactions, and a fair amount of trivia.
July 26, 2019
Noah Isenberg’s study of the conception, production, and influence of Casablanca is mostly interesting, always readable, and sure to entertain fans of the film, of which we are legion.
Isenberg begins by outlining the creation of the stage play 'Everybody Comes to Rick’s' by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The show never made it to the stage but did make it to the desk of producer Hal Wallis at Warner Brothers. He optioned the play for $20,000. Isenberg writes it was “the most money ever paid, at that time, by a Hollywood studio for an unproduced play and more than twice the purchase price of Warners’ acquisition of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon."
Next the book outlines the writing of the script by Julius and Philip Epstein and Howard Koch. This chapter is a fantastic read for any screenplay junkie. There’s a lot here but basically it boils down to the Epsteins laid out the story, witty banter, and romance. Koch brought in the politics.
When Isenberg gets into the production of the film is when the narrative really sings. Fans of the film, and classic film fans in general, will eat up everything here. I don’t want to spoil anything but let’s just say there’s a tremendous anecdote involving director Michael Curtiz’s trailer, Peter Lorre, and a microphone.
Another wonderful section of the book deals with the various nationalities of the cast. This was a cast of emigres making a movie about emigres looking for an escape. The ‘Marseillaise’ scene has always been an emotional high-point in Casablanca. And it’s even more powerful when you put it into context of the performers’ lives.
Isenberg’s book is less interesting when it moves into the afterlife of the film. Did you know that in 1955-1956 there was a weekly TV series based on Casablanca where Charles McGraw played Rick? I didn’t but I don’t really care. Isenberg goes deep to find some strange stuff about different iterations of our beloved characters. He does fine work but I could’ve gone my whole life without reading a graphic sex scene involving Rick and Ilsa. Some hidden things deserve to stay hidden.
Overall the book is well-researched and reads, much like the film, with a great pace. Isenberg moves quickly from one interlude to the next and lays out the particulars in fine detail.
Casablanca is my favorite movie. It’s funny, moving, powerful. It’s about the important choices people make in the most important times of their lives. And it’s set in a moment of tremendous importance in history. It deserves a book that honors all that. Thankfully we have it right here.
Isenberg begins by outlining the creation of the stage play 'Everybody Comes to Rick’s' by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The show never made it to the stage but did make it to the desk of producer Hal Wallis at Warner Brothers. He optioned the play for $20,000. Isenberg writes it was “the most money ever paid, at that time, by a Hollywood studio for an unproduced play and more than twice the purchase price of Warners’ acquisition of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon."
Next the book outlines the writing of the script by Julius and Philip Epstein and Howard Koch. This chapter is a fantastic read for any screenplay junkie. There’s a lot here but basically it boils down to the Epsteins laid out the story, witty banter, and romance. Koch brought in the politics.
When Isenberg gets into the production of the film is when the narrative really sings. Fans of the film, and classic film fans in general, will eat up everything here. I don’t want to spoil anything but let’s just say there’s a tremendous anecdote involving director Michael Curtiz’s trailer, Peter Lorre, and a microphone.
Another wonderful section of the book deals with the various nationalities of the cast. This was a cast of emigres making a movie about emigres looking for an escape. The ‘Marseillaise’ scene has always been an emotional high-point in Casablanca. And it’s even more powerful when you put it into context of the performers’ lives.
Isenberg’s book is less interesting when it moves into the afterlife of the film. Did you know that in 1955-1956 there was a weekly TV series based on Casablanca where Charles McGraw played Rick? I didn’t but I don’t really care. Isenberg goes deep to find some strange stuff about different iterations of our beloved characters. He does fine work but I could’ve gone my whole life without reading a graphic sex scene involving Rick and Ilsa. Some hidden things deserve to stay hidden.
Overall the book is well-researched and reads, much like the film, with a great pace. Isenberg moves quickly from one interlude to the next and lays out the particulars in fine detail.
Casablanca is my favorite movie. It’s funny, moving, powerful. It’s about the important choices people make in the most important times of their lives. And it’s set in a moment of tremendous importance in history. It deserves a book that honors all that. Thankfully we have it right here.
August 19, 2017
Pretty solid discussion of Casablanca, the movie and the phenomenon, even for this long time Casablanca fanboy. I learned a few things, like only 3 of the 15 named parts in the movie were natural born American citizens - you can guess 2 of them pretty easily (Bogart and Dooley), but the 3rd one you'll find hard to do:
and a few other tidbits. It was also fun to read about how the movie and its reputation grew as the years went by. And how even today, when many of the youngsters haven't seen it, it is such a cultural touchstone that references can be made to it in places like The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live knowing it will still resonate.
And I've added another place to go before I die - Rick's Cafe just outside of, yes, Casablanca Morocco!
and a few other tidbits. It was also fun to read about how the movie and its reputation grew as the years went by. And how even today, when many of the youngsters haven't seen it, it is such a cultural touchstone that references can be made to it in places like The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live knowing it will still resonate.
And I've added another place to go before I die - Rick's Cafe just outside of, yes, Casablanca Morocco!
December 2, 2017
After reading Aljean Harmetz's Round up the Usual Suspects, I wasn't sure I needed another book on this classic film, one of my top two favorites. However, Noah Isenberg's cultural look at the films' production, release, reception, and legacy got good notices so I asked for it for my birthday.
Having just finished it, I can attest that I learned new nuggets about the film's history and it's impact around the world. If you haven't seen the film (really?) this still shows some interesting details into how the Hollywood system once worked and how the right film at the right time can become a classic.
Having just finished it, I can attest that I learned new nuggets about the film's history and it's impact around the world. If you haven't seen the film (really?) this still shows some interesting details into how the Hollywood system once worked and how the right film at the right time can become a classic.
May 6, 2019
While I'm not a hardcore Casablanca fan, I've always really liked it and figured a deep dive would be interesting. I was right but I have to admit the books I've read on 2001 and Caddyshack were more enlightening, which I craved here. Still, this is an interesting look at arguably the most classic Hollywood movie ever made. A lot is made of how many different writers worked on this in some form or another and I fear this is why this idiotic practice is still carried out today. It's astounding how relevant a 77 year old movie is not only culturally but politically as well. Again, this is a solid read and it could be more to you depending on just how into Casablanca you are.
November 4, 2019
You must remember this: Either you love the movie Casablanca—or you haven’t seen it yet. If you’re the latter, stop what you’re doing & find it. (AMC shows it round the clock.) But if you’re ready for a night out at Rick’s Café Américain, if you can tell Ugarte from Ferrari, if you know what to do when “Major Strasser has been shot,” then here’s looking at you, kid. This film scholar’s love letter to the 1942 classic may not amount to a hill of beans, but it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
July 27, 2023
I love the movie Casablanca so I thought I would love this book, not so much. The first few chapters were interesting. I liked hearing about the original writers of the play/movie. It was interesting about the individual actors chosen for the movie. It had some interesting trivia scattered throughout the book that kept me reading but it wasn't a great book. Some of it was information every fan of the movie knew, there was only a little new information in the book. Still, a fan of the movie might enjoy going through the book but only a fan will enjoy it.
August 11, 2020
Very interesting book about the long lasting popularity of the movie Casablanca. It's interesting to note that most of the 75 actors and actresses in the film were actually immigrants. When Madeleine Lebeau sings the Marseillaise, those are real tears, as she herself fled France via Lisbon. A lot of the actors/actresses were popular in the profession in their home countries but had to settle for playing bit parts in the U.S.
June 13, 2020
Good background on the writing/making of this great film
November 26, 2025
From the very first page, Isenberg’s book makes clear that Casablanca (1942) is more than just a “great movie.” It is — in his words, and in the words quoted by others — “not one movie; it is ‘movies.’” Through meticulous research and heartfelt storytelling, the author reconstructs the improbable journey from an unproduced stage play to one of the most beloved films in Hollywood history.
Isenberg doesn’t gloss over the studio system’s machinery: the script rewrites, the multiple hands shaping the story, the casting decisions, the compromises under wartime pressures, and even the tussles with the moral censors of the era.
Yet, what gives this account real heart is the way he illuminates the human dimension behind the glamour — especially the fact that many of the actors and crew were recent immigrants, refugees fleeing Hitler’s Europe.
That context casts the story of Casablanca in a powerful, deeply moving light. This film—centered on refugees seeking escape and safety, on moral choices in the face of tyranny—was not merely dramatic fiction. For many of its makers, it touched on lived experience. Isenberg’s choice to emphasize that reality gives the book a resonance beyond film history: it becomes a story about displacement, hope, and survival, about people who once trembled under fascism, then helped make a movie that would speak to entire generations.
Moreover, Isenberg tracks not just the “life” and “legend” of the film, but its long “afterlife.” He shows how Casablanca kept returning — in revival screenings, references across media, parodies, remakes, homages, even cartoon and TV show jokes — and how it has lodged itself in the cultural imagination.
That enduring legacy, as the book argues, is as much about real history and real people as it is about cinematic craft.
Still, for all its riches, the book occasionally leans toward exhaustive detail: some readers may find the endless parade of revivals, adaptations, parodies and legacy-footnotes in the final chapters a little — well — exhaustive. Indeed, one review notes that while the early portion (on the film’s origins) is “first-rate and involving,” the later overviews of every offshoot production or cultural reference risk feeling “ponderous.”
Yet even this over-abundance of reverence feels like a tribute — almost a vow to never let Casablanca fade from collective memory.
On balance, “We’ll Always Have Casablanca” is a marvelous achievement. It draws you into the smoky, wartime world of Rick’s Café not just as a movie set, but as a crossroads of desperate lives and hopeful futures. It reminds you that behind the glamour and the glamour’s glow there were real people — often scarred, often displaced — who carried their own weight of history into that dark, moody nightclub and onto the screen.
And you know what? Someone really should write a screenplay about the making of Casablanca.
Imagine it — the refugees turned actors, the pressure of politics and war closing in, the nightly rewrites, the moral and artistic compromises, the tension of whether this modest play-to-film project would click or crash. That behind-the-scenes drama would be movie-gold, rich with conflict, humanity, hope, heartbreak, and redemption. It would almost certainly sweep the awards: Best Screenplay, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Period Picture, maybe Best Director.
Maybe — just maybe — you should write it. If you bring half the passion and insight of Isenberg’s book to the screen, it could become something extraordinary.
In short: if you love cinema, if you love history, or if you love human stories of survival and creativity, “We’ll Always Have Casablanca” is not just a book — it’s an essential read.
Isenberg doesn’t gloss over the studio system’s machinery: the script rewrites, the multiple hands shaping the story, the casting decisions, the compromises under wartime pressures, and even the tussles with the moral censors of the era.
Yet, what gives this account real heart is the way he illuminates the human dimension behind the glamour — especially the fact that many of the actors and crew were recent immigrants, refugees fleeing Hitler’s Europe.
That context casts the story of Casablanca in a powerful, deeply moving light. This film—centered on refugees seeking escape and safety, on moral choices in the face of tyranny—was not merely dramatic fiction. For many of its makers, it touched on lived experience. Isenberg’s choice to emphasize that reality gives the book a resonance beyond film history: it becomes a story about displacement, hope, and survival, about people who once trembled under fascism, then helped make a movie that would speak to entire generations.
Moreover, Isenberg tracks not just the “life” and “legend” of the film, but its long “afterlife.” He shows how Casablanca kept returning — in revival screenings, references across media, parodies, remakes, homages, even cartoon and TV show jokes — and how it has lodged itself in the cultural imagination.
That enduring legacy, as the book argues, is as much about real history and real people as it is about cinematic craft.
Still, for all its riches, the book occasionally leans toward exhaustive detail: some readers may find the endless parade of revivals, adaptations, parodies and legacy-footnotes in the final chapters a little — well — exhaustive. Indeed, one review notes that while the early portion (on the film’s origins) is “first-rate and involving,” the later overviews of every offshoot production or cultural reference risk feeling “ponderous.”
Yet even this over-abundance of reverence feels like a tribute — almost a vow to never let Casablanca fade from collective memory.
On balance, “We’ll Always Have Casablanca” is a marvelous achievement. It draws you into the smoky, wartime world of Rick’s Café not just as a movie set, but as a crossroads of desperate lives and hopeful futures. It reminds you that behind the glamour and the glamour’s glow there were real people — often scarred, often displaced — who carried their own weight of history into that dark, moody nightclub and onto the screen.
And you know what? Someone really should write a screenplay about the making of Casablanca.
Imagine it — the refugees turned actors, the pressure of politics and war closing in, the nightly rewrites, the moral and artistic compromises, the tension of whether this modest play-to-film project would click or crash. That behind-the-scenes drama would be movie-gold, rich with conflict, humanity, hope, heartbreak, and redemption. It would almost certainly sweep the awards: Best Screenplay, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Period Picture, maybe Best Director.
Maybe — just maybe — you should write it. If you bring half the passion and insight of Isenberg’s book to the screen, it could become something extraordinary.
In short: if you love cinema, if you love history, or if you love human stories of survival and creativity, “We’ll Always Have Casablanca” is not just a book — it’s an essential read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews