"Play it once, Sam. For old time’s sake. Play it, Sam."

Michael Curtiz’s 1942 film Casablanca never seemed to be on track to become a classic. It only fell into that mold after the fact, and maybe that’s why it seems to work so well – it doesn’t feel like it’s carrying any of that ‘award film’ baggage. It’s just a smartly written script with great characters performed by brilliant actors. Everything seemed to have worked. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our Ingrid Bergman series with Curtiz’s Casablanca.

We look at why we love this film so much and why it still works so well. We talk about the central performances – Humphrey Bogart, Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains – not to mention the rest of the cast, and why they feel so perfect for this film. We chat about Curtiz and his directing. And we look at the music, notably the song “As Time Goes By.”

It’s a beautiful film that still works on every level. We love it and have a great time talking about it on the show this week. So check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.

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