2000/01/01 by Kathy Merlock Jackson · 5 citations
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #American film #Art #Art history #Ballad #Cinema and Media Studies #History #Humanities #Law #Literature #Mass media #Media studies #Movie theater #Musical #Persona #Poetry #Political science #Popular culture #Popularity #Sacrifice #Sociology
paper · doi:10.1080/01956050009602813
published in Journal of Popular Film and Television 27(4), 33-41 (Taylor & Francis)
openalex publication_date 2000/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Casablanca has captured the popular imagination in a way that no other movie–with the possible exception of Gone with the Wind or The Wizard of Oz–ever has. Premiering in 1942, the film–produced by Hal Wallis, directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman–became an immediate hit and a critical success. In subsequent years, it has never lost its popularity. Many have speculated on Casablanca's timeless appeal, attributing it to the film's superb script, acting, or musical score; its quintessential love triangle in an exotic locale against a backdrop of war; its manifestation of life's difficult choices and the sacrifice of doing what is right; or Humphrey Bogart's tough, cynical-yet-sensitive on-screen persona. Regardless of why Casablanca has intrigued generations, one thing remains certain: This enduring classic has left its mark on American mass media and popular culture.