Casablanca Screening Report:
1. “Casablanca”
is hailed as one of the great films of all time and it laid the blueprint for
all the romantic dramas that followed. The film was written by Julius Epstein,
Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch, who won an Academy Award for Best Original
Screenplay; and directed by Michael Curtis who won the Academy Award for Best
Director. In addition, the film went on to capture the Best Picture award at
the Oscars as well. Furthermore, Humphrey Bogart was nominated for Best Actor
for his portrayal of Rick Blaine.
2. Although
the film captured 3 Academy Awards, Humphrey Bogart was one of the main reasons
why the film is as memorable as it was. Bogart was born on December 25th
1899 in New York to a rich family; his father was a surgeon and his mother a
commercial illustrator. His family was not very supportive of his decision to
become an actor and thought he should pursue a more realistic career. He was
enrolled at the Trinity School and began to take up acting at the local
theatre. However, Bogart was not receiving any big-time parts and enlisted in
the Navy in 1918. He was stationed mostly throughout Europe and unlike other
soldiers Bogart enjoyed his time in the Navy and saying “At 18 war and
traveling was great.” After his military service, Bogart returned to acting by
taking his talents to Broadway; first as a stage manager, then a primetime
actor. He soon landed his first movie roll in “Up the River” a prison film with
Spencer Tracy. He then signed a contract with Warner Bros. after his critically
acclaimed performance in “The Petrified Forest.” which had him making “$550 a
week.” However, Bogart was beginning to get typecast in Hollywood and he was
only landing mobster roles; until he was offered the Rick Blaine role in
Casablanca. According to TCM “Ronald Regan was the first choice to play Rick”
because he was under contract with Warner Bros. and he was known commodity
among moviegoers. Then other actors like George Raft, were rumored to be
offered the role as well. Soon Bogart signed a 7-picture deal with Warner Bros.
earning him $2750 a week, which catapulted him into the title of “Highest Paid
Actor” in Hollywood with $460,000 a year. Bogart’s performance proved that he
could be the helpless romantic and the “reluctant hero.” In addition, Bogart
earned an Academy Award nomination and he released at least one film each year
over the next ten years.
3. The
article talks about Bogart’s life and his willingness to pursue acting even
though it was frowned upon by his family. In addition, it mentions how Bogart
garnered his fame through Broadway and how he worked his way up to reach
super-stardom. The article did not change my perception of Bogart in any way
because even on screen he always gave the audience a piece of himself and made
the role his own. In my opinion his no nonsense attitude seemed to be his
actual personality and that mentality made every moment he was onscreen
unforgettable.
4. Overall,
I enjoyed the film, it displayed a lot of heart and Bogart’s character owned
the screen every time he was on it. It had a great combination of mystery,
drama, wisecracking humor and history. I liked how it was able to incorporate
actual world history to the film and how it played a vital role in the outcome
of the film. Ingrid Bergman’s character did come off a little dramatic at times
but the acting was solid and even though Bogart’s character was an insensible
and stoic individual, you still felt the pain and the different emotions he
experienced throughout the movie. I enjoyed the other supporting characters,
they all made it very watchable and I believe the music is an underrated
strength of the film because it depicted each scene perfectly and it told a
story all on its own. I can definitely see why the film is a classic and
deserves that title without question.
CHECKLIST
FOR PLAGIARISM
1) (X) I have not handed in this assignment for any other
class.
2) (X) If I reused any information from other papers I have written
for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.
3) (X) If I used any
passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation
and citation within the text.
4) (X) I have not padded the bibliography. I
have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
5)
(X) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) (X)
I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in
another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.
7)
(X) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation
or originality.
8) (X) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been
fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.
Name: Wayne Clark
Date: 3/30/14
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