According to various sources, Ronald Reagan was the first choice to play Rick Blaine. Reagan was under contract at Warner Bros., and once Hal Wallis decided on the final title for his next film, the studio sent out press releases announcing that Reagan would indeed headline the release, along with Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan. The only problem was that according to internal memos regarding casting issues, producer Hal Wallis had Humphrey Bogart in mind from the start.

Another popular rumor has it that George Raft was offered the role first, but this is not entirely accurate. While at one time Raft lobbied to do the film, the film was never officially offered to Raft, whose star power was quickly fading. The story is also substantiated simply because Raft had a history of turning down important roles that later went to Bogart, namely High Sierra (1940) and The Maltese Falcon (1941).

Ever wonder why Dooley Wilson doesn't look quite right tickling those ivories? Arthur "Dooley" Wilson, a Broadway transplant in his first year at Paramount Studios, was actually a drummer. He could not play a lick on the piano and during his scenes the notes were played off-camera by studio pianist Elliot Carpenter.

It was common knowledge around the Warner Bros. lot that Humphrey Bogart found love scenes more embarrassing than pleasurable. He once told an interviewer, "I don't like them, maybe because I don't do them very well. It isn't possible to shoot a love scene without having a hairy-chested group of grips standing four feet away from you, chewing tobacco." Also, Bogart reportedly had to wear three-inch wooden blocks tied to the bottom of his shoes in order to measure up to Ingrid Bergman's height.

One question that has always troubled some Casablanca fanatics is this one: why are there not more shots of the airplane to Lisbon? Answer: the inserted shot of the airplane revving up was the only segment of the climax shot outside a soundstage. Because wartime security measures prohibited the use of high-powered lights outdoors, it took countless requests, meetings, and probably bribes to cut through the red tape in order to properly illuminate the plane for the camera. While inside the soundstage, a creatively lit and painted cardboard cutout, served as the plane to Lisbon. The small group of people seen in the distance, standing beside the plane, were actually a group of midgets from Central Casting, hired to provide the proper scale for the camera's eye.

Neither Ingrid Bergman nor Paul Henreid wanted to appear in Casablanca, the one film that would become their most popular. Bergman thought the material little more than fluff, whereas the role in For Whom the Bell Tolls, one she desperately wanted to do, would do wonders for her career. Once the wrap date for Casablanca approached, Bergman realized happily that she would be able to film the Hemingway story after all. For his part, Paul Henreid had just starred with Bette Davis in Now, Voyager, and the thought of playing second banana to Bogie and Bergman, not to mention Claude Rains, just didn't sound like a promising prospect. Fortunately, he reconsidered.

Rick Blaine's love interest was originally written as an American, and the studio thought that Ann Sheridan would be perfect in the role. But when the leading lady was changed into a European, Sheridan was out, and the part was offered to Hedy Lamarr. However, MGM kept her on a short leash and would not loan her out. French actress Michele Morgan was then offered the part, but her agents asked for too much money, $55,000 to be exact. Warner Bros. eventually got Ingrid Bergman for roughly half that - $25,000.

by Scott McGee