That Interruption

YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS: Nobody likes to be interrupted. But in Michael Curtiz's 1942 romantic drama, interruption not only abounds in plot and dialogue but has resulted in one of the most iconic scenes in film history. "Sing it, Sam." commands Ingrid Bergman in a fluid white pantsuit, cool and subtle as her almost cooing voice. Sam plays, and sings through the chorus, until he is interrupted by a stiff, dry Bogart who finds himself unexpectedly confronted by an old, lost love. What follows is a momentary but eloquent gaze between Bogart and Bergman, unbroken even with yet another interruption by incoming characters. "As Time Goes By" continues to play in the background as a leitmotif, in a more dramatic arrangement of course.

72 years since its release, Casablanca continues to entertain with what the Los Angeles Times has dubbed as a "Golden Age Hollywoodness". Music, drama, suspense, comedy and romance seem to roll along smoothly amidst a large, speaking cast in both glamorous costumes and film sets. Sappy dialogue adds to the appeal, including such immortal lines as "We'll always have Paris." which is listed in the top 50 of the American Film Institute's top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. On the whole, Casablanca is ranked third in the institute's 100 greatest American films of all time. Its legacy exceeds the realm of cinema, having been the most frequently broadcast film on American TV in the 1970s, and its theme song having been used by Warner Brothers in its production logo since 1999.

"The world will always welcome lovers, as time goes by." Will future audiences feel about our movies today as we feel about such classics as Casablanca? Only time will tell. Until then, here's looking at you, kid. Happy anniversary Casablanca!

Casablanca, 1942. Directed by Michael Curtiz. Casablanca 70th Anniversary Edition - Play it Sam on www.youtube.com