Quote:
Originally Posted by cassidym
Interesting this about 'Casablanca' (which is my all time fav) is the dramatic ending at the airport. As originally filmed, when the police arrive and look at Louie, he states lamely "Major Strassa has been shot, arrest the usual suspects". Just like that, no dramatic pause while the camera looked at each face.
When the screen writers saw this in the original version, they pitched a fit. They demanded it be redone and it was.
I've seen the original version of that scene and it was a real flop. Fortunately the writers got their way and in the realeased version Louie says, "Major Strassa has been shot!" Then the camera closes in a each face and the dramatic tension becomes unbearable. And then Louie says, "Arrest the usual suspects".
Another factor in the film was that Bogart's wife thought he was having an affair with Ingrid Bergman and kept calling the sound stage threatening to come over and start shooting. Consequently, some of the tension in Rick and Ilsa's faces was that much more realistic.
Also, when they started filming, the directors hadn't decided whether Rick would get on the plane or not. And, Bergmann asked them how she should play the Ilsa role, i.e., based on whether they were going to run off together or she would stay with her husband. And the answer was, "we haven't decided yet". So, the uncertainty in her face became all the more real.
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It's one of my favourites too, and the creation of it (when you read the back-story) is such a confused mess, you'd hardly think that something so lasting would have come out of such anarchy.